Discover what happened on April 21 in history, along with notable events that shaped war, aviation, and public health.
What Happened on April 21 in History?
From the start of an international conflict to the fall of a legendary World War I pilot and a modern public health crisis, April 21 highlights moments that left lasting global and local impacts.
APRIL 21 – TODAY IN HISTORY:
1789 – John Adams was sworn in as the first U.S. Vice President.
1850 – Grand Rapids, MI was incorporated as a city (it became a village back in April 1838).
1856 – The Mississippi River was crossed by a rail train for the first time (between Davenport, IA, and Rock Island, IL).
1862 – Congress established the U.S. Mint in Denver, CO.
1865 – President Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train left Washington, DC.
1892 – The first Buffalo was born in Golden Gate Park.
1895 – Woodville Latham and his sons demonstrated their Panopticon. It was the first movie projector developed in the United States.
1898 – The Spanish-American War began.
1918 – German fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen, “The Red Baron,” was shot down and killed during World War I.
1928 – First U.S. Aircraft show featuring 63 different planes shown by 40 manufacturers in Detroit, MI.
1934 – The “Surgeon’s Photograph”, the most famous photo allegedly showing the Loch Ness Monster, was published in the Daily Mail. In 1999, it is revealed to be a hoax.
1952 – Secretary’s Day (now Administrative Professionals’ Day) was first celebrated.
1959 – Alf Dean caught a 16-foot, 10-inch white shark that weighed 2,664 pounds. At the time it was the largest catch with a rod and reel.
1960 – Dick Clark testified before a congressional committee investigating payola. He admitted that he had a financial interest in 27 percent of the records he played on his show in a period of 28 months.
1962 – The Seattle World’s Fair (Century 21 Exposition) opened. It was the first World’s Fair in the U.S. since World War II.
1965 – The 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair opened for its second and final season.
1972 – Apollo 16 astronauts John Young and Charles Duke explored the surface of the moon.
1982 – Rollie Fingers, of the Milwaukee Brewers, became the first pitcher to record 300 saves.
1984 – In France, it was announced that doctors had found virus believed to cause AIDS.
1986 – Geraldo Rivera opened a vault that belonged to Al Capone at the Lexington Hotel in Chicago, IL. Except for a few empty beer bottles, the vault was empty.
1987 – Special occasion stamps were offered for the first time by the Postal Service. “Happy Birthday” and “Get Well” were among the first to be offered.
1989 – The movie “Field of Dreams” premiered in theaters. The film starred Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta and Burt Lancaster (in his final role).
1989 – The Game Boy handheld video game device was released in Japan.
1996 – Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls set an NBA record by winning their 72nd game in a season.
1998 – Astronomers announced in Washington that they had discovered possible signs of a new family of planets orbiting a star 220 light-years away.
1998 – While Bill Gates was demonstrating his new Window 98 computer operating system to a convention group in Chicago, IL, the software crashed.
2000 – North Carolina researchers announced that the heart of a 66 million-year-old dinosaur was more like a mammal or bird than that of a reptile.
2000 – The 1998 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act went into effect.
2009 – UNESCO launched The World Digital Library. The World Digital Library (WDL) is an international digital library operated by UNESCO and the United States Library of Congress.
2014 – Flint, MI switched their water source to the Flint River, beginning the ongoing Flint water crisis which has caused lead poisoning in up to 12,000 people, and 15 deaths from Legionnaires disease, ultimately leading to criminal indictments against 15 people, five of whom have been charged with involuntary manslaughter.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON APRIL 21:
Elaine May – 94 years old (1932) – Actress, comedian, director, and screenwriter
Thomas Kean – 91 years old (1935) – Academic and politician, 48th Governor of New Jersey
Ben Zinn – 89 years old (1937) – Israeli-born American academic and former international soccer player
Sister Helen Prejean – 87 years old (1939) – Nun, activist, and author
Al Bumbry – 79 years old (1947) – Baseball player
Iggy Pop – 79 years old (1947) – Singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
Gary Condit – 78 years old (1948) – Businessman and politician
Patti LuPone – 77 years old (1949) – Actress and singer
Tony Danza – 75 years old (1951) – Actor and producer
Michael Freedman – 75 years old (1951) – Mathematician and academic
Bob Varsha – 75 years old (1951) – Sportscaster
Gerald Early – 74 years old (1952) – Author and academic
James Morrison – 72 years old (1954) – Actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
Phillip Longman – 70 years old (1956) – German-American demographer and journalist
Andie MacDowell – 68 years old (1958) – Model, actress, and producer
Michael Zarnock – 68 years old (1958) – Author
Tim Jacobus – 67 years old (1959) – Illustrator and painter
Fiona Kelleghan – 61 years old (1965) – Academic, critic and librarian
Rob Riggle – 56 years old (1970) – Actor and comedian
Tony Romo – 46 years old (1980) – Football player and announcer
Ricky Berens – 38 years old (1988) – Swimmer
Jencarlos Canela – 38 years old (1988) – Singer-songwriter and actor
Joc Pederson – 34 years old (1992) – Baseball player
Jarrett Allen – 28 years old (1998) – Basketball player
DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR APRIL 21:
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For additional information check out websites like: www.on-this-day.com, www.born-today.com, www.famousbirthdays.com, www.daysoftheyear.com, and www.nationaldaycalendar.com.
