August 29 is India's National Sports Day, marking the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. It also carries the weight of one of the costliest Atlantic hurricanes on record and a five-century-old date that ended an empire on another continent.
On this day
2005Hurricane Katrina made landfall near Buras, Louisiana, as a Category 3 storm with 125 mph winds. Its Mississippi coast storm surge, up to 27.8 feet, remains the highest ever recorded on the US coastline.Bob McMillan; edit: Chris Woodrich via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
1533Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro had Inca emperor Atahualpa executed by garrote in Cajamarca, Peru, after collecting his ransom, effectively ending the Inca Empire's independent rule.Ángel Lizcano Monedero / Ángel Lizcano Monedero / Eugenio Vela via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
1905IndiaHockey player Major Dhyan Chand was born in Allahabad. He captained India to Olympic gold in 1928, 1932 and 1936, and India now marks his birthday as National Sports Day.The original uploader was Faizhaider at English Wikipedia. via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Did you know
Hurricane Katrina's Mississippi storm surge of up to 27.8 feet, recorded at Pass Christian, broke the previous US record of 22.8 feet — also set at Pass Christian, by Hurricane Camille back in 1969.