What happened on July 29 ?

1166 - Henry II of Champagne (d. 1197)

1605 - Simon Dach, German poet (d. 1659)

1801 - George Bradshaw, English publisher (d. 1853)

1805 - Alexis de Tocqueville, French historian and political scientist (d. 1859)

1843 - Johannes Schmidt, German linguist (d. 1901)

1849 - Max Nordau, Austrian author, philosopher, and Zionist leader (d. 1923)

1865 - Alexander Glazunov, Russian composer (d. 1936)

1869 - Booth Tarkington, American author (d. 1946)

1872 - Eric Alfred Knudsen, American author, folklorist (d. 1957)

1874 - James Shaver Woodsworth, Canadian minister, social worker, and politician (d. 1942)

1876 - Maria Ouspenskaya, Russian-born actress (d. 1949)

1878 - Don Marquis, American author (d. 1937)

1883 - Porfirio Barba-Jacob, Colombian poet and writer (d. 1942)

1883 - Benito Mussolini, Italian dictator (d. 1945)

1884 - Ralph A. Bard, U.S. Navy Undersecretary (d. 1975)

1887 - Sigmund Romberg, Hungarian-born composer (d. 1951)

1892 - William Powell, American actor (d. 1984)

1897 - Sir Neil Ritchie, British general (d. 1983)

1898 - Isidor Isaac Rabi, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1988)

1900 - Eyvind Johnson, Swedish writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1976)

1904 - J. R. D. Tata, Indian pioneer aviator and entrepreneur (d. 1993)

1905 - Clara Bow, American actress (d. 1965)

1905 - Dag Hammarskjöld, Swedish UN Secretary-General, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1961)

1905 - Stanley Kunitz, American poet

1905 - Thelma Todd, American actress (d. 1935)

1906 - Diana Vreeland, French-born fashion editor (d. 1989)

1907 - Melvin Belli, American lawyer and actor (d. 1996)

1913 - Erich Priebke, Nazi war criminal

1916 - Charlie Christian, The First Great Jazz Soloist

1918 - Edwin O'Connor, American novelist and Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (d. 1968)

1920 - Rodolfo Acosta, Mexican actor (d. 1974)

1924 - Lloyd Bochner, Canadian actor

1925 - Mikis Theodorakis, Greek composer

1927 - Harry Mulisch, Dutch author

1929 - Jean Baudrillard, French philosopher

1930 - Paul Taylor, American dancer and choreographer

1932 - Nancy Landon Kassebaum Baker, U.S. Senator

1935 - Peter Schreier, German tenor

1936 - Elizabeth Dole, U.S. senator

1937 - Daniel McFadden, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate

1938 - Peter Jennings, Canadian-born television journalist (d. 2005)

1941 - David Warner, Canadian actor

1942 - Tony Sirico, American actor

1943 - David Taylor, English snooker player

1949 - Vida Blue, baseball player

1953 - Ken Burns, American producer and director

1953 - Geddy Lee, Canadian bassist and vocalist (Rush)

1957 - Nellie Kim, Russian gymnast

1959 - Sanjay Dutt, Indian actor

1959 - Ruud Janssen, Dutch writer and artist

1962 - Scott Steiner, US professional wrestler

1965 - Chang-Rae Lee, Korean-born author

1966 - Martina McBride, American singer

1972 - Wil Wheaton, American actor

1973 - Stephen Dorff, American actor

1973 - Wanya Morris, American singer (Boyz II Men)

1979 - Abs Breen, English singer

1979 - Karim Essediri, Tunisian footballer

1980 - Fernando González, Chilean tennis player

1981 - Fernando Alonso, Spanish race car driver