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

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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/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.

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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.

Share this:

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.

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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.

Share this:

31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in August 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 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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31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in July 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 July 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 Jul 1921 – 100 years ago
West Virginia became the first U.S. state to impose a sales tax on purchases.

2 Jul 1921 – 100 years ago
The world heavyweight boxing championship fight between Jack Dempsey (USA) and George Carpentier (France) was held in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. Named one of the “fights of the century”. It was the first world title fight to be broadcast on the radio (by RCA’s temporary station WJY and Pennsylvania’s KDKA), and the first to generate over $1 million in revenue.

3 Jul 1971 – 50 years ago
Death of Jim Morrison, American rock singer and songwriter (The Doors).

4 or 5 Jul 1951 – 70 years ago
American engineer William Shockley announced that he had invented the junction transistor.

5 Jul 1946 – 75 years ago
The first bikini two-piece swimsuit was unveiled at a fashion show in Paris, France. It was created by French designer Louis Réard.

6 Jul to 5 Aug 1941 – 80 years ago
World War II – Operation Barbarossa – the Battle of Smolensk. The first major battle during the German invasion of the Soviet Union. German victory which proved costly later as Hitler assumed the operation would end quickly and had not prepared for a winter war.

7 Jul 1981 – 40 years ago
The first solar-powered plane, Solar Challenger, successfully flew 160 miles (258 km) from Paris, France to Kent, England.

8 Jul 1721 – 300 years ago
Death of Elihu Yale, British-American merchant, slave trader, Governor of the British East India Company, and philanthropist. Yale University was named in his honour.

9 Jul 1981 – 40 years ago
The arcade video game Donkey Kong was released by Nintendo in Japan. (USA: 31st July.)

10 and 17 Jul 1821 – 200 years ago
The USA took possession of East Florida and West Florida from Spain. They were merged into Florida Territory in 1822. Florida was admitted as a US state in 1845.

11 Jul 1921 – 100 years ago
Former U.S. President William Howard Taft took office as Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He is the only person to hold both offices.

12 Jul 1971 – 50 years ago
The Australian Aboriginal Flag was flown for the first time, on National Aborigines Day in Adelaide. It was adopted as one of the official flags of Australia in 1995.

13 Jul 1871 – 150 years ago
Britain’s first cat show was held at the Crystal Palace in London.

14 Jul 1946 – 75 years ago
The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care by Benjamin Spock was published. It became one of the bestselling books in history.

15 Jul 1996 – 25 years ago
MSNBC, the 24-hour TV news channel, was launched in the USA.

16 Jul 1821 – 200 years ago
Birth of Mary Baker Eddy, American founder of Christian Science.

17 Jul 1981 – 40 years ago
The Humber Bridge, linking Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in England, was officially opened. It was the world’s longest single-span suspension bridge at that time. (Opened to traffic on 14th June.)

18 Jul 1921 – 100 years ago
Birth of John Glenn, American astronaut and politician. The first American to orbit the Earth. He later became a U.S. Senator (D, Ohio). (Died 2016.)

19 Jul 1821 – 200 years ago
The coronation of King George IV of the United Kingdom.

20 Jul 1871 – 150 years ago
British Columbia became a province of Canada.

21 Jul 1931 – 90 years ago
The first regularly scheduled television broadcasts in the USA began, from CBS’s experimental station W2XAB in New York City.

22 Jul 1991 – 30 years ago
The Citizen’s Charter was launched by British Prime Minister John Major. The initiative aimed to measure, improve and maintain public services.

23 Jul 1961 – 60 years ago
The Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) was founded in Nicaragua.

24 Jul 1946 – 75 years ago
American comedy duo Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis performed together for the first time, at Club 500 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (They were not well received, so on the second night they threw out their scripts and ad-libbed their performance with great success. Their final show was on 24th July 1956 – exactly 10 years after they started.)

25 Jul 1961 – 60 years ago
British electronics engineer Clive Sinclair founded Sinclair Radionics. The company initially produced radios and hi-fi equipment, but later developed pocket calculators, digital watches, portable televisions and scientific equipment. Clive Sinclair left the company in 1979. It is now known as Aim & Thurlby Thandar Instruments.

