December 29

Template:This date in recent years/validate

Template:Short descriptionDecember 29 is the Template:Ordinal day of the year (Template:Ordinal in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; two days remain until the end of the year.

Events

Pre-1600

• 1170 – Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II; he subsequently becomes a saint and martyr in the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church.
• 1503 – The Battle of Garigliano was fought between a Spanish army under Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba and a French army commanded by Ludovico II, Marquess of Saluzzo.

1601–1900

• 1607 – According to John Smith, Pocahontas, daughter of Powhatan leader Wahunsenacawh, successfully pleads for his life after tribal leaders attempt to execute him.
• 1778 – American Revolutionary War: British forces under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell defeat American forces under Major General Robert Howe and capture the port city of Savannah, Georgia.
• 1812 – Template:USS, under the command of Captain William Bainbridge, captures Template:HMS off the coast of Brazil after a three-hour battle.
• 1835 – The Treaty of New Echota is signed, ceding all the lands of the Cherokee east of the Mississippi River to the United States.
• 1845 – The United States annexes the Republic of Texas and admits it as the 28th state.
• 1860 – The launch of Template:HMS, with her combination of screw propeller, iron hull and iron armour, renders all previous warships obsolete.
• 1862 – American Civil War: The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou ends in a Union defeat as forces under General William T. Sherman are repulsed with heavy losses by Confederate troops under General John C. Pemberton.
• 1874 – The military coup of Gen. Martinez Campos in Sagunto ends the failed First Spanish Republic and the monarchy is restored as Prince Alfonso is proclaimed King of Spain.
• 1876 – The Ashtabula River railroad disaster occurs, leaving 64 injured and 92 dead at Ashtabula, Ohio.
• 1890 – Wounded Knee Massacre: On Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, 300 Lakota are killed by the United States 7th Cavalry Regiment.

1901–present

• 1911 – Mongolia gains independence from the Qing dynasty, enthroning 8th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu as Khagan of Mongolia.
• 1913 – Cecil B. DeMille starts filming Hollywood's first feature film, The Squaw Man.
• 1930 – Sir Muhammad Iqbal's presidential address in Allahabad introduces the two-nation theory and outlines a vision for the creation of Pakistan.
• 1934 – Japan renounces the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 and the London Naval Treaty of 1930.
• 1937 – The Irish Free State is replaced by a new state called Ireland with the adoption of a new constitution.
• 1940 – In the Second Great Fire of London, the Luftwaffe fire-bombs London, England, killing almost 200 civilians during World War II.
• 1972 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 (a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar) crashes in the Florida Everglades on approach to Miami International Airport, Florida, killing 101 of the 176 people on board.
• 1975 – A bomb explodes at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, killing 11 people and injuring more than 75.
• 1989 – Czech writer, philosopher and dissident Václav Havel is elected the first post-communist President of Czechoslovakia.
• 1989 – The Nikkei 225 for the Tokyo Stock Exchange hits its all-time intra-day high of 38,957.44 and closing high at 38,915.87, serving as the apex of the Japanese asset price bubble.
• 1992 – Fernando Collor de Mello, president of Brazil, tries to resign amidst corruption charges, but is then impeached.
• 1994 – Turkish Airlines Flight 278 (a Boeing 737-400) crashes on approach to Van Ferit Melen Airport in Van, Turkey, killing 57 of the 76 people on board.
• 1996 – Guatemala and leaders of Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity sign a peace accord ending a 36-year civil war.
• 1998 – Leaders of the Khmer Rouge apologize for the Cambodian genocide that claimed over one million lives.
• 2003 – The last known speaker of Akkala Sami dies, rendering the language extinct.
• 2006 – The UK settles its Anglo-American loan, post-WWII loan debt.
• 2012 – A Tupolev Tu-204 airliner crashes in a ditch between the airport fence and the M3 highway after overshooting a runway at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, Russia, killing five people and leaving three others critically injured.
• 2013 – A suicide bomb attack at the Volgograd-1 railway station in the southern Russian city of Volgograd kills at least 18 people and wounds 40 others.
• 2013 – Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher suffers a massive head injury while skiing in the French Alps.
• 2020 – A magnitude 6.4 earthquake hits near the town of Petrinja in Sisak-Moslavina County, Croatia, killing seven people.
• 2023 – South Africa files a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice over Israeli conducts in the Gaza Strip.
• 2024 – Jeju Air Flight 2216 crashes into a wall in Muan, South Korea, killing 179 of the 181 occupants. It is the worst aircraft accident on South Korean soil in history.

