1. On August 29, 1831, North Carolina's first teachers' institution, the UNC Normal School, was established. It was the first state-supported teacher training school in the United States.

2. In 1939, Hurricane Alley, a Category 2 hurricane, hit the Outer Banks on August 29. The hurricane caused major damage to the area, including destroying the original Frisco Pier.

3. The first Waffle House in North Carolina opened on August 29, 1963, in Grifton. The popular chain restaurant now has over 2,000 locations across the country.

4. On August 29, 2017, a Duke University research team announced they had discovered a new species of primate in Myanmar. The species, named Rhinopithecus strykeri, is critically endangered.

5. In 1949, the first race was held at the Asheville-Weaverville Speedway, a half-mile dirt track located in Weaverville, NC. The track hosted races until its closure in 1969.