July 29 in Pop Culture History

1148 – The Siege of Damascus ended with a Crusader defeat and led to the end of the Second Crusade.

1836 – Inauguration of the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile (Arch of Triumph of the Star) in Paris, France.

1914 – The 7-mile-long Cape Cod Canal opened in Massachusetts.

1916 – Matheson Fire, Ontario

1921 – Adolf Hitler became the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party.

1948 – After a hiatus of 12 years caused by World War II, the first Summer Olympics to be held since the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, open in London.

1958 – US President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act into law, which created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

#1 Hit July 29, 1967 – August 18, 1967: The Doors – Light My Fire

#1 Hit July 29, 1972 – August 25, 1972: Gilbert O’Sullivan – Alone Again (Naturally)

1976 – David Berkowitz (the “Son of Sam”) killed one person and seriously wounded another in the first of a series of attacks in New York City.

1981 – A worldwide TV audience of over 700 million people watched the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

1982 – Professional wrestler Jerry Lawler slapped actor Andy Kaufman in the face on the program Late Night with David Letterman, a staged event that prompted a several-month ‘war’ between them.

1983 – National Lampoon’s Vacation, Private School and Krull debuted in theaters.

1987 – British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and President of France François Mitterrand sign the agreement to build a tunnel under the English Channel (Chunnel).

1988 – Cocktail, New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking and Monkey Shines were released in theaters.

1994 – The Mask, Barcelona, Black Beauty and It Could Happen To You debuted in theaters.

#1 Hit July 29, 2000 – August 11, 2000: ‘N Sync – It’s Gonna Be Me

2005 – Sky High, Stealth and Must Love Dogs were released in theaters.

2005 – Astronomers announced their discovery of the dwarf planet Eris.

2011 – The Smurfs, Cowboys & Aliens and Crazy Stupid Love debuted in theaters.

2016 – Jason Bourne and Bad Moms were released in theaters.