On This Day in History
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Learn what happened on this day in history. Browse historical events, famous birthdays and notable deaths for any date, all sourced from Wikipedia.
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What Happened On This Day in History
Find out what happened on this day in history through today's featured event, latest article, famous birthday, notable death, holidays and observances, your birthday in history, and this month in history. Each card opens the complete history page.
In Canada, the 2019 Canadian federal election ends
The 2019 Canadian federal election concluded on October 21, 2019, leaving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in office heading a Liberal minority government.
Read & Quiz
Lee Chong Wei
Lee Chong Wei is a Malaysian former professional badminton player. As a singles player, Lee was ranked first worldwide for a record of 349 weeks, including a 199-week streak from 21 August 2008 to 14 June 2012.
See Born Today
Bobby Charlton
Sir Robert Charlton was an English footballer who played as an attacking midfielder, left winger or centre-forward.
See Died Today
Holidays and Observances Today
National and international holidays on October 21, including Indian Police Commemoration Day (India).
See Today's Holidays
What Happened on Your Birthday?
Enter your birth date to see the events, famous birthdays and holidays of your birthday.
Find Your Birthday
October in History
Major events, famous birthdays and holidays of October, day by day.
See October in HistoryDaily History Challenge
Put Today's Events in Order
Four events that happened on this day, in four different years. Tap them from the oldest to the newest, you have three tries, then share your result. A new puzzle every day.
Play Today's ChallengeHolidays and Observances Today
International days, national holidays and religious feast days that fall on today's date. Each card opens the holiday in the full holidays calendar. See all 22 holidays today.
Armed Forces Day (Honduras)
National or local holiday on October 21.
Read moreEgyptian Naval Day (Egypt)
Public holidays are celebrated by the entire population of Egypt. Holidays in Egypt have many classifications. Some holidays are religious and others are…
Read moreIndian Police Commemoration Day (India)
Central police force in India
Read moreNational Nurses' Day (Thailand)
National or local holiday on October 21.
Read moreOverseas Chinese Day (Republic of China)
National or local holiday on October 21.
Read moreTrafalgar Day (the British Empire in the 19th and early 20th century)
Annual celebration held on 21 October
Read moreCéline of Laon
Céline of Laon was a Frankish saint, born in the Laonnois. She is most notable as the mother of Saint Remigius and Principius, twelfth bishop of Soissons.…
Read moreBlessed Charles of Austria (Roman Catholic Church)
Recognition by the Catholic Church of a holy person
Read moreFintán of Taghmon
Saint Fintán, or Munnu is one of the saints of Ireland and Britain who served in Ireland and Scotland, being the founder and abbot of the abbey at…
Read moreSeverinus of Bordeaux
Severinus was an early bishop of Bordeaux later venerated as the patron saint of the city on account of the miracles he reputedly worked in defence of the…
Read moreOctober 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Day in the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar
Read moreWhat Happened This Month
October in History
See what happened in October in history, from the battles, treaties and discoveries that shaped the world to the famous October birthdays and holidays, with a page for every day of the month.
See October in HistoryOn This Day in History Articles
A new history article is published every day covering one significant event from the past. Each post explores the causes, key figures, immediate impact, and the legacy that still resonates in the world today.
In Canada, the 2019 Canadian federal election ends
The 2019 Canadian federal election concluded on October 21, 2019, leaving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in office heading a Liberal minority government.
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How did Nixon fire Cox after two AGs resigned?
Nixon ordered the firing of special prosecutor Archibald Cox. Attorney General Richardson and Deputy AG Ruckelshaus refused and resigned in protest.
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What Happened at the First Battle of Ypres in 1914?
The First Battle of Ypres began on October 19, 1914, as part of the Race to the Sea. German, French, Belgian, and British forces fought around Ypres…
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Suicide bombers attack Benazir Bhutto's motorcade
Two explosions hit Benazir Bhutto's motorcade in Karachi, killing at least 130 people and destroying three police vans. Bhutto was uninjured.
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How did a WhatsApp tax trigger Lebanon's 17 October Revolution?
Lebanese protests began on October 17, 2019, after the cabinet announced taxes on VoIP calls, gasoline, and tobacco, expanding into a nationwide…
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How did Smith and Carlos protest during the 1968 anthem?
Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised black-gloved fists during the US national anthem at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, a protest against racism…
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How did Yang Liwei complete China's first solo orbital flight?
Shenzhou 5 launched astronaut Yang Liwei into orbit, making China the third nation to independently send a person to space.
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How did pilot error cause the 1975 Avro Vulcan crash?
An RAF Avro Vulcan B.2 bomber crashed in Żabbar, Malta, after an aborted landing at RAF Luqa, killing five crew members and one civilian on the ground.
Read MoreOur blog
Explore the Blog
A new history article every day covering one major event, with sourced facts and key figures behind it.
Visit the BlogHistory in 60 Seconds
Short videos covering one significant historical event each, told through archival imagery and narration. A new video goes up every day alongside the daily article.
How did Nixon fire Cox after two AGs resigned?
Nixon ordered the firing of special prosecutor Archibald Cox. Attorney General Richards...
Watch
What Happened at the First Battle of Ypres in 1914?
The First Battle of Ypres began on October 19, 1914, as part of the Race to the Sea. Ge...
Watch
How did Smith and Carlos protest during the 1968 ant...
Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised black-gloved fists during the US national anthem at...
Watch
How did Yang Liwei complete China's first solo orbit...
Shenzhou 5 launched astronaut Yang Liwei into orbit, making China the third nation to i...
Watch
How did Boston overcome a 3-1 deficit in 1903?
The Boston Americans, representing the American League, faced the Pittsburgh Pirates, t...
Watch
2022 Bratislava shooting, killing 3 and injuring one
A 19-year-old gunman killed two people and injured one outside a gay bar in Bratislava ...
Watch
What Happened at the Battle of Angamos in 1879?
On 8 October 1879 the Chilean Navy, under Riveros and Latorre, crushed the Peruvian mon...
Watch
How was asteroid 2008 TC3 detected before it hit Earth?
On October 7, 2008, the 4.1‑meter asteroid 2008 TC3 entered Earth’s atmosphere over Sud...
WatchFeatured Videos
Watch Short History Videos
Historical events told through archival imagery and narration, daily.
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Explore History by Date
Click any date on the calendar to browse historical events, famous birthdays, and notable deaths from that day. Move between months to explore thousands of years of recorded history.
October
On This Day, October 21
- 2021: A shooting occurs on the set of the film Rust, in which actor Alec Baldwin discharged a prop weapon which had been loaded, killing the director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, and injuring director Joel Souza.
- 2019: Thirty people are killed in a fiery bus crash in western Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- 2019: In Canada, the 2019 Canadian federal election ends, resulting in incumbent Prime Minister Justin Trudeau remaining in office, albeit with the Liberal Party in a minority government.
- 2018: A passenger train derails in Yilan County, Taiwan, killing 18 people and injuring 187.
- 2011: Iraq War: President Barack Obama announces that the withdrawal of United States troops from Iraq will be complete by the end of the year.
thisDay.info is a free historical events calendar where you can explore what happened on any date in history. It covers wars, discoveries, natural disasters, famous birthdays and deaths, and landmark moments in world history, all sourced from Wikipedia.
Every day a new article is published covering one significant historical event from that calendar date. Each article includes background context, key figures, a Did You Know section, a Quick Facts block, and an analysis of the lasting impact on the world. A short quiz at the end lets you test what you have learned.
All historical events, birthdays, and deaths are sourced from Wikipedia's On This Day archives. Wikipedia is one of the most thorough and regularly updated references for world history, covering events from ancient civilizations right through to the present day on every continent.
Yes. Use the calendar on this page to go to any date of the year. Clicking a date opens a page listing everything notable that happened on that day in history, from ancient times right through to recent decades.
History in 60 Seconds is a short video series published on YouTube Shorts. Each video tells the story of one historical event using archival imagery and narration. A new video goes up every day so you can keep up with this day in history wherever you are.
A new article and a new video are published every single day. The events calendar is always current with today's On This Day data from Wikipedia. Famous birthdays and notable deaths for the current date load every time you visit the site.
Yes, thisDay.info is completely free. There is no account, no subscription, and no paywall. Every article, video, event listing, and the full historical calendar are open to everyone and will stay that way.
Yes. Every date page includes a list of notable people born or who died on that day, with links to their Wikipedia biographies. You can also browse person pages on thisDay.info to read about the historical figures who appear in our daily articles.
thisDay.info covers all major topics in world history including wars and conflicts, political revolutions, scientific discoveries, space exploration, natural disasters, cultural milestones, and sporting achievements. Events range from ancient history through to the 21st century, covering every part of the world.
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