- 363 – The Roman emperor Julian defeats the Sasanian army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Sasanian capital, but is unable to take the city.
- 1108 – Battle of Uclés: Almoravid troops under the command of Tamim ibn Yusuf defeat a Castile and León alliance under the command of Prince Sancho Alfónsez.
- 1167 – Battle of Monte Porzio: A Roman army supporting Pope Alexander III is defeated by Christian of Buch and Rainald of Dassel.
- 1176 – Battle of Legnano: The Lombard League defeats Emperor Frederick I.
- 1328 – Philip VI is crowned King of France.
- 1416 – Battle of Gallipoli: The Venetians under Pietro Loredan defeat a much larger Ottoman fleet off Gallipoli.
- 1453 – Fall of Constantinople: Ottoman armies under Sultan Mehmed II Fatih capture Constantinople after a 53-day siege, ending the Byzantine Empire.
- 1658 – Battle of Samugarh: decisive battle in the struggle for the throne during the Mughal war of succession (1658–1659).
- 1660 – English Restoration: Charles II is restored to the throne of England, Scotland and Ireland.
- 1733 – The right of settlers in New France to enslave natives is upheld at Quebec City.
- 1780 – American Revolutionary War: At the Battle of Waxhaws, the British continue attacking after the Continentals lay down their arms, killing 113 and critically wounding all but 53 that remained.
- 1790 – Rhode Island becomes the last of North America’s original Thirteen Colonies to ratify the Constitution and become one of the United States.
- 1798 – United Irishmen Rebellion: Between 300 and 500 United Irishmen are executed as rebels by the British Army in County Kildare, Ireland.
- 1807 – Mustafa IV became Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and Caliph of Islam.
- 1848 – Wisconsin is admitted as the 30th U.S. state.
- 1852 – Jenny Lind leaves New York after her two-year American tour.
- 1861 – The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce is founded, in Hong Kong.
- 1864 – Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico arrives in Mexico for the first time.
- 1867 – The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 (“the Compromise”) is born through Act 12, which establishes the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
- 1868 – Mihailo Obrenović III, Prince of Serbia is assassinated.
- 1886 – The pharmacist John Pemberton places his first advertisement for Coca-Cola, which appeared in The Atlanta Journal.
- 1900 – N’Djamena is founded as Fort-Lamy by the French commander Émile Gentil.
- 1903 – In the May Coup, Alexander I, King of Serbia, and Queen Draga, are assassinated in Belgrade by the Black Hand (Crna Ruka) organization.
- 1913 – Igor Stravinsky’s ballet score The Rite of Spring receives its premiere performance in Paris, France, provoking a riot.
- 1914 – The Ocean liner RMS Empress of Ireland sinks in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with the loss of 1,012 lives.
- 1918 – Armenia defeats the Ottoman Army in the Battle of Sardarabad.
- 1919 – Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity is tested (later confirmed) by Arthur Eddington and Andrew Claude de la Cherois Crommelin
- 1920 – The Louth flood of 1920 was a severe flash flooding in the Lincolnshire market town of Louth which occurred 29 May 1920, resulting in 23 fatalities in 20 minutes. It has been described as one of the most significant flood disasters in Britain during the 20th century.
- 1931 – Michele Schirru, a citizen of the United States, is executed by Italian military firing squad for intent to kill Benito Mussolini.
- 1932 – World War I veterans begin to assemble in Washington, D.C., in the Bonus Army to request cash bonuses promised to them to be paid in 1945.
- 1935 – First flight of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter aeroplane.
- 1945 – First combat mission of the Consolidated B-32 Dominator heavy bomber.
- 1948 – United Nations Truce Supervision Organization is founded.
- 1950 – The St. Roch, the first ship to circumnavigate North America, arrives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
- 1953 – Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay become the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest, on Tenzing Norgay’s (adopted) 39th birthday.
- 1964 – The Arab League meets in East Jerusalem to discuss the Palestinian question, leading to the formation of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
- 1973 – Tom Bradley is elected the first black mayor of Los Angeles, California.
- 1982 – Pope John Paul II becomes the first pontiff to visit Canterbury Cathedral.
