Old clock in sand with the words: It Happend in May

Browse Historical Events by Day: What Happened on May 29th?

Discover major events and cultural milestones that happened on this day — organized by year. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.

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1453 CE, May 29

Constantinople falls to the Ottoman Empire forces led by Sultan Mehmed II after a being under siege for 55 days. The fall of Constantinople marked the end of the Byzantine Empire which had lasted for over 1000 years. Constantine XI Palaiologos, the last Byzantine emperor, was killed fighting against the Ottoman Empire.

1588 CE, May 29

The Spanish Armada sets sail from Lisbon, Portugal, with the aim of invading England during the Anglo-Spanish War.

1642 CE, May 29

The city of Montreal is founded by French colonists under the direction of Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve.

1652 CE, May 29

The Battle of Dover (also known as the Battle of Goodwin Sands) takes place during the First Anglo-Dutch War between the navies of the Commonwealth of England and the United Provinces of the Netherlands. It proved to be an indecisive battle although opinions about the outcome of that battle vary among historians of that period. The flagships were commanded by Admirals Robert Blake and Maarten Tromp.

Note: The battle is sometimes listed as May 19, 1652 based in the Julian calendar which was still in use in England at the time. The Gregorian calendar, introduced in 1582, corrected the Julian calendar which had accumulated a 10-day error over time.

1660 CE, May 29

King Charles II of England is restored to the throne after the period of Commonwealth following the English Civil War. More

1790 CE, May 29

Rhode Island ratifies the Articles of Confederation becoming the 13th State. More

1848 CE, May 29

Wisconsin was admitted to the Union of States and becomes the 30th State.

1953 CE, May 29

Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay completed the first confirmed ascent of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953. More

Jamling Tenzing Norgay, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

1964 CE, May 29

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded by the Arab League. The PLO was created as an umbrella organization representing various Palestinian organizations and movements, with the stated goal of liberation of Palestine. The founding convention was held in Jerusalem on May 28, 1964, and the PLO was formally established on June 2, 1964. Since 1974, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has a presence within the United Nations, not as a full member state but as observer status and is invited to participate in UN activities. Since 2012, the PLO operates under the name "Palestine" as a non-member observer state, allowing it to participate in UN sessions and conferences, maintain a permanent observer mission, and sign UN treaties More

1999 CE, May 29

1999, May 29 - Discovery Becomes the first Space Shuttle to Dock with the International Space Station. More

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