July 29

From August 1 to August 9, 1907, Robert Baden-Powell hosted an experimental Scout camp on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, England. He invited 20 boys from diverse backgrounds to test his ideas on outdoor education, leadership, and self-reliance. Activities included camping, woodcraft, tracking, and signaling exercises. Baden-Powell documented the experience in 'Scouting for Boys', which became the movement's launchpad. The success of this camp led to the rapid expansion of Scout Troops across the United Kingdom and eventually worldwide. It is celebrated as the moment the global Scouting movement was born.

Between July 29 and July 31, 1910, white vigilantes in Slocum, Texas, launched violent attacks against Black residents. Armed mobs burned homes, looted properties, and shot at unarmed civilians, resulting in an estimated 100 to 200 deaths. Survivors fled into nearby woods to escape the killings. Local law enforcement largely ignored or colluded with the perpetrators, and no one was ever held accountable. The massacre was largely omitted from historical records for decades. This tragic event exemplifies the terror faced by African Americans during the Jim Crow era and the failure of justice in racially motivated violence.

In late July 1932, thousands of veterans of the Bonus Army camped in Washington, D.C., demanding early payment of service bonuses. On July 29, President Hoover ordered U.S. troops to clear the encampments using tanks, bayonets, sabers, tear gas, and vomit gas. The confrontation resulted in injuries to veterans and bystanders, and the destruction of their makeshift camps. Media coverage of the violent dispersal fueled widespread sympathy for the veterans and criticism of the Hoover administration. The incident severely damaged Hoover's public standing and influenced the outcome of the 1932 presidential election. The Bonus Army episode remains a poignant example of civil-military tensions in American history.

On July 29, 1981, Charles, Prince of Wales, married Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral in London. The elaborate ceremony and the couple's fairytale romance captivated audiences worldwide. An estimated 750 million people tuned in on television, making it one of the most-watched events in broadcasting history. The bride's iconic dress and the pageantry of the procession became enduring images of the early 1980s. The wedding consolidated Diana's status as a global celebrity and modernized the image of the British monarchy. Its widespread popularity underscored the growing influence of mass media on public fascination with royal affairs.