26 Jul 1971 – 50 years ago
NASA launched Apollo 15 on a manned mission to the Moon. This was the first mission in which a lunar rover was used.

27 Jul 1996 – 25 years ago
Centennial Olympic Park bombing, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Two people were killed and over 100 injured.

28 Jul 1896 – 125 years ago
The city of Miami, Florida, USA was incorporated.

29 Jul 1921 – 100 years ago
Adolf Hitler became leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party (the Nazi Party).

30 Jul 1921 – 100 years ago
The hormone insulin was discovered by Frederick Banting and Charles Best at the University of Toronto, Canada.

31 Jul 1941 – 80 years ago
Holocaust: Nazi leader Hermann Goering instructed SS leader Reinhard Heydrich to submit an administrative and financial plan for “the final solution of the Jewish question”.

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 June 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 June 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.

Jun 1, 1946 – 75 years ago
Television licences were introduced in Britain.

Jun 2, 1946 – 75 years ago
Italy – Republic Day: in a referendum the people of Italy voted to abolish the monarchy and become a republic.
(The monarchy was officially abolished on June 12th and King Umberto II was forced into exile.)

Jun 3, 1956 – 65 years ago
British Rail changed the name of its Third Class service to Second Class.
(Second Class had been abolished in 1875, leaving First Class and Third Class. Second Class was renamed Standard Class in May 1987.)

Jun 4, 1896 – 125 years ago
Henry Ford completed work on his first petrol-powered automobile and gave it a successful test run around Detroit, Michigan.
It was a simple frame with an engine, 2 gears, a tiller for steering, and 4 bicycle wheels. It had a top speed of 20 mph. He named it the Ford Quadricycle. Its success let him to establish the Ford Motor Company.

Jun 5, 1981 – 40 years ago
First report of AIDS: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA reported that 5 homosexual men in Los Angeles were suffering from a rare form of pneumonia found in patients with weakened immune systems. They were later recognized as the first official AIDS cases.

Jun 6, 1946 – 75 years ago
The Basketball Association of America (now the National Basketball Association) was founded.

Jun 7, 1896 – 125 years ago
Birth of Robert S. Mulliken, American physicist and chemist.
Noted for his fundamental work on the structure of molecules. Winner of the 1966 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Jun 8, 1896 – 125 years ago
The world’s first automobile theft. Baron de Zuylen’s Peugeot was stolen by a mechanic when he took it back to the manufacturer in Paris, France for repairs. It was found in a nearby town.

Jun 9, 1946 – 75 years ago
Death of Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII), King of Siam/Thailand (1935–46).
Found shot dead in his bedroom – probable homicide. Succeeded by Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX).

Jun 10, 1921 – 100 years ago
Birth of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

Jun 11 to 15, 1991 – 30 years ago
Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, erupted. The eruption was 10 times bigger than Mount St. Helens in 1980. 847 people were killed, mostly by roofs collapsing under the weight of wet ash. Hundreds of thousands of acres of agricultural land and forests were destroyed.

Jun 12, 1981 – 40 years ago
The first Indiana Jones movie Raiders of the Lost Ark was released in the USA. (UK: July 30th.)

Jun 13, 1971 – 50 years ago
The New York Times began publishing a series of revelations from the Pentagon Papers – a top secret report on America’s involvement in Vietnam. This proved deeply embarrassing to U.S. President Richard Nixon, whose attempts to discredit the person who leaked the report formed part of the Watergate Scandal.

Jun 14, 1946 – 75 years ago
Death of John Logie Baird, Scottish engineer who pioneered the invention and development of television.

Jun 15, 1996 – 25 years ago
The center of Manchester, UK was devastated by an IRA bomb. 200 people were injured and the city center had to be redeveloped because of the immense amount of damage.

Jun 16, 1971 – 50 years ago
Death of John Reith, (Lord Reith), 1st Baron Reith, Scottish business executive and politician. Manager and Director General of the BBC in its formative years. He also formed BOAC (now British Airways).

