Tag: 2021

31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in December 2021

Posted on by admin

Historical anniversaries are great for “On This Day in History” features and anniversary tie-ins. They’re popular with readers and viewers, editors and producers love them, they’re easy to research, and you can easily turn them into newspaper and magazine articles, films, TV/radio/theatre shows, and more.

Here are 31 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in December 2021 (so you have time to write about them!)

We’ve randomly picked one anniversary for each day of the month from The Date-A-Base Book 2021. You’ll find hundreds more in the book. The 2022 and 2023 editions are also available if you work further ahead.

1 Dec 1971 – 50 years ago
Project Gutenberg was founded. The volunteer organisation digitises out-of-print books and makes them available to the public at little or no cost.

2 Dec 1971 – 50 years ago
The United Arab Emirates was founded.

3 Dec 1896 – 125 years ago
The Tabulating Machine Company was founded by American inventor Herman Hollerith. The company was the predecessor of International Business Machines (IBM).

4 Dec 1961 – 60 years ago
Birth control pills became available on the NHS in Britain.

5 Dec 1996 – 25 years ago
General Motors released the EV1 electric car. It was the first modern electric car from a major manufacturer. It was only available to lease, not to buy. 1,117 cars were produced. Production ceased – somewhat controversially – in 1999, mainly because of its limited range.

6 Dec 1921 – 100 years ago
The Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed in London. It ended the Irish War of Independence and established the Irish Free State (with effect from 6th December 1922).

7 Dec 1941 – 80 years ago
World War II – the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Japan launched a surprise bomb attack on Pearl Harbor and other U.S. bases in the Pacific, and declared war on the USA, UK and the British dominions. Canada declared war on Japan. The USA, UK, Netherlands, New Zealand and other countries declared war on Japan the following day. The War in Europe had now became a World War.

8 Dec 1941 to 8 May 1942 – 80 years ago
World War II: the Philippines Campaign.
Japan invaded the Philippines, which was defended by Filipino and US forces.
Japanese victory.

9 Dec 1921 – 100 years ago
The invention of leaded petrol (gasoline).
Thomas Midgeley, Jr., an engineer at General Motors in the USA, discovered that adding tetraethyl lead (TEL) to petrol eliminated knocking noises in engines. Leaded petrol was later phased out and banned as it is harmful to human health.
Midgeley also famously invented CFCs for refrigerators. These were also later banned because they contributed to ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere.

10 Dec 1896 – 125 years ago
Death of Alfred Nobel, Swedish chemist, engineer, industrialist and philanthropist. Best known for inventing dynamite and for bequeathing his fortune to establish the Nobel Prize. The chemical element nobelium (No, atomic number 102) was named in his honour.

11 Dec 1946 – 75 years ago
UNICEF, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, was established.

12 Dec 1941 – 80 years ago
Holocaust: German leader Adolf Hitler announced his plan to the exterminate the Jews at a meeting with senior Nazi Party officials at the Reich Chancellery in Berlin.

13 Dec 1721 – 300 years ago
Death of Alexander Selkirk, Scottish sailor and privateer. He spent more than 4 years marooned on an uninhabited island in the South Pacific and was the inspiration for Daniel Defoe’s character Robinson Crusoe.

14 Dec 1896 – 125 years ago
The Glasgow Subway opened in Scotland. It was the world’s third underground metropolitan railway system.

15 Dec 1981 – 40 years ago
Iraqi embassy bombing, Beirut, Lebanon. A suicide car bomb destroyed the embassy and killed 61 people, including the Iraqi Ambassador to Lebanon. This attack is considered the first modern suicide bombing.

16 Dec 1971 – 50 years ago
The Bangladesh Liberation War ended. Bangladeshi victory. East Pakistan gained its independence from Pakistan as the new nation of Bangladesh.

17 Dec 1971 – 50 years ago
The 7th James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever, was released in the USA. (UK: 30th December.)

18 Dec 1946 – 75 years ago
Birth of Steve Biko, South African anti-apartheid activist. Founder of the Black Consciousness Movement. (Beaten to death by state security officers in 1977, aged 30.)

19 Dec 1946 to 1 Aug 1954 – 75 years ago
The First Indochina war (also called the French Indochina War). The Vietnamese fought the French, who opposed Vietnamese independence. Việt Minh victory, resulting in the partition of Vietnam into north and south.

20 Dec 1946 – 75 years ago
The U.S. première of Frank Capra’s Christmas fantasy film It’s a Wonderful Life. (Released: 7th January 1947. UK première: 6th April 1947.)

21 Dec 1846 – 175 years ago
The first surgical operation in Europe using anaesthesia (ether). Surgeon Robert Liston amputated a servant’s leg at University College Hospital in London. (The first surgical operation in the USA that used ether was in October 1846.)

22 Dec 2001 – 20 years ago
British terrorist Richard Reid (the ‘shoe bomber’) attempted to blow up a transatlantic flight from Paris to Miami using explosives hidden in his shoes. A US court sentenced him to life imprisonment in January 2003.

23 Dec 1946 – 75 years ago
Birth of John Sullivan, British screenwriter and television producer. Best known for his TV sitcoms including Only Fools and Horses, Citizen Smith, Just Good Friends, Dear John, The Green Green Grass, and more. (Died 2011.)

24 Dec 1871 – 150 years ago
The world première of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Aida, in Cairo, Egypt.

25 Dec 1821 – 200 years ago
Birth of Clara Barton, American nurse and humanitarian who founded the American Red Cross.

26 Dec 1991 – 30 years ago
The Soviet Union was officially dissolved. The 12 remaining Soviet republics became independent states.

27 Dec 1996 – 25 years ago
The first genocide trial began in Rwanda following the 1994 civil war in which 800,000 people were killed.

28 Dec 1846 – 175 years ago
Iowa was admitted as the 29th state of the USA.

29 Dec 1721 – 300 years ago
Birth of Madame de Pompadour, chief mistress of Louis XV, King of France.

30 Dec 2006 – 15 years ago
Death of Saddam Hussein, President/dictator of Iraq (1979–2003). (Executed for war crimes.)

31 Dec 1951 – 70 years ago
The Marshall Plan ended. It was set up by the USA after WWII to help rebuild Europe, and distributed $13 billion in foreign aid. By the time it ended, the economies of all participating countries had surpassed their pre-war levels. (It was replaced by the Mutual Security Agency, established on 10th October 1951.)

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2021. The 2022 and 2023 editions are also available if you work further ahead. The 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions will be released later this year. Find out more at ideas4writers.com.

Share this:

31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in December 2021 (U.S. edition)

Posted on by admin

Historical anniversaries are great for “On This Day in History” features and anniversary tie-ins. They’re popular with readers and viewers, editors and producers love them, they’re easy to research, and you can easily turn them into newspaper and magazine articles, movies, TV/radio/theater shows, and more.

Here are 31 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in December 2021 (so you have time to write about them!)

We’ve randomly picked one anniversary for each day of the month from The Date-A-Base Book 2021. You’ll find hundreds more in the book. The 2022 and 2023 editions are also available if you work further ahead.

Dec 1, 1971 – 50 years ago
Project Gutenberg was founded. The volunteer organization digitizes out-of-print books and makes them available to the public at little or no cost.

Dec 2, 1971 – 50 years ago
The United Arab Emirates was founded.

Dec 3, 1896 – 125 years ago
The Tabulating Machine Company was founded by American inventor Herman Hollerith. The company was the predecessor of International Business Machines (IBM).

Dec 4, 1961 – 60 years ago
Birth control pills became available on the NHS in Britain.

Dec 5, 1996 – 25 years ago
General Motors released the EV1 electric car. It was the first modern electric car from a major manufacturer. It was only available to lease, not to buy. 1,117 cars were produced. Production ceased – somewhat controversially – in 1999, mainly because of its limited range.

Dec 6, 1921 – 100 years ago
The Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed in London. It ended the Irish War of Independence and established the Irish Free State (with effect from December 6, 1922).

Dec 7, 1941 – 80 years ago
World War II – the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Japan launched a surprise bomb attack on Pearl Harbor and other U.S. bases in the Pacific, and declared war on the USA, UK and the British dominions. Canada declared war on Japan. The USA, UK, Netherlands, New Zealand and other countries declared war on Japan the following day. The War in Europe had now became a World War.

Dec 8, 1941 to May 8, 1942 – 80 years ago
World War II: the Philippines Campaign.
Japan invaded the Philippines, which was defended by Filipino and US forces.
Japanese victory.

Dec 9, 1921 – 100 years ago
The invention of leaded gasoline.
Thomas Midgeley, Jr., an engineer at General Motors in the USA, discovered that adding tetraethyl lead (TEL) to gasoline eliminated knocking noises in engines. Leaded gas was later phased out and banned as it is harmful to human health.
Midgeley also famously invented CFCs for refrigerators. These were also later banned because they contributed to ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere.

Dec 10, 1896 – 125 years ago
Death of Alfred Nobel, Swedish chemist, engineer, industrialist and philanthropist. Best known for inventing dynamite and for bequeathing his fortune to establish the Nobel Prize. The chemical element nobelium (No, atomic number 102) was named in his honor.

Dec 11, 1946 – 75 years ago
UNICEF, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, was established.

Dec 12, 1941 – 80 years ago
Holocaust: German leader Adolf Hitler announced his plan to the exterminate the Jews at a meeting with senior Nazi Party officials at the Reich Chancellery in Berlin.

Dec 13, 1721 – 300 years ago
Death of Alexander Selkirk, Scottish sailor and privateer. He spent more than 4 years marooned on an uninhabited island in the South Pacific and was the inspiration for Daniel Defoe’s character Robinson Crusoe.

Dec 14, 1896 – 125 years ago
The Glasgow Subway opened in Scotland. It was the world’s third underground metropolitan railway system.

Dec 15, 1981 – 40 years ago
Iraqi embassy bombing, Beirut, Lebanon. A suicide car bomb destroyed the embassy and killed 61 people, including the Iraqi Ambassador to Lebanon. This attack is considered the first modern suicide bombing.

Dec 16, 1971 – 50 years ago
The Bangladesh Liberation War ended. Bangladeshi victory. East Pakistan gained its independence from Pakistan as the new nation of Bangladesh.

Dec 17, 1971 – 50 years ago
The 7th James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever, was released in the USA. (UK: December 30th.)

Dec 18, 1946 – 75 years ago
Birth of Steve Biko, South African anti-apartheid activist. Founder of the Black Consciousness Movement. (Beaten to death by state security officers in 1977, aged 30.)

Dec 19, 1946 to Aug 1, 1954 – 75 years ago
The First Indochina war (also called the French Indochina War). The Vietnamese fought the French, who opposed Vietnamese independence. Việt Minh victory, resulting in the partition of Vietnam into north and south.

Dec 20, 1946 – 75 years ago
The U.S. premiere of Frank Capra’s Christmas fantasy film It’s a Wonderful Life.
(Released: January 7, 1947. UK premiere: April 6, 1947.)

Dec 21, 1846 – 175 years ago
The first surgical operation in Europe using anesthesia (ether). Surgeon Robert Liston amputated a servant’s leg at University College Hospital in London. (The first surgical operation in the USA that used ether was in October 1846.)

Dec 22, 2001 – 20 years ago
British terrorist Richard Reid (the “shoe bomber”) attempted to blow up a transatlantic flight from Paris to Miami using explosives hidden in his shoes. A U.S. court sentenced him to life imprisonment in January 2003.

Dec 23, 1946 – 75 years ago
Birth of John Sullivan, British screenwriter and television producer. Best known for his TV sitcoms including Only Fools and Horses, Citizen Smith, Just Good Friends, Dear John, The Green Green Grass, and more. (Died 2011.)

Dec 24, 1871 – 150 years ago
The world premiere of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Aida, in Cairo, Egypt.

Dec 25, 1821 – 200 years ago
Birth of Clara Barton, American nurse and humanitarian who founded the American Red Cross.

Dec 26, 1991 – 30 years ago
The Soviet Union was officially dissolved. The 12 remaining Soviet republics became independent states.

Dec 27, 1996 – 25 years ago
The first genocide trial began in Rwanda following the 1994 civil war in which 800,000 people were killed.

Dec 28, 1846 – 175 years ago
Iowa was admitted as the 29th state of the USA.

Dec 29, 1721 – 300 years ago
Birth of Madame de Pompadour, chief mistress of Louis XV, King of France.

Dec 30, 2006 – 15 years ago
Death of Saddam Hussein, President/dictator of Iraq (1979–2003). (Executed for war crimes.)

Dec 31, 1951 – 70 years ago
The Marshall Plan ended. It was set up by the USA after WWII to help rebuild Europe, and distributed $13 billion in foreign aid. By the time it ended, the economies of all participating countries had surpassed their pre-war levels. (It was replaced by the Mutual Security Agency, established on October 10, 1951.)

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2021. The 2022 and 2023 editions are also available if you work further ahead. The 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions will be released later this year. Find out more at ideas4writers.com.

Share this:

30 newsworthy historical anniversaries in November 2021

Posted on by admin

Historical anniversaries are great for “On This Day in History” features and anniversary tie-ins. They’re popular with readers and viewers, editors and producers love them, they’re easy to research, and you can easily turn them into newspaper and magazine articles, films, TV/radio/theatre shows, and more.

Here are 30 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in November 2021 (so you have time to write about them!)

We’ve randomly picked one anniversary for each day of the month from The Date-A-Base Book 2021. You’ll find hundreds more in the book. The 2022 and 2023 editions are also available if you work further ahead.

1 Nov 1996 – 25 years ago
The first DVD players and disks were released in Japan.
(USA: 26th March 1997. Europe: March 1998).

2 Nov 1961 – 60 years ago
Death of James Thurber, American writer, cartoonist and humourist.

3 Nov 1921 – 100 years ago
Birth of Charles Bronson, American film actor. Best known for his tough-guy roles (The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, The Dirty Dozen, Death Wish, and more).
(Died 2003.)

4 Nov 1921 – 100 years ago
The Sturmabteilung (SA) (also known as ‘Stormtroopers’ or ‘Brownshirts’) was established as a paramilitary organisation within the Nazi Party in Germany following a riot.

5 Nov 1271 – 800 years ago
The Yuan dynasty was proclaimed in China by Kublai Khan. It ruled China until the Ming dynasty was proclaimed in 1368.

6 Nov 1991 – 30 years ago
Gulf War: the last oil well fire in Kuwait was extinguished and capped. Iraqi forces had set fire to 732 oil wells between January and February 1991.

7 Nov 1996 – 25 years ago
NASA launched its Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. It examined and mapped the entire surface and atmosphere of Mars. It operated until 2006.

8 Nov 1991 – 30 years ago
The first Turing Test competition (the Loebner Prize) was held at The Computer Museum in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The annual test aims to demonstrate artificial intelligence. A judge holds simultaneous text-based conversations with a human and a computer. If he cannot tell which is the human and which is the computer, the prize is awarded. At the time of writing, no computer had yet won the prize.

9 Nov 1921 – 100 years ago
The National Fascist Party was founded in Italy by Benito Mussolini. The party ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943.

10 Nov 1871 – 150 years ago
Welsh journalist and explorer Henry Morton Stanley located the missing missionary and explorer Dr David Livingstone near Lake Tanganyika in present-day Tanzania. He might or might not have greeted him with the words ‘Doctor Livingstone, I presume?’

11 Nov 1921 – 100 years ago
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was dedicated in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, USA. An unknown soldier was interred in the tomb. He was randomly chosen from those killed on the Western Front in France during WWI.

12 Nov 1921 – 100 years ago
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America was founded (as the American Birth Control League) when the National Birth Control League merged with the Voluntary Parenthood League.

13 Nov 1956 – 65 years ago
Montgomery bus boycott, Alabama, USA. The U.S. Supreme Court declared that Alabama’s laws requiring the segregation of races on buses was unconstitutional, upholding the ruling made by a federal district court in Alabama in April (Browder v. Gayle). The boycott ended on 20th December.

14 Nov 1896 – 125 years ago
The Locomotives on Highways Act 1896 came into effect in the UK. It raised the speed limit for motor vehicles from 4 mph to 14 mph.

15 Nov 1971 – 50 years ago
Intel released its 4004 microprocessor, It was the first single-chip microprocessor be sold commercially.

16 Nov 1821 – 200 years ago
American trader William Becknell of Missouri arrived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, establishing what would become known as the Santa Fe Trail. The trail was a major transportation route through central North America until the arrival of the railway in 1880.

–

18 Nov 1996 – 25 years ago
Channel Tunnel fire. A truck caught fire while on board a Heavy Goods Vehicle shuttle travelling through the tunnel. Considerable damage was caused and the tunnel was closed for 6 months for repairs. (There was another serious fire in September 2008, and part of one of the tunnels was closed for 5 months.)

19 Nov 1961 – 60 years ago
Michael Rockefeller, the 23-year-old son of the Governor of New York (and later US Vice President) Nelson Rockefeller, disappeared in Papua New Guinea. There are unconfirmed reports that he was killed by natives when he swam ashore at their village. His body has never been found.

20 Nov 2001 – 20 years ago
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first contraceptive patch, Ortho Evra. It went on sale in April 2002.

21 Nov 1941 – 80 years ago
The first episode of the blues music radio show King Biscuit Time was broadcast in the USA. It is the longest-running daily radio show in the USA.

22 Nov 1946 – 75 years ago
The first Biro ballpoint pens went on sale in the UK.

23 Nov 1921 – 100 years ago
U.S. President Warren Harding signed the Willis Campell Act (commonly known as the Anti-beer Act). It banned doctors from prescribing alcoholic drinks for medicinal purposes, which was a loophole in the Prohibition law.

24 Nov 1971 – 50 years ago
A man using the alias Dan Cooper (known in the media as D. B. Cooper) hijacked a Northwest Orient Airlines plane flying between Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, USA. After extorting a $200,000 ransom he parachuted from the plane. He has never been located or formally identified and his fate is unknown.

25 Nov 1846 – 175 years ago
Birth of Carrie Nation, radical member of the American temperance movement. Noted for attacking taverns with a hatchet. She also opposed tight clothing for women.

26 Nov 1931 – 90 years ago
American physical chemist Harold Urey discovered the isotope deuterium (also known as heavy hydrogen). He received the 1934 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discovery.

27 Nov 1921 – 100 years ago
Birth of Alexander Dubček, leader of Czechoslovakia (1968–69). He lifted censorship and introduced liberalisation, but this ended when Warsaw Pact countries invaded Czechoslovakia in August 1968. He was forced to resign a few months later.

28 Nov 1821 – 200 years ago
Panama declared its independence from Spain. It became part of Gran Colombia in December.

29 Nov 1951 – 70 years ago
The world’s first business computer, the LEO I (Lyons Electronic Office), went into service, running business applications for J. Lyons & Co.
(In 1954 Lyons formed LEO Computers and marketed the computer to other companies. LEO Computers later became part of ICL and then Fujitsu.)

30 Nov 1931 – 90 years ago
The Crystal Palace in London was destroyed by fire.

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2021. The 2022 and 2023 editions are also available if you need to work further ahead. The 2024 edition will be released later this year. Find out more at ideas4writers.com.

Share this:

30 newsworthy historical anniversaries in November 2021 (U.S. Edition)

Posted on by admin

Historical anniversaries are great for “On This Day in History” features and anniversary tie-ins. They’re popular with readers and viewers, editors and producers love them, they’re easy to research, and you can easily turn them into newspaper and magazine articles, films, TV/radio/theater shows, and more.

Here are 30 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in November 2021 (so you have time to write about them!)

We’ve randomly picked one anniversary for each day of the month from The Date-A-Base Book 2021. You’ll find hundreds more in the book. The 2022 and 2023 editions are also available if you work further ahead.

Nov 1, 1996 – 25 years ago
The first DVD players and disks were released in Japan.
(USA: March 26, 1997. Europe: March 1998).

Nov 2, 1961 – 60 years ago
Death of James Thurber, American writer, cartoonist and humorist.

Nov 3, 1921 – 100 years ago
Birth of Charles Bronson, American film actor. Best known for his tough-guy roles (The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, The Dirty Dozen, Death Wish, and more).
(Died 2003.)

Nov 4, 1921 – 100 years ago
The Sturmabteilung (SA) (also known as “Stormtroopers” or “Brownshirts”) was established as a paramilitary organisation within the Nazi Party in Germany following a riot.

Nov 5, 1271 – 800 years ago
The Yuan dynasty was proclaimed in China by Kublai Khan. It ruled China until the Ming dynasty was proclaimed in 1368.

Nov 6, 1991 – 30 years ago
Gulf War: the last oil well fire in Kuwait was extinguished and capped. Iraqi forces had set fire to 732 oil wells between January and February 1991.

Nov 7, 1996 – 25 years ago
NASA launched its Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. It examined and mapped the entire surface and atmosphere of Mars. It operated until 2006.

Nov 8, 1991 – 30 years ago
The first Turing Test competition (the Loebner Prize) was held at The Computer Museum in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The annual test aims to demonstrate artificial intelligence. A judge holds simultaneous text-based conversations with a human and a computer. If he cannot tell which is the human and which is the computer, the prize is awarded. At the time of writing, no computer had yet won the prize.

Nov 9, 1921 – 100 years ago
The National Fascist Party was founded in Italy by Benito Mussolini. The party ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943.

Nov 10, 1871 – 150 years ago
Welsh journalist and explorer Henry Morton Stanley located the missing missionary and explorer Dr. David Livingstone near Lake Tanganyika in present-day Tanzania. He might or might not have greeted him with the words “Doctor Livingstone, I presume?”

Nov 11, 1921 – 100 years ago
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was dedicated in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, USA. An unknown soldier was interred in the tomb. He was randomly chosen from those killed on the Western Front in France during WWI.

Nov 12, 1921 – 100 years ago
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America was founded (as the American Birth Control League) when the National Birth Control League merged with the Voluntary Parenthood League.

Nov 13, 1956 – 65 years ago
Montgomery bus boycott, Alabama, USA. The U.S. Supreme Court declared that Alabama’s laws requiring the segregation of races on buses was unconstitutional, upholding the ruling made by a federal district court in Alabama in April (Browder v. Gayle). The boycott ended on December 20th.

Nov 14, 1896 – 125 years ago
The Locomotives on Highways Act 1896 came into effect in the UK. It raised the speed limit for motor vehicles from 4 mph to 14 mph.

Nov 15, 1971 – 50 years ago
Intel released its 4004 microprocessor, It was the first single-chip microprocessor be sold commercially.

Nov 16, 1821 – 200 years ago
American trader William Becknell of Missouri arrived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, establishing what would become known as the Santa Fe Trail. The trail was a major transportation route through central North America until the arrival of the railway in 1880.

–

Nov 18, 1996 – 25 years ago
English Channel Tunnel fire. A truck caught fire while on board a Heavy Goods Vehicle shuttle travelling through the tunnel. Considerable damage was caused and the tunnel was closed for 6 months for repairs. (There was another serious fire in September 2008, and part of one of the tunnels was closed for 5 months.)

Nov 19, 1961 – 60 years ago
Michael Rockefeller, the 23-year-old son of the Governor of New York (and later U.S. Vice President) Nelson Rockefeller, disappeared in Papua New Guinea. There are unconfirmed reports that he was killed by natives when he swam ashore at their village. His body has never been found.

Nov 20, 2001 – 20 years ago
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first contraceptive patch, Ortho Evra. It went on sale in April 2002.

Nov 21, 1941 – 80 years ago
The first episode of the blues music radio show King Biscuit Time was broadcast in the USA. It is the longest-running daily radio show in the USA.

Nov 22, 1946 – 75 years ago
The first Biro ballpoint pens went on sale in the UK.

Nov 23, 1921 – 100 years ago
U.S. President Warren Harding signed the Willis Campell Act (commonly known as the Anti-beer Act). It banned doctors from prescribing alcoholic drinks for medicinal purposes, which was a loophole in the Prohibition law.

Nov 24, 1971 – 50 years ago
A man using the alias Dan Cooper (known in the media as D. B. Cooper) hijacked a Northwest Orient Airlines plane flying between Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, USA. After extorting a $200,000 ransom he parachuted from the plane. He has never been located or formally identified and his fate is unknown.

Nov 25, 1846 – 175 years ago
Birth of Carrie Nation, radical member of the American temperance movement. Noted for attacking taverns with a hatchet. She also opposed tight clothing for women.

Nov 26, 1931 – 90 years ago
American physical chemist Harold Urey discovered the isotope deuterium (also known as heavy hydrogen). He received the 1934 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discovery.

Nov 27, 1921 – 100 years ago
Birth of Alexander Dubček, leader of Czechoslovakia (1968–69). He lifted censorship and introduced liberalization, but this ended when Warsaw Pact countries invaded Czechoslovakia in August 1968. He was forced to resign a few months later.

Nov 28, 1821 – 200 years ago
Panama declared its independence from Spain. It became part of Gran Colombia in December.

Nov 29, 1951 – 70 years ago
The world’s first business computer, the LEO I (Lyons Electronic Office), went into service, running business applications for J. Lyons & Co. in the UK.
(In 1954 Lyons formed LEO Computers and marketed the computer to other companies. LEO Computers later became part of ICL and then Fujitsu.)

Nov 30, 1931 – 90 years ago
The Crystal Palace in London was destroyed by fire.

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2021. The 2022 and 2023 editions are also available if you need to work further ahead. The 2024 edition will be released later this year. Find out more at ideas4writers.com.

Share this:

31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in October 2021

Posted on by admin

Historical anniversaries are great for “On This Day in History” features and anniversary tie-ins. They’re popular with readers and viewers, editors and producers love them, they’re easy to research, and you can easily turn them into newspaper and magazine articles, films, TV/radio/theatre shows, and more.

Here are 31 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in October 2021 (so you have time to write about them!)

We’ve randomly picked one anniversary for each day of the month from The Date-A-Base Book 2021. You’ll find hundreds more in the book. The 2022 edition is also available, and the 2023 edition will be out very soon.

1 Oct 1946 – 75 years ago
Mensa International, the high IQ society, was founded.

2 Oct 1941 to to 7 Jan 1942 – 80 years ago
World War II: the Battle of Moscow, Soviet Union (also known as Operation Typhoon). Nazi Germany launched a massive (but ultimately unsuccessful) offensive against the Soviet capital. It was one of the largest and most important battles of the war. Soviet victory.

3 Oct 1896 – 125 years ago
Death of William Morris, British textile designer, poet, novelist and socialist. Best known for his association with the Arts and Crafts Movement. He also helped establish the modern fantasy fiction genre, and propagated the early socialist movement.

4 Oct 1821 – 200 years ago
Death of John Rennie the Elder, Scottish civil engineer who designed many notable bridges, canals and docks.

5 Oct 1921 – 100 years ago
International PEN, an organisation of writers, poets and editors, was founded in London.

6 Oct 1961 – 60 years ago
Cold War: US President John F. Kennedy advised Americans to build bomb shelters to protect themselves from nuclear fallout in the event of an attack by the Soviet Union.

7 Oct 1996 – 25 years ago
The IRA exploded 2 car bombs at the British Army’s headquarters in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. 1 person was killed and 31 injured.

8 to 10 Oct 1871 – 150 years ago
The Great Chicago Fire, Illinois, USA. A fire in a barn quickly spread following a long period of hot, dry weather. About 300 people were killed, over 3 square miles of the city was destroyed, and around 100,000 people made homeless. There were four large fires in the Mid-West around this time, including the Chicago Fire, the Holland Fire and the Manistee Fire in Michigan, and the Peshtigo forest fire in Wisconsin that killed between 1,500 and 2,500 people – the deadliest wildfire in US history.

9 Oct 1981 – 40 years ago
Capital punishment was abolished in France. It was the last Western European country that had allowed it. It has since been abolished in all European countries except Belarus. (Russia has not officially abolished it, but suspended it indefinitely in 1996.)

10 Oct 1971 – 50 years ago
London Bridge was officially opened in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, USA. It was purchased from the UK by Robert P. McCulloch in 1968, then dismantled, shipped to the USA, and rebuilt as a tourist attraction.

11 Oct 1521 – 500 years ago
Pope Leo X granted the title “Defender of the Faith” to King Henry VIII of England and Ireland. It recognised the King’s defence of the sacrament of marriage, the supremacy of the Pope, and his opposition to the Protestant Reformation and the ideas of Martin Luther. The title has been inherited by all English and British monarchs since then.

12 Oct 1971 – 50 years ago
Death of Gene Vincent, pioneering American rockabilly and rock and roll singer. Best known for the song Be-Bop-A-Lula.

13 Oct 1921 – 100 years ago
The Treaty of Kars was signed in Turkey. It established the borders between Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

14 Oct 1951 – 70 years ago
The Organization of Central American States was established.

15 Oct 1951 – 70 years ago
The first episode of the TV sitcom I Love Lucy was broadcast on CBS in the USA.

16 Oct 1996 – 25 years ago
More than 80 football fans were killed and 150 injured in a stampede/crush at the Mateo Flores Stadium in Guatemala City. Authorities had allowed in thousands more people than the stadium could handle.

17 Oct 1771 – 250 years ago
The première of Mozart’s pastoral opera Ascanio in Alba, in Milan, Italy. Mozart was aged 15.

18 Oct 1871 – 150 years ago
Death of Charles Babbage, British mathematician and engineer who invented the first mechanical computer and originated the concept of a programmable digital computer. Sometimes regarded as the “father of the computer”. Known for his difference engine and analytical engine.

19 Oct 1921 – 100 years ago
Portuguese Prime Minister António Granjo and several other politicians were assassinated in Lisbon in a revolt known as the “Bloody Night”.

20 Oct 1946 – 75 years ago
The puppet character Muffin the Mule made his first television appearance on the BBC show For the Children.

21 or 30 Oct 1921 – 100 years ago
The US première of the silent romantic drama film The Sheik, starring Rudolph Valentino. (Released: 20th November.)

22 Oct 1721 – 300 years ago
Peter I (Peter the Great), the Tsar of Russia, was proclaimed Emperor of All Russia.

23 Oct 1941 – 80 years ago
The US première of Walt Disney’s animated film Dumbo. (UK: 8th February 1942.)

24 Oct 1821 – 200 years ago
Death of Elias Boudinot, President of the Confederation Congress (1782-83), US Congressman (1789-95), Director of the US Mint (1795-1805).

25 Oct 1971 – 50 years ago
Taiwan, governed by the Republic of China, was expelled from the United Nations and the People’s Republic of China was installed in its place.

26 Oct 2001 – 20 years ago
The USA Patriot Act was signed into law in the USA. (Its name stands for: Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism.

27 Oct 1946 – 75 years ago
The French Fourth Republic was established. The current French Fifth Republic was established in October 1958.

28 Oct 1846 – 175 years ago
Birth of (Georges) Auguste Escoffier, French chef, restaurateur and food writer. France’s leading chef of the early 20th century – known as “the king of chefs and chef of kings” by the press.

29 Oct to 7 Nov 1956 – 65 years ago
Suez Crisis. Israel invaded Egypt in an attempt to regain Western control of the Suez Canal and remove President Gamal Abdel Nasser from power. Britain and France joined the invasion but were forced to withdraw by the United Nations, USA and USSR, leaving Sinai under Israeli occupation until March 1957. British Prime Minister Anthony Eden resigned (in January 1957).

30 Oct 1961 – 60 years ago
The Soviet Union exploded the Tsar Bomba, a 57-megaton hydrogen bomb, in a test at Novaya Zemlya in the Arctic Ocean. It is currently the largest nuclear weapon ever built.

31 Oct 1971 – 50 years ago
An IRA bomb exploded near the top of the Post Office Tower (now the BT Tower) in London, causing extensive damage.

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2021. The 2022 edition is also available if you need to work further ahead, and we’re just putting the finishing touches to the 2023 edition. Find out more at ideas4writers.com.

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31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in October 2021 (U.S. Edition)

Posted on by admin

Historical anniversaries are great for “On This Day in History” features and anniversary tie-ins. They’re popular with readers and viewers, editors and producers love them, they’re easy to research, and you can easily turn them into newspaper and magazine articles, films, TV/radio/theatre shows, and more.

Here are 31 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in October 2021 (so you have time to write about them!)

We’ve randomly picked one anniversary for each day of the month from The Date-A-Base Book 2021. You’ll find hundreds more in the book. The 2022 edition is also available, and the 2023 edition will be out very soon.

Oct 1, 1946 – 75 years ago
Mensa International, the high IQ society, was founded.

Oct 2, 1941 to to Jan 7, 1942 – 80 years ago
World War II: the Battle of Moscow, Soviet Union (also known as Operation Typhoon). Nazi Germany launched a massive (but ultimately unsuccessful) offensive against the Soviet capital. It was one of the largest and most important battles of the war. Soviet victory.

Oct 3, 1896 – 125 years ago
Death of William Morris, British textile designer, poet, novelist and socialist. Best known for his association with the Arts and Crafts Movement. He also helped establish the modern fantasy fiction genre, and propagated the early socialist movement.

Oct 4, 1821 – 200 years ago
Death of John Rennie the Elder, Scottish civil engineer who designed many notable bridges, canals and docks.

Oct 5, 1921 – 100 years ago
International PEN, an organization of writers, poets and editors, was founded in London.

Oct 6, 1961 – 60 years ago
Cold War: US President John F. Kennedy advised Americans to build bomb shelters to protect themselves from nuclear fallout in the event of an attack by the Soviet Union.

Oct 7, 1996 – 25 years ago
The IRA exploded 2 car bombs at the British Army’s headquarters in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. 1 person was killed and 31 injured.

Oct 8 to 10, 1871 – 150 years ago
The Great Chicago Fire, Illinois, USA. A fire in a barn quickly spread following a long period of hot, dry weather. About 300 people were killed, over 3 square miles of the city was destroyed, and around 100,000 people made homeless. There were four large fires in the Mid-West around this time, including the Chicago Fire, the Holland Fire and the Manistee Fire in Michigan, and the Peshtigo forest fire in Wisconsin that killed between 1,500 and 2,500 people – the deadliest wildfire in US history.

Oct 9, 1981 – 40 years ago
Capital punishment was abolished in France. It was the last Western European country that had allowed it. It has since been abolished in all European countries except Belarus. (Russia has not officially abolished it, but suspended it indefinitely in 1996.)

Oct 10, 1971 – 50 years ago
London Bridge was officially opened in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, USA. It was purchased from the UK by Robert P. McCulloch in 1968, then dismantled, shipped to the USA, and rebuilt as a tourist attraction.

Oct 11, 1521 – 500 years ago
Pope Leo X granted the title “Defender of the Faith” to King Henry VIII of England and Ireland. It recognised the King’s defence of the sacrament of marriage, the supremacy of the Pope, and his opposition to the Protestant Reformation and the ideas of Martin Luther. The title has been inherited by all English and British monarchs since then.

Oct 12, 1971 – 50 years ago
Death of Gene Vincent, pioneering American rockabilly and rock and roll singer. Best known for the song Be-Bop-A-Lula.

Oct 13, 1921 – 100 years ago
The Treaty of Kars was signed in Turkey. It established the borders between Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Oct 14, 1951 – 70 years ago
The Organization of Central American States was established.

Oct 15, 1951 – 70 years ago
The first episode of the TV sitcom I Love Lucy was broadcast on CBS in the USA.

Oct 16, 1996 – 25 years ago
More than 80 football fans were killed and 150 injured in a stampede/crush at the Mateo Flores Stadium in Guatemala City. Authorities had allowed in thousands more people than the stadium could handle.

Oct 17, 1771 – 250 years ago
The première of Mozart’s pastoral opera Ascanio in Alba, in Milan, Italy. Mozart was aged 15.

Oct 18, 1871 – 150 years ago
Death of Charles Babbage, British mathematician and engineer who invented the first mechanical computer and originated the concept of a programmable digital computer. Sometimes regarded as the “father of the computer”. Known for his difference engine and analytical engine.

Oct 19, 1921 – 100 years ago
Portuguese Prime Minister António Granjo and several other politicians were assassinated in Lisbon in a revolt known as the “Bloody Night”.

Oct 20, 1946 – 75 years ago
The puppet character Muffin the Mule made his first television appearance on the BBC show For the Children.

Oct 21 or 30, 1921 – 100 years ago
The U.S. première of the silent romantic drama film The Sheik, starring Rudolph Valentino. (Released: 20th November.)

Oct 22, 1721 – 300 years ago
Peter I (Peter the Great), the Tsar of Russia, was proclaimed Emperor of All Russia.

Oct 23, 1941 – 80 years ago
The U.S. première of Walt Disney’s animated film Dumbo. (UK: 8th February 1942.)

Oct 24, 1821 – 200 years ago
Death of Elias Boudinot, President of the Confederation Congress (1782-83), US Congressman (1789-95), Director of the US Mint (1795-1805).

Oct 25, 1971 – 50 years ago
Taiwan, governed by the Republic of China, was expelled from the United Nations and the People’s Republic of China was installed in its place.

Oct 26, 2001 – 20 years ago
The USA Patriot Act was signed into law in the USA. (Its name stands for: Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism.

Oct 27, 1946 – 75 years ago
The French Fourth Republic was established. The current French Fifth Republic was established in October 1958.

Oct 28, 1846 – 175 years ago
Birth of (Georges) Auguste Escoffier, French chef, restaurateur and food writer. France’s leading chef of the early 20th century – known as “the king of chefs and chef of kings” by the press.

Oct 29 to Nov 7, 1956 – 65 years ago
Suez Crisis. Israel invaded Egypt in an attempt to regain Western control of the Suez Canal and remove President Gamal Abdel Nasser from power. Britain and France joined the invasion but were forced to withdraw by the United Nations, USA and USSR, leaving Sinai under Israeli occupation until March 1957. British Prime Minister Anthony Eden resigned (in January 1957).

Oct 30, 1961 – 60 years ago
The Soviet Union exploded the Tsar Bomba, a 57-megaton hydrogen bomb, in a test at Novaya Zemlya in the Arctic Ocean. It is currently the largest nuclear weapon ever built.

Oct 31, 1971 – 50 years ago
An IRA bomb exploded near the top of the Post Office Tower (now the BT Tower) in London, causing extensive damage.

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2021. The 2022 edition is also available if you need to work further ahead, and we’re just putting the finishing touches to the 2023 edition. Find out more at ideas4writers.com.

Share this:

30 newsworthy historical anniversaries in September 2021 – U.S. Edition

Posted on by admin

Historical anniversaries are great for “On This Day in History” features and anniversary tie-ins. They’re popular with readers and viewers, editors and producers love them, they’re easy to research, and you can easily turn them into newspaper and magazine articles, films, TV/radio/theatre shows, and more.

Here are 30 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in September 2021 (so you have time to write about them!)

We’ve randomly picked one anniversary for each day of the month from The Date-A-Base Book 2021. You’ll find hundreds more in the book. The 2022 edition is also available.

Sep 1, 1941 – 80 years ago
World War II: Nazi Germany ordered all Jews in Germany and occupied territories to wear a yellow Star of David badge.

Sep 2, 2001 – 20 years ago
Death of Christiaan Barnard, South African surgeon who performed the first human heart transplant.

Sep 3, 1941? – 80 years ago
Holocaust: the first gas chamber experiments were conducted at Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland.
(Some sources give the date as the end of August.)

Sep 4, 1941 – 80 years ago
World War II: the Greer incident. A German submarine fired 2 torpedoes at the US destroyer USS Greer which was en route to Iceland. (Both torpedoes missed). Germany claimed that the Greer had initiated the attack, targeting its submarine with depth charges. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared the incident an act of piracy and said any German submarines spotted in waters which the USA considered vital to its defence would be shot on sight. (The USA did not officially enter the war until December, and was still technically a neutral country at this point.)

Sep 5, 1946 – 75 years ago
Birth of Freddie Mercury, Zanzibar-born British rock singer and songwriter (Queen). (Died 1991.)

Sep 6, 1991 – 30 years ago
The Russian city of Leningrad was renamed Saint Petersburg, restoring its original name.

Sep 7 – 8, 1921 – 100 years ago
The first Miss America pageant was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The first Miss America was Margaret Gorman of Washington, DC.

Sep 8, 1971 – 50 years ago
The John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts (commonly known as the Kennedy Center) was officially opened in Washington, DC, USA.

Sep 9, 1991 – 30 years ago
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) video game console was officially released in the USA (though its actually went on sale on 23rd August). (Europe: 6th June 1992.)

Sep 10, 1721 – 300 years ago
The Great Northern War between the Tsardom of Russia and the Swedish Empire ended after 21 years. Russian victory.

Sep 11, 1961 – 60 years ago
The World Wildlife Fund (now the World Wide Fund for Nature) was founded in Switzerland.

Sep 11, 2001 – 20 years ago
The 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

Sep 12, 1956 – 65 years ago
Quiz-rigging scandal: the first episode of the television quiz show Twenty One was broadcast in the USA. Producer Dan Enright called it “a dismal failure” as neither contestant could answer the questions. Subsequent episodes were rigged: contestants were given a coaching session ahead of each broadcast, which included the answers they were expected to give. The show became the subject of a Senate investigation that almost led to the demise of the TV quiz show genre.

Sep 13 or 14, 1321 – 700 years ago
Death of Dante, Italian poet. Regarded as the most important poet of the Middle Ages. Best known for his Divine Comedy.

Sep 14, 1971 – 50 years ago
The first episode of the private detective television series Cannon was broadcast on CBS in the USA. It ran for 5 seasons until 1976.

Sep 15, 1971 – 50 years ago
Greenpeace, the international environmental group, was founded in Vancouver, Canada

Sep 16, 1956 – 65 years ago
Play-Doh modeling compound went on sale in the USA. (It was originally sold as a wallpaper cleaning compound but was relaunched as a modeling compound when the inventor’s nephew discovered that kindergarten children were using it to make Christmas ornaments.)

Sep 17, 2011 – 10 years ago
The Occupy Wall Street movement began in Zuccotti Park, New York City, USA. Protestors were forced out of the park on 15th November and began occupying other establishments, including banks, corporate headquarters, and college campuses.

Sep 18 to Oct 9, 2001 – 20 years ago
Anthrax attacks in the USA. Contaminated letters were sent to 2 U.S. Senators and various news and media organisations in New York and Florida. 5 people died and at least 12 were infected. Senate offices, the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court were shut down for testing in October, and traces were found in the State Department and CIA Headquarters. Cost of damage: $1 billion.

Sep 19, 1991 – 30 years ago
Ötzi the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old mummified body, was discovered by a tourist in the Tirolean Alps on the Italian-Austrian border.

Sep 20 to Oct 5, 1946 – 75 years ago
The first Cannes Film Festival was held.

Sep 21, 1931 – 90 years ago
Britain abandoned the gold standard.

Sep 22, 1991 – 30 years ago
Sponsorship of ITV television programmes in the UK was permitted.

Sep 23, 1846 – 175 years ago
The planet Neptune was discovered by German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle, based on calculations made by French astronomer and mathematician Urbain Le Verrier. Neptune’s largest moon, Triton, was discovered by British astronomer William Lassell on 10th October.

Sep 24, 1896 – 125 years ago
Birth of F. Scott Fitzgerald, American novelist and short story writer. Regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Best known for his novel The Great Gatsby.

Sep 25, 1996 – 25 years ago
The last Magdalene Laundry (also known as Magdalene Asylums) was closed in Ireland. The laundries housed thousands of “fallen women”, removing them from society. They were forced to work long hours in commercial laundries for no pay, and were often abused. Those who died were buried in mass graves. The nuns who ran the laundries often didn’t know the women’s names and kept no records. (Ireland issued a formal apology in 2013 and launched a compensation scheme for survivors. There were also Magdalene Laundries in Australia, Canada, England and the USA. Those in Ireland were the last to close.)

Sep 26, 1946 – 75 years ago
Death of William Strunk, Jr., American educator. Best known for his book The Elements of Style, later revised and expanded by his former student E. B White and commonly known as Strunk and White.

Sep 27, 1991 – 30 years ago
Following the signing of the START I treaty in July, U.S. President George H. W. Bush announced the elimination of all U.S. land-based tactical nuclear arms and the removal of short-range nuclear arms from U.S. ships and submarines. He also stood down all intercontinental ballistic missiles that were scheduled for deactivation in 1998. (The Soviet Union cut its nuclear arsenal on 5th October.)

Sep 28, 1821 – 200 years ago
The Mexican Empire declared its independence from the Spanish Empire.

Sep 29, 1946 – 75 years ago
The BBC Third Programme was launched. The national radio network became one of the leading cultural and intellectual forces in Britain. It was incorporated into BBC Radio 3 in 1970.

Sep 30, 1846 – 175 years ago
American dentist William Morton became the first person to use ether as an anesthetic, performing a painless tooth extraction on a patient. When newspapers reported on this, ether was then used in a famous medical demonstration at Massachusetts General Hospital on 16th October, when a tumour was painlessly removed from a patient’s neck. (Morton’s claim to have invented medical anesthesia was disputed when he tried to patent it, and it became an obsession for the rest of his life.)

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2021. The 2022 edition is also available if you need to work further ahead. Find out more at ideas4writers.com.

Share this:

30 newsworthy historical anniversaries in September 2021

Posted on by admin

Historical anniversaries are great for “On This Day in History” features and anniversary tie-ins. They’re popular with readers and viewers, editors and producers love them, they’re easy to research, and you can easily turn them into newspaper and magazine articles, films, TV/radio/theatre shows, and more.

Here are 30 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in September 2021 (so you have time to write about them!)

We’ve randomly picked one anniversary for each day of the month from The Date-A-Base Book 2021. You’ll find hundreds more in the book. The 2022 edition is also available.

1 Sep 1941 – 80 years ago
World War II: Nazi Germany ordered all Jews in Germany and occupied territories to wear a yellow Star of David badge.

2 Sep 2001 – 20 years ago
Death of Christiaan Barnard, South African surgeon who performed the first human heart transplant.

3 Sep 1941? – 80 years ago
Holocaust: the first gas chamber experiments were conducted at Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. (Some sources give the date as the end of August.)

4 Sep 1941 – 80 years ago
World War II: the Greer incident. A German submarine fired 2 torpedoes at the US destroyer USS Greer which was en route to Iceland. (Both torpedoes missed). Germany claimed that the Greer had initiated the attack, targeting its submarine with depth charges. US President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared the incident an act of piracy and said any German submarines spotted in waters which the USA considered vital to its defence would be shot on sight. (The USA did not officially enter the war until December, and was still technically a neutral country at this point.)

5 Sep 1946 – 75 years ago
Birth of Freddie Mercury, Zanzibar-born British rock singer and songwriter (Queen). (Died 1991.)

6 Sep 1991 – 30 years ago
The Russian city of Leningrad was renamed Saint Petersburg, restoring its original name.

7 – 8 Sep 1921 – 100 years ago
The first Miss America pageant was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The first Miss America was Margaret Gorman of Washington, DC.

8 Sep 1971 – 50 years ago
The John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts (commonly known as the Kennedy Center) was officially opened in Washington, DC, USA.

9 Sep 1991 – 30 years ago
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) video game console was officially released in the USA (though its actually went on sale on 23rd August). (Europe: 6th June 1992.)

10 Sep 1721 – 300 years ago
The Great Northern War between the Tsardom of Russia and the Swedish Empire ended after 21 years. Russian victory.

11 Sep 1961 – 60 years ago
The World Wildlife Fund (now the World Wide Fund for Nature) was founded in Switzerland.

11 Sep 2001 – 20 years ago
The 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

12 Sep 1956 – 65 years ago
Quiz-rigging scandal: the first episode of the television quiz show Twenty One was broadcast in the USA. Producer Dan Enright called it “a dismal failure” as neither contestant could answer the questions. Subsequent episodes were rigged – contestants were given a coaching session ahead of each broadcast, which included the answers they were expected to give. The show became the subject of a Senate investigation that almost led to the demise of the TV quiz show genre.

13 or 14 Sep 1321 – 700 years ago
Death of Dante, Italian poet. Regarded as the most important poet of the Middle Ages. Best known for his Divine Comedy.

14 Sep 1971 – 50 years ago
The first episode of the private detective television series Cannon was broadcast on CBS in the USA. It ran for 5 seasons until 1976.

15 Sep 1971 – 50 years ago
Greenpeace, the international environmental group, was founded in Vancouver, Canada

16 Sep 1956 – 65 years ago
Play-Doh modelling compound went on sale in the USA. (It was originally sold as a wallpaper cleaning compound but was relaunched as a modelling compound when the inventor’s nephew discovered that nursery school children were using it to make Christmas ornaments.)

17 Sep 2011 – 10 years ago
The Occupy Wall Street movement began in Zuccotti Park, New York City, USA. Protestors were forced out of the park on 15th November and began occupying other establishments, including banks, corporate headquarters, and college/university campuses.

18 Sep to 9 Oct 2001 – 20 years ago
Anthrax attacks in the USA. Contaminated letters were sent to 2 US Senators and various news and media organisations in New York and Florida. 5 people died and at least 12 were infected. Senate offices, the US Capitol and the Supreme Court were shut down for testing in October, and traces were found in the State Department and CIA Headquarters. Cost of damage: $1 billion (£625 million).

19 Sep 1991 – 30 years ago
Ötzi the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old mummified body, was discovered by a tourist in the Tirolean Alps on the Italian-Austrian border.

20 Sep to 5 Oct 1946 – 75 years ago
The first Cannes Film Festival was held.

21 Sep 1931 – 90 years ago
Britain abandoned the gold standard.

22 Sep 1991 – 30 years ago
Sponsorship of ITV television programmes in the UK was permitted.

23 Sep 1846 – 175 years ago
The planet Neptune was discovered by German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle, based on calculations made by French astronomer and mathematician Urbain Le Verrier. Neptune’s largest moon, Triton, was discovered by British astronomer William Lassell on 10th October.

24 Sep 1896 – 125 years ago
Birth of F. Scott Fitzgerald, American novelist and short story writer. Regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Best known for his novel The Great Gatsby.

25 Sep 1996 – 25 years ago
The last Magdalene Laundry (also known as Magdalene Asylums) was closed in Ireland. The laundries housed thousands of “fallen women”, removing them from society. They were forced to work long hours in commercial laundries for no pay, and were often abused. Those who died were buried in mass graves. The nuns who ran the laundries often didn’t know the women’s names and kept no records. (Ireland issued a formal apology in 2013 and launched a compensation scheme for survivors. There were also Magdalene Laundries/Asylums in Australia, Canada, England and the USA. Those in Ireland were the last to close.)

26 Sep 1946 – 75 years ago
Death of William Strunk, Jr., American educator. Best known for his book The Elements of Style, later revised and expanded by his former student E. B White and commonly known as Strunk and White.

27 Sep 1991 – 30 years ago
Following the signing of the START I treaty in July, US President George H. W. Bush announced the elimination of all US land-based tactical nuclear arms and the removal of short-range nuclear arms from US ships and submarines. He also stood down all intercontinental ballistic missiles that were scheduled for deactivation in 1998. (The Soviet Union cut its nuclear arsenal on 5th October.)

28 Sep 1821 – 200 years ago
The Mexican Empire declared its independence from the Spanish Empire.

29 Sep 1946 – 75 years ago
The BBC Third Programme was launched. The national radio network became one of the leading cultural and intellectual forces in Britain. It was incorporated into BBC Radio 3 in 1970.

30 Sep 1846 – 175 years ago
American dentist William Morton became the first person to use ether as an anaesthetic, performing a painless tooth extraction on a patient. When newspapers reported on this, ether was then used in a famous medical demonstration at Massachusetts General Hospital on 16th October, when a tumour was painlessly removed from a patient’s neck. (Morton’s claim to have invented medical anaesthesia was disputed when he tried to patent it, and it became an obsession for the rest of his life.)

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2021. The 2022 edition is also available if you need to work further ahead. Find out more at ideas4writers.com.

Share this:

31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in August 2021 (U.S. Edition)

Posted on by admin

Historical anniversaries are great for “On This Day in History” features and anniversary tie-ins. They’re popular with readers and viewers, editors and producers love them, they’re easy to research, and you can easily turn them into newspaper and magazine articles, films, TV/radio/theatre shows, and more.

Here are 31 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in August 2021 (so you have time to write about them!)

We’ve randomly picked one anniversary for each day of the month from The Date-A-Base Book 2021. You’ll find hundreds more in the book. The 2022 edition is also available.

Aug 1, 1946 – 75 years ago
The Fulbright Program was established in the USA. It is the world’s largest education exchange program. It funds U.S. citizens to study or teach in a foreign country, and funds non-U.S. citizens to study or teach in the USA.

Aug 2, 1921 – 100 years ago
Death of Enrico Caruso, Italian operatic tenor.

Aug 3, 1921 – 100 years ago
U.S. Baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis refused to reinstate 8 members of the Chicago White Sox who had been implicated in the Black Sox Scandal. They had been acquitted by a jury the previous day. He ruled that, regardless of the verdict, no player who deliberately threw a game should play professionally again, and banned them for life.

Aug 4, 1821 – 200 years ago
Birth of Louis Vuitton, French fashion designer. Known for his luxury cases and travel accessories.

Aug 5, 1921 – 100 years ago
The first live radio broadcast of a Major League Baseball game, by KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Aug 6, 1991 – 30 years ago
The first website (info.cern.ch) went live. The web’s inventor, Tim Berners-Lee, also posted a description of the World Wide Web project on the alt.hypertext newsgroup, and provided a link to download the first web browser, though it could only run on NeXT workstations.

Aug 7, 1821 – 200 years ago
Death of Caroline of Brunswick, Queen consort of King George IV of the United Kingdom.

Aug 8, 1846 – 175 years ago
The Wilmot Proviso was proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives. It attempted to ban slavery in new territories acquired from Mexico. The conflict over the proviso was one of the key events that led to the American Civil War.

Aug 9, 2006 – 15 years ago
Terrorists attempted to detonate liquid explosives on board airliners traveling from the UK to the USA and Canada. The explosives were disguised as soft drinks. The plot was discovered by British police during a surveillance operation and none of the explosives detonated. Many airlines immediately banned all liquids on flights, except baby milk formula and prescription medicines. The ban was relaxed in the following weeks, but at the time of writing many airlines still ban liquid containers larger than 100 ml.

Aug 10, 1821 – 200 years ago
Missouri was admitted as the 24th state of the USA.

Aug 11, 1956 – 65 years ago
Death of Jackson Pollock, American abstract expressionist artist. Best known for his drip paintings. (Car crash, aged 44.)

Aug 12, 1981 – 40 years ago
IBM launched the Personal Computer (PC).

Aug 13, 1521 – 500 years ago
The Fall of the Aztec Empire. Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés captured Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire after a 3-month siege, and Mexico became a Spanish territory. (Tenochtitlan is now part of Mexico City.)

Aug 14, 1871 – 150 years ago
Birth of Guangxu, Emperor of China (1875–1908). (Poisoned by arsenic and killed, aged 37.)

Aug 15, 1771 – 250 years ago
Birth of Sir Walter Scott, Scottish historical novelist, poet, and playwright. His best-known works include Ivanhoe and Rob Roy.

Aug 16, 1896 – 125 years ago
Local miners discovered gold in the Klondike region of the Yukon, Canada. This triggered the Klondike Gold Rush when 100,000 prospectors migrated to the area between 1897 and 1899.

Aug 17, 1771 – 250 years ago
The first recorded ascent of Ben Nevis in Scotland was made by Scottish botanist James Robertson. Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the British Isles. About 100,000 people per year now make the ascent.

Aug 18, 1941 – 80 years ago
The National Fire Service was established in Britain. (It ceased in 1948.)

Aug 19 to 21, 1991 – 30 years ago
Attempted coup in the Soviet Union. Hard-line members of the Communist Party tried to seize control from President Mikhail Gorbachev. The coup failed after 3 days, and eventually led to the collapse of communism and the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev resigned as First Secretary of the Communist Party on 24th. On 29th the Supreme Soviet suspended all activities of the Communist Party.

Aug 20, 1991 – 30 years ago
The following former Soviet states declared their independence this month: Estonia (20th), Latvia (21st), Ukraine (24th), Belarus (25th), Moldova (27th), Azerbaijan (30th), Kyrgyzstan (31st), Uzbekistan (31st).

Aug 21, 1961 – 60 years ago
The song Please Mr. Postman by The Marvelettes was released. It became Motown’s first #1 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 record chart.

Aug 22, 1771 – 250 years ago
Birth of Henry Maudslay, British engineer. Considered the father of machine tool technology. His inventions were a key foundation of the Industrial Revolution.

Aug 23, 1996 – 25 years ago
Saudi Arabian-born terrorist Osama bin Laden issued a fatwa entitled A Declaration of War Against the Americans Occupying the Land of the Two Holy Places. Few people knew who he was at that time, and it received little attention.

Aug 24, 1821 – 200 years ago
The Treaty of Córdoba was signed, establishing Mexico’s independence from Spain and concluding the Mexican War of Independence. Mexico officially declared its independence on 28th September.

Aug 25, 1981 – 40 years ago
The U.S. space probe Voyager 2 reached Saturn and sent back images and data from the planet. It then travelled on to Uranus (1986) and Neptune (1989) before reaching interstellar space in 2018. At the time of writing it remains operational.

Aug 26, 1961 – 60 years ago
The Hockey Hall of Fame opened in Toronto, Canada.

Aug 27, 1896 – 125 years ago
Anglo-Zanzibar War, Zanzibar. The shortest war in history – 38 minutes. British victory.

Aug 28, 1941 – 80 years ago
The Office of Price Administration was established in the USA. It placed ceilings on prices for goods and handled rationing of items in short supply during WWII. It was dissolved in 1947.

Aug 29, 1871 – 150 years ago
The abolition of the han system in Japan. All remaining feudal domains (han) were transformed into prefectures.

Aug 30, 1871 – 150 years ago
Birth of Ernest Rutherford, New Zealand-born British nuclear physicist whose many discoveries include alpha and beta radiation, radon, and the radioactive half-life. Winner of the 1908 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The chemical element rutherfordium (element 104) is named in his honor.

Aug 31, 1996 – 25 years ago
The First Chechen War ended. Chechen victory over Russian Federation forces.

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2021. The 2022 edition is also available if you need to work further ahead. Find out more at ideas4writers.com.

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31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in August 2021

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Historical anniversaries are great for “On This Day in History” features and anniversary tie-ins. They’re popular with readers and viewers, editors and producers love them, they’re easy to research, and you can easily turn them into newspaper and magazine articles, films, TV/radio/theatre shows, and more.

Here are 31 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in August 2021 (so you have time to write about them!)

We’ve randomly picked one anniversary for each day of the month from The Date-A-Base Book 2021. You’ll find hundreds more in the book. The 2022 edition is also available.

1 Aug 1946 – 75 years ago
The Fulbright Program was established in the USA. It is the world’s largest education exchange programme. It funds U.S. citizens to study or teach in a foreign country, and funds non-U.S. citizens to study or teach in the USA.

2 Aug 1921 – 100 years ago
Death of Enrico Caruso, Italian operatic tenor.

3 Aug 1921 – 100 years ago
U.S. Baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis refused to reinstate 8 members of the Chicago White Sox who had been implicated in the Black Sox Scandal. They had been acquitted by a jury the previous day. He ruled that, regardless of the verdict, no player who deliberately threw a game should play professionally again, and banned them for life.

4 Aug 1821 – 200 years ago
Birth of Louis Vuitton, French fashion designer. Known for his luxury cases and travel accessories.

5 Aug 1921 – 100 years ago
The first live radio broadcast of a Major League Baseball game, by KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

6 Aug 1991 – 30 years ago
The first website (info.cern.ch) went live. The web’s inventor, Tim Berners-Lee, also posted a description of the World Wide Web project on the alt.hypertext newsgroup, and provided a link to download the first web browser, though it could only run on NeXT workstations.

7 Aug 1821 – 200 years ago
Death of Caroline of Brunswick, Queen consort of King George IV of the United Kingdom.

8 Aug 1846 – 175 years ago
The Wilmot Proviso was proposed in the US House of Representatives. It attempted to ban slavery in new territories acquired from Mexico. The conflict over the proviso was one of the key events that led to the American Civil War.

9 Aug 2006 – 15 years ago
Terrorists attempted to detonate liquid explosives on board airliners travelling from the UK to the USA and Canada. The explosives were disguised as soft drinks. The plot was discovered by British police during a surveillance operation and none of the explosives detonated. Many airlines immediately banned all liquids on flights, except baby milk formula and prescription medicines. The ban was relaxed in the following weeks, but at the time of writing many airlines still ban liquid containers larger than 100 ml.

10 Aug 1821 – 200 years ago
Missouri was admitted as the 24th state of the USA.

11 Aug 1956 – 65 years ago
Death of Jackson Pollock, American abstract expressionist artist. Best known for his drip paintings. (Car crash, aged 44.)

12 Aug 1981 – 40 years ago
IBM launched the Personal Computer (PC).

13 Aug 1521 – 500 years ago
The Fall of the Aztec Empire. Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés captured Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire after a 3-month siege, and Mexico became a Spanish territory. (Tenochtitlan is now part of Mexico City.)

14 Aug 1871 – 150 years ago
Birth of Guangxu, Emperor of China (1875–1908). (Poisoned by arsenic and killed, aged 37.)

15 Aug 1771 – 250 years ago
Birth of Sir Walter Scott, Scottish historical novelist, poet, and playwright. His best-known works include Ivanhoe and Rob Roy.

16 Aug 1896 – 125 years ago
Local miners discovered gold in the Klondike region of the Yukon, Canada. This triggered the Klondike Gold Rush when 100,000 prospectors migrated to the area between 1897 and 1899.

17 Aug 1771 – 250 years ago
The first recorded ascent of Ben Nevis in Scotland was made by Scottish botanist James Robertson. Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the British Isles. About 100,000 people per year now make the ascent.

18 Aug 1941 – 80 years ago
The National Fire Service was established in Britain. (It ceased in 1948.)

19 to 21 Aug 1991 – 30 years ago
Attempted coup in the Soviet Union. Hard-line members of the Communist Party tried to seize control from President Mikhail Gorbachev. The coup failed after 3 days, and eventually led to the collapse of communism and the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev resigned as First Secretary of the Communist Party on 24th. On 29th the Supreme Soviet suspended all activities of the Communist Party.

20 Aug 1991 – 30 years ago
The following former Soviet states declared their independence this month: Estonia (20th), Latvia (21st), Ukraine (24th), Belarus (25th), Moldova (27th), Azerbaijan (30th), Kyrgyzstan (31st), Uzbekistan (31st).

21 Aug 1961 – 60 years ago
The song Please Mr. Postman by The Marvelettes was released. It became Motown’s first #1 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 record chart.

22 Aug 1771 – 250 years ago
Birth of Henry Maudslay, British engineer. Considered the father of machine tool technology. His inventions were a key foundation of the Industrial Revolution.

23 Aug 1996 – 25 years ago
Saudi Arabian-born terrorist Osama bin Laden issued a fatwa entitled A Declaration of War Against the Americans Occupying the Land of the Two Holy Places. Few people knew who he was at that time, and it received little attention.

24 Aug 1821 – 200 years ago
The Treaty of Córdoba was signed, establishing Mexico’s independence from Spain and concluding the Mexican War of Independence. Mexico officially declared its independence on 28th September.

25 Aug 1981 – 40 years ago
The U.S. space probe Voyager 2 reached Saturn and sent back images and data from the planet. It then travelled on to Uranus (1986) and Neptune (1989) before reaching interstellar space in 2018. At the time of writing it remains operational.

26 Aug 1961 – 60 years ago
The Hockey Hall of Fame opened in Toronto, Canada.

27 Aug 1896 – 125 years ago
Anglo-Zanzibar War, Zanzibar. The shortest war in history – 38 minutes. British victory.

28 Aug 1941 – 80 years ago
The Office of Price Administration was established in the USA. It placed ceilings on prices for goods and handled rationing of items in short supply during WWII. It was dissolved in 1947.

29 Aug 1871 – 150 years ago
The abolition of the han system in Japan. All remaining feudal domains (han) were transformed into prefectures.

30 Aug 1871 – 150 years ago
Birth of Ernest Rutherford, New Zealand-born British nuclear physicist whose many discoveries include alpha and beta radiation, radon, and the radioactive half-life. Winner of the 1908 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The chemical element rutherfordium (element 104) is named in his honour.

31 Aug 1996 – 25 years ago
The First Chechen War ended. Chechen victory over Russian Federation forces.

More anniversaries:

You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2021. The 2022 edition is also available if you need to work further ahead. Find out more at ideas4writers.com.

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