On This Day — August 21

🕰️ Notable Events on August 21

• 2017 — An eclipse traverses the continental United States. Wikipedia ↗
• 2016 — Last day of the Rio Summer Olympics. Wikipedia ↗
• 2013 — Hundreds of people are reported killed by chemical attacks in the Ghouta region of Syria. Wikipedia ↗
• 2000 — Tiger Woods, American professional golfer, wins the 82nd PGA Championship and becomes the first golfer since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win 3 majors in a calendar year.
• 1993 — NASA loses contact with the Mars Observer spacecraft. Wikipedia ↗
• 1991 — Latvia declares renewal of its full independence after the occupation of Soviet Union. Wikipedia ↗
• 1991 — Coup attempt against Mikhail Gorbachev collapses. Wikipedia ↗
• 1988 — The 6.9 Mw Nepal earthquake shakes the Nepal-India border with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), leaving 709-1,450 people killed and thousands injured. Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Carbon dioxide gas erupts from volcanic Lake Nyos in Cameroon, killing up to 1,800 people within a 20-kilometer range. Wikipedia ↗
• 1983 — Philippine opposition leader Benigno Aquino, Jr. is assassinated at the Manila International Airport (now renamed Ninoy Aquino International Airport in his honor). Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Lebanese Civil War: The first troops of a multinational force lands in Beirut to oversee the Palestine Liberation Organization's withdrawal from Lebanon. Wikipedia ↗
• 1971 — A bomb exploded in the Liberal Party campaign rally in Plaza Miranda, Manila, Philippines with several anti-Marcos political candidates injured. Wikipedia ↗
• 1968 — Nicolae Ceaușescu, leader of Communist Romania, publicly condemns the Soviet led Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia, encouraging the Romanian population to arm itself against possible Soviet reprisals. Wikipedia ↗
• 1968 — James Anderson, Jr. posthumously receives the first Medal of Honor to be awarded to an African American U.S. Marine. Wikipedia ↗
• 1963 — Xá Lợi Pagoda raids: The Army of the Republic of Vietnam Special Forces loyal to Ngô Đình Nhu, brother of President Ngo Dinh Diem, vandalizes Buddhist pagodas across the country, arresting thousands and leaving an estimated hundreds dead. Wikipedia ↗
• 1961 — American country music singer Patsy Cline returns to record producer Owen Bradley's studio in Nashville, Tennessee to record her vocals to Willie Nelson's "Crazy", which would become her signature song. Wikipedia ↗
• 1961 — Motown releases what would be its first #1 hit, "Please Mr. Postman" by The Marvelettes. Wikipedia ↗
• 1959 — United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs an executive order proclaiming Hawaii the 50th state of the union. Hawaii's admission is currently commemorated by Hawaii Admission Day Wikipedia ↗
• 1957 — The Soviet Union successfully conducts a long-range test flight of the R-7 Semyorka, the first intercontinental ballistic missile. Wikipedia ↗
• 1945 — Physicist Harry Daghlian is fatally irradiated in a criticality accident during an experiment with the Demon core at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Wikipedia ↗
• 1944 — Dumbarton Oaks Conference, prelude to the United Nations, begins. Wikipedia ↗
