April 21
| April 21 in recent years |
| 2010 (Wednesday) |
| 2009 (Tuesday) |
| 2008 (Monday) |
| 2007 (Saturday) |
| 2006 (Friday) |
| 2005 (Thursday) |
| 2004 (Wednesday) |
| 2003 (Monday) |
| 2002 (Sunday) |
| 2001 (Saturday) |
| 2000 (Friday) |
April 21 is the 111th day of the year (112th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 254 days remaining until the end of the year.
Events
- 753 BC – Romulus and Remus founded Rome (traditional date).
- 43 BC – Battle of Mutina: Mark Antony is again defeated in battle by Aulus Hirtius, who is killed. Antony fails to capture Mutina and Decimus Brutus is murdered shortly after.
- 1509 – Henry VIII ascends the throne of England on the death of his father, Henry VII.
- 1519 – Hernán Cortés lands in Veracruz, Veracruz
- 1792 – Tiradentes, a revolutionary leading a movement for Brazil's independence, is hanged, drawn and quartered.
- 1809 – Two Austrian army corps are driven from Landshut by a First French Empire army led by Napoleon I of France as two French corps to the north hold off the main Austrian army on the first day of the Battle of Eckmühl.
- 1836 – Texas Revolution: The Battle of San Jacinto – Republic of Texas forces under Sam Houston defeat troops under Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna.
- 1863 – Bahá'u'lláh, considered the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, declares his mission as "He whom God shall make manifest".
- 1894 – Norway formally adopts the Krag-Jørgensen rifle as the main arm of its armed forces, a weapon that would remain in service for almost 50 years.
- 1898 – Spanish-American War: The U.S. Congress, on April 25, recognizes that a state of war exists between the United States and Spain as of this date.
- 1918 – World War I: German fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen, known as "The Red Baron", is shot down and killed over Vaux-sur-Somme in France.
- 1922 – The first Aggie Muster is held as a remembrance for fellow Texas A&M graduates who had died in the previous year.
- 1942 – World War II: The most famous (and first international) Aggie Muster is held on the Philippine island of Corregidor, by Brigadier General George F. Moore (with 25 fellow Texas A&M graduates who are under his command), while 1.8 million pounds of shells pounded the island over a 5 hour attack.
- 1945 – World War II: Soviet Union forces south of Berlin at Zossen attack the German High Command headquarters.
- 1952 – Secretary's Day (now Administrative Professionals' Day) is first celebrated.
- 1960 – Brasília, Brazil's capital, is officially inaugurated. At 9:30 am the Three Powers of the Republic are simultaneously transferred from the old capital, Rio de Janeiro.
- 1960 – Founding of the Orthodox Bahá'í Faith in Washington, D.C.
- 1962 – The Seattle World's Fair (Century 21 Exposition) opens. It is the first World's Fair in the United States since World War II.
- 1963 – The Universal House of Justice of the Bahá'í Faith is elected for the first time.
- 1964 – A Transit-5bn satellite fails to reach orbit after launch; as it re-enters the atmosphere, 2.1 pounds of radioactive plutonium in its SNAP RTG power source is widely dispersed.
- 1965 – The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair opens for its second and final season.
- 1966 – Rastafari movement: Haile Selassie of Ethiopia visits Jamaica, an event now celebrated as Grounation Day.
- 1967 – A few days before the general election in Greece, Colonel George Papadopoulos leads a coup d'état, establishing a military regime that lasts for seven years.
- 1970 – The Hutt River Province Principality secedes from Australia.
- 1975 – Vietnam War: President of South Vietnam Nguyen Van Thieu flees Saigon, as Xuan Loc, the last South Vietnamese outpost blocking a direct North Vietnamese assault on Saigon, falls.
- 1982 – Baseball: Rollie Fingers of the Milwaukee Brewers becomes the first pitcher to record 300 saves.
- 1987 – The Tamil Tigers are blamed for a car bomb that explodes in the Sri Lankan city of Colombo, killing 106 people.
- 1989 – Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989: In Beijing, around 100,000 students gather in Tiananmen Square to commemorate Chinese reform leader Hu Yaobang.
