So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.

December 29th
- Christian Feast Day

- The fifth day of Christmas (Western Christianity)


December 29th
- 1965 - Filming began on Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey in England.

- 2003 - The last known speaker of Akkala Sami dies, rendering the language extinct.

- 2001 - A fire at the Mesa Redonda shopping center in Lima, Peru, kills at least 291.

- 1998 - Leaders of the Khmer Rouge apologize for the 1970s genocide in Cambodia that claimed over 1 million lives.

- 1997 - Hong Kong begins to kill all the nation's 1.25 million chickens to stop the spread of a potentially deadly influenza strain.

- 1996 - Guatemala and leaders of Guatemalan National Revolutionary Union sign a peace accord ending a 36-year civil war.

- 1992 - Fernando Collor de Mello, president of Brazil, tries to resign amidst corruption charges, but is then impeached.

- 1989 - Riots break-out after Hong Kong decides to forcibly repatriate Vietnamese refugees.

- 1975 - A bomb explodes at La Guardia Airport in New York City, killing 11 people and injuring 74.

- 1972 - An Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 (a Lockheed Tristar) crashes on approach to Miami International Airport, Florida, killing 101.

- 1966 - The Beatles start the recording session that would become the hit single Penny Lane at Abbey Road Studio.

- 1959 - The Lisbon Metro begins operation.

- 1949 - KC2XAK of Bridgeport, Connecticut becomes the first Ultra high frequency (UHF) television station to operate a daily schedule.

- 1940 - World War II: In The Second Great Fire of London, the Luftwaffe fire-bombs London, killing almost 200 civilians.

- 1939 - First flight of the Consolidated B-24.

- 1937 - The Irish Free State is replaced by a new state called Ireland with the adoption of a new constitution.

- 1934 - Japan renounces the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 and the London Naval Treaty of 1930.

- 1930 - Sir Muhammad Iqbal's presidential address in Allahabad introduces the Two-Nation Theory and outlines a vision for the creation of Pakistan.

- 1911 - Sun Yat-sen becomes the provisional President of the Republic of China; he formally takes office on January 1, 1912.

- 1911 - Mongolia gains independence from the Qing dynasty.

- 1890 - United States soldiers kill more than 200 Oglala Lakota people with four Hotchkiss guns in the Wounded Knee Massacre.

- 1876 - The Ashtabula River Railroad bridge disaster occurs, leaving 64 injured and 92 dead at Ashtabula, Ohio.

- 1860 - The first British seagoing iron-clad warship, HMS Warrior is launched.

- 1851 - The first American YMCA opens in Boston, Massachusetts.

- 1845 - According with International Boundary delimitation, U.S.A annexes the Mexican state of Texas, following the Manifest Destiny doctrine. For others, the Republic of Texas is admitted as the 28th U.S. state.

- 1835 - The Treaty of New Echota is signed, ceding all the lands of the Cherokee east of the Mississippi River to the United States.

- 1813 - British soldiers burn Buffalo, New York during the War of 1812.

- 1812 - The USS Constitution under the command of Captain William Bainbridge, captures the HMS Java off the coast of Brazil after a three hour battle.

- 1786 - French Revolution: The Assembly of Notables is convened.

- 1778 - American Revolutionary War: 3,500 British soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell capture Savannah, Georgia without firing a shot.

- 1170 - Thomas Becket: 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 Church and the Roman Catholic Church.


December 29th
- 1994 - Princess Kako of Akishino of Japan

- 1988 - Ágnes Szávay, Hungarian tennis player

- 1987 - Yuhi Sekiguchi, Japanese racing driver

- 1986 - Kim Ok-bin, South Korean actress and model

- 1986 - Joe Anyon, English footballer

- 1985 - Cho Cho Cheng, Chinese American fashion designer

- 1983 - Jessica Andrews, American country/pop singer

- 1983 - Alison Brie, American actress

- 1983 - James Kelly, Australian rules footballer

- 1983 - Gonzalo Olave, Chilean television actor (d. 2009)

- 1982 - Dale Morris, Australian rules footballer

- 1982 - Gabrielle Destroismaisons, Quebec singer

- 1981 - Shizuka Arakawa, Japanese figure skater

- 1981 - Shaun Suisham, American football player

- 1979 - Diego Luna, Mexican actor

- 1979 - Mitsuhiro Ishida, Japanese mixed-martial arts fighter

- 1979 - Ariel Schrag, American Cartoonist

- 1978 - Matthew Carr, Australian rules footballer

- 1978 - Alexis Amore, Peruvian pornographic actress

- 1978 - Kieron Dyer, English footballer

- 1978 - LaToya London, American singer

- 1978 - Steve Kemp, British musician (Hard-Fi)

- 1977 - Katherine Moennig, American actress

- 1977 - Jimmy Journell, American baseball player

- 1976 - Danny R. McBride, American actor, writer, and producer

- 1976 - Filip Kuba, Czech ice hockey player

- 1975 - Jaret Wright, American baseball player

- 1974 - Mekhi Phifer, American actor

- 1974 - Richie Sexson, American baseball player

- 1974 - Ryan Shore, film composer

- 1973 - Theo Epstein, American baseball general manager

- 1973 - Pimp C, American rapper (UGK) (d. 2007)

- 1972 - Asheru, American rapper

- 1972 - Jason Kreis, American soccer player

- 1972 - Jude Law, British actor

- 1972 - Leonor Varela, Chilean actress

- 1971 - Margot Thien, American synchronized swimmer

- 1970 - Aled Jones, Welsh singer

- 1970 - Hidetoshi Mitsusada, Japanese racing driver

- 1970 - Glen Phillips, American musician (Toad The Wet Sprocket)

