May 29 in Military History

Ottoman forces under Sultan Mehmed II captured Constantinople, ending the Byzantine Empire after 1,100 years.

Patrick Henry delivered his fiery speech against the Stamp Act in the Virginia House of Burgesses, declaring "If this be treason, make the most of it", a pivotal moment in the build-up to the American Revolution.

The British Grand Fleet and German High Seas Fleet both sailed from their bases, setting the stage for the Battle of Jutland, the largest naval battle of World War I, which would begin the following day.

U.S. Navy Curtiss NC-4 flying boat completed the first transatlantic flight in history, landing at Lisbon, Portugal, after a 19-day journey from Rockaway Beach, New York, via the Azores. The Navy achievement established the operational feasibility of long-range maritime aviation that would shape anti-submarine warfare through World War II.

Bing Crosby recorded "White Christmas," which became the best-selling single in history and an anthem for homesick troops serving overseas during World War II and beyond.

New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest, using equipment and logistics techniques refined from military mountain warfare training.

President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev began the fourth and final bilateral summit of the Reagan presidency at the Kremlin. The summit exchanged INF Treaty ratification documents and advanced negotiations on strategic arms reduction that would produce the START I Treaty in 1991.

Space Shuttle Discovery launched from Kennedy Space Center on mission STS-96, the first shuttle mission to dock with the International Space Station. The mission delivered supplies, tools, and initial outfitting equipment to the still-uncrewed Zarya and Unity modules, beginning the ISS operational era.

NATO aircraft conducted intensive strike operations over Serbia and Kosovo on the 67th day of Operation Allied Force. The campaign reached its climactic phase during late May, with military pressure and diplomatic negotiation converging on the Milosevic government's eventual June 10 acceptance of a withdrawal agreement.

The National World War II Memorial was officially dedicated on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., honoring the 16 million Americans who served and the over 400,000 who died.