Tag: this day in history

30 newsworthy historical anniversaries in September 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/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.

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.

Share this:

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.

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31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in July 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 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.

Jul 1, 1921 – 100 years ago
West Virginia became the first U.S. state to impose a sales tax on purchases.

Jul 2, 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.

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

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

Jul 5, 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.

Jul 6 to Aug 5, 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.

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

Jul 8, 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 honor.

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

Jul 10 and 17, 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 U.S. state in 1845.

Jul 11, 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.

Jul 12, 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.

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

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

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

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

Jul 17, 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 June 14th.)

Jul 18, 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.)

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

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

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

Jul 22, 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.

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

Jul 24, 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 July 24, 1956 – exactly 10 years after they started.)

Jul 25, 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.

Jul 26, 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.

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

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

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

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

Jul 31, 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.

Share this:

30 newsworthy historical anniversaries in June 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 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:

31 newsworthy historical anniversaries in May 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 May 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 May 1941 – 80 years ago
The U.S. première of Orson Welles’s award-winning film Citizen Kane.
(Released: 5th September. UK première: 12th October, released: 24th January 1942.)

2 to 4 May 1946 – 75 years ago
The Battle of Alcatraz. Alcatraz prison in San Francisco Bay, California, USA was taken over by prisoners after a failed escape attempt. A violent battle ensued.

3 May 1921 – 100 years ago
Ireland was divided into Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland (now the Republic of Ireland).

4 May 1896 – 125 years ago
The first edition of the Daily Mail newspaper was published in the UK.

5 May 1821 – 200 years ago
Death of Napoleon I (Napoleon Bonaparte), Emperor of France (1804 – 14, 1815).
(Died from stomach cancer while in exile on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic, aged 51.)

6 May 1941 – 80 years ago
Joseph Stalin became Premier of the Soviet Union.

7 May 1946 – 75 years ago
Sony, the Japanese electronics company, was founded (as the Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation).

8 May 1721 – 300 years ago
Innocent XIII became Pope.

9 May to 8 Aug 1896 – 125 years ago
The world’s first motor show was held at the Imperial Institute in London.

10 May 1941 – 80 years ago
World War II: The last major attack on London during the Blitz caused heavy damage to many important buildings, including the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St James’s Palace and Lambeth Palace, several railway stations and hospitals, the British Museum and the Old Bailey. More than 1,300 people were killed.

11 May 1931 – 90 years ago
Austria’s largest bank, Creditanstalt, declared itself bankrupt, sending shockwaves across Europe. It was one of the major bank failures that initiated the Great Depression. It was rescued by the German Chancellor.

12 May 1941 – 80 years ago
German engineer Konrad Zuse completed his Z3 computer and presented it to an audience of scientists in Berlin. It is now recognised as the world’s first fully functional programmable digital computer. (No one outside of Germany was aware of its existence, so it had no influence on computer development in the UK or USA).

13 May 1981 – 40 years ago
Pope John Paul II was shot and seriously injured by a Turkish gunman in an assassination attempt in St Peter’s Square, Vatican City.

14 May 1771 – 250 years ago
Birth of Robert Owen, Welsh textile manufacturer and social reformer. A founder of the cooperative movement. Best known for his efforts to improve working conditions in his textile mill, and for his promotion of experimental utopian societies.

15 May 1921 – 100 years ago
The Royal British Legion was founded.

16 May 1946 – 75 years ago
The musical Annie Get Your Gun opened on Broadway.

17 May 1996 – 25 years ago
Megan’s Law came into effect in the USA. The public must be notified if dangerous sex offenders are released into their community.

18 May 1991 – 30 years ago
Helen Sharman became the first British citizen to travel into space. She responded to an advertisement to become the first British astronaut, was selected on live TV, spent 18 months training, and then spent a week on the Soviet Union’s Mir space station.

