April 21 facts for kids

April 21 is the 111th day of the year (112th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 254 days remain until the end of the year.

April 21st is a day filled with many important events throughout history, from the founding of ancient cities to major scientific discoveries and the births of famous people. Let's explore some of the key moments that happened on this date.

Events

Early History (Before 1600)

• 753 BC – According to old stories, Romulus founded the famous city of Rome.
• 43 BC – A big battle called the Battle of Mutina took place. In this fight, Mark Antony was defeated by Aulus Hirtius. Antony couldn't capture the city of Mutina.
• 900 – The Laguna Copperplate Inscription, the oldest known written document from what is now the Philippines, was created. It recorded an important event where a leader in the Kingdom of Tondo officially forgave a man named Namwaran and his family from all their debts.
• 1092 – The church area of Diocese of Pisa was made into a more important one, an archdiocese, by Pope Urban II.
• 1506 – A very sad three-day event in Lisbon ended. During this time, many people, mostly those believed to be Jewish, were killed by Portuguese Catholics.
• 1509 – Henry VIII became the King of England after his father, Henry VII, passed away.

Later History (1601–1900)

• 1615 – The Wignacourt Aqueduct, a system to carry water, was officially opened in Malta.
• 1782 – The city of Rattanakosin, which we now know as Bangkok, was started by King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke on the east side of the Chao Phraya River.
• 1789 – John Adams was sworn in as the very first Vice President of the United States. This happened nine days before George Washington became president.
• 1789 – As George Washington traveled to New York City for his first time as president, the Ladies of Trenton held a special welcome for him.
• 1806 – In the Action of 21 April 1806, a French warship managed to escape from British forces near the coast of South Africa.
• 1809 – During the Battle of Eckmühl, two Austrian army groups were pushed out of Landshut by a French army led by Napoleon.
• 1821 – Benderli Ali Pasha arrived in Constantinople to become the new Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, a very powerful position. However, he only held the job for nine days.
• 1836 – In the Texas Revolution, the Battle of San Jacinto took place. Forces from the Republic of Texas, led by Sam Houston, defeated the Mexican army led by General Antonio López de Santa Anna.
• 1856 – In Australia, stonemasons and construction workers in Melbourne marched to get an eight-hour day, which means working only eight hours a day. This was a big step for the Australian labour movement.
• 1894 – Norway officially chose the Krag–Jørgensen rifle as the main weapon for its armed forces. This rifle was used for almost 50 years.
• 1898 – The Spanish–American War began. The United States Navy started blocking ports in Cuba. The U.S. Congress later said that the war had officially started on this date.

Modern History (1901–Present)

