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On This Day in History — August 21
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Highlights of August 21
- 2015 — Passengers on a Thalys train from Amsterdam to Paris confronted and subdued an attacker who attempted a mass shooting. Read more
- 2013 — Syrian civil war: Areas controlled by the Syrian opposition in Ghouta, Damascus, were attacked by rockets (launcher pictured) containing sarin, killing at least 281 people. Read more
- 2007 — BioShock was released in North America, becoming a critical success and a demonstration of video games as an art form. Read more
- 1986 — A limnic eruption of Lake Nyos in Cameroon released a cloud of carbon dioxide, suffocating 1,746 people and 3,500 livestock. Read more
- 1971 — Six people were killed during an escape attempt and riot at San Quentin State Prison in California; the subsequent trial of six inmates was the longest in state history at the time. Read more
- 1963 — South Vietnamese special forces loyal to Ngô Đình Nhu, the brother of President Ngô Đình Diệm, raided and vandalised Buddhist pagodas (one pictured) across the country, arresting thousands and leaving hundreds dead. Read more
- 1945 — American physicist Harry Daghlian accidentally dropped a tungsten carbide brick onto a plutonium bomb core, exposing himself to neutron radiation and later becoming the first Manhattan Project fatality due to a criticality accident. Read more
- 1944 — World War II: A combined Canadian–Polish force captured the town of Falaise, France, in the final offensive of the Battle of Normandy. Read more
- 1942 — World War II: The Imperial Japanese Army lost the Battle of the Tenaru, the first of its three major land offensives during the Guadalcanal campaign. Read more
- 1911 — Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa (pictured) was stolen from the Louvre by museum employee Vincenzo Peruggia and was not recovered until two years later. Read more
- 1808 — Peninsular War: British and Portuguese forces put an end to the first French invasion of Portugal at the Battle of Vimeiro. Read more
- 1789 — The national colours of Italy first appeared on a tricolour cockade in Genoa. Read more
- 1717 — Austro-Turkish War: Austrian troops under Prince Eugene of Savoy captured the strategically important city of Belgrade from the Ottoman Empire. Read more
- 1716 — Seventh Ottoman–Venetian War: Ottoman forces suddenly abandoned their siege of Corfu, allowing the Republic of Venice to preserve its rule over the Ionian Islands. Read more
- 1689 — Jacobite clans clashed with a regiment of Covenanters in the streets of Dunkeld, Scotland. Read more
Events
- 2017 — A solar eclipse traverses the continental United States. Read more
- 2013 — Hundreds of people are reported killed by chemical attacks in the Ghouta region of Syria. Read more
- 2000 — American golfer Tiger Woods wins the 82nd PGA Championship and becomes the first golfer since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win three majors in a calendar year. Read more
- 1995 — Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529, an Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia, attempts to divert to West Georgia Regional Airport after the left engine fails, but the aircraft crashes in Carroll County near Carrollton, Georgia, killing nine of the 29 people on board. Read more
- 1994 — Royal Air Maroc Flight 630 crashes in Douar Izounine, Morocco, killing all 44 people on board. Read more
- 1993 — NASA loses contact with the Mars Observer spacecraft. Read more
- 1991 — Latvia declares renewal of its full independence after its occupation by the Soviet Union since 1940. Read more
- 1991 — Coup attempt against Mikhail Gorbachev collapses. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 1986 — Carbon dioxide gas erupts from volcanic Lake Nyos in Cameroon, killing up to 1,800 people within a 20-kilometre (12 mi) range. Read more
