What happened on January 21? There are more than 284 events that were made this day in history. Here are the important historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

Interesting Facts & Myths About January 21

January 21 In HistoryJanuary 21 is the 21st day of the year 2024. There are 345 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Sunday. This day falls under the 3rd week of the year 2024.

On this day in Gloucester City, New Jersey 08030 sunrise occured at 07:15 AM and sunset occured at 05:07 PM (local time).

The zodiac sign of a person born on this day is Aquarius. The modern birthstone for this month is Garnet while the mystical birthstone is Emerald.

According to the Chinese calendar, there are 20 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year (February 10, 2024).

Birthday curiousity Is your birthday coming up in two days? Are you not curious to find out who is sharing your special day? Discover all the March 31 famous birthdays. There are fun facts about that day that you must know. (Sponsored link)

Historical Events For January 21

  • 1525
    The Swiss Anabaptist Movement is founded when Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and about a dozen others baptize each other in the home of Manz’s mother in Zürich, breaking a thousand-year tradition of church-state union.
  • 1643
    Abel Tasman becomes the first European to reach Tonga.
  • 1720
    Sweden and Prussia sign the Treaty of Stockholm.
  • 1749
    The Verona Philharmonic Theatre is destroyed by fire. It is rebuilt in 1754.
  • 1789
    The first American novel, The Power of Sympathy or the Triumph of Nature Founded in Truth, is printed in Boston, Massachusetts.
  • 1793
    After being found guilty of treason by the French Convention, Louis XVI of France is executed by guillotine.
  • 1840
    Jules Dumont d'Urville discovers Adélie Land, Antarctica.
  • 1861
    American Civil War: Jefferson Davis resigns from the United States Senate.
  • 1864
    The Tauranga Campaign begins during the Maori Wars.
  • 1887
    465 mm of rain falls in Brisbane, a record for any Australian capital city.
  • 1893
    The Tati Concessions Land, formerly part of Matabeleland, is formally annexed to the Bechuanaland Protectorate, now Botswana.
  • 1899
    Opel manufactures its first automobile.
  • 1908
    New York City passes the Sullivan Ordinance, making it illegal for women to smoke in public, only to have the measure vetoed by the mayor.
  • 1911
    The first Monte Carlo Rally takes place.
  • 1915
    Kiwanis International is founded in Detroit, Michigan.
  • 1919
    Meeting of the First Dáil Éireann in the Mansion House Dublin. Sinn Féin adopts Ireland’s first constitution. The first engagement of Irish War of Independence, Sologhead Beg, County Tipperary.
  • 1925
    Albania declares itself a republic.
  • 1931
    Sir Isaac Isaacs is sworn in as the first Australian-born Governor-General of Australia.
  • 1948
    The Flag of Quebec is adopted and flown for the first time over the National Assembly of Quebec. The day is marked annually as Quebec Flag Day.
  • 1950
    Alger Hiss is convicted of perjury.
  • 1954
    The first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, is launched in Groton, Connecticut by Mamie Eisenhower, the First Lady of the United States.
  • 1958
    The last Fokker C.X in military service, the Finnish Air Force FK-111 target tower, crashes, killing the pilot and winch-operator.
  • 1960
    Avianca Flight 671 crashes and burns upon landing at Montego Bay, Jamaica, killing 37. It is the worst air disaster in Jamaica’s history and the first for Avianca.
  • 1960
    Little Joe 1B, a Mercury spacecraft, lifts off from Wallops Island, Virginia with Miss Sam, a female rhesus monkey on board.
  • 1966
    New Year’s Day in Chinese calendar. Start of the year of the Fire Horse in Chinese astrology.
  • 1968
    A B-52 bomber crashes near Thule Air Base, contaminating the area after its nuclear payload ruptures. One of the four bombs remains unaccounted for after the cleanup operation is complete.
  • 1968
    Vietnam War: Battle of Khe Sanh – One of the most publicized and controversial battles of the war begins.
  • 1971
    The current Emley Moor transmitting station, the tallest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom, begins transmitting UHF broadcasts.
  • 1976
    Commercial service of Concorde begins with the London-Bahrain and Paris-Rio routes.
  • 1977
    President Jimmy Carter pardons nearly all American Vietnam War draft evaders, some of whom had emigrated to Canada.
  • 1981
    Production of the iconic DeLorean DMC-12 sports car begins in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland.
  • 1985
    The inauguration of President Ronald Reagan to a second term, already postponed a day because January 20 fell on a Sunday, becomes the second inauguration in history moved indoors because of freezing temperatures and high winds. The parade is cancelled altogether.
  • 1997
    Newt Gingrich becomes the first leader of the United States House of Representatives to be internally disciplined for ethical misconduct.
  • 1999
    War on Drugs: In one of the largest drug busts in American history, the United States Coast Guard intercepts a ship with over 4300 kg of cocaine on board.
  • 2000
    Ecuador: After the Ecuadorian Congress is seized by indigenous organizations, Col. Lucio Gutierrez, Carlos Solorzano and Antonio Vargas depose President Jamil Mahuad. Gutierrez is later replaced by Gen. Carlos Mendoza, who resigns and allows Vice-President Gustavo Noboa to succeed Mahuad.
  • 2003
    A 7.6 magnitude earthquake strikes the Mexican state of Colima, killing 29 and leaving approximately 10,000 people homeless.
  • 2004
    NASA’s MER-A (the Mars Rover Spirit) ceases communication with mission control. The problem lies in the management of its flash memory and is fixed remotely from Earth on February 6.
  • 2005
    In Belmopan, Belize, the unrest over the government’s new taxes erupts into riots.
  • 2008
    Black Monday in worldwide stock markets. FTSE 100 had its biggest ever one-day points fall, European stocks closed with their worst result since 11 September 2001, and Asian stocks drop as much as 14%.

