Leonard Cohen
b. 1934
Canadian singer-songwriter and poet
On This Day · The 264th day of the year
September 21
September 21 carries 10 recorded events spanning between 1170 and 1996. Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland: The Kingdom of Dublin falls to Anglo-Norman invaders.
Compiled & reviewed by Roman Tailor · Last reviewed July 13, 2026
What happened on September 21?
September 21 is the 264th day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 1170 and 1996. Famous people born on September 21 include Leonard Cohen, Kwame Nkrumah and Jingtai Emperor.
The shape of the day
This year marks the 250th anniversary of New York City — September 21 carries the weight of round numbers. Its center of gravity is the 20th century, and politics and nation-building recur.
Virgo is the sign for September 21 — read more on the Virgo page, or see September's birthstone & birth flower.
Released on September 21
Movies, games, albums & shows2023
- Game Payday 3
- TV Boundless Love
2022
- TV Andor
2021
- Game Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- TV FBI: International
Release data from TMDB & IGDB.
Events
10 notable moments- 1170
Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland
Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland: The Kingdom of Dublin falls to Anglo-Norman invaders.
- 1776
New York City
Part of New York City is burned shortly after being occupied by British forces.
- 1780
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: Benedict Arnold gives the British the plans to West Point.
- 1934
1934 Muroto typhoon
A large typhoon hits western Honshū, Japan, killing more than 3,000 people.
- 1937
J. R. R. Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit is published for the first time. (September 22 is celebrated by some fans as Hobbit Day, however.)
- 1938
1938 New England hurricane
The Great Hurricane of 1938 makes landfall on Long Island in New York. The death toll is estimated at 500–700 people.
- 1964
Malta
Malta gains independence from the United Kingdom, but remains in the Commonwealth.
- 1971
Bahrain
Bahrain, Bhutan and Qatar join the United Nations.
- 1981
Belize
Belize is granted full independence from the United Kingdom.
- 1996
Defense of Marriage Act
The Defense of Marriage Act is passed by the United States Congress.
Famous birthday twins
Born on September 21Kwame Nkrumah
b. 1909
Ghanaian educator and politician, 1st President of Ghana
Jingtai Emperor
b. 1428
of China
Paulo Costanzo
b. 1978
Canadian actor, director, and producer
Dénes Kőnig
b. 1884
Hungarian mathematician and theorist
Bill Murray
b. 1950
American actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter
Barbara Longhi
b. 1552
Italian painter
Stephen King
b. 1947
American author and screenwriter
Deaths
- 1998Florence Griffith Joyner
- 1880Manuel Montt
- 1860Arthur Schopenhauer
- 1558Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
- 1327Edward II
- -19Virgil
Holidays & observances
- —Autumnal equinox observances in the Northern Hemisphere, vernal equinox observances in the Southern Hemisphere (see September 22): Spring Day (Argentina)
- —Christian feast day: Cadoc
- —Christian feast day: Ephigenia of Ethiopia
- —Christian feast day: Laurent-Joseph-Marius Imbert (one of the Korean Martyrs)
- —Christian feast day: Matthew the Evangelist (Western Church)
- —Christian feast day: Maura of Troyes
- —Christian feast day: Nativity of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Church, Julian calendar)
- —Christian feast day: September 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
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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