• 1914 – During the Ypiranga incident, the U.S. Navy stopped a German ship carrying weapons to Mexico near Veracruz.
• 1918 – In World War I, the famous German fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen, known as "The Red Baron," was shot down and killed over France.
• 1926 – The Al-Baqi cemetery, an important historical site in Saudi Arabia, was completely destroyed by Wahhabis.
• 1934 – The "Surgeon's Photograph," a very famous picture supposedly showing the Loch Ness Monster, was published. Years later, in 1994, it was found to be a trick.
• 1945 – In World War II, Soviet forces attacked the German High Command headquarters near Berlin.
• 1946 – The U.S. Weather Bureau published a report about a tornado in Timber Lake, South Dakota. They said it was 4 miles wide, which would make it the widest tornado ever recorded at that time.
• 1948 – The United Nations Security Council Resolution 47 was passed, which was about the Kashmir conflict.
• 1952 – The first "Secretary's Day" was celebrated. This day is now known as Administrative Professionals' Day.
• 1958 – United Airlines Flight 736 crashed into a U.S. Air Force fighter jet near Arden, Nevada.
• 1960 – Brasília, the new capital city of Brazil, was officially opened. The government's main offices were moved there from the old capital, Rio de Janeiro.
• 1962 – The Seattle World's Fair opened. It was the first World's Fair held in the United States since World War II.
• 1963 – The first election for the Universal House of Justice took place. This established it as the main governing body of the Baháʼí Faith.
• 1964 – A Transit-5bn satellite failed to reach orbit. As it fell back to Earth, a small amount of radioactive plutonium from its power source spread widely.
• 1965 – The 1964–1965 New York World's Fair opened for its second and final year.
• 1966 – Haile Selassie of Ethiopia visited Jamaica. This event is now celebrated by the Rastafari movement as Grounation Day.
• 1967 – Just before a general election in Greece, Colonel George Papadopoulos led a coup d'état, which is when the military takes control of the government. This started a military rule that lasted for seven years.
• 1972 – Astronauts John Young and Charles Duke landed Apollo 16's lunar module on the Moon. This was the fifth time NASA's Apollo Program landed people on the Moon.
• 1975 – During the Vietnam War, the President of South Vietnam, Nguyễn Văn Thiệu, left Saigon. This happened as Xuân Lộc, the last defense point for South Vietnam, fell to North Vietnamese forces.
• 1977 – The popular musical Annie opened on Broadway.
• 1982 – In Baseball, Rollie Fingers became the first pitcher to record 300 saves in his career.
• 1985 – A group called The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord surrendered to government authorities in Arkansas after a two-day standoff.
• 1989 – In Beijing, about 100,000 students gathered in Tiananmen Square to remember Chinese reform leader Hu Yaobang. This was part of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.
• 1993 – The Supreme Court in La Paz, Bolivia, sentenced former dictator Luis García Meza to 30 years in jail for serious crimes like murder and fraud.
• 2010 – The Kharkiv Pact, an agreement between Ukraine and Russia about a naval base and gas, was signed in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Russia ended this agreement in 2014.
• 2014 – The city of Flint, Michigan changed its water source to the Flint River. This started the ongoing Flint water crisis, which caused lead poisoning in many people and led to some deaths from Legionnaires' disease.

Births

Famous People Born Before 1900

• 1132 – Sancho VI, who became the King of Navarre.
• 1488 – Ulrich von Hutten, a German religious reformer.
• 1523 – Marco Antonio Bragadin, a Venetian lawyer and military officer.
• 1555 – Ludovico Carracci, an Italian painter.
• 1619 – Jan van Riebeeck, who founded Cape Town in South Africa.
• 1630 – Pieter Gerritsz van Roestraten, a Dutch-English painter.
• 1642 – Simon de la Loubère, a French mathematician and diplomat.
• 1651 – Joseph Vaz, a Sri Lankan priest and saint.
• 1652 – Michel Rolle, a French mathematician.
• 1671 – John Law, a Scottish economist.
• 1730 – Antonín Kammel, a Czech violinist and composer.
• 1752 – Humphry Repton, an English gardener and author.
• 1774 – Jean-Baptiste Biot, a French physicist and astronomer.
• 1790 – Manuel Blanco Encalada, a Spanish-Chilean admiral and the first President of Chile.
• 1816 – Charlotte Brontë, a famous English novelist who wrote Jane Eyre.
• 1837 – Fredrik Bajer, a Danish politician who won the Nobel Peace Prize.
• 1838 – John Muir, a Scottish-American environmentalist who helped protect nature.
• 1864 – Max Weber, a German economist and sociologist.
• 1870 – Edwin Stanton Porter, an American director who made early movies.
• 1882 – Percy Williams Bridgman, an American physicist who won a Nobel Prize.
• 1889 – Paul Karrer, a Russian-Swiss chemist who won a Nobel Prize.
• 1899 – Randall Thompson, an American composer.