• 1944 — World War II: Canadian and Polish units capture the strategically important town of Falaise, Calvados, France. Wikipedia ↗
• 1942 — World War II: The flag of Nazi Germany is planted atop Mount Elbrus, the highest peak of the Caucasus mountain range. Wikipedia ↗
• 1942 — World War II: The Guadalcanal Campaign: American forces defeat an attack by Imperial Japanese Army soldiers in the Battle of the Tenaru. Wikipedia ↗
• 1918 — World War I: The Second Battle of the Somme begins. Wikipedia ↗
• 1914 — World War I: The Battle of Charleroi, a successful German attack across the River Sambre that pre-empted a French offensive in the same area. Wikipedia ↗
• 1911 — The Mona Lisa is stolen by Vincenzo Perugia, a Louvre employee. Wikipedia ↗
• 1901 — Six hundred American school teachers, Thomasites, arrived in Manila on the USAT Thomas. Wikipedia ↗
• 1897 — Oldsmobile, a brand of American automobiles, is founded. Wikipedia ↗
• 1888 — The first successful adding machine in the United States is patented by William Seward Burroughs. Wikipedia ↗
• 1883 — An F5 tornado strikes Rochester, Minnesota, leading to the creation of the Mayo Clinic. Wikipedia ↗
• 1863 — Lawrence, Kansas is destroyed by pro-Confederate guerrillas known as Quantrill's Raiders. Wikipedia ↗
• 1852 — Tlingit Indians destroy Fort Selkirk, Yukon Territory. Wikipedia ↗
• 1831 — Nat Turner leads black slaves and free blacks in a rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia, which will claim the lives of 55 to 65 whites. Wikipedia ↗
• 1821 — Jarvis Island is discovered by the crew of the ship, Eliza Frances. Wikipedia ↗
• 1810 — Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, Marshal of France, is elected Crown Prince of Sweden by the Swedish Riksdag of the Estates. Wikipedia ↗
• 1808 — Battle of Vimeiro: British and Portuguese forces led by General Arthur Wellesley defeat French force under Major-General Jean-Andoche Junot near the village of Vimeiro, Portugal, the first Anglo-Portuguese victory of the Peninsular War. Wikipedia ↗
• 1791 — A Vodou ceremony, led by Dutty Boukman, turns into a violent slave rebellion, beginning the Haitian Revolution. Wikipedia ↗
• 1778 — American Revolutionary War: British forces begin besieging the French outpost at Pondichéry. Wikipedia ↗
• 1772 — King Gustav III completes his coup d'état by adopting a new Constitution, ending half a century of parliamentary rule in Sweden and installing himself as an enlightened despot. Wikipedia ↗
• 1770 — James Cook formally claims eastern Australia for Great Britain, naming it New South Wales. Wikipedia ↗
• 1689 — The Battle of Dunkeld in Scotland. Wikipedia ↗
• 1680 — Pueblo Indians capture Santa Fe from the Spanish during the Pueblo Revolt. Wikipedia ↗
• 1415 — Henry the Navigator leads Portuguese forces to victory over the Marinids at the Battle of Ceuta. Wikipedia ↗
• 1331 — King Stefan Uroš III, after months of anarchy, surrenders to his son and rival Stefan Dušan, who succeeds as King of Serbia. Wikipedia ↗
• 1192 — Minamoto no Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the de facto ruler of Japan. (Traditional Japanese date: July 12, 1192) Wikipedia ↗
• 1140 — Song dynasty general Yue Fei defeats an army led by Jin dynasty general Wuzhu at the Battle of Yancheng during the Jin-Song Wars. Wikipedia ↗
• 959 — Eraclus becomes the 25th bishop of Liège. Wikipedia ↗

