Friday, 29th December 1978 in London
Welcome to your daily snapshot of London! It's International Day of Biodiversity. Explore 34 historical events, birthdays, deaths, and milestones that shaped this day in London. From remarkable moments in local and world history to the people who left their mark — find out what makes today special. Today's weather in London brings drizzly with temperatures between 4°C and 10°C. Tonight's moon is in its waxing gibbous phase, and the zodiac sign of the day is Capricorn. If you're curious about the history of a day — this page brings together everything worth knowing about this Friday, 29th December in London, GB.
On 29 December 1978, London experienced drizzly conditions typical of the capital during winter months. The city, situated on the Thames in south-east England, is one of the world's largest metropolitan areas and serves as the UK's political and economic centre. The weather that day reflected the damp climate characteristic of the season.
The date fell during the zodiac sign of Capricorn, whilst the moon was in its waxing gibbous phase, approaching fullness in the night sky. These celestial conditions marked a point in the lunar cycle when the moon was substantially illuminated and visible for extended periods after sunset.
This particular date in history carries significant weight across multiple centuries. In 1975, a bomb exploded at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, killing 11 people and seriously injuring 74 others in an attack by unknown perpetrators. Moving back further, the Luftwaffe began a major night bombing raid on London on this date in 1940, an assault that was later called the "Second Great Fire of London" during the broader Blitz campaign. The physicist Richard Feynman delivered a notable address at Caltech in 1959 titled "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom," a speech that anticipated the emergence of nanotechnology as a scientific field decades later. Such historical events underscore how 29 December has witnessed both tragedy and intellectual achievement across the modern era.
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What the Weather Had in Store for London on 29th December 1978
Words without listening are sails without wind – motion without direction.
Fortune of the Day
29th December in the Stars – Star Sign Pisces
Personality Profile
Personality Those born on December 29th blend classic Capricorn ambition with intellectual curiosity and communication flair. Mercury's influence in this decan subtly softens the typical Goat's reserve, infusing their methodical nature with mental agility and social ease.
Strengths & Weaknesses Their greatest strengths are strategic thinking, articulate expression, and reliable execution. Weaknesses include occasional impatience with less pragmatic people and a tendency to bury emotional needs beneath duty and accomplishment.
Love These individuals are loyal, though initially guarded partners. They build relationships on trust and shared ambitions but require time to express feelings openly and lower their protective walls.
Caree & Finance Career comes naturally—they excel in management, planning, and intellectually demanding fields. Financial security isn't a goal but a reflex; they methodically build wealth with discipline and clear foresight.
Health Physically resilient yet prone to stress-related tension from overwork. Regular exercise and conscious relaxation practices help balance their driven energy and ensure long-term wellbeing.
That night, the moon was in its waxing gibbous phase.
Chinese year of the Horse (Earth).
Fun Facts About 29th December
Name Days in Your Language: Dave, David, Davida, Davion, Davis, Davy, Dawson, Dayton, Jess, Jesse, Jessica, Jessie, Jessy, Vida
Someone born on this day in 1978 would be 47 years old today — just 17,269 days into life, which is roughly 414,467 hours, 24,868,068 minutes, or 1,492,084,111 seconds spent on Earth so far.
It's the 363. day of the year.
There are 2 days still to come.
We’re currently in Week 52 — the year marches on.
Famous Birthdays on 29th December
- Shizuka Arakawa, Japanese figure skater and sportscaster (1981)
- Janice Lynn Mather, Bahamian-Canadian author (1981)
- Shaun Suisham, American football player (1981)
- Anna Woltz, Dutch author (1981)
- Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko, Estonian footballer (1981)
- Diego Luna, Mexican actor, director and producer (1979)
- Yuki Morisaki, Japanese chef and television host (1979)
- Moe Oshikiri, Japanese model and actress (1979)
- George Parros, American ice hockey player (1979)
- Reihan Salam, American political commentator, columnist and author (1979)
Lives Remembered on 29th December
- Philip Handler, American nutritionist, and biochemist (born 1917) (1981)
- Miroslav Krleža, Croatian author, poet, and playwright (born 1893) (1981)
- Tim Hardin, American singer-songwriter (born 1941) (1980)
- Nadezhda Mandelstam, Russian author and educator (born 1899) (1980)
- Irvin F. Westheimer, American businessman and social reformer (born 1879) (1980)
- F. Edward Hébert, American journalist and politician (born 1901) (1979)
- Richard Tecwyn Williams, Welsh biochemist (born 1909) (1979)
- Ivo Van Damme, Belgian runner (born 1954) (1976)
- Euell Gibbons, American author and naturalist (born 1911) (1975)
Celebrations & Special Days Worldwide on 29th December
- Christian feast day: Ebrulf
- Christian feast day: Thomas Becket
- Christian feast day: Trophimus of Arles
- Christian feast day: December 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Constitution Day (Ireland)
- Independence Day (Mongolia)
- The fifth day of Christmas (Western Christianity)
- The fourth day of Kwanzaa (United States)
What Happened on 29th December?
- Jeju Air Flight 2216 crashes into a wall in Muan, South Korea, killing 179 of the 181 occupants. It is the worst aircraft accident on South Korean soil in history. (2024)
- South Africa files a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice over Israeli conducts in the Gaza Strip. (2023)
- A magnitude 6.4 earthquake hits near the town of Petrinja in Sisak-Moslavina County, Croatia, killing seven people. (2020)
- A suicide bomb attack at the Volgograd-1 railway station in the southern Russian city of Volgograd kills at least 18 people and wounds 40 others. (2013)
- Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher suffers a massive head injury while skiing in the French Alps. (2013)
- A Tupolev Tu-204 airliner crashes in a ditch between the airport fence and the M3 highway after overshooting a runway at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, Russia, killing five people and leaving three others critically injured. (2012)
- The UK settles its Anglo-American loan, post-WWII loan debt. (2006)
- The last known speaker of Akkala Sami dies, rendering the language extinct. (2003)
- Leaders of the Khmer Rouge apologize for the Cambodian genocide that claimed over one million lives. (1998)
- Guatemala and leaders of Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity sign a peace accord ending a 36-year civil war. (1996)