Famous People Born After 1900

• 1905 – Pat Brown, an American lawyer and the 32nd Governor of California.
• 1912 – Eve Arnold, a Russian-American photojournalist.
• 1915 – Anthony Quinn, a Mexican-American actor.
• 1918 – Eddy Christiani, a Dutch singer and guitarist.
• 1922 – Alistair MacLean, a Scottish novelist who wrote adventure stories.
• 1923 – John Mortimer, an English lawyer and author.
• 1926 – Elizabeth II, who was the Queen of the United Kingdom and many other countries for a very long time.
• 1930 – Silvana Mangano, an Italian actress.
• 1935 – Charles Grodin, an American actor and talk show host.
• 1939 – Sister Helen Prejean, an American nun and activist.
• 1942 – Geoffrey Palmer, who became the 33rd Prime Minister of New Zealand.
• 1947 – Iggy Pop, an American singer and musician, known for his rock music.
• 1949 – Patti LuPone, an American actress and singer.
• 1951 – Tony Danza, an American actor and producer.
• 1958 – Andie MacDowell, an American model and actress.
• 1959 – Robert Smith, the English singer and guitarist for the band The Cure.
• 1969 – Toby Stephens, an English actor.
• 1970 – Rob Riggle, an American actor and comedian.
• 1973 – Steve Backshall, an English naturalist and TV presenter.
• 1979 – James McAvoy, a Scottish actor.
• 1980 – Tony Romo, an American football player and announcer.
• 1988 – Jencarlos Canela, an American singer and actor.
• 1989 – Nikki Cross, a Scottish wrestler.
• 1992 – Isco, a Spanish footballer.
• 1997 – Mikel Oyarzabal, a Spanish footballer.
• 1998 – Jarrett Allen, an American basketball player.
• 2003 – Xavi Simons, a Dutch footballer.
• 2007 – Princess Isabella of Denmark, daughter of King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark.

Deaths

Notable People Who Died Before 1900

• 234 – Emperor Xian of Han, a Chinese emperor.
• 586 – Liuvigild, a king of the Visigoths.
• 1073 – Pope Alexander II.
• 1109 – Anselm of Canterbury, an Italian-English archbishop and saint.
• 1142 – Peter Abelard, a French philosopher.
• 1509 – Henry VII of England, King of England.
• 1557 – Petrus Apianus, a German mathematician and astronomer.
• 1574 – Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany.
• 1591 – Sen no Rikyū, a Japanese master of the tea ceremony.
• 1699 – Jean Racine, a French playwright and poet.
• 1736 – Prince Eugene of Savoy, a famous military commander.
• 1825 – Johann Friedrich Pfaff, a German mathematician.

Notable People Who Died After 1900

• 1910 – Mark Twain, a famous American novelist and humorist, known for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
• 1918 – Manfred von Richthofen, the German fighter pilot known as "The Red Baron."
• 1924 – Eleonora Duse, a famous Italian actress.
• 1930 – Robert Bridges, an English poet.
• 1938 – Allama Muhammad Iqbal, a Pakistani philosopher and poet.
• 1945 – Walter Model, a German field marshal during World War II.
• 1946 – John Maynard Keynes, a very important English economist.
• 1948 – Aldo Leopold, an American ecologist and author.
• 1965 – Edward Victor Appleton, an English-Scottish physicist who won a Nobel Prize.
• 1971 – François Duvalier, the 40th President of Haiti.
• 1973 – Arthur Fadden, the 13th Prime Minister of Australia.
• 1977 – Gummo Marx, an American vaudeville performer and talent agent.
• 1978 & Sandy Denny, an English singer-songwriter.
• 1980 – Alexander Oparin, a Russian biochemist.
• 1985 – Rudi Gernreich, an Austrian-American fashion designer.
• 1990 – Erté, a Russian-French illustrator.
• 1991 – Willi Boskovsky, an Austrian violinist and conductor.
• 1996 – Abdul Hafeez Kardar, a Pakistani cricketer.
• 1999 – Buddy Rogers, an American actor.
• 2003 – Nina Simone, an American singer, pianist, and activist.
• 2010 – Juan Antonio Samaranch, the seventh President of the International Olympic Committee.
• 2013 – Shakuntala Devi, an Indian mathematician known as the "human computer."
• 2016 – Prince, a famous American singer, songwriter, and musician.
• 2018 – Nabi Tajima, a Japanese supercentenarian (someone who lived to be over 110 years old).