- 1982 – Falklands War: British forces defeat the Argentines at the Battle of Goose Green.
- 1985 – Heysel Stadium disaster: Thirty-nine association football fans die and hundreds are injured when a dilapidated retaining wall collapses.
- 1985 – Amputee Steve Fonyo completes cross-Canada marathon at Victoria, British Columbia, after 14 months.
- 1988 – The U.S. President Ronald Reagan begins his first visit to the Soviet Union when he arrives in Moscow for a superpower summit with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
- 1989 – Signing of an agreement between Egypt and the United States, allowing the manufacture of parts of the F-16 jet fighter plane in Egypt.
- 1990 – The Russian parliament elects Boris Yeltsin as president of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.
- 1993 – The Miss Sarajevo beauty pageant is held in war-torn Sarajevo drawing global attention to the plight of its citizens.
- 1999 – Olusegun Obasanjo takes office as President of Nigeria, the first elected and civilian head of state in Nigeria after 16 years of military rule.
- 1999 – Space Shuttle Discovery completes the first docking with the International Space Station.
- 2001 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the disabled golfer Casey Martin can use a cart to ride in tournaments.
- 2004 – The National World War II Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C.
- 2008 – A doublet earthquake, of combined magnitude 6.1, strikes Iceland near the town of Selfoss, injuring 30 people.
- 2012 – A 5.8-magnitude earthquake hits northern Italy near Bologna, killing at least 24 people.
- 2015 – One World Observatory at One World Trade Center opens.
Births on May 29
- 1421 – Charles, Prince of Viana (d. 1461)
- 1439 – Pope Pius III (d. 1503)
- 1443 – Victor, Duke of Münsterberg, Reichsgraf, Duke of Münsterberg and Opava, Count of Glatz (d. 1500)
- 1504 – Antun Vrančić, Croatian archbishop (d. 1573)
- 1555 – George Carew, 1st Earl of Totnes, English Earl, general and administrator (d. 1629)
- 1568 – Virginia de’ Medici, Italian princess (d. 1615)
- 1594 – Gottfried Heinrich Graf zu Pappenheim, Bavarian field marshal (d. 1632)
- 1627 – Anne, Duchess of Montpensier, French princess (d. 1693)
- 1630 – Charles II of England (d. 1685)
- 1675 – Humphry Ditton, English mathematician and philosopher (d. 1715)
- 1716 – Louis-Jean-Marie Daubenton, French zoologist and mineralogist (d. 1800)
- 1722 – James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster, Irish soldier and politician (d. 1773)
- 1730 – Jackson of Exeter, English organist and composer (d. 1803)
- 1736 – Patrick Henry, American lawyer and politician, 1st Governor of Virginia (d. 1799)
- 1780 – Henri Braconnot, French chemist and pharmacist (d. 1855)
- 1794 – Johann Heinrich von Mädler, German astronomer and selenographer (d. 1874)
- 1797 – Louise-Adéone Drölling, French painter (d. 1836)
- 1823 – John H. Balsley, American carpenter and inventor (d. 1895)
- 1860 – Isaac Albéniz, Spanish pianist and composer (d. 1909)
- 1871 – Clark Voorhees, American painter (d. 1933)
- 1873 – Rudolf Tobias, Estonian organist and composer (d. 1918)
- 1874 – G. K. Chesterton, English essayist, poet, and playwright (d. 1936)
- 1880 – Oswald Spengler, German historian and philosopher (d. 1936)
- 1892 – Alfonsina Storni, Swiss-Argentinian poet and author (d. 1938)
- 1893 – Max Brand, American journalist and author (d. 1944)
- 1894 – Beatrice Lillie, Canadian-English actress, singer and writer (d. 1989)
- 1894 – Josef von Sternberg, Austrian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1969)
- 1897 – Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Czech-American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1957)
- 1899 – Douglas Abbott, Canadian lawyer and politician, 10th Canadian Minister of Defence (d. 1987)