- 1983 — Philippine opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr. is assassinated at Manila International Airport (now renamed Ninoy Aquino International Airport in his honor). Read more
- 1982 — Lebanese Civil War: The first troops of a multinational force lands in Beirut to oversee the Palestine Liberation Organization's withdrawal from Lebanon. Read more
- 1971 — A bomb exploded in the Liberal Party campaign rally in Plaza Miranda, Manila, Philippines with several anti-Marcos political candidates injured. Read more
- 1968 — Cold War: Nicolae Ceaușescu, leader of the Socialist Republic of Romania, publicly condemns the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia, encouraging the Romanian population to arm itself against possible Soviet reprisals. Read more
- 1968 — James Anderson Jr. posthumously receives the first Medal of Honor to be awarded to an African American U.S. Marine. Read more
- 1965 — The Socialist Republic of Romania is proclaimed, following the adoption of a new constitution. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 1957 — The Soviet Union successfully conducts a long-range test flight of the R-7 Semyorka, the first intercontinental ballistic missile. Read more
- 1945 — Physicist Harry Daghlian is fatally irradiated in a criticality accident during an experiment with the Demon core at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Read more
- 1944 — Dumbarton Oaks Conference, prelude to the United Nations, begins. Read more
- 1944 — World War II: Canadian and Polish units capture the strategically important town of Falaise, Calvados, France. Read more
- 1942 — World War II: During the Guadalcanal campaign, American forces defeat an attack by Imperial Japanese Army soldiers in the Battle of the Tenaru. Read more
- 1918 — World War I: The Second Battle of the Somme begins. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 1911 — The Mona Lisa is stolen by Vincenzo Peruggia, a Louvre employee. Read more
- 1901 — Six hundred American school teachers, Thomasites, arrived in Manila on the USAT Thomas. Read more
- 1888 — The first successful adding machine in the United States is patented by William Seward Burroughs. Read more
- 1883 — An F5 tornado strikes Rochester, Minnesota, leading to the creation of the Mayo Clinic. Read more
- 1879 — The locals of Knock, County Mayo, Ireland report their having seen an apparition of the Virgin Mary. The apparition is later named "Our Lady of Knock" and the spot transformed into a Catholic pilgrimage site. Read more
- 1878 — The American Bar Association is founded in Saratoga Springs, New York. Read more
- 1863 — Lawrence, Kansas is destroyed by pro-Confederate guerrillas known as Quantrill's Raiders. Read more
- 1862 — The Stadtpark, the first public park in Vienna, opens to the public. Read more
- 1858 — The first of the Lincoln–Douglas debates is held in Ottawa, Illinois. Read more
- 1852 — Tlingit Indians destroy Fort Selkirk, Yukon Territory. Read more
- 1831 — Nat Turner leads black slaves and free blacks in a rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia, claiming the lives of 55 to 65 whites and about twice that number of blacks. Read more
- 1821 — Jarvis Island is discovered by the crew of the ship, Eliza Frances. Read more
- 1810 — Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, Marshal of France, is elected Crown Prince of Sweden by the Swedish Riksdag of the Estates. Read more
- 1808 — Battle of Vimeiro: British and Portuguese forces led by General Arthur Wellesley defeat the French forces under Major-General Jean-Andoche Junot near the village of Vimeiro, Portugal, the first Anglo-Portuguese victory of the Peninsular War. Read more
- 1791 — Enslaved Africans in Saint-Domingue, led by Dutty Boukman, held a Vodou ceremony that became a pivotal act of resistance. This gathering sparked a mass uprising against slavery, marking the beginning of the Haitian Revolution. Read more
