What happened on 29 July?

10 events from the Ever-When timeline, ranked by how much they mattered.

1. 1883 Born: Benito Mussolini Founder of Italian fascism; dictator of Italy.
2. 1954 The Lord of the Rings Tolkien's epic Middle-earth novel published in three volumes 1954–55.
3. 1958 NASA founded The US creates a civilian space agency in response to Sputnik, the vehicle of the coming space race and Moon landings.
4. 1858 Japan signs the unequal treaties The Harris Treaty with the United States — swiftly copied by Britain, France, Russia and the Netherlands — opens Japanese ports and grants foreigners immunity from Japanese law. Si
5. 1914 The Willy–Nicky telegrams fail Kaiser Wilhelm and Tsar Nicholas — cousins who sign themselves Willy and Nicky — exchange telegrams in English pleading with each other to hold back the machines their own generals
6. 1588 The Armada sighted off Cornwall The crescent of Spanish sails appears off the Lizard and beacon fires carry the news the length of England within hours. Legend has Drake finishing his game of bowls on Plymouth Ho
7. 1948 London 1948 Olympics The 'Austerity Games' revive the Olympics in a war-battered London, the first since 1936.
8. 1030 Battle of Stiklestad King Olaf Haraldsson falls in battle against his own rebellious subjects — and within a year is Norway's eternal patron saint, Olaf the Holy.
9. 1014 Battle of Kleidion Basil II crushes Tsar Samuel of Bulgaria; blinds 14,000 prisoners, earning the sobriquet 'Bulgar-Slayer'.
10. 1981 Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer The 'wedding of the century' at St Paul's Cathedral, watched by an estimated 750 million people worldwide — the making of the Diana phenomenon.