Who Were Born On January 21?

  • 1338
    King Charles V of France (d. 1380)
  • 1610
    Elizabeth Fones, English-born colonial American pioneer (d. 1673)
  • 1721
    James Murray, British military officer, governor of Quebec (d. 1794)
  • 1804
    Eliza Roxcy Snow, American poet (d. 1887)
  • 1813
    John C. Frémont, American army officer, explorer and presidential candidate (d. 1890)
  • 1815
    John Bingham, American politician and lawyer (d. 1900)
  • 1824
    Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, American, Confederate army general (d. 1863)
  • 1825
    Imre Madách, Hungarian writer (d. 1864)
  • 1827
    Ivan Mikheevich Pervushin, Russian mathematician (d. 1900)
  • 1829
    King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway (d. 1907)
  • 1848
    Henri Duparc, French composer (d. 1933)
  • 1860
    Karl Staaff, Prime Minister of Sweden (d. 1915)
  • 1864
    Paul Troje, German politician (d. 1942)
  • 1867
    Ludwig Thoma, German writer (d. 1921)
  • 1867
    Maxime Weygand, French general (d. 1965)
  • 1881
    Arch McCarthy, American baseball player (d. unknown)
  • 1882
    Pavel Florensky (O.S. January 9), Russian Orthodox theologian and mathematician (d. 1937)
  • 1883
    Amang Rodriguez, Filipino politician (d. 1964)
  • 1883
    Olav Aukrust, Norwegian poet (d. 1929)
  • 1884
    Roger Baldwin, American social activist (d. 1981)
  • 1885
    Umberto Nobile, Italian aeronautical engineer (d. 1978)
  • 1887
    Georges Vézina, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1926)
  • 1887
    Maude Farris-Luse, American supercentenarian who was the oldest living person at the age of 115. (d. 2002)
  • 1895
    Cristóbal Balenciaga, Spanish couturier (d. 1972)
  • 1897
    René Iché, French sculptor (d. 1954)
  • 1899
    Alexander Tcherepnin, Russian born American composer (d. 1977)
  • 1901
    Ricardo Zamora, Spanish footballer (d. 1978)
  • 1905
    Christian Dior, French fashion designer (d. 1957)
  • 1905
    Karl Wallenda, German acrobat (d. 1978)
  • 1906
    Igor Moiseyev, Russian choreographer (d. 2007)
  • 1909
    Todor Skalovski, Macedonian composer (d. 2004)
  • 1910
    Albert Rosellini, American politician and 15th Governor of Washington (d. 2011)
  • 1910
    Eua Sunthornsanan, Thai composer and bandleader (d. 1981)
  • 1912
    Konrad Emil Bloch, German-born biochemist, Nobel laureate (d. 2000)
  • 1918
    Chichay, Filipino actress (d. 1993)
  • 1918
    Richard D. Winters, American war hero (d. 2011)
  • 1919
    Eric “Winkle” Brown, Scottish test pilot
  • 1921
    Howard Unruh, American mass murderer (d. 2009)
  • 1922
    Paul Scofield, English actor (d. 2008)
  • 1922
    Telly Savalas, American actor (d. 1994)
  • 1923
    Lola Flores, Spanish singer (d. 1995)
  • 1924
    Benny Hill, English actor, comedian, and singer (d. 1992)
  • 1926
    Brian Brockless, English organist (d. 1995)
  • 1926
    Steve Reeves, American actor (d. 2000)
  • 1927
    Clive Churchill, Australian rugby league footballer (d. 1985)
  • 1928
    Gene Sharp, American political theorist and pacifist
  • 1932
    John Chaney, American basketball coach
  • 1933
    Joseph W. Eschbach, American doctor (d. 2007)
  • 1934
    Audrey Dalton, Irish actress
  • 1935
    Ann Wedgeworth, American actress
  • 1936
    Koji Hashimoto, Japanese film director (d. 2005)
  • 1936
    Plácido Domingo, Spanish tenor
  • 1937
    Prince Max, Duke in Bavaria
  • 1938
    John Savident, British actor
  • 1938
    Wolfman Jack, American disk jockey and actor (d. 1995)
  • 1940
    Jack Nicklaus, American golfer
  • 1941
    Ivan Putski, Polish-born American professional wrestler
  • 1941
    Mike Medavoy, American film producer
  • 1941
    Richie Havens, American musician
  • 1941
    Stathis Giallelis, Greek actor
  • 1942
    Edwin Starr, American singer (d. 2003)
  • 1942
    Mac Davis, American musician
  • 1943
    Dimitris Poulikakos, Greek actor, songwriter and singer
  • 1945
    Martin Shaw, British actor
  • 1946
    Johnny Oates, American baseball player and manager (d. 2004)
  • 1947
    Jill Eikenberry, American actress
  • 1947
    Michel Jonasz, French singer and composer
  • 1947
    Pye Hastings, English singer and musician (Caravan)
  • 1950
    Billy Ocean, West Indian musician
  • 1950
    Gary Locke, American politician, 21st Governor of Washington, and 36th United States Secretary of Commerce
  • 1951
    Eric Holder, American jurist, and 82nd United States Attorney General
  • 1952
    Cyril and Libbye Hellier, identical-twin sopranos
  • 1952
    Louis Menand, American writer and critic
  • 1952
    Marco Camenisch, Swiss environmental activist