- 1778 — American Revolutionary War: British forces begin besieging the French outpost at Pondichéry. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 1716 — Seventh Ottoman–Venetian War: The arrival of naval reinforcements and the news of the Battle of Petrovaradin force the Ottomans to abandon the Siege of Corfu, thus preserving the Ionian Islands under Venetian rule. Read more
- 1689 — The Battle of Dunkeld in Scotland. Read more
- 1680 — Pueblo Indians capture Santa Fe from the Spanish during the Pueblo Revolt. Read more
- 1673 — The Dutch fleet defeats an Anglo-French fleet under Prince Rupert in the Battle of Texel. Read more
- 1415 — Henry the Navigator leads Portuguese forces to victory over the Marinids at the Conquest of Ceuta. Read more
- 1331 — King Stefan Uroš III, after months of anarchy, surrenders to his son and rival Stefan Dušan, who succeeds as King of Serbia. Read more
- 1192 — Minamoto no Yoritomo becomes Sei-i Taishōgun and the de facto ruler of Japan. Under the traditional Japanese calendar, it was on the 12th day of the seventh month in the third year of the Kenkyū (建久) era. Read more
- 1169 — Battle of the Blacks: Uprising by the black African forces of the Fatimid army, along with a number of Egyptian emirs and commoners, against Saladin. Read more
- 1140 — The Song dynasty general Yue Fei defeats an army led by the Jin dynasty general Wuzhu at the Battle of Yancheng during the Jin–Song Wars. Read more
- 959 — Eraclus becomes the 25th bishop of Liège. Read more
Born on August 21
- 2007 — Piper Rockelle, American model and singer Read more
- 2002 — Kenji Fan, Hong Kong model and actor Read more
- 2002 — Zion Suzuki, Japanese footballer Read more
- 2000 — Corbin Carroll, American baseball player Read more
- 1999 — Maxim Knight, American actor Read more
- 1996 — Karolína Muchová, Czech tennis player Read more
- 1995 — Dominik Kubalík, Czech ice hockey player Read more
- 1994 — Alex Cooper, American podcaster Read more
- 1994 — Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, British-Turkish reality television personality, actress and model Read more
- 1993 — Millie Bright, English footballer Read more
- 1993 — Mike Evans, American football player Read more
- 1992 — Brandon Drury, American baseball player Read more
- 1992 — RJ Mitte, American actor (died 2026) Read more
- 1992 — Felipe Nasr, Brazilian race car driver Read more
- 1991 — Leandro Bacuna, Dutch footballer Read more
- 1991 — Jesse Rutherford, American singer and songwriter Read more
- 1990 — Bo Burnham, American comedian, musician, actor, filmmaker and poet Read more
- 1990 — Christian Vázquez, Puerto Rican baseball player Read more
- 1989 — Charlison Benschop, Dutch footballer Read more
- 1989 — James Davey, English rugby league player Read more
- 1989 — Matteo Gentili, Italian footballer Read more
- 1989 — Hayden Panettiere, American actress (died 2026) Read more
- 1989 — Aleix Vidal, Spanish footballer Read more
- 1988 — Robert Lewandowski, Polish footballer Read more
- 1988 — Joanna Mitrosz, Polish rhythmic gymnast Read more
- 1988 — Kacey Musgraves, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Read more
- 1987 — DeWanna Bonner, American-Macedonian basketball player Read more
- 1987 — Cody Kasch, American actor Read more
- 1987 — J. D. Martinez, American baseball player Read more
- 1987 — Jodie Meeks, American basketball player and coach Read more
- 1986 — Usain Bolt, Jamaican sprinter Read more
- 1986 — Wout Brama, Dutch footballer Read more
- 1986 — Koki Sakamoto, Japanese gymnast Read more
- 1986 — Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thai politician and 31st Prime Minister of Thailand Read more
- 1986 — Brooks Wheelan, American comedian and actor Read more
- 1985 — Nicolás Almagro, Spanish tennis player Read more
- 1985 — Aleksandra Kiryashova, Russian pole vaulter Read more
- 1984 — Neil Dexter, South African cricketer Read more
- 1984 — Melvin Upton, Jr., American baseball player Read more
- 1984 — Alizée, French singer Read more
Died on August 21
