A complete timeline of historical events, famous births, notable deaths, and holidays that occurred on December 21 throughout history.
87
Events
15
Births
1
Deaths
Mayflower Pilgrims come ashore in Plymouth Bay, traditionally thought to be at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts [OS: Dec 11] [some sources disagree, and OS/NS adds to confusion, could be +/- several days]
Maria Salomea Skłodowska Curie, better known as Marie Curie, was a Polish and naturalised-French physicist and chemist.
Frank Frederick Borman II (March 14, 1928 – November 7, 2023) was an American United States Air Force (USAF) colonel, aeronautical engineer, NASA astronaut, test pilot, and businessman.
A terrorist bomb destroys Pan Am Flight 103 in mid-air over Scotland, killing all 259 passengers and crew on board and 11 people on the ground [1]
The Declaration and Treaty on the Formation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics officially created the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union.
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", the first full-length animated feature film and the earliest in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, premieres at the Carthay Circle Theatre, Los Angeles
"Wichita Lineman" is a 1968 song written by Jimmy Webb for American country music artist Glen Campbell, who recorded it backed by members of the Wrecking Crew.
First game of basketball, based on rules created by James Naismith, is played by 18 students in Springfield, Massachusetts, celebrated today as World Basketball Day
British explorer Captain James Cook marries Elizabeth Batts
Founder of Girl Scouts of the USA Juliette Gordon Low (26) weds William Mackay Low in Savannah, Georgia
Estelle Gettleman, known professionally as Estelle Getty, was an American actress and comedian.
American "For Whom The Bell Tolls" novelist Ernest Hemingway (46) and American novelist and war correspondent Martha Gellhorn (36) divorce after 5 years of marriage.
"The Lord of The Rings" actor Sean Bean (51) divorces actress Georgina Sutcliffe (32) due to irreconcilable differences after 2 years of marriage
Hurricane hits villages in Holland and Friesland, causing flooding
Mongolian forces take the Russian city of Ryazan after a five-day siege during their invasion of the Rus
Earthquake in England causes Wells' cathedral roof to collapse
Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle (20 August 1517 – 21 September 1586), Comte de La Baume Saint Amour, typically known as Cardinal Granvelle in English, was a Burgundian statesman, made a cardinal, who...
Battle of Curalaba: the Mapuche people led by Pelentaru revolt and inflict a major defeat on Spanish troops in southern Chile
Spanish Queirós Expedition departs Callao, Peru, led by Pedro Fernandes de Queirós in attempt to find Terra Australis (finds instead Espíritu Santo and other Vanuatu islands) [1]
Emperor Quang Trung or Nguyễn Huệ (chữ Hán: 阮惠), also known as Nguyễn Quang Bình (chữ Hán: 阮光平), or Hồ Thơm (chữ Hán: 胡𦹳) was the second emperor of the Tây Sơn dynasty, reigning from 1788 until...
First stone arch railroad bridge in the US is dedicated in Baltimore
The Bay of Islands (Māori: Te Pēwhairangi) is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand.
The Rochdale Pioneers commence business at their cooperative in Rochdale, England, starting the cooperative movement
1st US skating club formed (Philadelphia)
Fetterman Massacre: Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Indians kill all 81 US Army soldiers, the worst military disaster suffered by the U.S. Army on the Great Plains at the time
Pim Mulier 1st & only trip to "Alvesteddetocht"
Gerhart Johann Robert Hauptmann was a German dramatist and novelist. He is counted among the most important promoters of literary naturalism, though he integrated other styles into his work as well.
British Parliament pass two important pieces of social legislation: The Trades Disputes Bill, legalizing peaceful picketing, and The Workingmen's Compensation Act, broadening employers' liability for accidents
Dutch government of De Master falls due to war budget
1st junior high school established (Berkeley California)
Clyde Fitch's play "The City" premieres in NYC
Explosion in coal mine in Hulton England, 344 mine workers dies
First crossword puzzle (with 32 clues) printed in the newspaper New York World
2,800 African miners strike at the Van Rhyn Deep mines in a bid to redress some of their grievances
10.17" (25.83 cm) of rainfall, Glenora, Oregon (state record until 2006)
Red Sox trade Dutch Leonard, Ernie Shore & Duffy Lewis to Yankees for Ray Caldwell & Slim Love, Frank Gilhooey, Al Walters & $15,000
Jerome Kern and Buddy DeSylva's musical "Sally" premieres in NYC
Supreme Court rules Arizona statute protecting labor rights to picket and insulating disputes from court injunctions is unconstitutional
A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state or dependent territory that has willingly given up its foreign policy and international identity to another state for defence,...
"Battleship Potemkin", Soviet silent film directed by Sergei Eisenstein, starring Aleksandr Antonov, Vladimir Barksy and Grigori Aleksandrov, premieres in Moscow
1st group hospital insurance plan offered (Dallas Tx)
Dried human blood serum is first prepared at the University of Pennsylvania
A drop kick is a type of kick in various codes of football. It involves a player intentionally dropping the ball onto the ground and then kicking it either (different sports have different...
US Supreme court declares Nevada separation legal
Martin Whiteford "Mr. Shortstop" Marion (December 1, 1917 – March 15, 2011) was an American Major League Baseball shortstop and manager. Marion played for the St. Louis Cardinals and the St.
Earthquake in South Japan, kills 1,086
Morton Gould's "Minstrel Show" premieres in Indianapolis
Charles Philip Bednarik (May 1, 1925 – March 21, 2015), nicknamed "Concrete Charlie", was an American professional football linebacker and center who played in the National Football League (NFL).
Sua Vida Me Pertence (lit. 'Your Life Belongs To Me') is a Brazilian television series known as the first telenovela produced in the country.
The Broadway Tunnel (officially the Robert C. Levy Tunnel) is a roadway tunnel in San Francisco, California.
KOMU TV channel 8 in Columbia, MO (NBC/PBS) begins broadcasting
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian and Pacific oceans.
10th largest snowfall in NYC history (13.7")
Tom Landry accepts coaching job with Dallas Cowboys (stays until 1988)
Angolin leaves Comecon
David Van Cortlandt Crosby (August 14, 1941 – January 18, 2023) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.
A publican is killed as he tried to remove a bomb from his pub, Northern Ireland
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), also known as the Soviet Union, was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until its dissolution in 1991.
Israel, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, US & USSR meet in Geneva to discuss the Arab-Israeli conflict
1st NY Jet to gain 1,000 yards rushing (John Riggins)
20th Islander shut-out opponent-Billy Smith 3-0 vs Bruins
Kaikoura Lights incident: possible UFO sighting recorded and filmed off the coast of New Zealand's South Island [1]
Garry Unger’s NHL record for consecutive games ends at 914, as his Atlanta Flames lose 5-1 to the St Louis Blues and he is benched by coach Al MacNeil; record eventually broken by Doug Jarvis (964)
Harold Carmichael ends NFL streak of 127 consecutive game receptions
Cincinnati beats Bradley 75-73 in 7 OTs (NCAA record)
NCAA rules rescinded last 2-minute men's basketball free throw rule
Brigham Young University (BYU) beats Michigan, 24-17 in the Holiday Bowl at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego to remain undefeated and secure their first ever NCAA Division I-A football title
ARCO Anchorage runs aground near Port Angeles, WA
3 white NY teens convicted of manslaughter in death of a black man
New Zealand is the first country to set a formal inflation target (0-2%) for how much prices should rise each year. Similar targets are subsequently adopted by most developed countries.
Steve & Mark Waugh complete 464* partnership for NSW v WA
95 share in Madrid Spain $1.3 billion lottery (#47996)
Dutch DC-10 in fire at landing on Faro Portugal, 56 die
"The Sign" is a song by Swedish group Ace of Base from their first North American studio album, The Sign (1993), and their re-released debut studio album, Happy Nation (1992), titled Happy Nation...
Bomb goes off on #4 train on Fulton Street NYC
Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about ten kilometres south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of 28,591 people, as of 2017.
Pakistan all out 67 to lose to Tasmania by an inning
Detroit Lions Barry Sanders is 3rd to run for 2,000 yards in a season
Civil Partnership Act comes into force in the UK, with singer Elton John and David Furnish one of the first couples to form a same-sex civil union
Joseph Steven Sakic born July 7, 1969) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player.