- 1902 – Harry Kadwell, Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 1999)
- 1903 – Bob Hope, English-American actor, singer, and producer (d. 2003)
- 1904 – Hubert Opperman, Australian cyclist and politician (d. 1996)
- 1905 – Sebastian Shaw, English actor, director, and playwright (d. 1994)
- 1906 – T. H. White, Indian-English author (d. 1964)
- 1907 – Hartland Molson, Canadian captain and politician (d. 2002)
- 1908 – Diana Morgan, Welsh-English playwright and screenwriter (d. 1996)
- 1910 – Ralph Metcalfe, American sprinter and politician (d. 1978)
- 1913 – Tony Zale, American boxer (d. 1997)
- 1914 – Stacy Keach Sr., American actor (d. 2003)
- 1914 – Tenzing Norgay, Nepalese-Indian mountaineer (d. 1986)
- 1915 – Karl Münchinger, German conductor and composer (d. 1990)
- 1917 – John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States (d. 1963)
- 1917 – Marcel Trudel, Canadian historian, author, and academic (d. 2011)
- 1919 – Jacques Genest, Canadian physician and academic (d. 2018)
- 1920 – John Harsanyi, Hungarian-American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2000)
- 1920 – Clifton James, American actor (d. 2017)
- 1921 – Norman Hetherington, Australian cartoonist and puppeteer (d. 2010)
- 1922 – Joe Weatherly, American race car driver (d. 1964)
- 1922 – Iannis Xenakis, Greek-French composer, engineer, and theorist (d. 2001)
- 1923 – Bernard Clavel, French author (d. 2010)
- 1923 – John Parker, 6th Earl of Morley, English colonel and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Devon (d. 2015)
- 1923 – Eugene Wright, American jazz bassist
- 1924 – Lars Bo, Danish author and illustrator (d. 1999)
- 1924 – Miloslav Kříž, Czech basketball player and coach (d. 2013)
- 1924 – Pepper Paire, American baseball player (d. 2013)
- 1926 – Katie Boyle, Italian-English actress and television host (d. 2018)
- 1926 – Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe, Queen Consort of Tonga (d. 2017)
- 1926 – Abdoulaye Wade, Senegalese academic and politician, 3rd President of Senegal
- 1927 – Jean Coutu, Canadian pharmacist and businessman, founded the Jean Coutu Group
- 1929 – Harry Frankfurt, American philosopher and academic
- 1929 – Peter Higgs, English-Scottish physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1929 – Roberto Vargas, Puerto Rican-American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2014)
- 1932 – Paul R. Ehrlich, American biologist and author
- 1932 – Richie Guerin, American basketball player and coach
- 1933 – Helmuth Rilling, German conductor and educator
- 1933 – Tarquinio Provini, Italian motorcycle racer (d. 2005)
- 1934 – Bill Vander Zalm, Dutch-Canadian businessman and politician, 28th Premier of British Columbia
- 1935 – André Brink, South African author and playwright (d. 2015)
- 1935 – Sylvia Robinson, American singer and producer (d. 2011)
- 1937 – Charles W. Pickering, American lawyer and judge
- 1937 – Irmin Schmidt, German keyboard player and composer
- 1937 – Alwin Schockemöhle, German show-jumper
- 1937 – Harry Statham, American basketball player and coach
- 1938 – Christopher Bland, English businessman and politician (d. 2017)
- 1938 – Fay Vincent, American lawyer and businessman
- 1939 – Pete Smith, Australian radio and television announcer
- 1939 – Al Unser, American race car driver
- 1940 – Taihō Kōki, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 48th Yokozuna (d. 2013)
- 1940 – Farooq Leghari, Pakistani politician, 8th President of Pakistan (d. 2010)
- 1941 – Doug Scott, English mountaineer and author
- 1941 – Bob Simon, American journalist (d. 2015)
- 1942 – Pierre Bourque, Canadian businessman and politician, 40th Mayor of Montreal
- 1942 – Kevin Conway, American actor and director (d. 2020)
- 1943 – Robert W. Edgar, American educator and politician (d. 2013)
- 1944 – Bob Benmosche, American businessman (d. 2015)
