On This Day in History — March 21

Highlights of March 21

• 2019 — A major explosion at a chemical plant in Yancheng, China, killed 78 people and injured 640 others. Read more
• 2006 — A man smashed the statue of Phra Phrom at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, with a hammer, and was subsequently beaten to death by bystanders. Read more
• 2006 — Jack Dorsey sent the first message on the social-media network Twitter. Read more
• 1983 — In the West Bank, a number of Palestinian girls complained of breathing difficulties due to strange odors, leading to accusations of poison gas. Read more
• 1980 — The American soap opera Dallas aired the episode "A House Divided", which led to eight months of international speculation on "Who shot J.R.?" Read more
• 1968 — War of Attrition: The Battle of Karameh took place between the Israel Defense Forces and allied troops of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Jordanian Armed Forces. Read more
• 1963 — The Federal Bureau of Prisons closed Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary on Alcatraz Island (pictured) in San Francisco Bay, California. Read more
• 1960 — Police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire on a group of unarmed black demonstrators who were protesting pass laws, killing 69 people and wounding 180 others. Read more
• 1952 — The Moondog Coronation Ball, generally considered to be the first major rock and roll concert, took place at the Cleveland Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Read more
• 1946 — The Los Angeles Rams signed Kenny Washington, making him the first African-American player in the National Football League since 1933. Read more
• 1937 — A police squad, acting under orders from Governor of Puerto Rico Blanton Winship, opened fire on demonstrators protesting the arrest of Puerto Rican Nationalist leader Pedro Albizu Campos, killing 21 people and injuring 235 others. Read more
• 1918 — First World War: The German Army opened the Spring Offensive with Operation Michael, attempting to break through the Allied lines and to seize ports on the English Channel. Read more
• 1913 — More than 360 were killed and 20,000 homes were destroyed in the Great Dayton Flood in Dayton, Ohio, U.S. Read more
• 1874 — Queen's Park defeated Clydesdale 2–0 in the final of the inaugural Scottish Cup. Read more
• 1861 — Alexander H. Stephens, Vice President of the Confederate States of America, gave an extemporaneous speech laying out the Confederacy's rationale for seceding from the United States. Read more
• 1844 — The Baháʼí calendar, used in the Baháʼí Faith, began. Read more
• 1825 — During his tour of the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette laid the cornerstone for the Nathanael Greene Monument in Savannah, Georgia. Read more
• 1814 — War of the Sixth Coalition: During their march on Paris, Coalition forces defeated Napoleon's French army on the final day of the Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube. Read more
• 1788 — A large fire destroyed 856 of the 1,100 structures in New Orleans. Read more
• 1556 — Thomas Cranmer, a former archbishop of Canterbury and one of the founders of Anglicanism, was burned at the stake for heresy in Oxford, England. Read more

Events

• 2022 — China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735 crashes in Guangxi, China, killing 132 people. Read more
• 2019 — The 2019 Xiangshui chemical plant explosion occurs, killing at least 47 people and injuring 640 others. Read more
• 2006 — The social media site Twitter (now officially named X) is founded. Read more
• 2000 — Pope John Paul II makes his first ever pontifical visit to Israel. Read more
• 1999 — Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones become the first to circumnavigate the Earth in a hot air balloon. Read more
• 1994 — The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change enters into force. Read more
• 1990 — Namibia becomes independent after 75 years of South African rule. Read more
• 1989 — Transbrasil Flight 801 crashes into a slum near São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport, killing 25 people. Read more
• 1986 — Debi Thomas becomes the first African American to win the World Figure Skating Championships. Read more
• 1985 — Canadian paraplegic athlete and humanitarian Rick Hansen begins his circumnavigation of the globe in a wheelchair in the name of spinal cord injury medical research. Read more
• 1983 — The first cases of the 1983 West Bank fainting epidemic begin; Israelis and Palestinians accuse each other of poison gas, but the cause is later determined mostly to be psychosomatic. Read more
• 1980 — Cold War: American President Jimmy Carter announces a United States boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow to protest the Soviet–Afghan War. Read more
• 1970 — The first Earth Day proclamation is issued by Joseph Alioto, Mayor of San Francisco. Read more
• 1970 — San Diego Comic-Con, the largest pop and culture festival in the world, hosts its inaugural event. Read more
• 1968 — Battle of Karameh in Jordan between the Israel Defense Forces and the combined forces of the Jordanian Armed Forces and PLO. Read more
• 1965 — Ranger program: NASA launches Ranger 9, the last in a series of uncrewed lunar space probes. Read more
• 1965 — Martin Luther King Jr. leads 3,200 people on the start of the third and finally successful civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Read more
• 1963 — Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary closes. Read more
• 1960 — Apartheid: Sharpeville massacre, South Africa: Police open fire on a group of black South African demonstrators, killing 69 and wounding 180. Read more
• 1952 — Alan Freed presents the Moondog Coronation Ball, the first rock and roll concert, in Cleveland, Ohio. Read more
• 1946 — The Los Angeles Rams sign Kenny Washington, making him the first African American player in professional American football since 1933. Read more
• 1945 — World War II: British troops liberate Mandalay, Burma. Read more
• 1945 — World War II: Operation Carthage: Royal Air Force planes bomb Gestapo headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark. They also accidentally hit a school, killing 125 civilians. Read more
• 1945 — World War II: Bulgaria and the Soviet Union successfully complete their defense of the north bank of the Drava River as the Battle of the Transdanubian Hills concludes. Read more
• 1943 — Wehrmacht officer Rudolf von Gersdorff plots to assassinate Adolf Hitler by using a suicide bomb, but the plan falls through; von Gersdorff is able to defuse the bomb in time and avoid suspicion. Read more
• 1937 — Ponce massacre: Nineteen unarmed civilians in Ponce, Puerto Rico are gunned down by police in a terrorist attack ordered by the US-appointed Governor, Blanton Winship. Read more
• 1935 — Shah of Iran Reza Shah Pahlavi formally asks the international community to call Persia by its native name, Iran. Read more
• 1934 — The landmark Australian Eastern Mission led by John Latham departs on its three-month tour of East and South-East Asia. Read more
• 1928 — Charles Lindbergh is presented with the Medal of Honor for the first solo trans-Atlantic flight. Read more
• 1925 — The Butler Act prohibits the teaching of human evolution in Tennessee. Read more
• 1925 — Syngman Rhee is removed from office after being impeached as the President of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. Read more
• 1925 — Ravel's opera L'enfant et les sortilèges, to a libretto by Colette, is premiered at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo. Read more
• 1921 — The New Economic Policy is implemented by the Bolshevik Party in response to the economic failure as a result of war communism. Read more
• 1919 — The Hungarian Soviet Republic is established becoming the first Communist government to be formed in Europe after the October Revolution in Russia. Read more
• 1918 — World War I: The first phase of the German spring offensive, Operation Michael, begins. Read more
• 1871 — Otto von Bismarck is appointed as the first Chancellor of the German Empire. Read more
• 1871 — Journalist Henry Morton Stanley begins his trek to find the missionary and explorer David Livingstone. Read more
• 1861 — Alexander H. Stephens gives the Cornerstone Speech. Read more
• 1844 — The Baháʼí calendar begins. This is the first day of the first year of the Baháʼí calendar. It is annually celebrated by members of the Baháʼí Faith as the Baháʼí New Year or Náw-Rúz. Read more
• 1829 — The Wellington–Winchilsea duel takes place in London involving the Prime Minister the Duke of Wellington. Read more
• 1821 — Greek War of Independence: Greek revolutionaries seize Kalavryta. Read more
• 1814 — Napoleonic Wars: Austrian forces repel French troops in the Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube. Read more
• 1804 — Code Napoléon is adopted as French civil law. Read more
• 1801 — The Battle of Alexandria is fought between British and French forces near the ruins of Nicopolis near Alexandria in Egypt. Read more
• 1800 — With the church leadership driven out of Rome during an armed conflict, Pius VII is crowned Pope in Venice with a temporary papal tiara made of papier-mâché. Read more
• 1788 — A fire in New Orleans leaves most of the town in ruins. Read more
• 1556 — On the day of his execution in Oxford, former archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer deviates from the scripted sermon by renouncing the recantations he has made and adds, "And as for the pope, I refuse him, as Christ's enemy, and Antichrist with all his false doctrine." Read more
• 1349 — Erfurt massacre: Outbreak of an antisemitic pogrom in Erfurt, Germany, during which between 100 and up to 3000 Jews were killed by Christians after being accused of causing the Black Death. Read more
• 1180 — Emperor Antoku accedes to the throne of Japan. Read more
• 1152 — Annulment of the marriage of King Louis VII of France and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. Read more
• 867 — An army of the Kingdom of Northumbria attempts to recapture York from the Great Heathen Army but is defeated in the battle of York. Read more
• 717 — Battle of Vincy between Charles Martel and Ragenfrid. Read more
• 630 — Emperor Heraclius returns the True Cross, one of the holiest Christian relics, to Jerusalem. Read more
• 537 — Siege of Rome: King Vitiges attempts to assault the northern and eastern city walls, but is repulsed at the Praenestine Gate, known as the Vivarium, by the defenders under the Byzantine generals Bessas and Peranius. Read more

Born on March 21

• 2007 — Ethan Nwaneri, English footballer Read more
• 2003 — Abbi Pulling, English racing driver Read more
• 2000 — Jace Norman, American actor Read more
• 2000 — Yoon San-ha, South Korean singer and actor Read more
• 1998 — Miles Bridges, American basketball player Read more
• 1997 — Nat Phillips, English footballer Read more
• 1997 — Martina Stoessel, Argentine singer and actress Read more
• 1996 — Aurora Mikalsen, Norwegian footballer Read more
• 1995 — RJ Cyler, American actor Read more
• 1995 — Nick Mullens, American football player Read more
• 1995 — Mirco Müller, Swiss ice hockey player Read more
• 1994 — Jasmin Savoy Brown, American actress Read more
• 1993 — Sven Andrighetto, Swiss ice hockey player Read more
• 1993 — Jake Bidwell, English footballer Read more
• 1993 — Jesse Joronen, Finnish footballer Read more
• 1993 — Frankie Montas, Dominican baseball player Read more
• 1992 — Lehlogonolo Masalesa, South African footballer Read more
• 1992 — Chiney Ogwumike, American basketball player Read more
• 1992 — Karolína Plíšková, Czech tennis player Read more
• 1992 — Kristýna Plíšková, Czech tennis player Read more
• 1991 — Luke Chapman, English footballer Read more
• 1991 — Antoine Griezmann, French footballer Read more
• 1990 — Mandy Capristo, German singer-songwriter and dancer Read more
• 1990 — Ryann Krais, American runner and heptathlete Read more
• 1990 — Darius Miller, American basketball player Read more
• 1990 — Alex Nimo, Liberian-American soccer player Read more
• 1989 — Jordi Alba, Spanish footballer Read more
• 1989 — Nicolás Lodeiro, Uruguayan footballer Read more
• 1989 — Takeru Satoh, Japanese actor Read more
• 1988 — Solomon Alabi, Nigerian basketball player Read more
• 1988 — Kateřina Čechová, Czech sprinter Read more
• 1988 — Erik Johnson, American ice hockey player Read more
• 1988 — Eric Krüger, German sprinter Read more
• 1988 — Michael Madl, Austrian footballer Read more
• 1987 — Carlos Carrasco, Venezuelan baseball pitcher Read more
• 1986 — Romanos Alyfantis, Greek swimmer Read more
• 1986 — Scott Eastwood, American actor Read more
• 1986 — Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou, Greek pole vaulter Read more
• 1986 — Michu, Spanish footballer Read more
• 1985 — Ryan Callahan, American ice hockey player Read more

Died on March 21

• 2026 — Michael Lyster, Irish radio and television broadcaster (born 1954) Read more
• 2026 — Rhoda Roberts, Australian arts executive (born 1959) Read more
• 2025 — Kitty Dukakis, American author, First Lady of Massachusetts (born 1936) Read more
• 2025 — George Foreman, American boxer, actor, and businessman (born 1949) Read more
• 2023 — Willis Reed, American basketball player (born 1942) Read more
• 2021 — Nawal El Saadawi, Egyptian secularist, feminist (born 1931) Read more
• 2019 — Victor Hochhauser CBE, British music promoter (born 1923) Read more
• 2019 — Gonzalo Portocarrero, Peruvian sociologist (born 1949) Read more
• 2017 — Chuck Barris, American game show host and producer (born 1929) Read more
• 2017 — Colin Dexter, English author (born 1930) Read more
• 2017 — Martin McGuinness, Irish republican and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland (born 1950) Read more
• 2017 — Mike Hall, British cyclist (born 1981) Read more
• 2015 — Ishaya Bakut, Nigerian general and politician, Governor of Benue State (born 1947) Read more
• 2015 — Chuck Bednarik, American lieutenant and football player (born 1925) Read more
• 2015 — James C. Binnicker, American sergeant (born 1938) Read more
• 2015 — Hans Erni, Swiss painter, sculptor, and illustrator (born 1909) Read more
• 2015 — Jørgen Ingmann, Danish singer and guitarist (born 1925) Read more
• 2015 — Alberta Watson, Canadian actress (born 1955) Read more
• 2014 — Qoriniasi Bale, Fijian lawyer and politician, 25th Attorney-General of Fiji (born 1929) Read more
• 2014 — Bill Boedeker, American football player and soldier (born 1924) Read more
• 2014 — Jack Fleck, American golfer (born 1921) Read more
• 2014 — Simeon Oduoye, Nigerian police officer and politician (born 1945) Read more
• 2014 — James Rebhorn, American actor (born 1948) Read more
• 2014 — Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, Iraqi patriarch (born 1933) Read more
• 2013 — Chinua Achebe, Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic (born 1930) Read more
• 2013 — Rick Hautala, American author and screenwriter (born 1949) Read more
• 2013 — Harlon Hill, American football player and coach (born 1932) Read more
• 2013 — Pietro Mennea, Italian sprinter and politician (born 1952) Read more
• 2013 — Giancarlo Zagni, Italian director and screenwriter (born 1926) Read more
• 2012 — Albrecht Dietz, German economist and businessman (born 1926) Read more
• 2012 — Ron Erhardt, American football player and coach (born 1931) Read more
• 2012 — Robert Fuest, English director, screenwriter, and production designer (born 1927) Read more
• 2012 — Tonino Guerra, Italian poet and screenwriter (born 1920) Read more
• 2012 — Irving Louis Horowitz, American sociologist, author, and academic (born 1929) Read more
• 2012 — Yuri Razuvaev, Russian chess player and trainer (born 1945) Read more
• 2012 — Marina Salye, Russian geologist and politician (born 1934) Read more
• 2011 — Loleatta Holloway, American singer-songwriter (born 1946) Read more
• 2011 — Gerd Klier, German footballer (born 1944) Read more
• 2011 — Ladislav Novák, Czech footballer and manager (born 1931) Read more
• 2011 — Pinetop Perkins, American singer and pianist (born 1913) Read more

Holidays & observances

Arbor Day (Lesotho); Arbor Day (Portugal); Christian feast day: Augustine Zhao Rong; Christian feast day: Benedetta Cambiagio Frassinello; Christian feast day: Passing of Saint Benedict (Order of Saint Benedict, pre-1970 Calendar); Christian feast day: Birillus; Christian feast day: Enda of Aran; Christian feast day: Nicholas of Flüe; Christian feast day: Serapion of Thmuis; Christian feast day: Thomas Cranmer (Anglicanism); Christian feast day: March 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Early music; Education Freedom Day; Harmony Day (Australia); Human Rights Day (South Africa); Independence Day (Namibia); International Colour Day (International); International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (International); International Day of Forests (International), by proclamation of the United Nations General Assembly; Mother's Day (most of the Arab world); Natalicio de Benito Juárez, one of Fiestas Patrias (Mexico); Oltenia Day (Romania); Rosie the Riveter Day (United States); Truant's Day (Poland, Faroe Islands); Vernal equinox related observances (see also March 20); World Day for Glaciers (International); World Down Syndrome Day (International); World Poetry Day (International); World Puppetry Day (International); Youth Day (Tunisia)

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