Feast Day of St. Thomas Becket

Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, fought with Henry II, King of England, over the rights of the Church and in 1170 was murdered by four of Henry's knights in Canterbury Cathedral.
Becket is the patron saint of secular clergy.

Todd Bridges

December 29, 1992

Todd Bridges, who played Willis in TV's Diff'rent Strokes, is arrested for possession of methamphetamine and a loaded gun. He was later sentenced to one year in a live-in drug treatment program and five years probation.

Home Alone

December 29, 1992

An Illinois couple is arrested as they arrived home after a nine-day vacation in Acapulco. They had left their two daughters - ages 9 and 4 - home alone during the trip. Police discovered the girls when they called 911 after setting off a smoke detector.

Life magazine

December 29, 1972

The 36-year-old pioneer in photojournalism Life magazine suspends its weekly publication. It would continue with occasional Life Special Reports, and then start back as a monthly magazine in 1978, then cease publication in 2000.
It had been started by Henry Luce in 1936.

First YMCA in the U.S.

December 29, 1851

The first YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) in the U.S. is established, by Thomas V. Sullivan in Boston, Massachusetts.
The YMCA was established by Sir George Williams in London, with the aim of putting Christian principles into practice by developing a healthy "body, mind, and spirit."

Texas

December 29, 1845

Texas becomes the 28th U.S. state. The name Texas is from the Caddo word táy:sha' (/tə́jːʃaʔ/) for 'friend' and was spelled Tejas or Texas by the Spanish.
Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State for its former status as an independent republic.

Patsy Ramsey

Born December 29, 1956 d. 2006

American beauty pageant winner, Miss West Virginia (1977), mother of child beauty pageant queen and murder victim JonBenét Ramsey.

Ted Danson

Born December 29, 1947

American Emmy-winning actor. Known for his role as the womanizing former baseball player and recovering alcoholic bartender Sam Malone on TV's Cheers.
In 1993, Danson was criticized for appearing in a Friar's Club comedy roast wearing blackface honoring his then girlfriend Whoopi Goldberg. He was also criticized for his use of racial stereotypes during the roast. Goldberg said she was in on the stunt and helped write much of his material.
TV: Cheers (1982-93, Sam Malone) and Becker (1998-2004, Dr. John Becker). Film: Three Men and a Baby (1987).

Marianne Faithfull (Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull)

Born December 29, 1946 d. 2025

British singer, actor. She had a highly publicized romantic relationship with Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones from 1966 to 1970.
Music: As Tears Go By (1964) and Summer Nights (1965).
Film: I'll Never Forget What's'isname (1967), The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968), and Hamlet (1969).

Ed Flanders

Born December 29, 1934 d. 1995

American Emmy-winning actor. TV: St. Elsewhere (1982-88, Dr. Westphall).

Inga Swenson

Born December 29, 1932 d. 2023

American actress. In high school, she won state and national titles in the National Forensic League's speech contest.
TV: Bonanza (1962-63, Hoss' mother Inga), Soap (1978-79, Ingrid Swenson), and Benson (1979-86, Gretchen Kraus).
Film: The Miracle Worker (1962, Helen Keller's mother).

Viveca Lindfors

Born December 29, 1920 d. 1995

Swedish Emmy-winning actress. Film: Four in a Jeep (1951) and The Sure Thing (1985). TV: Life Goes On (1990, Won an Emmy for a guest appearance as a dance instructor).

Jo Van Fleet

Born December 29, 1915 d. 1996

American Oscar-Tony-winning actress. Theater: The Trip to Bountiful (1954, Tony). Film: East of Eden (1955, Oscar). TV: Cinderella (1965, the wicked Stepmother).

William "Billy" Mitchell

Born December 29, 1879 d. 1936

American brigadier general. His persistent lobbying for a strong air force was ridiculed by military leaders and led to his being busted to private.

Patented Vulcanization

Charles Goodyear

Born December 29, 1800 d. 1860

American inventor. He patented the process of vulcanization (1844), which made the rubber industry possible.

Charles Macintosh

Born December 29, 1766 d. 1843

Scottish chemist, invented waterproof fabrics used for raincoats (1823).

Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter)

Died December 29, 2024 b. 1924

American politician. 39th U.S. President (1977-81). He is the only president to have reported seeing a UFO (1973) and the first president born in a hospital.
The audio versions of his books Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis (2005), A Full Life: Reflections at 90 (2016), and Faith: A Journey For All (2018) each won Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word Album.
Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his humanitarian work.
He was the first former U.S. President to live to 100 years old.

Linda Lavin

Died December 29, 2024 b. 1937

American Tony-winning actress. TV: Alice (1976-85, title role).

Pierre Cardin (Pietro Costante Cardino)

Died December 29, 2020 b. 1922

Italian-born naturalised-French fashion designer. Known for his avant-garde style and Space Age designs, he founded his fashion company in 1950.

Euell Gibbons

Died December 29, 1975 b. 1911

American naturalist. Proponent of natural diets and eating wild foods, such as lamb's quarters (a type of weed), rose hips, dandelion shoots, stinging nettle, and cattails. Writings: Stalking the Wild Asparagus (1962). He was the spokesman for Post Grape-Nuts.

Saint Thomas Becket

Died December 29, 1170 b. circa 1118

English ecclesiastic, Archbishop of Canterbury. Thomas Becket fought with Henry II, King of England, over the rights of the Church and on December 29, 1170 was murdered by four of Henry's knights in Canterbury Cathedral.
Becket is the patron saint of secular clergy and December 29 is the Feast Day of St. Thomas Becket.