- 1944 – Quentin Davies, English soldier and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
- 1945 – Gary Brooker, English singer-songwriter and pianist
- 1945 – Peter Fraser, Baron Fraser of Carmyllie, Scottish lawyer and politician, Solicitor General for Scotland (d. 2013)
- 1945 – Julian Le Grand, English economist and author
- 1945 – Martin Pipe, English jockey and trainer
- 1945 – Joyce Tenneson, American photographer
- 1945 – Jean-Pierre Van Rossem, Belgian scholar and author (d. 2018)
- 1946 – Fernando Buesa, Spanish politician (d. 2000)
- 1947 – Anthony Geary, American actor
- 1948 – Michael Berkeley, English composer and radio host
- 1948 – Keith Gull, English microbiologist and academic
- 1949 – Robert Axelrod, American actor and screenwriter (d. 2019)
- 1949 – Brian Kidd, English footballer and manager
- 1949 – Francis Rossi, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1950 – Rebbie Jackson, American singer and actress
- 1953 – Danny Elfman, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
- 1954 – Robert Beaser, American composer and educator
- 1954 – Jerry Moran, American lawyer and politician
- 1955 – Frank Baumgartl, German runner (d. 2010)
- 1955 – John Hinckley Jr., American attempted assassin of Ronald Reagan
- 1955 – David Kirschner, American animator, producer, and author
- 1955 – Gordon Rintoul, Scottish historian and curator
- 1955 – Ken Schrader, American race car driver and sportscaster
- 1956 – Mark Lyall Grant, English diplomat, British Ambassador to the United Nations
- 1956 – La Toya Jackson, American singer-songwriter and actress
- 1957 – Steven Croft, English bishop and theologian
- 1957 – Jeb Hensarling, American lawyer and politician
- 1957 – Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Iranian film director
- 1958 – Annette Bening, American actress
- 1958 – Juliano Mer-Khamis, Israeli actor, director, and activist (d. 2011)
- 1958 – Uwe Rapolder, German footballer and coach
- 1958 – Mike Stenhouse, American baseball player and sportscaster
- 1959 – Rupert Everett, English actor and novelist
- 1959 – Mel Gaynor, English drummer
- 1959 – Steve Hanley, Irish-English bass player and songwriter
- 1960 – Thomas Baumer, Swiss economist and academic
- 1960 – Mike Freer, English politician
- 1961 – Melissa Etheridge, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and activist
- 1961 – John Miceli, American drummer
- 1962 – Fandi Ahmad, Singaporean footballer, coach, and manager
- 1962 – Eric Davis, American baseball player
- 1962 – Carol Kirkwood, Scottish journalist
- 1962 – Chloé Sainte-Marie, Canadian actress and singer
- 1963 – Blaze Bayley, English singer-songwriter
- 1963 – Zhu Jianhua, Chinese high jumper
- 1963 – Ukyo Katayama, Japanese race car driver
- 1963 – Claude Loiselle, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
- 1964 – Howard Mills III, American academic and politician
- 1964 – Oswaldo Negri Jr., Brazilian race car driver
- 1966 – Natalie Nougayrède, French journalist
- 1967 – Noel Gallagher, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1967 – Mike Keane, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1967 – Steven Levitt, American economist, author, and academic
- 1968 – Torquhil Campbell, 13th Duke of Argyll, Scottish politician
- 1968 – Tate George, American basketball player
- 1968 – Jessica Morden, English politician
- 1968 – Hida Viloria, American activist
- 1970 – Natarsha Belling, Australian journalist
- 1970 – Roberto Di Matteo, Italian footballer and manager
- 1971 – Éric Lucas, Canadian boxer
- 1971 – Bernd Mayländer, German race car driver
- 1971 – Jo Beth Taylor, Australian television host and actress
- 1971 – Rob Womack, English shot putter and discus thrower
- 1972 – Bill Curley, American basketball player and coach
- 1972 – Simon Jones, English singer and bass player
- 1973 – Tomoko Kaneda, Japanese voice actress, singer, and radio personality