Jun 17, 1946 – 75 years ago
The first mobile phone service in the USA was inaugurated in St. Louis, Missouri. The service used radio telephones installed in cars, allowing them to connect to the land line network. The equipment weighed around 80 pounds (36 kg).

Jun 18, 1621 – 400 years ago
The first duel in America. Two servants, Edward Doty and Edward Leister, of the Massachusetts Colony in New England duelled with a sword and dagger. Both received minor injuries.

Jun 19, 1846 – 175 years ago
The first recorded baseball game between two competing teams playing under modern rules: the New York Base Ball Club (the “New York nine”) beat the New York Knickerbockers 23 – 1 at Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Jun 20, 1941 – 80 years ago
The U.S. Army Air Forces was established, replacing the U.S. Army Air Corps. (In September 1947 it became the U.S. Air Force.)

Jun 21, 1921 – 100 years ago
Birth of Jane Russell, American movie actress. One of Hollywood’s biggest stars and sex symbols of the 1940s and 50s. (Died 2011.)

Jun 22 to Dec 5, 1941 – 80 years ago
World War II: Operation Barbarossa – the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The largest military operation in history.
Soviet victory – the German invaders were repelled when they reached Moscow and were then driven out of the country by a Soviet counter-attack.

Jun 23, 1961 – 60 years ago
The Antarctic Treaty came into effect. It established Antarctica as a scientific preserve and banned military activity.

Jun 24, 1771 – 250 years ago
Birth of Éleuthère Irénée du Pont, French-born American chemist and industrialist. Founder of DuPont.

June 25, 1846 – 175 years ago
Britain’s Corn Laws were repealed. Trade tariffs and import restrictions on imported grain were lifted.

Jun 26, 1721 – 300 years ago
The first smallpox inoculations in America. Following a smallpox outbreak in Boston, Massachusetts, Dr Zabdiel Boylston applied pus from a smallpox sore to a small wound on 248 people. The technique had been tried and tested in Africa but was scorned by other American physicians. There were threats on his life and he was forced into hiding.

Jun 27, 1871 – 150 years ago
Japan adopted the yen as its currency.

Jun 28, 1846 – 175 years ago
Belgian musical instrument maker Adolphe Sax patented the saxophone.

Jun 29, 1956 – 65 years ago
The Federal Aid Highway Act came into effect in the USA. It authorized the construction of the Interstate Highway System – the largest public works project in U.S. history at that time. (Construction was meant to take 10 – 12 years but it actually took 35 years. The system was finally declared complete in October 1992.)

Jun 30, 1921 – 100 years ago
Capital punishment was abolished in Sweden.

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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30 newsworthy historical anniversaries in June 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 30 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in June 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 Jun 1946 – 75 years ago
Television licences were introduced in Britain.

2 Jun 1946 – 75 years ago
Italy – Republic Day: in a referendum the people of Italy voted to abolish the monarchy and become a republic.
(The monarchy was officially abolished on 12th June and King Umberto II was forced into exile.)

3 Jun 1956 – 65 years ago
British Rail changed the name of its Third Class service to Second Class.
(Second Class had been abolished in 1875, leaving First Class and Third Class. Second Class was renamed Standard Class in May 1987.)

4 Jun 1896 – 125 years ago
Henry Ford completed work on his first petrol-powered automobile and gave it a successful test run around Detroit, Michigan.
It was a simple frame with an engine, 2 gears, a tiller for steering, and 4 bicycle wheels. It had a top speed of 20 mph. He named it the Ford Quadricycle. Its success let him to establish the Ford Motor Company.

5 Jun 1981 – 40 years ago
First report of AIDS: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA reported that 5 homosexual men in Los Angeles were suffering from a rare form of pneumonia found in patients with weakened immune systems. They were later recognised as the first official AIDS cases.

6 Jun 1946 – 75 years ago
The Basketball Association of America (now the National Basketball Association) was founded.

7 Jun 1896 – 125 years ago
Birth of Robert S. Mulliken, American physicist and chemist.
Noted for his fundamental work on the structure of molecules. Winner of the 1966 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

8 Jun 1896 – 125 years ago
The world’s first car theft. Baron de Zuylen’s Peugeot was stolen by a mechanic when he took it back to the manufacturer in Paris, France for repairs. It was found in a nearby town.

9 Jun 1946 – 75 years ago
Death of Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII), King of Siam/Thailand (1935–46).
Found shot dead in his bedroom – probably murdered. Succeeded by Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX).

10 Jun 1921 – 100 years ago
Birth of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

11 to 15 Jun 1991 – 30 years ago
Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, erupted. The eruption was 10 times bigger than Mount St. Helens in 1980. 847 people were killed, mostly by roofs collapsing under the weight of wet ash. Hundreds of thousands of acres of agricultural land and forests were destroyed.

12 Jun 1981 – 40 years ago
The first Indiana Jones film Raiders of the Lost Ark was released in the USA. (UK: 30th July.)

13 Jun 1971 – 50 years ago
The New York Times began publishing a series of revelations from the Pentagon Papers – a top secret report on America’s involvement in Vietnam. This proved deeply embarrassing to US President Richard Nixon, whose attempts to discredit the person who leaked the report formed part of the Watergate Scandal.

14 Jun 1946 – 75 years ago
Death of John Logie Baird, Scottish engineer who pioneered the invention and development of television.

15 Jun 1996 – 25 years ago
The centre of Manchester, UK was devastated by an IRA bomb. 200 people were injured and the city centre had to be redeveloped because of the immense amount of damage.

16 Jun 1971 – 50 years ago
Death of John Reith, (Lord Reith), 1st Baron Reith, Scottish business executive and politician. Manager and Director General of the BBC in its formative years. He also formed BOAC (now British Airways).

17 Jun 1946 – 75 years ago
The first mobile phone service in the USA was inaugurated in St. Louis, Missouri. The service used radio telephones installed in cars, allowing them to connect to the land line network. The equipment weighed around 80 pounds (36 kg).

18 Jun 1621 – 400 years ago
The first duel in America. Two servants, Edward Doty and Edward Leister, of the Massachusetts Colony in New England duelled with a sword and dagger. Both received minor injuries.

19 Jun 1846 – 175 years ago
The first recorded baseball game between two competing teams playing under modern rules: the New York Base Ball Club (the “New York nine”) beat the New York Knickerbockers 23 – 1 at Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey.

20 Jun 1941 – 80 years ago
The U.S. Army Air Forces was established, replacing the U.S. Army Air Corps. (In September 1947 it became the U.S. Air Force.)

21 Jun 1921 – 100 years ago
Birth of Jane Russell, American film actress. One of Hollywood’s biggest stars and sex symbols of the 1940s and 50s. (Died 2011.)

22 Jun to 5 Dec 1941 – 80 years ago
World War II: Operation Barbarossa – the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The largest military operation in history.
Soviet victory – the German invaders were repelled when they reached Moscow and were then driven out of the country by a Soviet counter-attack.

23 Jun 1961 – 60 years ago
The Antarctic Treaty came into effect. It established Antarctica as a scientific preserve and banned military activity.

24 Jun 1771 – 250 years ago
Birth of Éleuthère Irénée du Pont, French-born American chemist and industrialist. Founder of DuPont.

25 June 1846 – 175 years ago
Britain’s Corn Laws were repealed. Trade tariffs and import restrictions on imported grain were lifted.

26 Jun 1721 – 300 years ago
The first smallpox inoculations in America. Following a smallpox outbreak in Boston, Massachusetts, Dr Zabdiel Boylston applied pus from a smallpox sore to a small wound on 248 people. The technique had been tried and tested in Africa but was scorned by other American physicians. There were threats on his life and he was forced into hiding.

27 Jun 1871 – 150 years ago
Japan adopted the yen as its currency.

28 Jun 1846 – 175 years ago
Belgian musical instrument maker Adolphe Sax patented the saxophone.

29 Jun 1956 – 65 years ago
The Federal Aid Highway Act came into effect in the USA. It authorised the construction of the Interstate Highway System – the largest public works project in U.S. history at that time. (Construction was meant to take 10 – 12 years but it actually took 35 years. The system was finally declared complete in October 1992.)

30 Jun 1921 – 100 years ago
Capital punishment was abolished in Sweden.

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: