On This Day: 29 March

29 March in Indian history

• 1999A magnitude 6.8 earthquake in India strikes the Chamoli district in Uttar Pradesh, killing 103.India
• 1857Sepoy Mangal Pandey of the 34th Regiment, Bengal Native Infantry mutinies against the East India Company's rule in India and inspires the protracted Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny.India
• 1849The United Kingdom annexes the Punjab.India

29 March in world history

• 2017British prime minister Theresa May invoked Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, formally beginning the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union.
• 2014The first same-sex marriages in England and Wales took place following the passage of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013.
• 2004Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia join NATO as full members.
• 2002In reaction to the Passover massacre two days prior, Israel launches Operation Defensive Shield against Palestinian militants, its largest military operation in the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War.
• 1984The Baltimore Colts load their possessions onto fifteen Mayflower moving trucks in the early morning hours and transfer their operations to Indianapolis.
• 1982The Canada Act 1982 receives the Royal Assent from Queen Elizabeth II, setting the stage for the Queen of Canada to proclaim the Constitution Act, 1982.
• 1974NASA's Mariner 10 became the first space probe to make a flyby of Mercury.
• 1973Vietnam War: The last United States combat soldiers leave South Vietnam.
• 1951The King and I, a musical about Mongkut of Siam by Rodgers and Hammerstein, premiered on Broadway.
• 1941World War II: British Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy forces defeat those of the Italian Regia Marina off the Peloponnesian coast of Greece in the Battle of Cape Matapan.
• 1867Queen Victoria gives Royal Assent to the British North America Act which establishes Canada on July 1.
• 1865American Civil War: The Appomattox campaign opened with the Battle of Lewis's Farm, in which the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia was forced into a series of retreats that would culminate in their surrender.
• 1831Authorities held an inquest at New Town, Tasmania, into the deaths of a woman and two children who were fatally poisoned after eating smooth toadfish.
• 1461Wars of the Roses: The Yorkists defeated the Lancastrian army at the Battle of Towton, allowing Edward IV to secure the English throne.
• 845Viking expansion: Viking raiders, possibly led by the legendary Ragnar Lodbrok, plundered and occupied Paris, holding the city for a large ransom.

Born on 29 March

• 1972Priti Patel, British Indian politician, Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentIndia
• 1929Utpal Dutt, Indian actor, director and playwright (died 1993)India
• 1928Romesh Bhandari, Pakistani-Indian politician, 13th Foreign Secretary of India (died 2013)India
• 1921Sam Loxton, Australian cricketer, footballer, and politician (died 2011)
• 1872Hal Colebatch, English-Australian politician, 12th Premier of Western Australia (died 1953)
• 1790John Tyler, American lawyer and politician, 10th President of the United States (died 1862)

Died on 29 March

• 2023Vivan Sundaram, Indian contemporary artist (born 1943)India
• 2020Joe Diffie, American country music singer (born 1958)
• 2013Reginald Gray, Irish-French painter (born 1930)
• 1906Slava Raškaj, Croatian painter (born 1878)

Frequently asked questions

What happened on 29 March in history?

2017: British prime minister Theresa May invoked Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, formally beginning the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. 2014: The first same-sex marriages in England and Wales took place following the passage of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013. 2004: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia join NATO as full members. 2002: In reaction to the Passover massacre two days prior, Israel launches Operation Defensive Shield against Palestinian militants, its largest military operation in the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War.

What happened on 29 March in Indian history?

1999: A magnitude 6.8 earthquake in India strikes the Chamoli district in Uttar Pradesh, killing 103. 1857: Sepoy Mangal Pandey of the 34th Regiment, Bengal Native Infantry mutinies against the East India Company's rule in India and inspires the protracted Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny. 1849: The United Kingdom annexes the Punjab.

Which famous people were born on 29 March?

Priti Patel, British Indian politician, Secretary of State for the Home Department (1972); Utpal Dutt, Indian actor, director and playwright (died 1993) (1929); Romesh Bhandari, Pakistani-Indian politician, 13th Foreign Secretary of India (died 2013) (1928); Sam Loxton, Australian cricketer, footballer, and politician (died 2011) (1921).

Which day is observed on 29 March?

Boganda Day (Central African Republic); Commemoration of the 1947 Rebellion (Madagascar); National Vietnam War Veterans Day (United States); Day of the Young Combatant (Chile); Youth Day (Taiwan).