- 1973 – Mark Lee, American guitarist and songwriter
- 1973 – Alpay Özalan, Turkish footballer
- 1974 – Steve Cardenas, American martial artist and retired actor
- 1974 – Stephen Larkham, Australian rugby player and coach
- 1974 – Aaron McGruder, American author and cartoonist
- 1974 – Myf Warhurst, Australian radio and television host
- 1974 – Jenny Willott, English politician
- 1975 – Jason Allison, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1975 – Mel B, English singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
- 1975 – Sven Kubis, German footballer
- 1975 – Sarah Millican, English comedian
- 1975 – Anthony Wall, English golfer
- 1975 – Daniel Tosh, American comedian, television host, actor, writer, and executive producer
- 1976 – Caçapa, Brazilian footballer and manager
- 1976 – Jerry Hairston Jr., American baseball player and sportscaster
- 1976 – Raef LaFrentz, American basketball player
- 1976 – Yegor Titov, Russian footballer
- 1977 – Massimo Ambrosini, Italian footballer
- 1977 – Marco Cassetti, Italian footballer
- 1977 – António Lebo Lebo, Angolan footballer
- 1978 – Pelle Almqvist, Swedish singer-songwriter
- 1978 – Sébastien Grosjean, French tennis player
- 1978 – Lorenzo Odone, Italian-American adrenoleukodystrophy patient who inspired the 1992 film, Lorenzo’s Oil (d. 2008)
- 1978 – Adam Rickitt, English singer
- 1979 – Arne Friedrich, German footballer
- 1979 – Brian Kendrick, American wrestler
- 1979 – John Rheinecker, American baseball player (d. 2017)
- 1980 – Ernesto Farías, Argentinian footballer
- 1981 – Andrey Arshavin, Russian footballer
- 1982 – Nataliya Dobrynska, Ukrainian heptathlete
- 1982 – Matt Macri, American baseball player
- 1982 – Kim Tae-kyun, South Korean baseball player
- 1984 – Carmelo Anthony, American basketball player
- 1984 – Nia Jax, Australian-American professional wrestler
- 1984 – Funmi Jimoh, American long jumper
- 1984 – Andreas Schäffer, German footballer
- 1984 – Ina Wroldsen, Norwegian singer and songwriter
- 1985 – Nathan Horton, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1987 – Lina Andrijauskaitė, Lithuanian long jumper
- 1987 – Issac Luke, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1987 – Kelvin Maynard, Dutch footballer (d. 2019)
- 1987 – Noah Reid, Canadian actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1987 – Rui Sampaio, Portuguese footballer
- 1988 – Muath Al-Kasasbeh, Jordanian captain and pilot (d. 2015)
- 1988 – Cheng Fei, Chinese gymnast
- 1988 – Steve Mason, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1989 – Ezekiel Ansah, Ghanaian-American football player
- 1989 – Diego Barisone, Argentinian footballer (d. 2015)
- 1989 – Riley Keough, American model and actress
- 1990 – Joe Biagini, American baseball pitcher
- 1992 – Sarah Moundir, Swiss tennis player
- 1993 – Jana Čepelová, Slovak tennis player
- 1993 – Maika Monroe, American actress and kiteboarder
- 1993 – Grete Šadeiko, Estonian heptathlete
- 1998 – Markelle Fultz, American basketball player
- 1999 – Park Ji-hoon, South Korean singer and actor
Deaths on May 29
- 931 – Jimeno Garcés of Pamplona
- 1040 – Renauld I, Count of Nevers
- 1259 – Christopher I of Denmark (b. 1219)
- 1311 – James II of Majorca (b. 1243)
- 1320 – Pope John VIII of Alexandria, Coptic pope
- 1327 – Jens Grand, Danish archbishop (b. c. 1260)
- 1379 – Henry II of Castile (b. 1334)
- 1405 – Philippe de Mézières, French soldier and author (b. 1327)
- 1425 – Hongxi Emperor of China (b. 1378)
- 1453 – Ulubatlı Hasan, Ottoman commander (b. 1428)
- 1453 – Constantine XI Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (b. 1404)
- 1500 – Bartolomeu Dias, Portuguese explorer and navigator (b. 1451)
- 1500 – Thomas Rotherham, English cleric and minister (b. 1423)
- 1546 – David Beaton, Scottish cardinal and politician, Lord Chancellor of Scotland (b. 1494)
