December 29

Pre-1600

• 1170 – Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II; he subsequently becomes a saint and martyr in the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church.
• 1503 – The Battle of Garigliano was fought between a Spanish army under Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba and a French army commanded by Ludovico II, Marquess of Saluzzo.

1601–1900

• 1607 – According to John Smith, Pocahontas, daughter of Powhatan leader Wahunsenacawh, successfully pleads for his life after tribal leaders attempt to execute him.
• 1778 – American Revolutionary War: Three thousand British soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell capture Savannah, Georgia.
• 1812 – USS Constitution, under the command of Captain William Bainbridge, captures HMS Java off the coast of Brazil after a three-hour battle.
• 1835 – The Treaty of New Echota is signed, ceding all the lands of the Cherokee east of the Mississippi River to the United States.
• 1845 – The United States annexes the Republic of Texas and admits it as the 28th state.
• 1860 – The launch of HMS Warrior, with her combination of screw propeller, iron hull and iron armour, renders all previous warships obsolete.
• 1874 – The military coup of Gen. Martinez Campos in Sagunto ends the failed First Spanish Republic and the monarchy is restored as Prince Alfonso is proclaimed King of Spain.
• 1876 – The Ashtabula River railroad disaster occurs, leaving 64 injured and 92 dead at Ashtabula, Ohio.
• 1890 – On Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, 300 Lakota are killed by the United States 7th Cavalry Regiment.

1901–present

• 1911 – Mongolia gains independence from the Qing dynasty, enthroning 8th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu as Khagan of Mongolia.
• 1913 – Cecil B. DeMille starts filming Hollywood's first feature film, The Squaw Man.
• 1930 – Sir Muhammad Iqbal's presidential address in Allahabad introduces the two-nation theory and outlines a vision for the creation of Pakistan.
• 1934 – Japan renounces the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 and the London Naval Treaty of 1930.
• 1937 – The Irish Free State is replaced by a new state called Ireland with the adoption of a new constitution.
• 1940 – In the Second Great Fire of London, the Luftwaffe fire-bombs London, England, killing almost 200 civilians during World War II.
• 1972 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 (a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar) crashes in the Florida Everglades on approach to Miami International Airport, Florida, killing 101 of the 176 people on board.
• 1975 – A bomb explodes at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, killing 11 people and injuring more than 75.
• 1989 – Czech writer, philosopher and dissident Václav Havel is elected the first post-communist President of Czechoslovakia.
• 1989 – The Nikkei 225 for the Tokyo Stock Exchange hits its all-time intra-day high of 38,957.44 and closing high at 38,915.87, serving as the apex of the Japanese asset price bubble.
• 1992 – Fernando Collor de Mello, president of Brazil, tries to resign amidst corruption charges, but is then impeached.
• 1994 – Turkish Airlines Flight 278 (a Boeing 737-400) crashes on approach to Van Ferit Melen Airport in Van, Turkey, killing 57 of the 76 people on board.
• 1996 – Guatemala and leaders of Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity sign a peace accord ending a 36-year civil war.
• 1998 – Leaders of the Khmer Rouge apologize for the Cambodian genocide that claimed over one million lives.
• 2003 – The last known speaker of Akkala Sami dies, rendering the language extinct.
• 2006 – The UK settles its Anglo-American loan, post-WWII loan debt.
• 2012 – A Tupolev Tu-204 airliner crashes in a ditch between the airport fence and the M3 highway after overshooting a runway at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, Russia, killing five people and leaving three others critically injured.
• 2013 – A suicide bomb attack at the Volgograd-1 railway station in the southern Russian city of Volgograd kills at least 18 people and wounds 40 others.
• 2013 – Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher suffers a massive head injury while skiing in the French Alps.
• 2020 – A large explosion at the airport in the southern Yemeni city of Aden kills at least 22 people and wounds 50.
• 2020 – A magnitude 6.4 earthquake hits near the town of Petrinja in Sisak-Moslavina County, Croatia, killing seven people.