19 May 1961 – 60 years ago
The Soviet space probe Venera 1 became the first man-made object to fly past another planet, passing within 62,000 miles (100,000 km) of Venus.

20 May 1996 – 25 years ago
Oil-for-food programme, Iraq. The United Nations agreed to allow Iraq to sell up to $2 billion worth of oil to buy humanitarian supplies.

21 May 1991 – 30 years ago
Death of Rajiv Gandhi, Prime Minister of India (1984–89). (Assassinated.)

22 May 1981 – 40 years ago
British serial killer Peter Sutcliffe (the “Yorkshire Ripper”) was convicted of murdering 13 women and sentenced to life imprisonment. The judge labelled him “an unusually dangerous man”. He is one of the few prisoners to be given a whole life tariff, meaning he will never be released.

23 May 1951 – 70 years ago
China annexed Tibet after pressuring Tibetan negotiators to sign a 17-point agreement – which many argue they had no real authority to sign and is therefore invalid. The Tibetan Government remained in place, but was dissolved in 1959 following an uprising that forced the Dalai Lama into exile. Tibet Autonomous Region was established in 1965.

24 May 1956 – 65 years ago
The first Eurovision Song Contest was held, in Lugano, Switzerland, and was won by Switzerland.

25 May 1961 – 60 years ago
US President John F. Kennedy gave his famous “man on the moon” speech. He urged Congress and America to commit itself to landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth before the end of the decade.

26 May 1896 – 125 years ago
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was published for the first time in the Wall Street Journal.

27 May 1941 – 80 years ago
World War II: the British Royal Navy sank the German battleship Bismarck off France. More than 2,000 crew were killed.

28 May 1951 – 70 years ago
The first episode of the radio comedy series The Goon Show was broadcast in the UK. (The first series was called Crazy People.)

29 May 2001 – 20 years ago
A jury in New York, USA convicted 4 followers of Osama bin Laden of the 1998 bombing to two US embassies in Africa, which killed 224 people. (They were sentenced to life imprisonment. This was the first conviction in relation to Osama bin Laden’s terrorism activities.)

30 May 1846 – 175 years ago
Birth of Peter Carl Fabergé, Russian goldsmith and jeweller. Best known for his Fabergé eggs.

31 May 1821 – 200 years ago
Baltimore Basilica in Maryland was dedicated. It was the first Roman Catholic cathedral built in the USA.

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 May 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/theatre shows, and more.

Here are 31 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries coming up in May 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.

May 1, 1941 – 80 years ago
The U.S. première of Orson Welles’s award-winning movie Citizen Kane.
(Released: September 5th. UK première: October 12th, released: January 24, 1942.)

May 2 to 4, 1946 – 75 years ago
The Battle of Alcatraz. Alcatraz prison in San Francisco Bay, California, USA was taken over by prisoners after a failed escape attempt. A violent battle ensued.

May 3, 1921 – 100 years ago
Ireland was divided into Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland (now the Republic of Ireland).

May 4, 1896 – 125 years ago
The first edition of the Daily Mail newspaper was published in the UK.

May 5, 1821 – 200 years ago
Death of Napoleon I (Napoleon Bonaparte), Emperor of France (1804 – 14, 1815).
(Died from stomach cancer while in exile on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic, aged 51.)

May 6, 1941 – 80 years ago
Joseph Stalin became Premier of the Soviet Union.

May 7, 1946 – 75 years ago
Sony, the Japanese electronics company, was founded (as the Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation).

May 8, 1721 – 300 years ago
Innocent XIII became Pope.

May 9 to Aug 8, 1896 – 125 years ago
The world’s first motor show was held at the Imperial Institute in London.

May 10, 1941 – 80 years ago
World War II: The last major attack on London during the Blitz caused heavy damage to many important buildings, including the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St James’s Palace and Lambeth Palace, several railway stations and hospitals, the British Museum and the Old Bailey. More than 1,300 people were killed.