- 1593 – John Penry, Welsh martyr (b. 1559)
- 1660 – Frans van Schooten, Dutch mathematician and academic (b. 1615)
- 1691 – Cornelis Tromp, Dutch admiral (b. 1629)
- 1790 – Israel Putnam, American general (b. 1718)
- 1796 – Carl Fredrik Pechlin, Swedish general and politician (b. 1720)
- 1814 – Joséphine de Beauharnais, first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte (b. 1763)
- 1829 – Humphry Davy, English-Swiss chemist and academic (b. 1778)
- 1847 – Emmanuel de Grouchy, Marquis de Grouchy, French general (b. 1766)
- 1862 – Franz Mirecki, Polish composer, music conductor, and music teacher (b. 1791)
- 1866 – Winfield Scott, American general, lawyer, and politician (b. 1786)
- 1873 – Prince Friedrich of Hesse and by Rhine (b. 1870)
- 1892 – Bahá’u’lláh, Persian religious leader, founded the Bahá’í Faith (b. 1817)
- 1896 – Gabriel Auguste Daubrée, French geologist and academic (b. 1814)
- 1903 – Bruce Price, American architect, designed the Château Frontenac and American Surety Building (b. 1845)
- 1910 – Mily Balakirev, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1837)
- 1911 – W. S. Gilbert, English playwright and poet (b. 1836)
- 1914 – Laurence Sydney Brodribb Irving, English author and playwright (b. 1871)
- 1914 – Henry Seton-Karr, English explorer, hunter, and author (b. 1853)
- 1917 – Kate Harrington, American poet and educator (b. 1831)
- 1919 – Robert Bacon, American colonel and politician, 39th United States Secretary of State (b. 1860)
- 1920 – Carlos Deltour, French rower (b. 1864)
- 1921 – Abbott Handerson Thayer, American painter and educator (b. 1849)
- 1935 – Josef Suk, Czech violinist and composer (b. 1874)
- 1939 – Ursula Ledóchowska, Austrian-Polish nun and saint, founded the Congregation of the Ursulines of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus (b. 1865)
- 1941 – Léo-Pol Morin, Canadian pianist, composer, and educator (b. 1892)
- 1942 – John Barrymore, American actor (b. 1882)
- 1946 – Martin Gottfried Weiss, German SS officer (b. 1905)
- 1948 – May Whitty, English actress (b. 1865)
- 1951 – Fanny Brice, American singer and comedian (b. 1891)
- 1951 – Dimitrios Levidis, Greek-French soldier and composer (b. 1885)
- 1953 – Morgan Russell, American painter and educator (b. 1886)
- 1957 – James Whale, English director (b. 1889)
- 1958 – Juan Ramón Jiménez, Spanish poet and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1881)
- 1963 – Netta Muskett, English author (b. 1887)
- 1966 – Ignace Lepp, Estonian-French priest and psychologist (b. 1909)
- 1968 – Arnold Susi, Estonian lawyer and politician, Estonian Minister of Education (b. 1896)
- 1970 – John Gunther, American journalist and author (b. 1901)
- 1970 – Eva Hesse, American artist (b. 1936)
- 1972 – Moe Berg, American baseball player, coach, and spy (b. 1902)
- 1972 – Stephen Timoshenko, Ukrainian-American engineer and academic (b. 1878)
- 1973 – George Harriman, English businessman (b. 1908)
- 1977 – Ba Maw, Burmese politician, Prime Minister of Burma (b. 1893)
- 1979 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress, producer, and screenwriter, co-founded United Artists (b. 1892)
- 1979 – John H. Wood Jr., American lawyer and judge (b. 1916)
- 1982 – Romy Schneider, Austrian actress (b. 1938)
- 1983 – Arvīds Pelše, Latvian-Russian historian and politician (b. 1899)
- 1987 – Charan Singh, Indian politician, 5th Prime Minister of India (b. 1902)
- 1988 – Salem bin Laden, Saudi Arabian businessman (b. 1946)
- 1989 – George C. Homans, American sociologist and academic (b. 1910)
- 1991 – Margaret Barr (choreographer), Australian choreographer and teacher of dance-drama (b. 1904)
- 1993 – Billy Conn, American boxer (b. 1917)
- 1994 – Erich Honecker, German lawyer and politician (b. 1912)
- 1994- Lady May Abel Smith, member of the British Royal Family (b. 1906)
- 1996 – Tamara Toumanova, American ballerina and actress (b. 1919)
