July 29th

United States Congress apologizes for slavery. The U.S. House of Representatives publicly apolgized for the institution of slavery and Jim Crow laws that discriminated against African Americans.

Red sox switch hitter Bill Mueller became the first baseball player to hit grand slam home runs from both sides of the plate in the same game.

Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, married Lady Diana Spencer.

In Humanae Vitae (of Human Life), Pope Paul VI reaffirmed the Catholic Church's prohibition on artificial methods of birth control.

President Eisenhower signed the congressional act that created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was authorized by Congress.

The International Atomic Energy Agency is established. The independent agency aims to ban the use of nuclear energy for military purposes. American W. Sterling Cole served as the agency's first director general.

Moscow ends the blockade of West Berlin.

The XIV Olympics opened in London, United Kingdom after a 12 year hiatus due to the Second World War. The last Summer Olympics before this were held in Berlin in 1936.

Adolf Hitler becomes leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party.

US Secretary of State William Howard Taft makes secret agreement with Japanese Prime Minister Katsura agreeing to Japanese free rein in Korea in return for non-interference with the US in the Philippines.

Artist Vincent van Gogh died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Auvers, France.

Irish Potato Famine: Tipperary Revolt - an unsuccessful nationalist revolt against British rule put down by police.

The Arc de Triomphe is inaugurated in Paris, France. The famous monument honors those to dies while fighting for France during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. It was designed by Jean Chalgrin.

The Battle of Gravelines - Spanish Armada damaged & scattered by the English fleet.