- 1993 – The Supreme Court in La Paz, Bolivia, sentences former dictator Luis Garcia Meza to 30 years in jail without parole for murder, theft, fraud and violating the constitution.
- 1994 – The first discoveries of extrasolar planets are announced by astronomer Alexander Wolszczan.
- 2004 – Five suicide car bombers target police stations in and around Basra, killing 74 people and wounding 160.
Births
- 1555 – Ludovico Carracci, Italian painter (d. 1619)
- 1651 – Blessed Joseph Vaz, Apostle of Ceylon (d. 1711)
- 1652 – Michel Rolle, French mathematician (d. 1719)
- 1671 – John Law, Scottish economist (d. 1729)
- 1673 – Wilhelmina Amalia of Brunswick, Holy Roman Empire Empress (d. 1742)
- 1713 – Louis, 4th duc de Noailles, Marshal of France (d. 1793)
- 1729 – Catherine II of Russia, known as 'Catherine the Great' (d. 1796)
- 1767 – Elisabeth of Württemberg, Archduchess of Austria (d. 1790)
- 1774 – Jean-Baptiste Biot, French physicist (d. 1862)
- 1775 – Alexander Anderson, American illustrator (d. 1870)
- 1810 – John Putnam Chapin, American politician (d. 1864)
- 1811 – Alson Sherman, American politician (d. 1903)
- 1814 – Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts, English philanthropist (d. 1906)
- 1816 – Charlotte Brontë, English author (d. 1855)
- 1837 – Fredrik Bajer, Danish politician, Nobel laureate (d. 1922)
- 1838 – John Muir, Scottish environmentalist (d. 1914)
- 1851 – Charles Barrois, French geologist (d. 1939)
- 1854 – William Stang, Roman Catholic Bishop (d. 1907)
- 1864 – Max Weber, German economist and sociologist (d. 1920)
- 1870 – Edwin S. Porter, American film pioneer (d. 1941)
- 1879 – Kartini, Indonesian national figure (d. 1904)
- 1882 – Percy Williams Bridgman, American physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1961)
- 1887 – Joe McCarthy, American baseball manager (d. 1978)
- 1889 – Paul Karrer, Swiss chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1971)
- 1898 – Maurice Wilson, Everest climber, Yorkshire hero (d. 1934)
- 1904 – Odilo Globocnik, Austrian Nazi (d. 1945)
- 1905 – Pat Brown, American politician (d. 1996)
- 1907 – Wade Mainer, American singer and banjoist
- 1911 – Ivan Combe, American inventor (d. 2000)
- 1912 – Marcel Camus, French film director (d. 1982)
- 1914 – Norman Panama, American screenwriter (d. 2003)
- 1915 – Anthony Quinn, Mexican-born American actor (d. 2001)
- 1915 – Garrett Hardin, American ecologist (d. 2003)
- 1918 – Eddy Christiani, Dutch singer and guitarist
- 1919 – Don Cornell, American singer (d. 2004)
- 1920 – Edmund Adamkiewicz, German footballer (d. 1991)
- 1920 – Ronald Magill, British actor (d. 2007)
- 1923 – John Mortimer, English barrister and writer (d. 2009)
- 1924 – Ira Louvin, Country music singer, songwriter, and musician (d. 1965)
- 1925 – Sir Anthony Mason, former Chief Justice of Australia
- 1926 – Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
- 1926 – Arthur Rowley, English footballer (d. 2002)
- 1927 – Gerald Flood, British actor (d. 1989)
- 1930 – Silvana Mangano, Italian actress (d. 1989)
- 1932 – Elaine May, American comedian
- 1935 – Charles Grodin, American actor
- 1935 – Thomas Kean, American politician
- 1936 – James Dobson, American evangelist
- 1939 – Helen Prejean, American writer
- 1944 – Adrian Hurley, Australian basketball coach
- 1945 – Diana Darvey, British actress, singer and dancer (d. 2000)
- 1947 – Iggy Pop, American musician (The Stooges)
- 1947 – John Weider, British rock musician (Eric Burdon and the Animals, Family)
- 1948 – Gary Condit, American politician