Births

Pre-1600

• 1536 – Henry VI, German nobleman (died 1572)
• 1550 – García de Silva Figueroa, Spanish diplomat and traveller (died 1624)

1601–1900

• 1633 – Johannes Zollikofer, Swiss vicar (died 1692)
• 1709 – Elizabeth Petrovna, Russian empress (died 1762)
• 1721 – Madame de Pompadour, mistress of King Louis XV (died 1764)
• 1746 – Saverio Cassar, Maltese priest and rebel leader (died 1805)
• 1766 – Charles Macintosh, Scottish chemist and the inventor of waterproof fabric (died 1843)
• 1788 – Christian Jürgensen Thomsen, Danish antiquarian (died 1865)
• 1796 – Johann Christian Poggendorff, German physicist and journalist (died 1877)
• 1800 – Charles Goodyear, American chemist and engineer (died 1860)
• 1804 – John Langdon Sibley, American librarian (died 1885)
• 1808 – Andrew Johnson, American general and politician, 17th President of the United States (died 1875)
• 1809 – George Washington Baines, American politician, journalist and educator (died 1882)
• 1809 – William Ewart Gladstone, English lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (died 1898)
• 1809 – Albert Pike, American author, poet, orator, editor, lawyer, jurist, and general (died 1891)
• 1811 – Francisco Palau, Catalan Discalced Carmelite friar and priest (died 1872)
• 1816 – Carl Ludwig, German physician and physiologist (died 1895)
• 1843 – Elisabeth of Wied (died 1916)
• 1844 – Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee, Indian barrister and first president of Indian National Congress (died 1906)
• 1855 – August Kitzberg, Estonian author and poet (died 1927)
• 1856 – Thomas Joannes Stieltjes, Dutch-French mathematician and academic (died 1894)
• 1857 – Sydney Young, English chemist (died 1937)
• 1859 – Venustiano Carranza, Mexican soldier and politician, 37th President of Mexico (died 1920)
• 1870 – Earl Gregg Swem, American historian, bibliographer and librarian (died 1965)
• 1874 – François Brandt, Dutch rower and bishop (died 1949)
• 1876 – Pablo Casals, Catalan cellist and conductor (died 1973)
• 1876 – Lionel Tertis, English violist (died 1975)
• 1879 – Billy Mitchell, American general and pilot (died 1936)
• 1881 – Scott Leary, American swimmer (died 1958)
• 1881 – Jess Willard, American boxer (died 1968)
• 1885 – Roman von Ungern-Sternberg, Austrian-Russian general (died 1921)
• 1886 – Norman Hallows, English runner and captain (died 1968)
• 1886 – Georg Hermann Struve, German astronomer (died 1933)
• 1892 – Aku Korhonen, Finnish actor (died 1960)
• 1894 – J. Lister Hill, American politician (died 1984)
• 1895 – Oswald Freisler, German lawyer and author (died 1939)
• 1896 – David Alfaro Siqueiros, Mexican painter (died 1974)
• 1899 – Nie Rongzhen, Chinese general and politician, Mayor of Beijing (died 1992)