- 1970 - Kevin Weisman, American actor

- 1969 - Jennifer Ehle, American actress

- 1969 - Allan McNish, Scottish race car driver

- 1967 - Ashleigh Banfield, Canadian journalist

- 1967 - Chris Barnes, American singer

- 1967 - Andy Wachowski, American director

- 1967 - Evan Seinfeld, American musician (Biohazard) and actor

- 1966 - Stefano Eranio, Italian footballer

- 1966 - Laurent Boudouani French Boxer

- 1966 - Martin Offiah, former rugby league footballer

- 1965 - Dexter Holland, American musician (The Offspring)

- 1963 - Francisco Bustamante, Filipino billiard player

- 1963 - Des Foy, British rugby league player

- 1963 - Dave McKean, British artist and filmmaker

- 1963 - Sean Payton, American football coach

- 1962 - Devon White, Jamaican baseball player

- 1961 - Kevin Granata, American college educator (d. 2007)

- 1961 - Jim Reid, Scottish singer (The Jesus and Mary Chain, Freeheat)

- 1960 - David Boon, Australian Cricketer

- 1960 - Matthew Kandegas, American Painter

- 1960 - Katerina Didaskalou, Greek actress

- 1960 - Thomas Lubanga, Congolese political activist

- 1959 - Paula Poundstone, American comedian

- 1959 - Patricia Clarkson, American actress

- 1958 - Nancy J. Currie, American astronaut

- 1957 - Brad Grey, American film producer

- 1957 - Paul Rudnick, American screenwriter/playwright

- 1956 - Fred MacAulay, Scottish comedian

- 1954 - Roger Voudouris, American singer (d. 2003)

- 1954 - Prince Takamado of Japan (d. 2002)

- 1953 - Gali Atari, Israeli singer and actress

- 1953 - Alan Rusbridger, British newspaper editor

- 1953 - Stanley Tookie Williams, American murderer (d. 2005)

- 1952 - Gelsey Kirkland, American dancer

- 1951 - Yvonne Elliman, American disco singer

- 1951 - Georges Thurston, Canadian singer (d. 2007)

- 1950 - Jon Polito, American actor

- 1949 - Syed Kirmani, Indian cricket player

- 1949 - David Topliss, English rugby league player

- 1948 - Peter Robinson, Northern Ireland politician

- 1947 - Ted Danson, American actor

- 1947 - Cozy Powell, English rock drummer (d. 1998)

- 1947 - Vincent Winter, British actor (d. 1998)

- 1946 - Marianne Faithfull, British singer

- 1943 - Bill Aucoin, American rock band manager (d. 2010)

- 1942 - Rick Danko, Canadian musician (The Band) (d. 1999)

- 1942 - Rajesh Khanna, Indian actor

- 1941 - Ray Thomas, British musician (The Moody Blues)

- 1938 - Harvey Smith, English showjumper

- 1938 - Jon Voight, American actor

- 1937 - Wayne Huizenga, American football team owner

- 1937 - Barbara Steele, British actress

- 1936 - Mary Tyler Moore, American actress

- 1936 - Ray Nitschke, American football player (d. 1998)

- 1934 - Ed Flanders, American actor (d. 1995)

- 1932 - Inga Swenson, American actress

- 1931 - Prince Gu of Korea (d. 2005)

- 1928 - Bernard Cribbins, British actor

- 1927 - Andy Stanfield, American athlete (d. 1985)

- 1925 - Pete Dye, American golf course architect

- 1922 - William Gaddis, American writer (d. 1998)

- 1921 - Robert C. Baker, Inventor of the chicken nugget (d. 2006)

- 1920 - Viveca Lindfors, Swedish-American actress (d. 1995)

- 1917 - Tom Bradley, American politician (d. 1998)

- 1917 - Ramanand Sagar, Indian film director (d. 2005)

- 1915 - Bill Osmanski, American football player (d. 1996)

- 1914 - Billy Tipton, American musician (d. 1989)

- 1914 - Albert Tucker, Australian artist (d. 1999)

- 1910 - Ronald Coase, British economist, Nobel Prize laureate

- 1908 - Helmut Gollwitzer, German theologian (d. 1993)

- 1902 - Nels Stewart, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1957)

- 1899 - Nie Rongzhen, Chinese Communist leader (d. 1992)

- 1896 - David Alfaro Siqueiros, Mexican painter (d. 1974)

- 1881 - Jess Willard, American boxer (d. 1968)

- 1876 - Pau Casals, Catalan musician (d. 1973)

- 1870 - Albert Amrhein, German rugby player (death year unknown)

- 1859 - Venustiano Carranza, 54th President of Mexico (d. 1920)

- 1856 - Thomas Joannes Stieltjes, Dutch mathematician (d. 1894)

- 1843 - Elisabeth of Wied, queen of Romania and novelist (d. 1916)

- 1816 - Carl Ludwig, German physician (d. 1895)

- 1809 - William Ewart Gladstone, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1898)

- 1808 - Andrew Johnson, 17th President of the United States (d. 1875)

- 1800 - Charles Goodyear, American inventor (d. 1860)

- 1796 - Johann Christian Poggendorff, German physicist (d. 1877)

- 1721 - Madame de Pompadour, mistress of King Louis XV of France (d. 1764)

- 1709 - Empress Elizabeth of Russia (d. 1762)

