Kurt Waldheim
b. 1918
Austrian colonel and politician; 9th President of Austria
On This Day · The 355th day of the year
December 21
December 21 carries 10 recorded events spanning between 1237 and 1995. The city of Ryazan is sacked by the Mongol army of Batu Khan.
Compiled & reviewed by Roman Tailor · Last reviewed July 13, 2026
What happened on December 21?
December 21 is the 355th day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 1237 and 1995. Famous people born on December 21 include Kurt Waldheim, Masaccio and Chris Evert.
The shape of the day
December 21's record stretches 758 years, from 1237 to 1995. Its center of gravity is the 20th century, and conflict is a recurring thread.
Sagittarius is the sign for December 21 — read more on the Sagittarius page, or see December's birthstone & birth flower.
Released on December 21
Movies, games, albums & shows2023
- Game Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory
Release data from TMDB & IGDB.
Events
10 notable moments- 1237
Ryazan
The city of Ryazan is sacked by the Mongol army of Batu Khan.
- 1844
Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers
The Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers commences business at its cooperative in Rochdale, England, starting the Cooperative movement.
- 1879
Nora Helmer
the fictional character of Nora Helmer is first portrayed by Betty Hennings at a showing of A Doll's House at the Royal Danish Theatre.
- 1919
Anarchism
American anarchist Emma Goldman is deported to Russia.
- 1923
Nepal
United Kingdom and Nepal formally sign an agreement of friendship, called the Nepal–Britain Treaty of 1923, which superseded the Treaty of Sugauli signed in 1816.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
Lieutenant Kijé (Prokofiev)
Lieutenant Kijé, one of Sergei Prokofiev's best-known works, premiered.
- 1941
World War II
World War II: A Thai-Japanese Pact of Alliance is signed.
- 1988
Pan Am Flight 103
A 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.
- 1992
Netherlands
A Dutch DC-10, flight Martinair MP 495, crashes at Faro Airport, Portugal, killing 56.
- 1995
Bethlehem
The city of Bethlehem passes from Israeli to Palestinian control.
Famous birthday twins
Born on December 21Masaccio
b. 1401
Italian painter
Chris Evert
b. 1954
American tennis player and coach
Hu Jintao
b. 1942
Chinese engineer and politician, 5th Paramount leader of China
Florence Griffith Joyner
b. 1959
American sprinter and actress
Rutina Wesley
b. 1978
American actress
Adele Goldstine
b. 1920
American computer programmer
Konstantin Rokossovsky
b. 1896
Marshal of the Soviet Union during World War II
Deaths
- 1992Stella Adler
- 1992Albert King
- 1935Kurt Tucholsky
- 1597Peter Canisius
- 1375Giovanni Boccaccio
Holidays & observances
- —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)
- —São Tomé Day (São Tomé and Príncipe)
Historical facts, event summaries, and biographical lines above are adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. DateLore adds curation, structure, and original editorial commentary. DateLore is not affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation.
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