✦ DateLore

On This Day · The 52nd day of the year

February 21

A look at February 21 through the almanac — historic events, famous birthdays including Corbin Bleu and Robert Mugabe, and the day's notable deaths and observances.

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Events

10 notable moments
  1. 1974

    Suez Canal

    The last Israeli soldiers leave the west bank of the Suez Canal pursuant to a truce with Egypt.

    Artificial sea-level waterway in
  2. 1972

    Richard Nixon

    United States President Richard Nixon visits China to normalize Sino-American relations.

    President of the United
  3. 1972

    Soviet Union

    The Soviet uncrewed spaceship Luna 20 lands on the Moon.

    Country in Eurasia from
  4. 1952

    Bengali language movement

    The Bengali language movement protests occur at the University of Dhaka in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).

    1948–1956 political movement in
  5. 1952

    Winston Churchill

    The British government, under Winston Churchill, abolishes identity cards in the UK to "set the people free".

    British statesman and writer
  6. 1945

    World War II

    World War II: During the Battle of Iwo Jima, Japanese kamikaze planes sink the escort carrier USS Bismarck Sea and damage the USS Saratoga.

    1939–1945 global conflict
  7. 1916

    World War I

    World War I: In France, the Battle of Verdun begins.

    1914–1918 global conflict
  8. 1862

    American Civil War

    American Civil War: Battle of Valverde is fought near Fort Craig in New Mexico Territory.

    1861–1865 conflict in the
  9. 1848

    Karl Marx

    Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels publish The Communist Manifesto.

    German philosopher and socialist
  10. 1828

    Cherokee Phoenix

    Initial issue of the Cherokee Phoenix is the first periodical to use the Cherokee syllabary invented by Sequoyah.

    Native American newspaper
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Famous birthday twins

Born on February 21

Corbin Bleu

b. 1989

American actor, model, dancer, film producer and singer-songwriter

Robert Mugabe

b. 1924

Zimbabwean educator and politician, 2nd President of Zimbabwe

Steve Leo Beleck

b. 1993

Cameroonian footballer

Eni Aluko

b. 1987

English footballer

Thelma Estrin

b. 1924

American computer scientist and engineer

Olympia Snowe

b. 1947

American politician

Brendan Sexton III

b. 1980

American actor

John Henry Newman

b. 1801

English cardinal

Deaths

  • 1999Gertrude B. Elion, American biochemist and pharmacologist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1995Robert Bolt, English dramatist
  • 1984Mikhail Sholokhov, Russian novelist and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1965Malcolm X, American minister and activist
  • 1677Baruch Spinoza, Dutch philosopher and scholar
  • 1437James I of Scotland, (born 1394; assassinated)

Holidays & observances

  • —Armed Forces Day (South Africa)
  • —Birthday of King Harald V (Norway)
  • —Christian feast day: Felix of Hadrumetum
  • —Christian feast day: Pepin of Landen
  • —Christian feast day: Peter Damian
  • —Christian feast day: Randoald of Grandval
  • —Christian feast day: February 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • —Father Lini Day (Vanuatu)

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