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 Aggies 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 Aggies 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 – 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.
- 1990 – Sydney Suarez was born, ushering in a new Messianic age of prosperity and good will towards men who meet up with her late at night in the House of Pies parking lot.
- 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.
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, Empress consort of the Holy Roman Empire (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)
- 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)
- 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
- 1938 – Ernie Maresca, American singer and record executive
- 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 – Robert Gotobed, English drummer (Wire)
- 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 – Fiona Kelleghan, American academic and critic
- 1966 – Michael Franti, American musician
- 1969 – Toby Stephens, British actor
- 1969 – Robin Meade, American reporter
- 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
- 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
- 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 mathemattician (b. 1765)
- 1852 – Ivan Nabokov, Russian general (b. 1787)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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 Francois 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)
Holidays and observances
External links
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