Puzzle Play airs on Network Ten, replacing In the Box
Schengen Agreement area expands to include nine European Union member states: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia at land and sea borders
Rapper Flavor Flav opens Flavor Flav's Chicken & Ribs causal restaurant in Sterling Heights, Michigan - closes July 2013
On December 6, 2017, the United States of America officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital city of the State of Israel.
Governor of California Gavin Newson says there are now no intensive care beds left in Southern California or the San Joaquin Valley
Major breakthrough in development of nuclear fission energy when experiment produces 59 megajoules of energy over five seconds at JET Laboratory, UK (reported Feb 2022) [1]
Caitlin Clark ties Elena Delle Donne as the fastest Division I women's player to reach 2,000 career points in a game for Iowa against Dartmouth
Thomas Becket is born
Benjamin Disraeli is born
Hu Jintao is born
Tim Sweeney, American video game developer, known for american video game developer, was born on 1971-12-21. Timothy Dean Sweeney is an American video game programmer and businessman.
Emmanuel Macron is born
Jane Fonda, American actress and activist, known for american actress and activist, was born on 1938-12-21. Jane Seymour Fonda is an American actress and activist.
Samuel L. Jackson, American actor, known for american actor, was born on 1949-12-21. Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American actor and film producer.
Ray Romano, American comedian and actor, known for american comedian and actor, was born on 1958-12-21. Raymond Albert Romano is an American stand-up comedian and actor.
Kiefer Sutherland, British canadian actor, known for british and canadian actor, was born on 1967-12-21. Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland is a British and Canadian actor.
Dave Kingman, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1949-12-21.
Chris Evert, American athlete, known for american former tennis player, was born on 1955-12-21. Christine Marie Evert is an American former professional tennis player.
Karrie Webb is born
Roger Williams is born
Kurt Waldheim, Austrian diplomat and politician, known for austrian diplomat and politician, was born on 1918-12-21. Kurt Josef Waldheim was an Austrian politician and diplomat.
Florence Griffith Joyner, American track and field hurdle athlete, known for american track and field hurdle athlete, was born on 1959-12-21.
Thomas Becket is born
Hurricane hits villages in Holland and Friesland, causing flooding
Mongolian forces take the Russian city of Ryazan after a five-day siege during their invasion of the Rus
Earthquake in England causes Wells' cathedral roof to collapse
Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle (20 August 1517 – 21 September 1586), Comte de La Baume Saint Amour, typically known as Cardinal Granvelle in English, was a Burgundian statesman, made a cardinal, who...
Battle of Curalaba: the Mapuche people led by Pelentaru revolt and inflict a major defeat on Spanish troops in southern Chile
Roger Williams is born
Spanish Queirós Expedition departs Callao, Peru, led by Pedro Fernandes de Queirós in attempt to find Terra Australis (finds instead Espíritu Santo and other Vanuatu islands) [1]
Mayflower Pilgrims come ashore in Plymouth Bay, traditionally thought to be at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts [OS: Dec 11] [some sources disagree, and OS/NS adds to confusion, could be +/- several days]
British explorer Captain James Cook marries Elizabeth Batts
Emperor Quang Trung or Nguyễn Huệ (chữ Hán: 阮惠), also known as Nguyễn Quang Bình (chữ Hán: 阮光平), or Hồ Thơm (chữ Hán: 胡𦹳) was the second emperor of the Tây Sơn dynasty, reigning from 1788 until...
Benjamin Disraeli is born
First stone arch railroad bridge in the US is dedicated in Baltimore
The Bay of Islands (Māori: Te Pēwhairangi) is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand.
The Rochdale Pioneers commence business at their cooperative in Rochdale, England, starting the cooperative movement
1st US skating club formed (Philadelphia)
Fetterman Massacre: Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Indians kill all 81 US Army soldiers, the worst military disaster suffered by the U.S. Army on the Great Plains at the time
Founder of Girl Scouts of the USA Juliette Gordon Low (26) weds William Mackay Low in Savannah, Georgia
Pim Mulier 1st & only trip to "Alvesteddetocht"
First game of basketball, based on rules created by James Naismith, is played by 18 students in Springfield, Massachusetts, celebrated today as World Basketball Day
Maria Salomea Skłodowska Curie, better known as Marie Curie, was a Polish and naturalised-French physicist and chemist.