Pre-1600

• 1536 – Henry VI, German nobleman (d. 1572)
• 1550 – García de Silva Figueroa, Spanish diplomat and traveller (d. 1624)

1601–1900

• 1633 – Johannes Zollikofer, Swiss vicar (d. 1692)
• 1721 – Madame de Pompadour, mistress of King Louis XV (d. 1764)
• 1746 – Saverio Cassar, Maltese priest and rebel leader (d. 1805)
• 1766 – Charles Macintosh, Scottish chemist and the inventor of waterproof fabric (d. 1843)
• 1788 – Christian Jürgensen Thomsen, Danish antiquarian (d. 1865)
• 1796 – Johann Christian Poggendorff, German physicist and journalist (d. 1877)
• 1800 – Charles Goodyear, American chemist and engineer (d. 1860)
• 1804 – John Langdon Sibley, American librarian (d. 1885)
• 1808 – Andrew Johnson, American general and politician, 17th President of the United States (d. 1875)
• 1809 – William Ewart Gladstone, English lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1898)
• 1811 – Francisco Palau, Catalan Discalced Carmelite friar and priest (d. 1872)
• 1816 – Carl Ludwig, German physician and physiologist (d. 1895)
• 1844 – Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee, Indian barrister and first president of Indian National Congress (d. 1906)
• 1855 – August Kitzberg, Estonian author and poet (d. 1927)
• 1856 – Thomas Joannes Stieltjes, Dutch-French mathematician and academic (d. 1894)
• 1857 – Sydney Young, English chemist (d. 1937)
• 1859 – Venustiano Carranza, Mexican soldier and politician, 37th President of Mexico (d. 1920)
• 1870 – Earl Gregg Swem, American historian, bibliographer and librarian (d. 1965)
• 1876 – Pablo Casals, Catalan cellist and conductor (d. 1973)
• 1876 – Lionel Tertis, English violist (d. 1975)
• 1879 – Billy Mitchell, American general and pilot (d. 1936)
• 1881 – Jess Willard, American boxer (d. 1968)
• 1886 – Georg Hermann Struve, German astronomer (d. 1933)
• 1894 – J. Lister Hill, American politician (d. 1984)
• 1896 – David Alfaro Siqueiros, Mexican painter (d. 1974)