1901–present

• 1902 – Nels Stewart, Canadian ice hockey player (died 1957)
• 1903 – Candido Portinari, Brazilian painter (died 1962)
• 1904 – Kuvempu, Indian author and poet (died 1994)
• 1908 – Helmut Gollwitzer, German theologian and author (died 1993)
• 1908 – Magnus Pyke, English scientist and author (died 1992)
• 1910 – Ronald Coase, English-American economist, author, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2013)
• 1911 – Klaus Fuchs, German physicist and spy (died 1988)
• 1914 – Zainul Abedin, Bangladeshi painter and academic (died 1976)
• 1914 – Billy Tipton, American pianist and saxophonist (died 1989)
• 1914 – Albert Tucker, Australian painter and illustrator (died 1999)
• 1915 – Bill Osmanski, American football player and coach (died 1996)
• 1915 – Robert Ruark, American hunter and author (died 1965)
• 1915 – Jo Van Fleet, American actress (died 1996)
• 1917 – Tom Bradley, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 38th Mayor of Los Angeles (died 1998)
• 1917 – Ramanand Sagar, Indian director and producer (died 2005)
• 1919 – Alfred de Grazia, American political scientist and author (died 2014)
• 1919 – Roman Vlad, Italian pianist and composer (died 2013)
• 1920 – Viveca Lindfors, Swedish-American actress, singer and poet (died 1995)
• 1921 – Robert C. Baker, American inventor and professor (died 2006)
• 1921 – Dobrica Ćosić, Serbian politician, 1st President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (died 2014)
• 1921 – Michael Horne, English structural engineer, scientist and academic (died 2000)
• 1922 – Little Joe Cook, American singer-songwriter (died 2014)
• 1922 – William Gaddis, American author and academic (died 1998)
• 1923 – Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat, French mathematician and physicist (died 2025)
• 1923 – Cheikh Anta Diop, Senegalese historian, anthropologist, and physicist (died 1986)
• 1923 – Lily Ebert, Hungarian-born Holocaust survivor (died 2024)
• 1923 – Morton Estrin, American pianist and educator (died 2017)
• 1923 – Dina Merrill, American actress, game show panelist, socialite, heiress, and businesswoman (died 2017)
• 1923 – Shlomo Venezia, Greek-Italian author and Holocaust survivor (died 2012)
• 1924 – Joe Allbritton, American businessman and publisher, founded the Allbritton Communications Company (died 2012)
• 1924 – Kim Song-ae, Korean politician (died 2014)
• 1925 – Pete Dye, American golfer and architect (died 2020)
• 1927 – Andy Stanfield, American sprinter (died 1985)
• 1928 – Bernard Cribbins, British actor (died 2022)
• 1929 – Matt Murphy, American guitarist (died 2018)
• 1931 – Yi Ku, Korean prince (died 2005)
• 1931 – Stasys Stonkus, Lithuanian basketball player and coach (died 2012)
• 1932 – Inga Swenson, American actress and singer (died 2023)
• 1933 – Samuel Brittan, English journalist and author (died 2020)
• 1934 – Ed Flanders, American actor (died 1995)
• 1936 – Mary Tyler Moore, American actress and producer (died 2017)
• 1936 – Ray Nitschke, American football player (died 1998)
• 1937 – Wayne Huizenga, American businessman, founded AutoNation (died 2018)
• 1937 – Barbara Steele, English actress
• 1938 – Harvey Smith, English horse rider and sportscaster
• 1938 – Jon Voight, American actor and producer
• 1939 – Ed Bruce, American country music singer-songwriter (died 2021)
• 1940 – Fred Hansen, American pole vaulter
• 1941 – Ray Thomas, English singer-songwriter and flute player (died 2018)
• 1942 – Dinah Christie, English-Canadian actress and singer
• 1942 – Rajesh Khanna, Indian actor (died 2012)
• 1942 – Dorothy Morkis, American equestrian
• 1942 – Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga, Honduran cardinal
• 1943 – Bill Aucoin, American talent manager (died 2010)
• 1943 – Molly Bang, American author and illustrator
• 1943 – Rick Danko, Canadian singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer (died 1999)
• 1944 – Andrew Foster, British public servant
• 1944 – Rodney Redmond, New Zealand cricketer
• 1944 – Gerard Windsor, Australian author and literary critic
• 1945 – Birendra of Nepal, King of Nepal from 1972 to 2001 (died 2001)
• 1945 – Keith Milow, British artist
• 1946 – Marianne Faithfull, English singer-songwriter and actress (died 2025)
• 1946 – Laffit Pincay, Jr., Panamanian jockey
• 1946 – Paul Trible, American attorney, politician and academic administrator
• 1946 – Jackie Bezos, American philanthropist (died 2025)
• 1947 – Richard Crandall, American physicist and computer scientist (died 2012)
• 1947 – Ted Danson, American actor and producer
• 1947 – Leonhard Lapin, Estonian architect and poet (died 2022)
• 1947 – Cozy Powell, English drummer, songwriter, and producer (died 1998)
• 1947 – David Tanner, English rower and coach
• 1947 – Vincent Winter, Scottish actor, director, and production manager (died 1998)
• 1948 – Jacky Clark Chisholm, American gospel singer