Gerhart Johann Robert Hauptmann was a German dramatist and novelist. He is counted among the most important promoters of literary naturalism, though he integrated other styles into his work as well.
British Parliament pass two important pieces of social legislation: The Trades Disputes Bill, legalizing peaceful picketing, and The Workingmen's Compensation Act, broadening employers' liability for accidents
Dutch government of De Master falls due to war budget
1st junior high school established (Berkeley California)
Clyde Fitch's play "The City" premieres in NYC
Explosion in coal mine in Hulton England, 344 mine workers dies
First crossword puzzle (with 32 clues) printed in the newspaper New York World
2,800 African miners strike at the Van Rhyn Deep mines in a bid to redress some of their grievances
10.17" (25.83 cm) of rainfall, Glenora, Oregon (state record until 2006)
Red Sox trade Dutch Leonard, Ernie Shore & Duffy Lewis to Yankees for Ray Caldwell & Slim Love, Frank Gilhooey, Al Walters & $15,000
Kurt Waldheim, Austrian diplomat and politician, known for austrian diplomat and politician, was born on 1918-12-21. Kurt Josef Waldheim was an Austrian politician and diplomat.
Jerome Kern and Buddy DeSylva's musical "Sally" premieres in NYC
Supreme Court rules Arizona statute protecting labor rights to picket and insulating disputes from court injunctions is unconstitutional
A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state or dependent territory that has willingly given up its foreign policy and international identity to another state for defence,...
"Battleship Potemkin", Soviet silent film directed by Sergei Eisenstein, starring Aleksandr Antonov, Vladimir Barksy and Grigori Aleksandrov, premieres in Moscow
1st group hospital insurance plan offered (Dallas Tx)
Dried human blood serum is first prepared at the University of Pennsylvania
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", the first full-length animated feature film and the earliest in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, premieres at the Carthay Circle Theatre, Los Angeles
Frank Kellogg, American lawyer and statesman, known for american lawyer and statesman, died on 1937-12-21.
Jane Fonda, American actress and activist, known for american actress and activist, was born on 1938-12-21. Jane Seymour Fonda is an American actress and activist.
A drop kick is a type of kick in various codes of football. It involves a player intentionally dropping the ball onto the ground and then kicking it either (different sports have different...
US Supreme court declares Nevada separation legal
Hu Jintao is born
Martin Whiteford "Mr. Shortstop" Marion (December 1, 1917 – March 15, 2011) was an American Major League Baseball shortstop and manager. Marion played for the St. Louis Cardinals and the St.
American "For Whom The Bell Tolls" novelist Ernest Hemingway (46) and American novelist and war correspondent Martha Gellhorn (36) divorce after 5 years of marriage.
Earthquake in South Japan, kills 1,086
Morton Gould's "Minstrel Show" premieres in Indianapolis
Estelle Gettleman, known professionally as Estelle Getty, was an American actress and comedian.
Charles Philip Bednarik (May 1, 1925 – March 21, 2015), nicknamed "Concrete Charlie", was an American professional football linebacker and center who played in the National Football League (NFL).
Samuel L. Jackson, American actor, known for american actor, was born on 1949-12-21. Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American actor and film producer.
Dave Kingman, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1949-12-21.
Sua Vida Me Pertence (lit. 'Your Life Belongs To Me') is a Brazilian television series known as the first telenovela produced in the country.
The Broadway Tunnel (officially the Robert C. Levy Tunnel) is a roadway tunnel in San Francisco, California.
KOMU TV channel 8 in Columbia, MO (NBC/PBS) begins broadcasting
Chris Evert, American athlete, known for american former tennis player, was born on 1955-12-21. Christine Marie Evert is an American former professional tennis player.
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian and Pacific oceans.
Ray Romano, American comedian and actor, known for american comedian and actor, was born on 1958-12-21. Raymond Albert Romano is an American stand-up comedian and actor.
10th largest snowfall in NYC history (13.7")
Tom Landry accepts coaching job with Dallas Cowboys (stays until 1988)
Florence Griffith Joyner, American track and field hurdle athlete, known for american track and field hurdle athlete, was born on 1959-12-21.