1901–present

• 1903 – Candido Portinari, Brazilian painter (d. 1962)
• 1904 – Kuvempu, Indian author and poet (d. 1994)
• 1908 – Helmut Gollwitzer, German theologian and author (d. 1993)
• 1908 – Magnus Pyke, English scientist and author (d. 1992)
• 1910 – Ronald Coase, English-American economist, author, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2013)
• 1911 – Klaus Fuchs, German physicist and spy (d. 1988)
• 1914 – Zainul Abedin, Bangladeshi painter and academic (d. 1976)
• 1914 – Billy Tipton, American pianist and saxophonist (d. 1989)
• 1914 – Albert Tucker, Australian painter and illustrator (d. 1999)
• 1915 – Robert Ruark, American hunter and author (d. 1965)
• 1915 – Jo Van Fleet, American actress (d. 1996)
• 1917 – Tom Bradley, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 38th Mayor of Los Angeles (d. 1998)
• 1917 – Ramanand Sagar, Indian director and producer (d. 2005)
• 1919 – Alfred de Grazia, American political scientist and author (d. 2014)
• 1919 – Roman Vlad, Italian pianist and composer (d. 2013)
• 1920 – Viveca Lindfors, Swedish-American actress, singer and poet (d. 1995)
• 1921 – Dobrica Ćosić, Serbian politician, 1st President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (d. 2014)
• 1921 – Michael Horne, English structural engineer, scientist and academic (d. 2000)
• 1922 – Little Joe Cook, American singer-songwriter (d. 2014)
• 1922 – William Gaddis, American author and academic (d. 1998)
• 1923 – Cheikh Anta Diop, Senegalese historian, anthropologist, and physicist (d. 1986)
• 1923 – Morton Estrin, American pianist and educator (d. 2017)
• 1923 – Dina Merrill, American actress, game show panelist, socialite, heiress, and businesswoman (d. 2017)
• 1923 – Shlomo Venezia, Greek-Italian author and Holocaust survivor (d. 2012)
• 1924 – Joe Allbritton, American businessman and publisher, founded the Allbritton Communications Company (d. 2012)
• 1924 – Kim Song-ae, Korean politician (d. 2014)
• 1925 – Pete Dye, American golfer and architect (d. 2020)
• 1928 – Bernard Cribbins, British actor (d. 2022)
• 1932 – Inga Swenson, American actress and singer (d. 2023)
• 1933 – Samuel Brittan, English journalist and author (d. 2020)
• 1934 – Ed Flanders, American actor (d. 1995)
• 1936 – Mary Tyler Moore, American actress and producer (d. 2017)
• 1936 – Ray Nitschke, American football player (d. 1998)
• 1937 – Wayne Huizenga, American businessman, founded AutoNation (d. 2018)
• 1938 – Jon Voight, American actor and producer
• 1939 – Ed Bruce, American country music singer-songwriter (d. 2021)
• 1941 – Ray Thomas, English singer-songwriter and flute player (d. 2018)
• 1942 – Rajesh Khanna, Indian actor (d. 2012)
• 1942 – Dorothy Morkis, American equestrian
• 1943 – Bill Aucoin, American talent manager (d. 2010)
• 1943 – Molly Bang, American author and illustrator
• 1943 – Rick Danko, Canadian singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer (d. 1999)
• 1944 – Gerard Windsor, Australian author and literary critic
• 1945 – Keith Milow, British artist
• 1946 – Marianne Faithfull, English singer-songwriter and actress
• 1946 – Paul Trible, American attorney, politician and academic administrator
• 1947 – Richard Crandall, American physicist and computer scientist (d. 2012)
• 1947 – Ted Danson, American actor and producer
• 1947 – Leonhard Lapin, Estonian architect and poet
• 1947 – Cozy Powell, English drummer, songwriter, and producer (d. 1998)
• 1947 – Vincent Winter, Scottish actor, director, and production manager (d. 1998)
• 1948 – Jacky Clark Chisholm, American gospel singer
• 1948 – Peter Robinson, Northern Irish politician, 3rd First Minister of Northern Ireland
• 1949 – David Topliss, English rugby league player and coach (d. 2008)
• 1950 – Jon Polito, American actor (d. 2016)
• 1951 – Willem de Blécourt, Dutch historical anthropologist
• 1951 – Yvonne Elliman, American singer-songwriter and actress
• 1952 – Gelsey Kirkland, American ballerina and choreographer
• 1953 – Alan Rusbridger, Zambian-English journalist and academic
• 1953 – Stanley Williams, American gang leader, co-founded the Crips (d. 2005)
• 1955 – Chris Goodall, English businessman and author
• 1955 – Donald D. Hoffman, American quantitative psychologist and author
• 1956 – Zaki Chehab, Lebanese-British journalist
• 1956 – Katy Munger, American writer
• 1957 – Brad Grey, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2017)
• 1957 – Paul Rudnick, American author, playwright, and screenwriter
• 1958 – Tyrone Benskin, English-Canadian actor, theatre director and politician
• 1958 – Nancy J. Currie-Gregg, American colonel, engineer, and astronaut
• 1959 – Patricia Clarkson, American actress
• 1959 – Ann Demeulemeester, Belgian fashion designer
• 1959 – Paula Poundstone, American comedian and author
• 1960 – Brian A. Hopkins, American author
• 1960 – David Boon, Australian cricketer
• 1960 – Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, Congolese militia leader, founded the Union of Congolese Patriots
• 1960 – Michael James Pappas, American politician
• 1961 – Kevin Granata, American engineer and academic (d. 2007)
• 1962 – Leza Lowitz, American author
• 1962 – Carles Puigdemont, Catalan politician and journalist, former president
• 1963 – Sean Payton, American football player and coach
• 1963 – Ulf Kristersson, Swedish politician, Leader of the Swedish Moderate Party and 35th Prime Minister of Sweden
• 1964 – Michael Cudlitz, American actor
• 1965 – Dexter Holland, American musician, singer, songwriter, and biologist
• 1965 – John Newton, American actor
• 1966 – Jason Gould, American actor and singer
• 1966 – Christian Kracht, Swiss author
• 1967 – Lilly Wachowski, American director, screenwriter and producer
• 1968 – James Mouton, American baseball player
• 1969 – Jason Cook, English footballer
• 1969 – Jennifer Ehle, American actress
• 1969 – Scott Patterson, American financial journalist and author
• 1970 – Kevin Weisman, American actor
• 1971 – Mike Pesca, American radio journalist and podcaster
• 1972 – Andreas Dackell, Swedish ice hockey player
• 1972 – Jude Law, English actor
• 1973 – Theo Epstein, American businessman
• 1973 – Jenny Lawson, American journalist and author
• 1974 – Maria Dizzia, American actress
• 1974 – Twinkle Khanna, Indian actress and writer
• 1974 – Mahal, Filipino actress, comedian and vlogger (d. 2021)
• 1974 – Mekhi Phifer, American actor
• 1974 – Ryan Shore, Canadian composer and producer
• 1975 – Shawn Hatosy, American actor
• 1976 – Filip Kuba, Czech ice hockey player
• 1976 – Danny McBride, American actor, producer and screenwriter
• 1976 – Katherine Moennig, American actress
• 1978 – Kieron Dyer, English footballer and coach
• 1978 – Danny Higginbotham, English footballer and journalist
• 1979 – Diego Luna, Mexican actor, director and producer
• 1979 – Reihan Salam, American political commentator, columnist and author
• 1981 – Shizuka Arakawa, Japanese figure skater and sportscaster
• 1981 – Janice Lynn Mather, Bahamian-Canadian author
• 1981 – Anna Woltz, Dutch author
• 1982 – Alison Brie, American actress
• 1982 – Julia Wertz, American cartoonist, writer and urban explorer
• 1983 – Jessica Andrews, American singer and songwriter
• 1984 – Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, American playwright
• 1985 – Alexa Ray Joel, American singer-songwriter
• 1986 – Derek Ryan, American ice hockey player
• 1987 – Iain De Caestecker, Scottish actor
• 1988 – Eric Berry, American football player
• 1988 – Christen Press, American footballer
• 1988 – Ágnes Szávay, Hungarian tennis player
• 1989 – Jane Levy, American actress
• 1989 – Kei Nishikori, Japanese tennis player
• 1989 – Harri Säteri, Finnish ice hockey player
• 1991 – Steven Caulker, English footballer
• 1993 – Gabby May, Canadian artistic gymnast
• 1995 – Myles Garrett, American football player
• 1995 – Ross Lynch, American singer and actor
• 1996 – Sana Minatozaki, Japanese singer
• 1996 – Dylan Minnette, American actor, musician and singer
• 1998 – Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick, American actor
• 2000 – Julio Rodríguez, Dominican baseball player