• 1948 – Peter Robinson, Northern Irish politician, 3rd First Minister of Northern Ireland
• 1949 – Syed Kirmani, Indian cricketer and actor
• 1949 – Ian Livingstone, English fantasy author and entrepreneur
• 1949 – David Topliss, English rugby league player and coach (died 2008)
• 1950 – Jon Polito, American actor (died 2016)
• 1951 – Willem de Blécourt, Dutch historical anthropologist
• 1951 – Yvonne Elliman, American singer-songwriter and actress
• 1951 – Mike deGruy, American documentary filmmaker (died 2012)
• 1951 – Georges Thurston, Canadian singer-songwriter (died 2007)
• 1952 – Gelsey Kirkland, American ballerina and choreographer
• 1953 – Gali Atari, Israeli singer and actress
• 1953 – Thomas Bach, German fencer, lawyer and sports administrator; 9th President of the International Olympic Committee
• 1953 – Alan Rusbridger, Zambian-English journalist and academic
• 1953 – Kate Schmidt, American javelin thrower and coach
• 1953 – Stanley Williams, American gang leader, co-founded the Crips (died 2005)
• 1953 – Charlayne Woodard, American actress and playwright
• 1954 – Albrecht Böttcher, German mathematician
• 1954 – Norihito, Prince Takamado of Japan (died 2002)
• 1954 – Mike Parry, English broadcaster and former journalist
• 1954 – Roger Voudouris, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2003)
• 1955 – Chris Goodall, English businessman and author
• 1955 – Donald D. Hoffman, American quantitative psychologist and author
• 1956 – Zaki Chehab, Lebanese-British journalist
• 1956 – Fred MacAulay, Scottish comedian and radio host
• 1956 – Katy Munger, American writer
• 1957 – Brad Grey, American screenwriter and producer (died 2017)
• 1957 – Oliver Hirschbiegel, German actor, director, and producer
• 1957 – Paul Rudnick, American author, playwright, and screenwriter
• 1958 – Tyrone Benskin, English-Canadian actor, theatre director and politician
• 1958 – Nancy J. Currie-Gregg, American colonel, engineer, and astronaut
• 1959 – Patricia Clarkson, American actress
• 1959 – Keith Crossan, Irish rugby player
• 1959 – Ann Demeulemeester, Belgian fashion designer
• 1959 – Martin Moran, American actor and author
• 1959 – Milton Ottey, Jamaican-Canadian high jumper and coach
• 1959 – Paula Poundstone, American comedian and author
• 1960 – Katerina Didaskalou, Greek actress
• 1960 – Brian A. Hopkins, American author
• 1960 – David Boon, Australian cricketer
• 1960 – Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, Congolese militia leader, founded the Union of Congolese Patriots
• 1960 – David Gilbert, Australian cricketer
• 1960 – Michael James Pappas, American politician
• 1961 – Kevin Granata, American engineer and academic (died 2007)
• 1961 – Richard Horton, English physician and journalist
• 1961 – Jim Reid, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1961 – Iliya Valov, Bulgarian football player (d. 2024)
• 1962 – Leza Lowitz, American author
• 1962 – Carles Puigdemont, Catalan politician and journalist, former president
• 1962 – Wynton Rufer, New Zealand footballer
• 1962 – Devon White, Jamaican-American baseball player
• 1963 – Francisco Bustamante, Filipino billiards player
• 1963 – Des Foy, English rugby player
• 1963 – Ulf Kristersson, Swedish politician, Leader of the Swedish Moderate Party and 35th Prime Minister of Sweden
• 1963 – Dave McKean, English illustrator, photographer, director, and pianist
• 1963 – Sean Payton, American football player and coach
• 1963 – Liisa Savijarvi, Canadian skier
• 1964 – Michael Cudlitz, American actor
• 1964 – Josh Harris, American investor and sports team owner
• 1964 – Shingo Tsurumi, Japanese actor
• 1965 – Dexter Holland, American musician, singer, songwriter, and biologist
• 1965 – John Newton, American actor
• 1965 – Martin Offiah, English rugby league player and sportscaster
• 1966 – Laurent Boudouani, French boxer
• 1966 – Stefano Eranio, Italian footballer and coach
• 1966 – Jason Gould, American actor and singer
• 1966 – Christian Kracht, Swiss author
• 1966 – Jeff Luhnow, American businessman
• 1966 – Danilo Pérez, Panamanian pianist and composer
• 1967 – Ashleigh Banfield, Canadian-American journalist
• 1967 – Chris Barnes, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1967 – Lilly Wachowski, American director, screenwriter and producer
• 1968 – Li Bun-hui, North Korean table tennis player
• 1968 – James Mouton, American baseball player
• 1969 – Jason Cook, English footballer
• 1969 – Jennifer Ehle, American actress
• 1969 – Allan McNish, Scottish race car driver and journalist
• 1969 – José Antonio Noriega, Mexican footballer
• 1969 – Scott Patterson, American financial journalist and author
• 1970 – Enrico Chiesa, Italian footballer and manager
• 1970 – Aled Jones, Welsh singer and television host
• 1970 – Hidetoshi Mitsusada, Japanese race car driver
• 1970 – Glen Phillips, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1970 – Kevin Weisman, American actor