- 2026 — Sowcar Janaki, Indian actress (born 1931) Read more
- 2026 — Nancy Kassebaum, American businesswoman and politician (born 1932) Read more
- 2026 — Zolani Tete, South African boxer (born 1988) Read more
- 2024 — Nell McCafferty, Northern Irish journalist, playwright and civil rights campaigner (born 1944) Read more
- 2024 — Bill Pascrell, American politician (born 1937) Read more
- 2024 — John Amos, American actor (born 1939) Read more
- 2019 — Ifeanyi Chiejine, Nigerian footballer (born 1983) Read more
- 2019 — Celso Piña, Mexican singer, composer, arranger, and accordionist (born 1953) Read more
- 2018 — Stefán Karl Stefánsson, Icelandic actor and singer (born 1975) Read more
- 2017 — Bajram Rexhepi, the first Kosovan Prime Minister of the UN mission administration in Kosovo (born 1954) Read more
- 2015 — Colin Beyer, New Zealand lawyer and businessman (born 1938) Read more
- 2015 — Wang Dongxing, Chinese commander and politician (born 1916) Read more
- 2015 — Jimmy Evert, American tennis player and coach (born 1924) Read more
- 2014 — Gerry Anderson, Irish radio and television host (born 1944) Read more
- 2014 — Helen Bamber, English psychotherapist and academic (born 1925) Read more
- 2014 — Steven R. Nagel, American colonel, engineer, and astronaut (born 1946) Read more
- 2014 — Jean Redpath, Scottish singer-songwriter (born 1937) Read more
- 2014 — Albert Reynolds, Irish businessman and politician, ninth Taoiseach of Ireland (born 1932) Read more
- 2013 — Jean Berkey, American lawyer and politician (born 1938) Read more
- 2013 — Sid Bernstein, American record producer (born 1918) Read more
- 2013 — C. Gordon Fullerton, American colonel, engineer, and astronaut (born 1936) Read more
- 2013 — Fred Martin, Scottish footballer (born 1929) Read more
- 2013 — Enos Nkala, Zimbabwean politician, Zimbabwean Minister of Defence (born 1932) Read more
- 2012 — Georg Leber, German soldier and politician, Federal Minister of Defence (born 1920) Read more
- 2012 — J. Frank Raley Jr., American soldier and politician (born 1926) Read more
- 2012 — Don Raleigh, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (born 1926) Read more
- 2012 — Guy Spitaels, Belgian academic and politician, seventh Minister-President of Wallonia (born 1931) Read more
- 2012 — William Thurston, American mathematician and academic (born 1946) Read more
- 2010 — Rodolfo Enrique Fogwill, Argentinean sociologist and author (born 1941) Read more
- 2009 — Rex Shelley, Singaporean engineer and author (born 1930) Read more
- 2008 — Jerry Finn, American engineer and producer (born 1969) Read more
- 2007 — Frank Bowe, American academic (born 1947) Read more
- 2007 — Siobhan Dowd, British author (born 1960) Read more
- 2007 — Elizabeth P. Hoisington, American general (born 1918) Read more
- 2006 — Bismillah Khan, Indian musician, Bharat Ratna recipient (born 1916) Read more
- 2006 — Paul Fentener van Vlissingen, Dutch businessman and philanthropist (born 1941) Read more
- 2005 — Martin Dillon, American tenor and educator (born 1957) Read more
- 2005 — Robert Moog, American businessman, founded Moog Music (born 1934) Read more
- 2005 — Dahlia Ravikovitch, Israeli poet and translator (born 1936) Read more
- 2005 — Marcus Schmuck, Austrian mountaineer (born 1925) Read more
Holidays & observances
Christian Feast Day:
Abraham of Smolensk (Eastern Orthodox Church); Christian Feast Day:
Bernard of Alzira; Christian Feast Day:
Cyriaca; Christian Feast Day:
Euprepius of Verona; Christian Feast Day:
Maximilian of Antioch; Christian Feast Day:
Our Lady of Knock; Christian Feast Day:
Pope Pius X; Christian Feast Day:
Sidonius Apollinaris; Christian Feast Day:
Blessed Victoire Rasoamanarivo; Christian Feast Day:
August 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Ninoy Aquino Day (Philippines); Youth Day (Morocco); World Senior Citizen's Day
Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “August 21”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.