Angolin leaves Comecon
Kiefer Sutherland, British canadian actor, known for british and canadian actor, was born on 1967-12-21. Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland is a British and Canadian actor.
Frank Frederick Borman II (March 14, 1928 – November 7, 2023) was an American United States Air Force (USAF) colonel, aeronautical engineer, NASA astronaut, test pilot, and businessman.
"Wichita Lineman" is a 1968 song written by Jimmy Webb for American country music artist Glen Campbell, who recorded it backed by members of the Wrecking Crew.
David Van Cortlandt Crosby (August 14, 1941 – January 18, 2023) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.
A publican is killed as he tried to remove a bomb from his pub, Northern Ireland
Tim Sweeney, American video game developer, known for american video game developer, was born on 1971-12-21. Timothy Dean Sweeney is an American video game programmer and businessman.
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), also known as the Soviet Union, was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until its dissolution in 1991.
Israel, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, US & USSR meet in Geneva to discuss the Arab-Israeli conflict
1st NY Jet to gain 1,000 yards rushing (John Riggins)
Karrie Webb is born
20th Islander shut-out opponent-Billy Smith 3-0 vs Bruins
Kaikoura Lights incident: possible UFO sighting recorded and filmed off the coast of New Zealand's South Island [1]
Emmanuel Macron is born
Garry Unger’s NHL record for consecutive games ends at 914, as his Atlanta Flames lose 5-1 to the St Louis Blues and he is benched by coach Al MacNeil; record eventually broken by Doug Jarvis (964)
Harold Carmichael ends NFL streak of 127 consecutive game receptions
Cincinnati beats Bradley 75-73 in 7 OTs (NCAA record)
NCAA rules rescinded last 2-minute men's basketball free throw rule
Brigham Young University (BYU) beats Michigan, 24-17 in the Holiday Bowl at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego to remain undefeated and secure their first ever NCAA Division I-A football title
ARCO Anchorage runs aground near Port Angeles, WA
3 white NY teens convicted of manslaughter in death of a black man
A terrorist bomb destroys Pan Am Flight 103 in mid-air over Scotland, killing all 259 passengers and crew on board and 11 people on the ground [1]
New Zealand is the first country to set a formal inflation target (0-2%) for how much prices should rise each year. Similar targets are subsequently adopted by most developed countries.
Steve & Mark Waugh complete 464* partnership for NSW v WA
The Declaration and Treaty on the Formation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics officially created the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union.
95 share in Madrid Spain $1.3 billion lottery (#47996)
Dutch DC-10 in fire at landing on Faro Portugal, 56 die
"The Sign" is a song by Swedish group Ace of Base from their first North American studio album, The Sign (1993), and their re-released debut studio album, Happy Nation (1992), titled Happy Nation...
Bomb goes off on #4 train on Fulton Street NYC
Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about ten kilometres south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of 28,591 people, as of 2017.
Pakistan all out 67 to lose to Tasmania by an inning
Detroit Lions Barry Sanders is 3rd to run for 2,000 yards in a season
Civil Partnership Act comes into force in the UK, with singer Elton John and David Furnish one of the first couples to form a same-sex civil union
Joseph Steven Sakic born July 7, 1969) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player.
Puzzle Play airs on Network Ten, replacing In the Box
Schengen Agreement area expands to include nine European Union member states: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia at land and sea borders
"The Lord of The Rings" actor Sean Bean (51) divorces actress Georgina Sutcliffe (32) due to irreconcilable differences after 2 years of marriage
Rapper Flavor Flav opens Flavor Flav's Chicken & Ribs causal restaurant in Sterling Heights, Michigan - closes July 2013
On December 6, 2017, the United States of America officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital city of the State of Israel.
Governor of California Gavin Newson says there are now no intensive care beds left in Southern California or the San Joaquin Valley
Major breakthrough in development of nuclear fission energy when experiment produces 59 megajoules of energy over five seconds at JET Laboratory, UK (reported Feb 2022) [1]
Caitlin Clark ties Elena Delle Donne as the fastest Division I women's player to reach 2,000 career points in a game for Iowa against Dartmouth