Pre-1600

• 1170 – Thomas Becket, English archbishop and saint (b. 1118)
• 1208 – Emperor Zhangzong of Jin, (b. 1168)
• 1380 – Elizabeth of Poland, queen consort of Hungary (b. 1305)
• 1550 – Bhuvanaikabahu VII, King of Kotte (b. 1468)
• 1563 – Sebastian Castellio, French preacher and theologian (b. 1515)

1601–1900

• 1606 – Stephen Bocskai, Prince of Transylvania (b. 1557)
• 1661 – Antoine Girard de Saint-Amant, French poet (b. 1594)
• 1689 – Thomas Sydenham, English physician and author (b. 1624)
• 1720 – Maria Margaretha Kirch, German astronomer and educator (b. 1670)
• 1731 – Brook Taylor, English mathematician and theorist (b. 1685)
• 1785 – Johann Heinrich Rolle, German composer (b. 1716)
• 1785 – Johan Herman Wessel, Norwegian-Danish poet and playwright (b. 1742)
• 1807 – Diogo de Carvalho e Sampayo, Portuguese diplomat and scientist (b. 1750)
• 1825 – Jacques-Louis David, French painter and illustrator (b. 1748)
• 1838 – Søren Christian Sommerfelt, Norwegian priest and botanist (b. 1794)
• 1890 – Spotted Elk, American tribal leader (b. 1826)
• 1890 – Octave Feuillet, French novelist and dramatist (b. 1821)
• 1891 – Leopold Kronecker, Polish-German mathematician and academic (b. 1823)
• 1894 – Christina Rossetti, English poet and hymn-writer (b. 1830)
• 1897 – William James Linton, English-American painter, author, and activist (b. 1812)
• 1900 – John Henry Leech, English entomologist (b. 1862)