🎂 Notable Births on August 21

• 1991 — Leandro Bacuna, Dutch footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1989 — Matteo Gentili, Italian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1989 — Hayden Panettiere, American actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1989 — Aleix Vidal, Spanish footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1989 — Charlison Benschop, Dutch footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1989 — James Davey, English rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
• 1988 — Robert Lewandowski, Polish footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1988 — Kacey Musgraves, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Usain Bolt, Jamaican sprinter Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Wout Brama, Dutch footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Koki Sakamoto, Japanese gymnast Wikipedia ↗
• 1985 — Nicolás Almagro, Spanish tennis player Wikipedia ↗
• 1985 — Aleksandra Kiryashova, Russian pole vaulter Wikipedia ↗
• 1984 — Neil Dexter, South African cricketer Wikipedia ↗
• 1984 — Melvin Upton, Jr., American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1983 — Scott McDonald, Australian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Jason Eaton, New Zealand rugby player Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Omar Sachedina, Canadian television journalist, correspondent, and news anchor Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Jarrod Lyle, Australian golfer Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Cameron Winklevoss, American rower and businessman, co-founded ConnectU Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Tyler Winklevoss, American rower and businessman, co-founded ConnectU Wikipedia ↗
• 1980 — Burney Lamar, American race car driver Wikipedia ↗
• 1980 — Paul Menard, American race car driver Wikipedia ↗
• 1980 — Jasmin Wöhr, German tennis player Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Kelis, American singer-songwriter, producer, chef and author Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — Peter Buxton, English rugby player and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — Reuben Droughns, American football player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — Lee Gronkiewicz, American baseball player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — Alan Lee, Irish footballer and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — Jason Marquis, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1976 — Alex Brooks, American ice hockey player and scout Wikipedia ↗
• 1976 — Jeff Cunningham, Jamaican-American soccer player Wikipedia ↗
• 1976 — Robert Miles, Australian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
• 1976 — Ramón Vázquez, Puerto Rican-American baseball player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1975 — Simon Katich, Australian cricketer and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — Martin Andanar, Filipino journalist and radio host Wikipedia ↗
• 1974 — Paul Mellor, Australian rugby league player and referee Wikipedia ↗
• 1973 — Sergey Brin, Russian-American computer scientist and businessman, co-founded Google Wikipedia ↗
• 1973 — Steve McKenna, Canadian ice hockey player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1971 — Mamadou Diallo, Senegalese footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1971 — Robert Harvey, Australian footballer and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1971 — Liam Howlett, English keyboard player, DJ, and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1970 — Craig Counsell, American baseball player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1970 — Erik Dekker, Dutch cyclist and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1970 — Cathy Weseluck, Canadian actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1969 — Bruce Anstey, New Zealand motorcycle racer Wikipedia ↗
• 1969 — Josée Chouinard, Canadian figure skater Wikipedia ↗
• 1968 — Dina Carroll, English singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1968 — Goran Ćurko, Serbian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1968 — Laura Trevelyan, English journalist and author Wikipedia ↗
• 1967 — Darren Bewick, Australian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1967 — Charb, French journalist and cartoonist (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
• 1967 — Carrie-Anne Moss, Canadian actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1967 — Serj Tankian, Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1966 — John Wetteland, American baseball player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1965 — Jim Bullinger, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1964 — Gary Elkerton, Australian surfer Wikipedia ↗
• 1963 — Mohammed VI of Morocco, King of Morocco Wikipedia ↗
• 1963 — Nigel Pearson, English footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1962 — John Korfas, Greek-American basketball player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1961 — Gerardo Barbero, Argentinian chess player and coach (d. 2001) Wikipedia ↗
• 1961 — V. B. Chandrasekhar, Indian cricketer and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1961 — Stephen Hillenburg, American marine biologist, cartoonist, and animator Wikipedia ↗
• 1959 — Anne Hobbs, English tennis player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1959 — Jim McMahon, American football player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1958 — Mark Williams, Australian footballer and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1957 — Frank Pastore, American baseball player and radio host (d. 2012) Wikipedia ↗
• 1956 — Kim Cattrall, English-Canadian actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1956 — Jon Tester, American farmer and politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1954 — Archie Griffin, American football player Wikipedia ↗
• 1954 — Steve Smith, American drummer (Journey) Wikipedia ↗
• 1954 — Mark Williams, New Zealand-Australian singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1953 — Ivan Stang, American author, publisher, and director Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Keith Hart, Canadian firefighter, wrestler, and trainer Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Glenn Hughes, English singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Jiří Paroubek, Czech soldier and politician, 6th Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Bernadette Porter, English nun and educator Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Joe Strummer, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2002) Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — Eric Goles, Chilean mathematician and computer scientist Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — Chesley V. Morton, American businessman and politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1950 — Patrick Juvet, Swiss singer-songwriter and model Wikipedia ↗