  • 1953
    Paul Allen, American entrepreneur, co-founder of Microsoft
  • 1954
    Idrissa Ouedraogo, Burkinabé filmmaker
  • 1954
    Phil Thompson, English footballer and coach
  • 1955
    Jeff Koons, American artist
  • 1956
    Geena Davis, American actress
  • 1956
    Robby Benson, American actor
  • 1957
    Greg Ryan, American soccer coach
  • 1958
    Frank Ticheli, American composer
  • 1958
    Michael Wincott, Canadian actor
  • 1959
    Alex McLeish, Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1962
    Marie Trintignant, French actress (d. 2003)
  • 1962
    Tyler Cowen, American economist
  • 1963
    Detlef Schrempf, German basketball player
  • 1963
    Hakeem Olajuwon, Nigerian-born American basketball player
  • 1965
    Jam Master Jay, American disc jockey (d. 2002)
  • 1966
    Candi Milo, American voice actress
  • 1966
    Robert Del Naja, English musician
  • 1967
    Artashes Minasian, Armenian chess Grandmaster
  • 1968
    Charlotte Ross, American actress
  • 1968
    Ulrica Messing, Swedish politician
  • 1969
    Eduard Hämäläinen, Finnish-Belarusian decathlete
  • 1969
    Karina Lombard, American actress
  • 1969
    M. K. Hobson, American speculative fiction and fantasy writer
  • 1969
    Tsubaki Nekoi, Japanese manga artist
  • 1970
    Ken Leung, American actor
  • 1970
    Mark Trojanowski, American musician (Sister Hazel)
  • 1971
    Alan McManus, Scottish snooker player
  • 1971
    Doug Weight, American ice hockey player
  • 1971
    Tweet, American singer
  • 1972
    Alan Benes, American baseball player
  • 1972
    Cat Power (Chan Marshall), American musician
  • 1972
    Rick Falkvinge, Swedish politician
  • 1972
    Yasunori Mitsuda, Japanese composer
  • 1973
    Duane Lee Chapman, II, American bounty hunter
  • 1974
    Alex Sperafico, Brazilian racing driver
  • 1974
    Rove McManus, Australian television host and comedian
  • 1975
    Ito, Spanish footballer
  • 1975
    Nicky Butt, English footballer
  • 1975
    Thomas Castaignede, French rugby player
  • 1975
    Yuji Ide, Japanese racing driver
  • 1976
    Emma Bunton, English singer (Spice Girls)
  • 1977
    Al Baxter, Australian rugby union footballer
  • 1977
    Jerry Trainor, American comedic actor (iCarly)
  • 1977
    Matt Perry, English rugby player
  • 1977
    Phil Neville, English footballer
  • 1978
    Andrei Zyuzin, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1978
    Bryan Gilmore, National Football League player
  • 1978
    Faris al-Sultan, German-Iraqi triathlete
  • 1978
    Phil Stacey, American Idol finalist
  • 1978
    Tamir “Nokio” Ruffin, American singer
  • 1979
    Brian O'Driscoll, Irish rugby union footballer
  • 1979
    Byung-Hyun Kim, Korean baseball player
  • 1979
    Spider Loc, American rapper, member of G-Unit
  • 1980
    Dave Kitson, English footballer
  • 1980
    Mari Possa, Salvadorian-American pornographic actress
  • 1980
    Nana Mizuki, Japanese voice actress and singer
  • 1981
    Andy Lee, Korean singer (Shinhwa)
  • 1981
    Dany Heatley, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1981
    Gillian Chung Yan-tung, Hong Kong singer (Twins)
  • 1981
    Ivan Ergić, Serbian footballer
  • 1981
    Izabella Miko, Polish actress and model
  • 1981
    Jamie Dalrymple, English cricketer
  • 1982
    Dean Whitehead, English footballer
  • 1982
    Go Shiozaki, Japanese professional wrestler
  • 1982
    Nicolas Mahut, French tennis player
  • 1982
    Simon Rolfes, German footballer
  • 1983
    Alex Acker, American basketball player
  • 1983
    Maryse Ouellet, Canadian model and professional wrestler
  • 1983
    Moritz Volz, German footballer
  • 1983
    Peter Philipakos, American/Greek soccer player
  • 1984
    Raymond Gutierrez, Filipino actor and television host
  • 1984
    Richard Gutierrez, Filipino actor and television host
  • 1984
    Robert Ray, American baseball player
  • 1985
    Adrian Lewis, English darts player
  • 1985
    Alex Pérez, Spanish footballer
  • 1985
    Matt Unicomb, Australian basketball player
  • 1985
    Salvatore Giunta, Medal of Honor recipient
  • 1985
    Sasha Pivovarova, Russian model
  • 1986
    Peyton Hillis, American football player
  • 1986
    Sushant Singh Rajput, Indian actor
  • 1987
    Joe Ledley, Welsh footballer
  • 1988
    Vanessa Hessler, Italian model
  • 1988
    William C. Woxlin, Swedish composer
  • 1990
    Jacob Smith, American actor
  • 1994
    BooBoo Stewart, American actor and singer
  • 1994
    Laura Robson, British tennis player
  • 2001
    Jackson Brundage, American actor
  • 2004
    Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway

Who Died On January 21?

  • 304
    Saint Agnes (martyred) (b. 291)
  • 917
    Erchanger, Duke of Swabia (b. c. 880)
  • 1118
    Pope Paschal II
  • 1519
    Vasco Núñez de Balboa, Spanish explorer (b. 1475)
  • 1527
    Juan de Grijalva, Spanish conquistador (b. c. 1489)
  • 1546
    Azai Sukemasa, Japanese samurai and warlord (b. 1491)
  • 1609
    Joseph Justus Scaliger, French Protestant scholar (b. 1540)
  • 1638
    Ignazio Donati, Italian composer (b. c. 1570)
  • 1683
    Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, British politician (b. 1621)
  • 1699
    Obadiah Walker, English writer (b. 1616)
  • 1706
    Adrien Baillet, French scholar and critic (b. 1649)
  • 1710
    Johann Georg Gichtel, German mystic (b. 1638)
  • 1722
    Charles Paulet, 2nd Duke of Bolton, English supporter of William III of England (b. 1661)
  • 1731
    Ignjat Đurđević, baroque poet and translator from the Republic of Ragusa (b. 1675)
  • 1731
    Thomas Woolston, English theologian (b. 1669)
  • 1766
    James Quin, English actor (b. 1693)
  • 1773
    Alexis Piron, French writer (b. 1689)
  • 1774
    Mustafa III, Ottoman Sultan (b. 1717)
  • 1775
    Yemelyan Pugachev, Russian rebel
  • 1793
    King Louis XVI of France (executed) (b. 1754)
  • 1795
    Samuel Wallis, English navigator (b. 1728)
  • 1809
    Josiah Hornblower, American statesman (b. 1729)
  • 1814
    Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, French writer and botanist (b. 1737)
  • 1823
    Cayetano José Rodríguez, Argentine cleric, journalist and poet (b. 1761)
  • 1831
    Ludwig Achim von Arnim, German poet (b. 1781)
  • 1851
    Albert Lortzing, German composer (b. 1801)
  • 1862
    Božena Němcová, Czech writer (b. 1820)
  • 1870
    Alexander Herzen, Russian writer (b. 1812)
  • 1872
    Franz Grillparzer, Austrian writer (b. 1791)
  • 1881
    Wilhelm Matthias Naeff, Swiss Federal Councilor (b. 1802)
  • 1891
    Calixa Lavallée, Canadian composer (b. 1842)
  • 1901
    Elisha Gray, American inventor (b. 1835)
  • 1914
    Theodor Kittelsen, Norwegian artist (b. 1857)
  • 1919
    Gojong of Joseon, Emperor of Korea (b. 1852)
  • 1924
    Vladimir Lenin, Russian revolutionary (b. 1870)
  • 1926
    Camillo Golgi, Italian physician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1843)
  • 1928
    George Goethals, American army engineer (b. 1858)
  • 1931
    Felix Blumenfeld, Russian composer (b. 1863)
  • 1932
    Giles Lytton Strachey, British writer (b. 1880)
  • 1933
    George A. Moore, Irish novelist (b. 1852)
  • 1937
    Marie Prevost, Canadian actress (b. 1898)
  • 1938
    Georges Méliès, French filmmaker and innovator (b. 1861)
  • 1948
    Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, Italian composer (b. 1876)