- 1948 – Paul Davis, American singer (d. 2008)
- 1949 – Patti LuPone, American singer and actress
- 1951 – Tony Danza, American actor and comedian
- 1951 – Michael Hartley Freedman, American mathematician
- 1951 – Steve Vickers, Canadian hockey player
- 1954 – James Morrison, American actor
- 1954 – Ebiet G. Ade, Indonesian singer
- 1956 – Phillip Longman, American demographer
- 1957 – Edward Leslie, American professional wrestler
- 1958 – Andie MacDowell, American actress
- 1958 – Yoshito Usui, Japanese manga artist
- 1958 – Michael Zarnock, American author and columnist
- 1959 – Jerry Only, American musician (The Misfits)
- 1959 – Robert Smith, British musician (The Cure)
- 1959 – Michael Timmins, Canadian musician (Cowboy Junkies)
- 1959 – Tim Jacobus, American artist (Goosebumps)
- 1960 – Michel Goulet, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1962 – Les Lancaster, American baseball player
- 1963 – Ken Caminiti, American baseball player (d. 2004)
- 1963 – Roy Dupuis, Canadian actor
- 1963 – John Cameron Mitchell, American film director
- 1964 – Alex Baumann, Canadian Olympic swimmer
- 1964 – Ludmila Engquist, Russian-born Swedish athlete
- 1965 – Ed Belfour, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1965 – Karen Foster, American model (Playboy)
- 1965 – Gary Grant, American basketball player
- 1965 – Fiona Kelleghan, American academic and critic
- 1966 – Michael Franti, American musician
- 1969 – Toby Stephens, British actor
- 1969 – Robin Meade, American news anchor
- 1970 – Glen Hansard, Irish songwriter and actor
- 1970 – Rob Riggle, American comedian
- 1970 – Nicole Sullivan, American actress
- 1971 – Alexander Kravchenko, Russian poker player
- 1971 – Michael Turner, American comic book artist (d. 2008)
- 1972 – Gwendal Peizerat, French ice dancer
- 1972 – Severina Vučković, Croatian singer
- 1973 – Jonathan Nsenga, Belgian athlete
- 1975 – Tha Trademarc, American hip hop artist
- 1976 – Rommel Adducul, Filipino basketball player
- 1977 – Doseone, American rapper
- 1977 – Jamie Salé, Canadian figure skater
- 1978 – Jacob Burns, Australian footballer
- 1978 – Jukka Nevalainen, Finnish drummer (Nightwish)
- 1978 – Branden Steineckert, American drummer (Rancid, The Used)
- 1979 – James McAvoy, Scottish actor
- 1979 – Tobias Linderoth, Swedish footballer
- 1980 – Jeff Keppinger, American baseball player
- 1980 – Vincent Lecavalier, Canadian hockey player
- 1980 – Tony Romo, American football player
- 1980 – Martin Rosete, Spanish film director and publicist
- 1981 – Stephanie Larimore, American model
- 1982 – Carnell Williams, American football player
- 1983 – Paweł Brożek, Polish footballer
- 1983 – Tarvaris Jackson, American football player
- 1986 – Audra Cohen, American tennis player
- 1986 – Alexander Edler, Swedish hockey player
- 1986 – Rodney Stuckey, American basketball player
- 1987 – Nadif Chowdhury, Bangladeshi cricketer
- 1987 – Eric Devendorf, American basketball player
- 1988 – Robbie Amell, Canadian actor
- 1988 – Pedro Mosquera Parada, Spanish footballer
- 2007 – Princess Isabella of Denmark
Deaths
- 1073 – Pope Alexander II
- 1109 – Anselm of Canterbury, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1033)
- 1142 – Pierre Abélard, French writer (b. 1079)
- 1329 – Frederick IV, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1282)
- 1509 – King Henry VII of England (b. 1457)
- 1551 – Oda Nobuhide, Japanese warlord (b. 1510)
- 1557 – Petrus Apianus, German mathematician (b. 1495)
- 1574 – Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (b. 1519)