• 1949 — Loretta Devine, American actress and singer Wikipedia ↗
• 1949 — Daniel Sivan, Israeli scholar and academic Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — Carl Giammarese, American singer-songwriter and musician (The Buckinghams) Wikipedia ↗
• 1945 — Celia Brayfield, English journalist and author Wikipedia ↗
• 1945 — Jerry DaVanon, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1945 — Willie Lanier, American football player Wikipedia ↗
• 1945 — Patty McCormack, American actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1944 — Perry Christie, Bahamian politician, 3rd Prime Minister of the Bahamas Wikipedia ↗
• 1944 — Jackie DeShannon, American singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1944 — Peter Weir, Australian director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — Patrick Demarchelier, French photographer Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — Jonathan Schell, American journalist and author (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — Lucius Shepard, American author and critic (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — Hugh Wilson, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1940 — Dominick Harrod, English journalist, historian, and author (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
• 1940 — Endre Szemerédi, Hungarian-American mathematician and computer scientist Wikipedia ↗
• 1939 — James Burton, American Hall of Fame guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1939 — Festus Mogae, Botswana economist and politician, 3rd President of Botswana Wikipedia ↗
• 1939 — Clarence Williams III, American actor Wikipedia ↗
• 1938 — Kenny Rogers, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor Wikipedia ↗
• 1938 — Mike Weston, English rugby player Wikipedia ↗
• 1937 — Donald Dewar, Scottish lawyer and politician, 1st First Minister of Scotland (d. 2000) Wikipedia ↗
• 1937 — Gustavo Noboa, Ecuadorian academic and politician, 51st President of Ecuador Wikipedia ↗
• 1937 — Robert Stone, American novelist and short story writer (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
• 1936 — Wilt Chamberlain, American basketball player and coach (d. 1999) Wikipedia ↗
• 1936 — Radish Tordia, Georgian painter and educator Wikipedia ↗
• 1934 — Sudhakarrao Naik, Indian lawyer and politician, 13th Chief Minister of Maharashtra (d. 2001) Wikipedia ↗
• 1934 — Paul Panhuysen, Dutch composer (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
• 1933 — Janet Baker, English soprano and educator Wikipedia ↗
• 1933 — Michael Dacher, German mountaineer (d. 1994) Wikipedia ↗
• 1933 — Barry Norman, English author and critic (d. 2017) Wikipedia ↗
• 1933 — Erik Paaske, Danish actor and singer (d. 1992) Wikipedia ↗
• 1932 — Menashe Kadishman, Israeli sculptor and painter (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
• 1932 — Melvin Van Peebles, American actor, director, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1930 — Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (d. 2002) Wikipedia ↗
• 1930 — Frank Perry, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1995) Wikipedia ↗
• 1929 — Herman Badillo, Puerto Rican-American lawyer and politician (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
• 1929 — X. J. Kennedy, American poet, translator, anthologist, editor Wikipedia ↗
• 1928 — Addison Farmer, American bassist (d. 1963) Wikipedia ↗
• 1928 — Art Farmer, American trumpet player and composer (d. 1999) Wikipedia ↗
• 1928 — Bud McFadin, American football player (d. 2006) Wikipedia ↗
• 1927 — Thomas S. Monson, American religious leader, 16th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Wikipedia ↗
• 1926 — Can Yücel, Turkish poet and translator (d. 1999) Wikipedia ↗
• 1924 — Jack Buck, American sportscaster (d. 2002) Wikipedia ↗
• 1924 — Jack Weston, American actor (d. 1996) Wikipedia ↗
• 1923 — Keith Allen, Canadian-American ice hockey player, coach, and manager (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
• 1922 — Albert Irvin, English soldier and painter (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
• 1921 — Reuven Feuerstein, Romanian-Israeli psychologist and academic (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
• 1918 — Billy Reay, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (d. 2004) Wikipedia ↗
• 1917 — Leonid Hurwicz, Russian economist and mathematician (d. 2008) Wikipedia ↗
• 1916 — Bill Lee, American actor and singer (d. 1980) Wikipedia ↗
• 1916 — Consuelo Velázquez, Mexican pianist and songwriter (d. 2005) Wikipedia ↗
• 1914 — Doug Wright, English cricketer and coach (d. 1998) Wikipedia ↗
• 1912 — Toe Blake, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 1995) Wikipedia ↗
• 1909 — Nikolay Bogolyubov, Russian mathematician and physicist (d. 1992) Wikipedia ↗
• 1907 — P. Jeevanandham, Indian lawyer and politician (d. 1963) Wikipedia ↗
• 1906 — Friz Freleng, American animator, director, and producer (d. 1995) Wikipedia ↗
• 1905 — Bipin Gupta, Indian actor and producer (d. 1981) Wikipedia ↗
• 1904 — Count Basie, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (d. 1984) Wikipedia ↗
• 1903 — Kostas Giannidis, Greek pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1984) Wikipedia ↗
• 1902 — Angel Karaliychev, Bulgarian author (d. 1972) Wikipedia ↗
• 1897 — Keith Arbuthnott, 15th Viscount of Arbuthnott, Scottish soldier and peer (d. 1966) Wikipedia ↗
• 1894 — Christian Schad, German painter (d. 1982) Wikipedia ↗
• 1892 — Charles Vanel, French actor and director (d. 1989) Wikipedia ↗
• 1891 — Emiliano Mercado del Toro, Puerto Rican-American soldier (d. 2007) Wikipedia ↗
• 1887 — James Paul Moody, English sailor (d. 1912) Wikipedia ↗
• 1886 — Ruth Manning-Sanders, Welsh-English author and poet (d. 1988) Wikipedia ↗
• 1885 — Édouard Fabre, Canadian runner (d. 1939) Wikipedia ↗
• 1884 — Chandler Egan, American golfer and architect (d. 1936) Wikipedia ↗
• 1879 — Claude Grahame-White, English pilot and engineer (d. 1959) Wikipedia ↗
• 1878 — Richard Girulatis, German footballer and manager (d. 1963) Wikipedia ↗

📅 National Days on August 21 (Calendar.cx)

Also observed on August 21

🏛️ Public Holidays

Also in: Ninoy Aquino Day (PH) · Pihenőnap (2026. 08. 08.-től helyettesítve) (HU)