May 11, 1931 – 90 years ago
Austria’s largest bank, Creditanstalt, declared itself bankrupt, sending shockwaves across Europe. It was one of the major bank failures that initiated the Great Depression. It was rescued by the German Chancellor.

May 12, 1941 – 80 years ago
German engineer Konrad Zuse completed his Z3 computer and presented it to an audience of scientists in Berlin. It is now recognised as the world’s first fully functional programmable digital computer. (No one outside of Germany was aware of its existence, so it had no influence on computer development in the UK or USA).

May 13, 1981 – 40 years ago
Pope John Paul II was shot and seriously injured by a Turkish gunman in an assassination attempt in St Peter’s Square, Vatican City.

May 14, 1771 – 250 years ago
Birth of Robert Owen, Welsh textile manufacturer and social reformer. A founder of the cooperative movement. Best known for his efforts to improve working conditions in his textile mill, and for his promotion of experimental utopian societies.

May 15, 1921 – 100 years ago
The Royal British Legion was founded.

May 16, 1946 – 75 years ago
The musical Annie Get Your Gun opened on Broadway.

May 17, 1996 – 25 years ago
Megan’s Law came into effect in the USA. The public must be notified if dangerous sex offenders are released into their community.

May 18, 1991 – 30 years ago
Helen Sharman became the first British citizen to travel into space. She responded to an advertisement to become the first British astronaut, was selected on live TV, spent 18 months training, and then spent a week on the Soviet Union’s Mir space station.

May 19, 1961 – 60 years ago
The Soviet space probe Venera 1 became the first man-made object to fly past another planet, passing within 62,000 miles (100,000 km) of Venus.

May 20, 1996 – 25 years ago
Oil-for-food programme, Iraq. The United Nations agreed to allow Iraq to sell up to $2 billion worth of oil to buy humanitarian supplies.

May 21, 1991 – 30 years ago
Death of Rajiv Gandhi, Prime Minister of India (1984–89). (Assassinated.)

May 22, 1981 – 40 years ago
British serial killer Peter Sutcliffe (the “Yorkshire Ripper”) was convicted of murdering 13 women and sentenced to life imprisonment. The judge labelled him “an unusually dangerous man”. He is one of the few prisoners to be given a whole life tariff, meaning he will never be released.

May 23, 1951 – 70 years ago
China annexed Tibet after pressuring Tibetan negotiators to sign a 17-point agreement – which many argue they had no real authority to sign and is therefore invalid. The Tibetan Government remained in place, but was dissolved in 1959 following an uprising that forced the Dalai Lama into exile. Tibet Autonomous Region was established in 1965.

May 24, 1956 – 65 years ago
The first Eurovision Song Contest was held, in Lugano, Switzerland, and was won by Switzerland.

May 25, 1961 – 60 years ago
U.S. President John F. Kennedy gave his famous “man on the moon” speech. He urged Congress and America to commit itself to landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth before the end of the decade.

May 26, 1896 – 125 years ago
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was published for the first time in the Wall Street Journal.

May 27, 1941 – 80 years ago
World War II: the British Royal Navy sank the German battleship Bismarck off France. More than 2,000 crew were killed.

May 28, 1951 – 70 years ago
The first episode of the radio comedy series The Goon Show was broadcast in the UK. (The first series was called Crazy People.)

May 29, 2001 – 20 years ago
A jury in New York, USA convicted 4 followers of Osama bin Laden of the 1998 bombing to two US embassies in Africa, which killed 224 people. (They were sentenced to life imprisonment. This was the first conviction in relation to Osama bin Laden’s terrorism activities.)

May 30, 1846 – 175 years ago
Birth of Peter Carl Fabergé, Russian goldsmith and jeweller. Best known for his Fabergé eggs.

May 31, 1821 – 200 years ago
Baltimore Basilica in Maryland was dedicated. It was the first Roman Catholic cathedral built in the USA.

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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