• 1971 – Besnik Hasi, Kosovo Albanian football manager and former player
• 1971 – Mike Pesca, American radio journalist and podcaster
• 1971 – Um Sang-hyun, South Korean voice actor
• 1971 – Margot Thien, American swimmer
• 1972 – Andreas Dackell, Swedish ice hockey player
• 1972 – Jason Kreis, American soccer player and manager
• 1972 – Jude Law, English actor
• 1972 – Leonor Varela, Chilean-American model and actress
• 1973 – Pimp C, American rapper and producer (UGK) (died 2007)
• 1973 – Theo Epstein, American businessman
• 1973 – Jenny Lawson, American journalist and author
• 1974 – Asheru, American rapper and producer
• 1974 – O'Neil Bell, Jamaican boxer (died 2015)
• 1974 – Maria Dizzia, American actress
• 1974 – Twinkle Khanna, Indian actress and writer
• 1974 – Mahal, Filipino actress, comedian and vlogger (died 2021)
• 1974 – Mekhi Phifer, American actor
• 1974 – Richie Sexson, American baseball player and coach
• 1974 – Ryan Shore, Canadian composer and producer
• 1975 – Shawn Hatosy, American actor
• 1975 – Jaret Wright, American baseball player
• 1976 – Kate Ford, English actress
• 1976 – Filip Kuba, Czech ice hockey player
• 1976 – Danny McBride, American actor, producer and screenwriter
• 1977 – Jimmy Journell, American baseball player
• 1977 – Katherine Moennig, American actress
• 1978 – Alexis Amore, Peruvian-American porn actress and director
• 1978 – Jake Berry, English lawyer and politician
• 1978 – Matthew Carr, Australian footballer
• 1978 – Kieron Dyer, English footballer and coach
• 1978 – Danny Higginbotham, English footballer and journalist
• 1978 – Mitsuhiro Ishida, Japanese mixed martial artist
• 1978 – LaToya London, American singer and actress
• 1978 – Angelo Taylor, American hurdler and sprinter
• 1979 – Diego Luna, Mexican actor, director and producer
• 1979 – Yuki Morisaki, Japanese chef and television host
• 1979 – Moe Oshikiri, Japanese model and actress
• 1979 – George Parros, American ice hockey player
• 1979 – Reihan Salam, American political commentator, columnist and author
• 1979 – Ariel Schrag, American cartoonist and screenwriter
• 1981 – Shizuka Arakawa, Japanese figure skater and sportscaster
• 1981 – Janice Lynn Mather, Bahamian-Canadian author
• 1981 – Shaun Suisham, American football player
• 1981 – Anna Woltz, Dutch author
• 1981 – Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko, Estonian footballer
• 1982 – Alison Brie, American actress
• 1982 – Gabrielle Destroismaisons, Canadian singer
• 1982 – Brian Hill, Canadian swimmer
• 1982 – Dale Morris, Australian footballer
• 1982 – Norbert Siedler, Austrian race car driver
• 1982 – Julia Wertz, American cartoonist, writer and urban explorer
• 1983 – Jessica Andrews, American singer and songwriter
• 1983 – James Kelly, Australian footballer
• 1983 – Gonzalo Olave, Chilean actor (died 2009)
• 1983 – Angela Scanlon, Irish television presenter and general television personality
• 1984 – Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, American playwright
• 1984 – Brenton Lawrence, Australian rugby league player
• 1984 – Reimo Tamm, Estonian basketball player
• 1985 – Wang Ji-hye, South Korean actress
• 1985 – Alexa Ray Joel, American singer-songwriter
• 1986 – Joe Anyon, former English footballer
• 1986 – Derek Ryan, American ice hockey player
• 1987 – Iain De Caestecker, Scottish actor
• 1987 – Juliana Huxtable, American artist
• 1987 – Yuhi Sekiguchi, Japanese race car driver
• 1988 – Eric Berry, American football player
• 1988 – Christen Press, American footballer
• 1988 – Ágnes Szávay, Hungarian tennis player
• 1989 – Jane Levy, American actress
• 1989 – Kei Nishikori, Japanese tennis player
• 1989 – Harri Säteri, Finnish ice hockey player
• 1990 – Allen Kim, South Korean singer, dancer, and actor (U-KISS)
• 1991 – Steven Caulker, English footballer
• 1991 – Patrick Feeney, American sprinter
• 1992 – Mislav Oršić, Croatian footballer
• 1992 – Katsuhiro Suzuki, Japanese actor and model
• 1993 – Travis Head, Australian cricketer
• 1993 – Gabby May, Canadian artistic gymnast
• 1994 – Kristel Fulgar, Filipino actress
• 1994 – Princess Kako of Akishino, Japanese princess
• 1995 – Myles Garrett, American football player
• 1995 – Rina Ikoma, Japanese singer and actress (Nogizaka46 and AKB48)
• 1995 – Ross Lynch, American singer and actor
• 1996 – Sana Minatozaki, Japanese singer
• 1996 – Dylan Minnette, American actor, musician and singer
• 1997 – Felix Keisinger, German skeleton racer
• 1998 – Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick, American actor
• 1998 – Victor Osimhen, Nigerian footballer
• 1998 – Brandon Thomas-Asante, Ghanaian footballer
• 1999 – Andreas Skov Olsen, Danish footballer
• 1999 – Francisco Trincão, Portuguese footballer
• 2000 – Orkun Kökçü, Dutch-Turkish footballer
• 2000 – Julio Rodríguez, Dominican baseball player
• 2000 – Eliot Vassamillet, Belgian singer
• 2006 – Ethan Mbappé, French footballer