1901–present

• 1905 – Charles Yerkes, American financier (b. 1837)
• 1910 – Samuel Butcher, Anglo-Irish classical scholar and politician (b. 1850)
• 1910 – Reginald Doherty, English tennis player (b. 1872)
• 1911 – Rosamund Marriott Watson, English poet, author and critic (b. 1860)
• 1918 – Abby Leach, American educator (b. 1855)
• 1919 – William Osler, Canadian physician and professor (b. 1849)
• 1921 – Hermann Paul, German philologist, linguist and lexicographer (b. 1846)
• 1924 – Carl Spitteler, Swiss poet and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1845)
• 1925 – Félix Vallotton, Swiss-French painter (b. 1865)
• 1926 – Rainer Maria Rilke, Austrian poet and author (b. 1875)
• 1929 – Wilhelm Maybach, German engineer and businessman, founded Maybach (b. 1846)
• 1929 – Edward Christopher Williams, American librarian (b. 1871)
• 1937 – Don Marquis, American journalist, author, and playwright (b. 1878)
• 1939 – Kelly Miller, American mathematician, sociologist, essayist, newspaper columnist and author (b. 1863)
• 1939 – Madeleine Pelletier, French psychiatrist, feminist and political activist (b. 1874)
• 1940 – Stephen Birch, American businessman (b. 1873)
• 1941 – Louis Eilshemius, American painter (b. 1864)
• 1941 – Tullio Levi-Civita, Italian mathematician and scholar (b. 1873)
• 1943 – Art Young, American cartoonist and writer (b. 1866)
• 1944 – Khasan Israilov, Chechen rebel (b. 1910)
• 1945 – Beulah Dark Cloud, American actress (b. 1887)
• 1946 – Camillo Schumann, German composer and organist (b. 1872)
• 1948 – Harry Farjeon, British composer and music teacher (b. 1878)
• 1949 – Tyler Dennett, American historian and author (b. 1883)
• 1952 – Fletcher Henderson, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (b. 1897)
• 1952 – Beryl Rubinstein, American pianist, composer and teacher (b. 1898)
• 1954 – William Merriam Burton, American chemist (b. 1865)
• 1956 – Miles Vandahurst Lynk, American physician and author (b. 1871)
• 1958 – Doris Humphrey, American dancer and choreographer (b. 1895)
• 1959 – Robin Milford, English soldier and composer (b. 1903)
• 1960 – Eden Phillpotts, English author and poet (b. 1862)
• 1965 – Frank Nugent, American screenwriter, journalist and film reviewer (b. 1908)
• 1965 – Kōsaku Yamada, Japanese composer and conductor (b. 1886)
• 1967 – Paul Whiteman, American violinist, composer, and conductor (b. 1890)
• 1968 – Austin Farrer, English theologian and philosopher (b. 1904)
• 1970 – William King Gregory, American zoologist and anatomist (b. 1876)
• 1970 – Marie Menken, American director and painter (b. 1909)
• 1971 – John Marshall Harlan II, American lawyer and jurist (b. 1899)
• 1972 – Joseph Cornell, American sculptor and director (b. 1903)
• 1975 – Euell Gibbons, American author and naturalist (b. 1911)
• 1976 – Ivo Van Damme, Belgian runner (b. 1954)
• 1979 – F. Edward Hébert, American journalist and politician (b. 1901)
• 1979 – Richard Tecwyn Williams, Welsh biochemist (b. 1909)
• 1980 – Nadezhda Mandelstam, Russian author and educator (b. 1899)
• 1980 – Irvin F. Westheimer, American businessman and social reformer (b. 1879)
• 1981 – Philip Handler, American nutritionist, and biochemist (b. 1917)
• 1981 – Miroslav Krleža, Croatian author, poet, and playwright (b. 1893)
• 1984 – P. H. Polk, American photographer (b. 1898)
• 1984 – Leo Robin, American composer, lyricist and songwriter (b. 1900)
• 1986 – Harold Macmillan, English captain and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1894)
• 1986 – Andrei Tarkovsky, Russian director and screenwriter (b. 1932)
• 1987 – Jun Ishikawa, Japanese author (b. 1899)
• 1987 – Wilbert E. Moore, American sociologist (b. 1914)
• 1988 – Mike Beuttler, Egyptian race car driver (b. 1940)
• 1988 – Ieuan Maddock, Welsh scientist and nuclear researcher (b. 1917)
• 1992 – Vivienne Segal, American actress and singer (b. 1897)
• 1994 – Frank Thring, Australian actor (b. 1926)
