On this Day in History: May 29

A closer look at key historic events that took place on May 29:

In 1999, Discovery docks with the International Space Station

The Space Shuttle Discovery was the first to successfully dock with the ISS during mission STS-96, aimed at delivering supplies and equipment to the station. The shuttle carried over 3,600 kilograms of cargo, including hardware, tools, and other necessary items for the station’s early assembly stages.

Space Shuttle Discovery. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center

In 1996, Benjamin Netanyahu becomes Israel’s prime minister

After winning the election by a very narrow margin against Shimon Peres, Netanyahu assumed office on June 18. This election was significant as it was the first time Israeli voters directly elected their prime minister.

Official portrait of Israel’s 9th Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. 1996. Wikimedia Commons

In 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reach the summit of Mount Everest

Following several failed attempts by others, New Zealander mountaineer Edmund Hillary and Nepali Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers in history to reach the top of Mount Everest, the peak of which stands at 8,849 meters.

Edmund Hillary, passport application, 1951. Archives New Zealand

In 1942, Bing Crosby records White Christmas
Written by Irving Berlin, Crosby recorded the song accompanied by the John Scott Trotter Orchestra and the Ken Darby Singers. It went on to become one of the best-selling singles of all time, topping the charts and winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1943.

Bing Crosby – White Christmas. Flickr

In 1905, Japan defeats the Russian navy in the Battle of Tsushima

Japan’s victory at Tsushima, under the command of Admiral Togo Heihachiro, established it as a major naval power and significantly influenced the outcome of the Russo-Japanese War. The defeat severely weakened Russia’s naval capabilities and contributed to the eventual negotiation of the Treaty of Portsmouth, which ended the war and earned Theodore Roosevelt the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in mediating the conflict.

Print shows sailors from the Japanese torpedo boat, Sazanami, boarding a Russian torpedo boat during a heated sea battle off Port Arthur during the Russo-Japanese war.
Illustrated Russo-Japanese War. No. 5. Picryl

In 1848, Wisconsin becomes part of the US

It became the 30th state of the Union.

Wikimedia Commons

In 1453, Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire falls to the Ottomans.

The fall occurred after a prolonged siege by the Ottoman forces led by Sultan Mehmed II and marked the end of the Byzantine Empire, which had lasted for over a thousand years.