Today In History, 29 January: What Happened On This Day

What happened today in history (29 January): Oprah Winfrey, Anton Chekhov and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore born, poet Robert Frost died, Dr Strangelove premiered, India’s first newspaper published, world’s first car patented, and more.

Mudit Chhikara Updated: Jan 29, 2023 17:21 IST

This day in history (29 Jan): First Newspaper of India Published

Today in History, 29 January: Just two days are left before the month comes to an end. Time is passing by like a boat in a hurricane. But that’s no reason to stop learning.

Sure, there are better things to do than gain knowledge, but none that’ll benefit you throughout your life. On that note, let’s take a look at the historical significance of the month of January.

Today is 29 January, another seemingly ordinary day. However, 29th January holds a significant place in world history.

Dive in to know what major events happened on this day (Jan. 29) in sports, politics and art, along with famous birthdays and deaths in world history.

Historical Events On This Day

In 1780, the first newspaper in India, "Hickey’s Bengal Gazette" was published.
In 1886, German mechanical engineer Karl Benz patented the world’s first automobile as a vehicle powered by an internal-combustion engine.
In 1924, the first machine for rolling ice cream cones was patented by Carl Rutherford Taylor of Cleveland.
In 1991, the Battle of Khafji, the first major and one of the deadliest battle of the Gulf War, began in Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
In 1996, French president Jacques Chirac declared that the country will no longer test nuclear weapons.
In 2002, US President delivered his iconic speech during the State of the Union address, calling countries like Iraq, Iran and North Korea the "Axis of Evil."
In 2010, the first test flight of the fifth-generation fighter plane Sukhoi Su-57 was conducted.

Sports Events Today

In 2006, Irfan Pathan became the first bowler to score a Test cricket hat-trick in the opening over in a match against Pakistan.
In 2012, American snowboarder Shaun White, one of the greatest of all time, achieved the first-ever SuperPipe perfect score (100) in Winter X Games history.
In 2012, at the 100th Australian Open, Serbia’s Novak Đoković beat Spain’s Rafael Nadal (5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5) in the longest Grand Slam singles final in the Open Era, 5 hours 53 minutes.
In 2014, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo became the first non-Spanish player to captain Real Madrid, making his 500th appearance for the club.

Art and Culture Events Today

In 1845, American author Edgar Allan Poe's most famous poem, The Raven, was first published, appearing in the New York Mirror.
In 1964, the popular satirical film Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, directed by Stanley Kubrick, and starring Peter Sellers and George C. Scott, was released in theatres.
In 1996, the 6,138th performance of the musical "Cats" was held in London, surpassing the record of Broadway's longest-running musical, "A Chorus Line."

Notable Deaths On This Day

Sr No	Death Year	Personality
1	1820	George III, King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1760 to 1820 who is today remembered or losing the American colonies and going mad
2	1934	Fritz Haber, German chemist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1918 for inventing the process to sythesize ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen gases
3	1963	Robert Frost, acclaimed American poet known for emphasis on nature and realistic depictions of rural life in his famous poems like “The Gift Outright,” “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” and “Birches”
4	1980	Jimmy Durante, veteran American actor, comedian and singers of the early twentieth century

Famous Birthdays On This Day

Sr No	Birth Year	Personality
1	1737	Thomas Paine, English-American political philosopher and writer who wrote the notable “Common Sense” pamphlet in 1776 advocating American independence
2	1860	Anton Chekhov, Russian writer and playwright who os considered among the greatest writers in history and is known for his classic plays and short stories like “Seagull”, “Uncle”, “Uncle Vanya” and “The Bet”
3	1945	Thomas Selleck, American actor known for his hunky looks and starring in popular television shows like Friends and Magnum, PI
4	1954	Oprah Winfrey, American media personality, author, actress and philanthropist who is known for her popular talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show
5	1966	Romario, Brazilian politician and former football player considered one of the best finishers in the sport due to his 500 plus goals
6	1970	Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Indian politician, Olympic shooting medallist and retired Army officer