- 1699 – Jean Racine, French dramatist (b. 1639)
- 1701 – Asano Naganori, Japanese warlord (b. 1667)
- 1719 – Philippe de la Hire, French mathematician and historian (b. 1640)
- 1720 – Antoine Hamilton, French writer (b. 1646)
- 1722 – Robert Beverley, Jr., historian of Colonial Virginia (b. 1673)
- 1792 – Tiradentes, Brazilian revolutionary (b. 1746)
- 1793 – John Michell, English seismologist (b. 1724)
- 1815 – Joseph Winston, U.S. Congressman from North Carolina (b. 1746)
- 1825 – Johann Friedrich Pfaff, German mathematician (b. 1765)
- 1852 – Ivan Nabokov, Russian general (b. 1787)
- 1863 – Sir Robert Bateson, 1st Baronet, Irish nobility (b. 1782)
- 1868 – Henry James O'Farrell, Australian would-be assassin of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh
- 1910 – Mark Twain, American author and humorist (b. 1835)
- 1918 – Manfred von Richthofen, German pilot (b. 1892)
- 1922 – Alessandro Moreschi, Italian castrato (b. 1858)
- 1924 – Eleonora Duse, Italian actress (b. 1858)
- 1930 – Robert Bridges, English poet (b. 1844)
- 1938 – Allama Iqbal, Urdu philosopher and poet (b. 1877)
- 1945 – Walter Model, German field marshal (b. 1891)
- 1946 – John Maynard Keynes, English economist (b. 1883)
- 1948 – Aldo Leopold, American ecologist and author (b. 1887)
- 1956 – Charles MacArthur, American writer (b. 1895)
- 1965 – Edward Victor Appleton, English physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1892)
- 1971 – François "Papa Doc" Duvalier, Haitian dictator (b. 1907)
- 1973 – Arthur Fadden, thirteenth Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1894)
- 1974 – Charles "Chic" Harley, American football player (b. 1895)
- 1977 – Gummo Marx, American actor and comedian (b. 1892)
- 1977 – Issy Bonn, British actor and musician (b. 1893)
- 1978 – Sandy Denny, British vocalist (b. 1947)
- 1978 – Thomas Wyatt Turner, American civil rights advocate and agricultural engineer (b. 1877)
- 1980 – Aleksandr Oparin, Russian biochemist (b. 1894)
- 1980 – Sohrab Sepehri, Persian poet and painter (b. 1928)
- 1983 – Walter Slezak, Austrian actor (b. 1902)
- 1984 – Hristo Prodanov, Bulgarian mountaineer (b. 1943)
- 1985 – Rudi Gernreich, Austrian fashion designer (b. 1922)
- 1985 – Foster Hewitt, Canadian radio pioneer (b. 1902)
- 1985 – Tancredo de Almeida Neves, Brazil banker and elected president (b. 1910)
- 1986 – Salah Jaheen, Egyptian poet and cartoonist (b. 1930)
- 1989 – Princess Dukhye of Korea (b. 1912)
- 1990 – Erté, French artist (b. 1892)
- 1991 – Willi Boskovsky, Austrian violinist and conductor (b. 1909)
- 1996 – Dzhokhar Dudaev, Chechen leader (b. 1944)
- 1996 – Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder, American bookie and sports broadcaster (b. 1919)
- 1998 – Jean-François Lyotard, French philosopher and sociologist (b. 1924)
- 1999 – Charles 'Buddy' Rogers, American actor and musician (b. 1904)
- 2000 – Neal Matthews, Jr., American singer (b. 1929)
- 2003 – Nina Simone, American singer and pianist (b. 1933)
- 2004 – Mary McGrory, American journalist (b. 1918)
- 2005 – Gerry Marshall, British racing driver (b. 1941)
- 2006 – T.K. Ramakrishnan, Indian politician (b. 1922)
- 2006 – Telê Santana, Brazilian football manager and former player (b. 1931)
- 2007 – Lobby Loyde, Australian guitarist and songwriter (b. 1941)
- 2008 – Al Wilson, American singer (b. 1939)
- 2010 – Gustav Lorentzen, Norwegian singer-songwriter (b. 1947)
- 2010 – Juan Antonio Samaranch, International Olympic Committee president (b. 1920)
Holidays and observances
External links