August 29

Today in History
• 708 - Copper coins are minted in Japan for the first time
• 1664 - Adriaen Pieck and Gerrit de Ferry patent wooden firespout in Amsterdam
• 1708 - Haverhill, Massachusetts destroyed by French and Indians
• 1742 - Edmond Hoyle published his "Short Treatise" on the card game whist
• 1758 - New Jersey Legislature forms 1st Indian reservation
• 1792 - British man o'war HMS Royal George capsizes at Spithead; more than 800 killed
• 1831 - Michael Faraday demonstrates 1st electric transformer
• 1854 - Self-governing windmill patented (Daniel Halladay)


Holidays - Traditional and Obscure
• According to Hoyle Day
• Founding Anniversary of the Senate
• Individual Rights Day
• International Day against Nuclear Tests
• More Herbs, Less Salt Day
• National Chop Suey Day
• National Sports Day
• National Uprising Day

Birthdays
• 1725 - Charles Townshend, English politician, 3rd Viscount of Townshend
• 1728 - Maria Anna Sophia of Saxony, Electress of Bavaria
• 1777 - Hyacinth [Nikita Yakovlevich Bichurin], Founder of Sinology
• 1811 - Henry Bergh, Founder of American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
• 1849 - Titus van Asch van Wijck, Dutch governor Suriname (1891-97)
• 1862 - Andrew Fisher, 5th Prime Minister of Australia
• 1871 - Albert Lebrun, President of France (1932-40)
• 1876 - Kim Gu, President of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea