What happened today in history
December
What happened on December 21
On December 21 history recorded 38 notable events. 160 people who left a mark were born on this day, and 68 died. Here is the full almanac.
- 38events
- 160births
- 68deaths
- 7observances
Highlights
Highlights
1124
Lamberto Scannabecchi was elected pope, taking the name Honorius II.
A papal election was held from 16 to 21 December 1124, after the death of Pope Callixtus II on 13 December 1124. The election was characterised by a power struggle between Italian cardinals supported by the Pierleoni family and northern cardinals supported by
1620The Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower landed at present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, to establish the Plymouth Colony.
The Pilgrims, also known as the Pilgrim Fathers, were the English settlers who traveled to North America on the ship Mayflower and established the Plymouth Colony at what now is Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. John Smith named this territory New Plymou
1826Settlers from the United States in Mexican Texas made the first attempt to secede from Mexico, establishing the short-lived Republic of Fredonia.
Mexican Texas is the historiographical name used to refer to the era of Texan history between 1821 and 1836, when it was part of Mexico. Mexico gained independence in 1821 after winning its war against Spain, which began in 1810. Initially, Mexican Texas opera
December 21
On this day
I century
- 69
69The Roman Senate declares Vespasian emperor of Rome, the last in the Year of the Four Emperors.
XII century
XIII century
XIV century
XVI century
XVII century
XIX century
- 1826
1826American settlers in Nacogdoches, Mexican Texas, declare their independence, starting the Fredonian Rebellion. - 1832
1832Egyptian–Ottoman War: Egyptian forces decisively defeat Ottoman troops at the Battle of Konya. - 1844
1844The Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers commences business at its cooperative in Rochdale, England, starting the Cooperative movement. - 1861
1861Medal of Honor: Public Resolution 82, containing a provision for a Navy Medal of Valor, is signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln. - 1872
1872Challenger expedition: HMS Challenger, commanded by Captain George Nares, sails from Portsmouth, England. - 1879
1879the fictional character of Nora Helmer is first portrayed by Betty Hennings at a showing of A Doll's House at the Royal Danish Theatre. - 1883
1883The Royal Canadian Dragoons and The Royal Canadian Regiment, the first Permanent Force cavalry and infantry regiments of the Canadian Army, are formed.
XX century
- 1907
1907The Chilean Army commits a massacre of at least 2,000 striking saltpeter miners in Iquique, Chile. - 1910
1910An underground explosion at the Hulton Bank Colliery No. 3 Pit in Over Hulton, Westhoughton, England, kills 344 miners. - 1919
1919American anarchist Emma Goldman is deported to Russia. - 1923
1923United Kingdom and Nepal formally sign an agreement of friendship, called the Nepal–Britain Treaty of 1923, which superseded the Treaty of Sugauli signed in 1816. - 1934
1934Lieutenant Kijé, one of Sergei Prokofiev's best-known works, premiered. - 1941
1941World War II: A Thai-Japanese Pact of Alliance is signed. - 1946
1946An 8.1 Mw earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Nankaidō, Japan, kills over 1,300 people and destroys over 38,000 homes. - 1963
1963"Bloody Christmas" begins in Cyprus, ultimately resulting in the displacement of 25,000–30,000 Turkish Cypriots and destruction of more than 100 villages. - 1965
1965International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination is adopted. - 1967
1967Louis Washkansky, the first man to undergo a human-to-human heart transplant, dies in Cape Town, South Africa, having lived for 18 days after the transplant. - 1968
1968Apollo program: Apollo 8 is launched from the Kennedy Space Center, placing its crew on a lunar trajectory for the first visit to another celestial body by humans. - 1973
1973The Geneva Conference on the Arab–Israeli conflict opens. - 1979
1979Lancaster House Agreement: An independence agreement for Rhodesia is signed in London by Lord Carrington, Sir Ian Gilmour, Robert Mugabe, Joshua Nkomo, Bishop Abel Muzorewa and S.C. Mundawarara. - 1988
1988A bomb explodes on board Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, killing 270. This is to date the deadliest air disaster to occur on British soil. - 1991
1991Dissolution of the Soviet Union: The leaders of 11 now effectively autonomous Soviet republics sign the Alma-Ata Protocol establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States in place of the collapsing Soviet Union. - 1992
1992A Dutch DC-10, flight Martinair MP 495, crashes at Faro Airport, Portugal, killing 56. - 1995
1995The city of Bethlehem passes from Israeli to Palestinian control. - 1999
1999The Spanish Civil Guard intercepts a van loaded with 950 kg of explosives that ETA intended to use to blow up Torre Picasso in Madrid, Spain. - 1999
1999Cubana de Aviación Flight 1216 overshoots the runway at La Aurora International Airport, killing 18.
XXI century
- 2004
2004Iraq War: A suicide bomber kills 22 at the forward operating base next to the main U.S. military airfield at Mosul, Iraq, the single deadliest suicide attack on American soldiers in Iraq. - 2012
20122012 phenomenon: Festivities are held in parts of Mesoamerica to commemorate the conclusion of b'ak'tun 13, a roughly 5,126-year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar whose passing many New Age spiritualists had earlier held to portend a variety of cataclysmic or transformative events. - 2020
2020A great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn occurs, with the two planets separated in the sky by 0.1 degrees. This is the closest conjunction between the two planets since 1623. - 2022
2022A Vega C rocket carrying two Pléiades Neo satellites fails after liftoff. - 2023
2023Fourteen people are killed and 25 others injured during a mass shooting at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic.
Best known
Born on December 21
1805Thomas Graham (chemist)
British chemist
1811Archibald Campbell Tait
Archbishop of Canterbury from 1868 to 1882
1815Thomas Couture
French painter
1830Bartolomé Masó
Cuban revolutionary and President of the Republic in Arms
1832John H. Ketcham
Union Army general
1840Ernest de Munck
Belgian cellist and composer
Best known
Died on December 21
882Hincmar
Archbishop of Reims
975Al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah
Fatimid caliph from 953 to 975
1001Hugh of Tuscany
Margrave of Tuscany from 969 to 1001
1308Henry I of Hesse
First Landgrave of Hesse
1362Constantine III of Armenia
King of Armenian Cilicia from 1344 to 1362
1375Giovanni Boccaccio
Italian author and poet
Holidays and observances
Frequently asked questions
What happened on December 21?
38 documented historical events happened on December 21, from antiquity to the present day. The best known is this: Lamberto Scannabecchi was elected pope, taking the name Honorius II. On the same day, in another year: The Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower landed at present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, to establish the Plymouth Colony. On Almanaccolo every event is listed in chronological order, grouped by century, and links to the Wikipedia article it comes from, so you can always read further or check the source. Alongside the events you find who was born and who died on this date, and which observances are celebrated around the world.
Who was born on December 21?
160 people with a Wikipedia article were born on December 21, including Thomas Graham (chemist), Archibald Campbell Tait, Thomas Couture. The list spans every era and every field — art, science, politics, sport, entertainment — ordered by year of birth, from the earliest to the most recent. The six featured people are those most has been written about: the ordering uses the length of their Wikipedia article as an indicator of prominence. For each one you find their occupation, year of birth and a link to the full biography.
Who died on December 21?
68 people with a Wikipedia article died on December 21, including Hincmar, Al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah, Hugh of Tuscany. The list is in chronological order by year of death and spans all of documented history, from antiquity to the present day. For each person you find their occupation, the year and a link to the Wikipedia biography, where the full story and its sources can be read.
What is celebrated on December 21?
7 observances are celebrated on December 21 around the world: Armed Forces Day (Philippines), Christian feast day: O Oriens, Christian feast day: Peter Canisius, Christian feast day: Thomas the Apostle, Christian feast day: December 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics), Forefathers' Day (Plymouth, Massachusetts). The list gathers national holidays, international days and religious or civil observances falling on this date in different countries, as recorded on Wikipedia. Some are fixed and recur on the same day every year; others depend on the local calendar. Each links to the article explaining its origin and meaning.
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Source: Wikipedia · Calendar