Holidays and observances

• Christian feast day:
  • Anselm of Canterbury
  • Conrad of Parzham
  • April 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Parilia (ancient Rome)
• Civil Service Day (India)
• Grounation Day (Rastafari)
• Heroic Defense of Veracruz (Mexico)
• Kang Pan-sok's Birthday (North Korea)
• Kartini Day (Indonesia)
• Local Self Government Day (Russia)
• National Tea Day (United Kingdom)
• National Tree Planting Day (Kenya)
• San Jacinto Day (Texas)
• Queen or King's Official Birthday (Falkland Islands)
• Tiradentes' Day (Brazil)
• Vietnam Book Day (Vietnam)

Images for kids

• Romulus and Remus by Rubens.jpg

  Romulus and Remus, who traditionally founded Rome.

• Henry VIII.jpg

  King Henry VIII of England.

• Wignacourt Aqueduct.jpg

  The Wignacourt Aqueduct in Malta.

• Bangkok City Pillar Shrine.jpg

  Bangkok, founded on April 21, 1782.

• John Adams.jpg

  John Adams, the first U.S. Vice President.

• George Washington's Reception at Trenton.jpg

  George Washington's reception in Trenton.

• 

  The Battle of San Jacinto.

• Eight-hour day march Melbourne 1856.jpg

  Stonemasons marching for an eight-hour day in Melbourne, 1856.

• Krag-Jorgensen rifle.jpg

  The Krag-Jørgensen rifle.

• USS Maine (ACR-1) in Havana Harbor.jpg

  The USS Maine, related to the Spanish-American War.

• 

  Manfred von Richthofen, "The Red Baron."

• Loch Ness Monster Surgeon's Photo.jpg

  The "Surgeon's Photograph" of the Loch Ness Monster.

• Brasília.jpg

  Brasília, Brazil's capital city.

• Seattle World's Fair.jpg

  The Seattle World's Fair.

• Apollo 16 Lunar Module.jpg

  Apollo 16's Lunar Module on the Moon.

• Tiananmen Square protests 1989.jpg

  Students gathering in Tiananmen Square in 1989.

• Flint River.jpg

  The Flint River, source of the Flint water crisis.

• 

  Charlotte Brontë, famous novelist.

• 

  John Muir, environmentalist.

• Max Weber.jpg

  Max Weber, sociologist.

• Edwin S. Porter.jpg

  Edwin S. Porter, early film director.

• Percy Williams Bridgman.jpg

  Percy Williams Bridgman, Nobel Prize winner.

• 

  Paul Karrer, Nobel Prize winner.

• Elizabeth II 2015.jpg

  Queen Elizabeth II.

• 

  Anthony Quinn, actor.

• Iggy Pop.jpg

  Iggy Pop, musician.

• 

  Tony Danza, actor.

• Andie MacDowell.jpg

  Andie MacDowell, actress.

• Robert Smith (The Cure).jpg

  Robert Smith of The Cure.

• Toby Stephens.jpg

  Toby Stephens, actor.

• Rob Riggle.jpg

  Rob Riggle, actor and comedian.

• Steve Backshall.jpg

  Steve Backshall, naturalist.

• 

  James McAvoy, actor.

• 

  Tony Romo, football player.

• Isco.jpg

  Isco, footballer.

• Jarrett Allen.jpg

  Jarrett Allen, basketball player.

• Xavi Simons.jpg

  Xavi Simons, footballer.

• Princess Isabella of Denmark.jpg

  Princess Isabella of Denmark.

• 

  Mark Twain, author.

• Nina Simone.jpg

  Nina Simone, singer.

• Prince (musician).jpg

  Prince, musician.

See also

In Spanish: 21 de abril para niños