  • 1950
    George Orwell, British writer (b. 1903)
  • 1955
    Archie Hahn, American athlete (b. 1880)
  • 1956
    Sam Langford, Canadian boxer (b. 1883)
  • 1959
    Carl Switzer, American actor (b. 1927)
  • 1959
    Cecil B. DeMille, American director (b. 1881)
  • 1961
    Blaise Cendrars, Swiss writer (b. 1887)
  • 1967
    Ann Sheridan, American actress (b. 1915)
  • 1968
    Will Lang Jr., American magazine executive (b. 1914)
  • 1977
    Sandro Penna, Italian poet (b. 1906)
  • 1978
    Freda Utley, British scholar and author. (b. 1898)
  • 1984
    Giannis Skaribas, Greek writer, dramatist, and poet (b. 1893)
  • 1984
    Jackie Wilson, American musician (b. 1934)
  • 1985
    Eddie Graham, American professional wrestler and promoter (b. 1930)
  • 1985
    James Beard, American chef and author (b. 1903)
  • 1987
    Charles Goodell, American politician (b. 1926)
  • 1989
    Billy Tipton, American musician (b. 1914)
  • 1989
    Carl Furillo, American baseball player (b. 1922)
  • 1993
    Charlie Gehringer, American baseball player (b. 1903)
  • 1994
    Bassel al-Assad, son of Syrian President Hafez al-Assad (b. 1962)
  • 1996
    René Marc Jalbert, sergeant-at-Arms at the National Assembly of Quebec (b. 1921)
  • 1997
    Colonel Tom Parker, American manager of Elvis Presley (b. 1909)
  • 1998
    Jack Lord, American actor (b. 1920)
  • 1999
    Charles Brown, American blues singer and pianist (b. 1920)
  • 1999
    Susan Strasberg, American actress (b. 1938)
  • 2001
    Byron De La Beckwith, American white supremacist (b. 1921)
  • 2002
    Peggy Lee, American singer (b. 1920)
  • 2003
    Paul Haines, American-born Canadian poet (b. 1933)
  • 2004
    Yordan Radichkov, Bulgarian writer (b. 1929)
  • 2005
    John L. Hess, American journalist (b. 1917)
  • 2005
    Theun de Vries, Dutch writer (b. 1907)
  • 2006
    Bedanand Jha, Nepalese politician
  • 2006
    Ibrahim Rugova, President of Kosovo (b. 1944)
  • 2007
    Maria Cioncan, Romanian athlete (b. 1977)
  • 2007
    U;Nee, Korean pop artist (b. 1981)
  • 2008
    Kenneth Parnell, American convicted sex offender (b. 1931)
  • 2008
    Marie Smith Jones, last native speaker of the Eyak language (b. 1918)
  • 2008
    Pam Barrett, Canadian politician (b. 1953)
  • 2009
    Veatrice Rice, American television personality (b. 1949)
  • 2010
    Paul Quarrington, Canadian novelist, playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker, musician and educator (b. 1953)
  • 2011
    Dennis Oppenheim, American conceptual artist (b. 1938)
  • 2011
    E. V. V. Satyanarayana, Indian film director and producer (b. 1958)

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