- 1997 – Jeff Buckley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1966)
- 1998 – Barry Goldwater, American general, activist, and politician (b. 1909)
- 2003 – David Jefferies, English motorcycle racer (b. 1972)
- 2004 – Archibald Cox, American lawyer and politician, 31st United States Solicitor General (b. 1912)
- 2004 – Samuel Dash, American academic and politician (b. 1925)
- 2005 – John D’Amico, Canadian ice hockey player and referee (b. 1937)
- 2005 – Hamilton Naki, South African surgeon (b. 1926)
- 2005 – George Rochberg, American soldier and composer (b. 1918)
- 2006 – Jacques Bouchard, Canadian businessman (b. 1930)
- 2007 – Dave Balon, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1938)
- 2007 – Lois Browne-Evans, Bermudian lawyer and politician (b. 1927)
- 2008 – Paula Gunn Allen, Native American writer (b. 1939)
- 2008 – Luc Bourdon, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1987)
- 2008 – Harvey Korman, American actor and comedian (b. 1927)
- 2010 – Dennis Hopper, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1936)
- 2011 – Sergei Bagapsh, Abkhazian politician, 2nd President of Abkhazia (b. 1949)
- 2011 – Bill Clements, American soldier and politician, 42nd Governor of Texas (b. 1917)
- 2011 – Ferenc Mádl, Hungarian academic and politician, 14th President of Hungary (b. 1931)
- 2012 – Mark Minkov, Russian composer (b. 1944)
- 2012 – Kaneto Shindo, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1912)
- 2012 – Doc Watson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1923)
- 2013 – Richard Ballantine, American-English journalist and author (b. 1940)
- 2013 – Françoise Blanchard, French actress (b. 1954)
- 2013 – Andrew Greeley, American priest, sociologist, and author (b. 1928)
- 2013 – Mulgrew Miller, American pianist and composer (b. 1955)
- 2013 – Henry Morgentaler, Polish-Canadian physician and activist (b. 1923)
- 2013 – Franca Rame, Italian actress and playwright (b. 1928)
- 2013 – Ludwig G. Strauss, German physician and academic (b. 1949)
- 2013 – Wali-ur-Rehman, Pakistani commander (b. 1970)
- 2014 – Christine Charbonneau, Canadian singer-songwriter (b. 1943)
- 2014 – Walter Jakob Gehring, Swiss biologist and academic (b. 1939)
- 2014 – Peter Glaser, Czech-American scientist and engineer (b. 1923)
- 2014 – Miljenko Prohaska, Croatian composer and conductor (b. 1925)
- 2014 – William M. Roth, American businessman (b. 1916)
- 2015 – Henry Carr, American football player and sprinter (b. 1942)
- 2015 – Doris Hart, American tennis player (b. 1925)
- 2015 – Betsy Palmer, American actress (b. 1926)
- 2017 – Manuel Noriega, Panamanian general and politician, Military Leader of Panama (b. 1934)
- 2017 – Mordechai Tzipori, Israeli Lieutenant General and minister (b. 1924)
- 2017 – Konstantinos Mitsotakis, Greek politician and prime minister (b. 1918)
- 2020 – Maikanti Baru, Nigerian engineer, former chief of state oil firm. (b. 1959)
Holidays and observances on May 29
- Army Day (Argentina)
- Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh (Bahá’í Faith) (Only if Bahá’í Naw-Rúz falls on March 21 of the Gregorian calendar)
- Christian feast day:
- Bona of Pisa
- Hypomone (Eastern Orthodox Church)
- Maximin of Trier
- Pope Alexander of Alexandria (Eastern Orthodox Church)
- Theodosia of Constantinople (Eastern Orthodox Church)
- Ursula Ledóchowska
- May 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Earliest day on which Feast of the Sacred Heart can fall, while July 2 is the latest; celebrated 19 days after Pentecost. (Catholic Church)
- International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers (International)
- National Elderly Day (Indonesia)
- Oak Apple Day (England), and its related observance:
- Castleton Garland Day (Castleton)
- Statehood Day (Rhode Island and Wisconsin)
- Veterans Day (Sweden)
- World Digestive Health Day