• 1995 – Hans Henkemans, Dutch pianist, composer and psychiatrist (b. 1913)
• 1996 – Pennar Davies, Welsh clergyman and author (b. 1911)
• 1996 – Mireille Hartuch, French singer-songwriter and actress (b. 1906)
• 1996 – Peggy Herbison, Scottish politician (b. 1907)
• 1998 – Ralph Siu, American scholar, military and civil servant, and author (b. 1917)
• 1998 – Don Taylor, American actor and film director (b. 1920)
• 1999 – Leon Radzinowicz, Polish-English criminologist and academic (b. 1906)
• 2001 – Takashi Asahina, Japanese conductor (b. 1908)
• 2001 – György Kepes, Hungarian painter, photographer, designer, educator and art theorist (b. 1906)
• 2002 – Lloyd Barbee, American lawyer and politician (b. 1925)
• 2003 – Dinsdale Landen, English actor (b. 1932)
• 2003 – Bob Monkhouse, English comedian, actor, and game show host (b. 1928)
• 2004 – Julius Axelrod, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1912)
• 2004 – Peter Davison, American poet, essayist, teacher, lecturer, editor and publisher (b. 1928)
• 2005 – Cyril Philips, British historian and academic director (b. 1912)
• 2005 – Basil William Robinson, British art scholar and author (b. 1912)
• 2007 – Phil O'Donnell, Scottish footballer (b. 1972)
• 2007 – Phil Dusenberry, American advertising executive (b. 1936)
• 2008 – Freddie Hubbard, American trumpet player and composer (b. 1938)
• 2008 – Victor H. Krulak, American soldier (b. 1913)
• 2009 – Janina Bauman, Polish journalist and writer (b. 1926)
• 2009 – David Levine, American artist and illustrator (b. 1926)
• 2010 – Avi Cohen, Israeli footballer and manager (b. 1956)
• 2010 – Bill Erwin, American actor and cartoonist (b. 1914)
• 2011 – Constance Bartlett Hieatt, American scholar (b. 1928)
• 2012 – Tony Greig, South African-Australian cricketer and sportscaster (b. 1946)
• 2012 – William Rees-Mogg, British newspaper journalist (b. 1928)
• 2013 – C. T. Hsia, Chinese-American critic and scholar (b. 1921)
• 2013 – Benjamin Curtis, American guitarist, drummer, and songwriter (b. 1978)
• 2013 – Connie Dierking, American basketball player (b. 1936)
• 2013 – Wojciech Kilar, Polish classical and film music composer (b. 1932)
• 2014 – Hari Harilela, Indian-Hong Kong businessman and philanthropist (b. 1922)
• 2014 – Juanito Remulla, Sr., Filipino lawyer and politician, Governor of Cavite (b. 1933)
• 2015 – Om Prakash Malhotra, Indian general and politician, 25th Governor of Punjab (b. 1922)
• 2015 – Pavel Srníček, Czech footballer and coach (b. 1968)
• 2016 – Keion Carpenter, American football defensive back (b. 1977)
• 2016 – LaVell Edwards, American football head coach (b. 1930)
• 2017 – Peggy Cummins, Irish actress (b. 1925)
• 2017 – John C. Portman Jr., American neofuturistic architect and real estate developer (b. 1924)
• 2018 – Brian Garfield, American novelist, historian and screenwriter (b. 1939)
• 2018 – Rosenda Monteros, Mexican actress (b. 1935)
• 2019 – Alasdair Gray, Scottish writer and artist (b. 1934)
• 2019 – Neil Innes, English writer, comedian and musician (b. 1944)
• 2020 – Pierre Cardin, Italian-French fashion designer (b. 1922)
• 2020 – Joe Louis Clark, American educator (b. 1937)
• 2021 – Peter Klatzow, South African composer (b. 1945)
• 2022 – Pelé, Brazilian footballer (b. 1940)
• 2022 – Edgar Savisaar, Estonian politician, Estonian Minister of the Interior (b. 1950)
• 2022 – Vivienne Westwood, English fashion designer (b. 1941)
• 2023 – Gil de Ferran, French-born Brazilian racing driver, CART champion (2000, 2001), 2003 Indianapolis 500 winner (b. 1967)

• Christian feast day:
  • Ebrulf
  • Jonathan, Prince of Israel and David's friend.
  • Thomas Becket
  • Trophimus of Arles
  • December 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Constitution Day (Ireland)
• Independence Day (Mongolia)
• The fifth day of Christmas (Western Christianity)
• The fourth day of Kwanzaa (United States)

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• Historical Events on December 29