Deaths

Pre-1600

• 721 – Empress Genmei of Japan (b. 660)
• 1170 – Thomas Becket, English archbishop and saint (born 1118)
• 1208 – Emperor Zhangzong of Jin (born 1168)
• 1380 – Elizabeth of Poland, queen consort of Hungary (born 1305)
• 1550 – Bhuvanaikabahu VII, King of Kotte (born 1468)
• 1563 – Sebastian Castellio, French preacher and theologian (born 1515)

1601–1900

• 1606 – Stephen Bocskai, Prince of Transylvania (born 1557)
• 1634 – John Albert Vasa, Polish cardinal (b. 1612)
• 1661 – Antoine Girard de Saint-Amant, French poet (born 1594)
• 1689 – Thomas Sydenham, English physician and author (born 1624)
• 1720 – Maria Margaretha Kirch, German astronomer and educator (born 1670)
• 1731 – Brook Taylor, English mathematician and theorist (born 1685)
• 1737 – Joseph Saurin, French minister and mathematician (b. 1659)
• 1772 – Ernst Johann von Biron, 7th duke of Courland and Semigallia (born 1690)
• 1785 – Johann Heinrich Rolle, German composer (born 1716)
• 1785 – Johan Herman Wessel, Norwegian-Danish poet and playwright (born 1742)
• 1807 – Diogo de Carvalho e Sampayo, Portuguese diplomat and scientist (born 1750)
• 1815 – Sarah Baartman, Khoikhoi woman (b. 1789)
• 1825 – Jacques-Louis David, French painter and illustrator (born 1748)
• 1834 – Thomas Robert Malthus, English economist (born 1766)
• 1838 – Søren Christian Sommerfelt, Norwegian priest and botanist (born 1794)
• 1887 – Ferdinand Johann Wiedemann, Estonian-Russian linguist and botanist (b. 1805)
• 1890 – Spotted Elk, American tribal leader (born 1826)
• 1890 – Octave Feuillet, French novelist and dramatist (born 1821)
• 1891 – Leopold Kronecker, Polish-German mathematician and academic (born 1823)
• 1894 – Christina Rossetti, English poet and hymn-writer (born 1830)
• 1896 – Jacob ben Moses Bachrach, Polish apologist (born 1824)
• 1897 – William James Linton, English-American painter, author, and activist (born 1812)
• 1898 – Ilia Solomonovich Abelman, Russian astronomer (born 1866)
• 1900 – John Henry Leech, English entomologist (born 1862)

1901–present

• 1905 – Charles Yerkes, American financier (born 1837)
• 1910 – Samuel Butcher, Anglo-Irish classical scholar and politician (born 1850)
• 1910 – Reginald Doherty, English tennis player (born 1872)
• 1911 – Rosamund Marriott Watson, English poet, author and critic (born 1860)
• 1915 – Tom Shevlin, collegiate athlete and businessman (born 1883)
• 1918 – Abby Leach, American educator (born 1855)
• 1919 – William Osler, Canadian physician and professor (born 1849)
• 1921 – Hermann Paul, German philologist, linguist and lexicographer (born 1846)
• 1924 – Carl Spitteler, Swiss poet and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1845)
• 1925 – Félix Vallotton, Swiss-French painter (born 1865)
• 1926 – Rainer Maria Rilke, Austrian poet and author (born 1875)
• 1929 – Wilhelm Maybach, German engineer and businessman, founded Maybach (born 1846)
• 1929 – Edward Christopher Williams, American librarian (born 1871)
• 1936 – Willem Siebenhaar, Dutch-Australian activist (born 1863)
• 1937 – Don Marquis, American journalist, author, and playwright (born 1878)
• 1937 – Alma Tell, American actress (born 1898)
• 1939 – Kelly Miller, American mathematician, sociologist, essayist, newspaper columnist and author (born 1863)
• 1939 – Madeleine Pelletier, French psychiatrist, feminist and political activist (born 1874)
• 1940 – Stephen Birch, American businessman (born 1873)
• 1941 – Louis Eilshemius, American painter (born 1864)
• 1941 – Tullio Levi-Civita, Italian mathematician and scholar (born 1873)
• 1943 – Art Young, American cartoonist and writer (born 1866)
• 1944 – Khasan Israilov, Chechen rebel (born 1910)
• 1945 – Beulah Dark Cloud, American actress (born 1887)
• 1946 – Mirko Breyer, Croatian writer, bibliographer, and antiquarian (born 1863)
• 1946 – Camillo Schumann, German composer and organist (born 1872)
• 1948 – Harry Farjeon, British composer and music teacher (born 1878)
• 1949 – Tyler Dennett, American historian and author (born 1883)
• 1952 – Fletcher Henderson, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (born 1897)
• 1952 – Beryl Rubinstein, American pianist, composer and teacher (born 1898)
• 1954 – William Merriam Burton, American chemist (born 1865)
• 1956 – Miles Vandahurst Lynk, American physician and author (born 1871)
• 1958 – Doris Humphrey, American dancer and choreographer (born 1895)
• 1959 – Robin Milford, English soldier and composer (born 1903)
• 1960 – Eden Phillpotts, English author and poet (born 1862)
• 1965 – Frank Nugent, American screenwriter, journalist and film reviewer (born 1908)
• 1965 – Kōsaku Yamada, Japanese composer and conductor (born 1886)
• 1967 – Paul Whiteman, American violinist, composer, and conductor (born 1890)
• 1968 – Austin Farrer, English theologian and philosopher (born 1904)
• 1970 – William King Gregory, American zoologist and anatomist (born 1876)
• 1970 – Marie Menken, American director and painter (born 1909)
• 1971 – John Marshall Harlan II, American lawyer and jurist (born 1899)
• 1972 – Joseph Cornell, American sculptor and director (born 1903)
• 1972 – Chrysostomos Papasarantopoulos, Greek priest and missionary (born 1903)
• 1975 – Euell Gibbons, American author and naturalist (born 1911)
• 1976 – Ivo Van Damme, Belgian runner (born 1954)
• 1979 – F. Edward Hébert, American journalist and politician (born 1901)
• 1979 – Richard Tecwyn Williams, Welsh biochemist (born 1909)
• 1980 – Tim Hardin, American singer-songwriter (born 1941)
• 1980 – Nadezhda Mandelstam, Russian author and educator (born 1899)
• 1980 – Irvin F. Westheimer, American businessman and social reformer (born 1879)
• 1981 – Philip Handler, American nutritionist, and biochemist (born 1917)
• 1981 – Miroslav Krleža, Croatian author, poet, and playwright (born 1893)
• 1984 – Indus Arthur, American actress and singer (born 1941)
• 1984 – P. H. Polk, American photographer (born 1898)
• 1984 – Leo Robin, American composer, lyricist and songwriter (born 1900)
• 1986 – Harold Macmillan, English captain and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (born 1894)
• 1986 – Andrei Tarkovsky, Russian director and screenwriter (born 1932)
• 1987 – Jun Ishikawa, Japanese author (born 1899)
• 1987 – Wilbert E. Moore, American sociologist (born 1914)
• 1988 – Mike Beuttler, Egyptian race car driver (born 1940)
• 1988 – Ieuan Maddock, Welsh scientist and nuclear researcher (born 1917)
• 1989 – Süreyya Ağaoğlu, Azerbaijani-Turkish lawyer and jurist (born 1903)
• 1992 – Vivienne Segal, American actress and singer (born 1897)
• 1993 – Frunzik Mkrtchyan, Armenian actor (born 1930)
• 1994 – Frank Thring, Australian actor (born 1926)
• 1995 – Lita Grey, American actress (born 1908)
• 1995 – Hans Henkemans, Dutch pianist, composer and psychiatrist (born 1913)
• 1996 – Pennar Davies, Welsh clergyman and author (born 1911)
• 1996 – Mireille Hartuch, French singer-songwriter and actress (born 1906)
• 1996 – Peggy Herbison, Scottish politician (born 1907)
• 1998 – Ralph Siu, American scholar, military and civil servant, and author (born 1917)
• 1998 – Don Taylor, American actor and film director (born 1920)
• 1999 – Leon Radzinowicz, Polish-English criminologist and academic (born 1906)
• 2001 – Takashi Asahina, Japanese conductor (born 1908)
• 2001 – Cássia Eller, Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1962)
