1967 USS Forrestal Rocket Accident Killed 134 in Gulf of Tonkin

On July 29, 1967 an accidental rocket launch on the deck of the U.S. Navy supercarrier USS Forrestal in the Gulf of Tonkin caused a fire and explosions that killed 134 service members. The incident is noted in a “Today in History” compilation that also marks a range of other events that occurred on July 29, such as the 1836 inauguration of Paris’s Arc de Triomphe, the 1858 Harris Treaty between the United States and Japan, the 1890 death of artist Vincent van Gogh, the 1914 launch of trans‑continental telephone service in the United States, Adolf Hitler becoming leader of the Nazi Party in 1921, the 1954 publication of J.R.R. Tolkien’s *The Fellowship of the Ring*, and the 1957 founding of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

These entries illustrate the historical breadth of the date, spanning military tragedy, diplomatic milestones, cultural achievements, and technological advances.