✦ DateLore

On This Day · The 21st day of the year

January 21

A look at January 21 through the almanac — historic events, famous birthdays including Ashton Eaton and Jack Nicklaus, and the day's notable deaths and observances.

♒ZodiacAquarius ◈BirthstoneGarnet ❀Birth flowerCarnation
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Events

10 notable moments
  1. 2025

    2025 Kartalkaya hotel fire

    A fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in the Kartalkaya ski resort in Bolu Province, Turkey, results in 78 people dead and 51 injured.

    Fire in Bolu Province,
  2. 2017

    2017 Women's March

    Over 400 cities across America and 160+ countries worldwide participate in a large-scale women's march, including in Portland, on Donald Trump's first full day as President of the United States.

    Political rallies for women's
  3. 2011

    2011 Albanian opposition demonstrations

    Anti-government demonstrations take place in Tirana, Albania. Four people die from gunshots, allegedly fired from armed police protecting the Prime Minister's office.

    Anti-government protests over corruption
  4. 1997

    United States House of Representatives

    The U.S. House of Representatives votes 395–28 to reprimand Newt Gingrich for ethics violations, making him the first Speaker of the House to be so disciplined.

    Lower house of the
  5. 1976

    Concorde

    Commercial service of Concorde begins with the London-Bahrain and Paris-Rio routes.

    British–French supersonic airliner
  6. 1968

    Vietnam War

    Vietnam War, Battle of Khe Sanh: One of the most publicized and controversial battles of the war begins.

    1955–1975 war in Southeast
  7. 1968

    Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

    A B-52 bomber crashes near Thule Air Base, contaminating the area after its nuclear payload ruptures. One of the four bombs remains unaccounted for after the cleanup operation is complete.

    American strategic bomber aircraft
  8. 1932

    Finland

    Finland and the Soviet Union sign a non-aggression treaty.

    Country in northern Europe
  9. 1931

    Isaac Isaacs

    Sir Isaac Isaacs is sworn in as the first Australian-born Governor-General of Australia.

    Australian politician, lawyer, and
  10. 1919

    1st Dáil

    A revolutionary Irish parliament is founded and declares the independence of the Irish Republic. One of the first engagements of the Irish War of Independence takes place.

    First meeting of the
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Famous birthday twins

Born on January 21

Ashton Eaton

b. 1988

American decathlete

Jack Nicklaus

b. 1940

American golfer and sportscaster

Laura Robson

b. 1994

Australian-English tennis player

Konrad Emil Bloch

b. 1912

German-American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

Grigori Rasputin

b. 1869

Russian mystic

Ludwig Thoma

b. 1867

German paramedic and author

Oscar II

b. 1829

of Sweden

Karl Staaff

b. 1860

Swedish lawyer and politician, 11th Prime Minister of Sweden

Deaths

  • 2019Emiliano Sala, Argentine footballer
  • 1950George Orwell, British novelist, essayist, and critic
  • 1924Vladimir Lenin, Russian lawyer and politician
  • 1793Louis XVI, of France
  • 1789Baron d'Holbach, French-German philosopher and author
  • 1527Juan de Grijalva, Spanish explorer

Holidays & observances

  • —Babinden (Bulgaria, Serbia)
  • —Christian feast day: Agnes
  • —Christian feast day: Demiana (Coptic Church)
  • —Christian feast day: Fructuosus
  • —Christian feast day: John Yi Yun-il (one of The Korean Martyrs)
  • —Christian feast day: Meinrad of Einsiedeln
  • —Christian feast day: January 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • —Errol Barrow Day (Barbados)

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