• 2001 – György Kepes, Hungarian painter, photographer, designer, educator and art theorist (born 1906)
• 2002 – Lloyd Barbee, American lawyer and politician (born 1925)
• 2002 – Ralph Clanton, American actor (born 1914)
• 2003 – Earl Hindman, American actor (born 1942)
• 2003 – Dinsdale Landen, English actor (born 1932)
• 2003 – Bob Monkhouse, English comedian, actor, and game show host (born 1928)
• 2004 – Julius Axelrod, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1912)
• 2004 – Ken Burkhart, American baseball player and umpire (born 1916)
• 2004 – Peter Davison, American poet, essayist, teacher, lecturer, editor and publisher (born 1928)
• 2004 – Liddy Holloway, New Zealand actress and screenwriter (born 1947)
• 2005 – Gerda Boyesen, Norwegian-English psychotherapist and author (born 1922)
• 2005 – Cyril Philips, British historian and academic director (born 1912)
• 2005 – Basil William Robinson, British art scholar and author (born 1912)
• 2007 – Phil O'Donnell, Scottish footballer (born 1972)
• 2007 – Phil Dusenberry, American advertising executive (born 1936)
• 2007 – Kevin Greening, English radio host (born 1962)
• 2008 – Freddie Hubbard, American trumpet player and composer (born 1938)
• 2008 – Victor H. Krulak, American soldier (born 1913)
• 2009 – Janina Bauman, Polish journalist and writer (born 1926)
• 2009 – David Levine, American artist and illustrator (born 1926)
• 2009 – Steve Williams, American football player and wrestler (born 1960)
• 2010 – Avi Cohen, Israeli footballer and manager (born 1956)
• 2010 – Bill Erwin, American actor and cartoonist (born 1914)
• 2011 – Constance Bartlett Hieatt, American scholar (born 1928)
• 2012 – Mike Auldridge, American singer and guitarist (born 1938)
• 2012 – Tony Greig, South African-Australian cricketer and sportscaster (born 1946)
• 2012 – Roland Griffiths-Marsh, Malaysian-Australian soldier and author (born 1923)
• 2012 – Edward Meneeley, American painter and sculptor (born 1927)
• 2012 – Ben Overton, American jurist (born 1926)
• 2012 – William Rees-Mogg, British newspaper journalist (born 1928)
• 2012 – Salvador Reyes Monteón, Mexican footballer and manager (born 1936)
• 2012 – Paulo Rocha, Portuguese director and screenwriter (born 1935)
• 2012 – Bruce Stark, American cartoonist (born 1933)
• 2012 – Ignacy Tokarczuk, Polish archbishop (born 1918)
• 2013 – C. T. Hsia, Chinese-American critic and scholar (born 1921)
• 2013 – Paul Comstive, English footballer (born 1961)
• 2013 – Benjamin Curtis, American guitarist, drummer, and songwriter (born 1978)
• 2013 – Connie Dierking, American basketball player (born 1936)
• 2013 – Wojciech Kilar, Polish classical and film music composer (born 1932)
• 2013 – Besik Kudukhov, Russian wrestler (born 1986)
• 2013 – Jagadish Mohanty, Indian author and translator (born 1951)
• 2013 – Mike O'Connor, German-American journalist (born 1946)
• 2014 – Syed Hamid, Indian academic and diplomat (born 1920)
• 2014 – Hari Harilela, Indian-Hong Kong businessman and philanthropist (born 1922)
• 2014 – Odd Iversen, Norwegian footballer (born 1945)
• 2014 – Juanito Remulla, Sr., Filipino lawyer and politician, Governor of Cavite (born 1933)
• 2015 – Om Prakash Malhotra, Indian general and politician, 25th Governor of Punjab (born 1922)
• 2015 – Pavel Srníček, Czech footballer and coach (born 1968)
• 2015 – Kim Yang-gon, North Korean politician (born 1942)
• 2016 – Keion Carpenter, American football defensive back (born 1977)
• 2016 – LaVell Edwards, American football head coach (born 1930)
• 2017 – Peggy Cummins, Irish actress (born 1925)
• 2017 – John C. Portman Jr., American neofuturistic architect and real estate developer (born 1924)
• 2018 – Brian Garfield, American novelist, historian and screenwriter (born 1939)
• 2018 – Rosenda Monteros, Mexican actress (born 1935)
• 2019 – Alasdair Gray, Scottish writer and artist (born 1934)
• 2019 – Neil Innes, English writer, comedian and musician (born 1944)
• 2020 – Pierre Cardin, Italian-French fashion designer (born 1922)
• 2020 – Joe Louis Clark, American educator (born 1937)
• 2020 – Alexi Laiho, Finnish singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1979)
• 2021 – Peter Klatzow, South African composer (born 1945)
• 2022 – Pelé, Brazilian footballer (born 1940)
• 2022 – Edgar Savisaar, Estonian politician, Estonian Minister of the Interior (born 1950)
• 2022 – Vivienne Westwood, English fashion designer (born 1941)
• 2023 – Gil de Ferran, French-born Brazilian racing driver, CART champion (2000, 2001), 2003 Indianapolis 500 winner (born 1967)
• 2024 – Aaron Brown, American journalist and academic (born 1948)
• 2024 – Jimmy Carter, American politician, 39th President of the United States (born 1924)
• 2024 – Linda Lavin, American actress and singer (born 1937)
• 2024 – Tomiko Itooka, Japanese supercentenarian (born 1908)

Holidays and observances

• Christian feast day:
  • Ebrulf
  • Thomas Becket
  • Trophimus of Arles
  • December 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Constitution Day (Ireland)
• Independence Day (Mongolia)
• The fifth day of Christmas (Western Christianity)
• The fourth day of Kwanzaa (United States)

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• Template:NYT On this day
• Historical Events on December 29