September 21 facts for kids

September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 101 days remain until the end of the year.

September 21st is a day filled with many important moments throughout history. From ancient battles to modern scientific discoveries, this date has seen significant events, the births of famous people, and the passing of others. It's also a day for various celebrations and observances around the world.

Historical Events: What Happened on This Day?

Ancient Times and Middle Ages

• In 455, Emperor Avitus entered Rome with his army. This helped him gain more power.
• The Kingdom of Dublin was taken over by Norman invaders in 1170.
• During the Livonian Crusade in 1217, two important leaders, Lembitu from Estonia and Kaupo the Accursed from Livonia, were killed in the Battle of St. Matthew's Day.
• In 1435, the Congress of Arras caused Burgundy to change sides in the Hundred Years' War.

From the 1600s to the 1900s

• In 1745, a Hanoverian army was quickly defeated by the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart in the Battle of Prestonpans. The battle lasted only ten minutes!
• A large part of New York City was burned in 1776. This happened shortly after British forces took control of the city.
• During the American Revolutionary War in 1780, Benedict Arnold gave secret plans for West Point to the British.
• The French Revolution saw a big change in 1792. The National Convention officially ended the monarchy, meaning France no longer had a king.
• In 1843, the crew of the Chilean ship Ancud, led by John Williams Wilson, claimed the Strait of Magellan for the Chilean government.
• The Second Opium War continued in 1860. An army from Britain and France defeated Chinese troops at the Battle of Palikao.
• British forces, led by Horatio Kitchener, took control of Dongola in Sudan in 1896. This was part of the Anglo-Egyptian conquest of Sudan.
• In 1898, Empress Dowager Cixi took power in China. This ended the Hundred Days' Reform, a period of quick changes.

Modern Events: 1901 to Today

• A storage silo in Oppau, Germany, exploded in 1921. This terrible event killed between 500 and 600 people.
• Mexican professional wrestling was started by Salvador Lutteroth in 1933.
• A huge typhoon hit western Honshū, Japan, in 1934. More than 3,000 people lost their lives.
• The Great Hurricane of 1938 made landfall in New York in 1938. It caused an estimated 500 to 700 deaths.
• In 1939, Romanian Prime Minister Armand Călinescu was assassinated by a group called the Iron Guard.
• During The Holocaust in Ukraine in 1942, Nazis sent over 1,000 Jewish people from Pidhaitsi to the Belzec extermination camp. Also in 1942, Nazis murdered 2,588 Jewish people in Dunaivtsi, Ukraine.
• The Boeing B-29 Superfortress airplane had its first flight in 1942.
• In 1953, a North Korean pilot named Lieutenant No Kum-sok flew his jet fighter to South Korea to defect.
• The ship Pamir sank off the Azores during Hurricane Carrie in 1957.
• Malta became independent from the United Kingdom in 1964. It remained part of the Commonwealth of Nations.
• The North American XB-70 Valkyrie, which was the world's fastest bomber at the time, made its first flight in 1964.
• The Gambia, Maldives, and Singapore all joined the United Nations in 1965.
• In 1971, Bahrain, Bhutan, and Qatar also joined the United Nations.
• Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos started ruling with strong power in 1972. He did this by declaring martial law.
• Orlando Letelier was assassinated in Washington, D.C. in 1976. This was ordered by Augusto Pinochet.
• Seychelles joined the United Nations in 1976.
• Belize gained full independence from the United Kingdom in 1981.
• Sandra Day O'Connor was approved by the United States Senate in 1981. She became the first female Supreme Court justice.
• Brunei joined the United Nations in 1984.
• Armenia became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991.
• In 1993, Russian President Boris Yeltsin caused a constitutional crisis. He suspended parliament and got rid of the old constitution.
• A Transair Georgian Airlines Tu-134 plane was shot down by a missile near Sukhumi, Georgia, in 1993.
• The Defense of Marriage Act was passed by the United States Congress in 1996.
• St. Olaf's Church, a stone church from the 16th century in Tyrvää, Finland, was burned down by a burglar in 1997.
• The Chi-Chi earthquake happened in central Taiwan in 1999. About 2,400 people died.
• America: A Tribute to Heroes was broadcast in 2001. This show raised over $200 million for the victims of the September 11 attacks.
• The Galileo spacecraft ended its mission in 2003. It was sent into Jupiter's atmosphere.
• In 2015, AdventHealth agreed to pay $118.7 million to settle claims of fraud. This was the largest amount a hospital network had ever paid.
• A 5.6 magnitude earthquake shook the Albanian port of Durrës in 2019. Forty-nine people were hurt in the capital, Tirana.

Famous Birthdays: Who Was Born on September 21st?

Born Before the 1600s

• 19 BC – Virgil, a famous Roman poet (died 70 BC).
• 1411 – Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York, an English politician and Lord Protector of England (died 1460).
• 1415 – Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor (died 1493).
• 1452 – Girolamo Savonarola, an Italian priest and philosopher (died 1498).
• 1552 – Barbara Longhi, an Italian painter (died 1638).

Born Between 1601 and 1900

• 1645 – Louis Jolliet, a Canadian explorer (died 1700).
• 1842 – Abdul Hamid II, the 34th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (died 1918).
• 1853 – Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, a Dutch physicist who won a Nobel Prize (died 1926).
• 1866 – H. G. Wells, a famous English novelist and historian (died 1946).
• 1874 – Gustav Holst, an English composer (died 1934).
• 1898 – Frances Mary Albrier, an American civil rights activist (died 1987).

Born After 1901

• 1902 – Allen Lane, an English publisher who started Penguin Books (died 1970).
• 1909 – Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana (died 1972).
• 1912 – Chuck Jones, an American animator and producer, known for Looney Tunes (died 2002).
• 1931 – Larry Hagman, an American actor, famous for Dallas (died 2012).
• 1934 – Leonard Cohen, a Canadian singer-songwriter and poet (died 2016).
• 1947 – Stephen King, a very popular American author and screenwriter.
• 1950 – Bill Murray, a well-known American actor and comedian.
• 1954 – Shinzo Abe, the 90th Prime Minister of Japan (died 2022).
• 1957 – Kevin Rudd, the 26th Prime Minister of Australia.
• 1959 – Dave Coulier, an American actor and comedian, known from Full House.
• 1967 – Faith Hill, a famous American country singer.
• 1972 – Liam Gallagher, an English singer-songwriter, known from the band Oasis.
• 1981 – Nicole Richie, an American actress and fashion designer.
• 1983 – Maggie Grace, an American actress.
• 1989 – Jason Derulo, an American singer-songwriter.
• 1999 – Wang Junkai, a Chinese singer.

Notable Deaths: Who Passed Away on September 21st?

Died Before the 1600s

• 19 BC – Virgil, a Roman poet (born 70 BC).
• 1327 – Edward II of England (born 1284).
• 1558 – Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (born 1500).
• 1576 – Gerolamo Cardano, an Italian mathematician and physician (born 1501).

Died After 1601

• 1832 – Walter Scott, a Scottish novelist and poet (born 1771).
• 1860 – Arthur Schopenhauer, a German philosopher (born 1788).
• 1904 – Chief Joseph, an American tribal leader (born 1840).
• 1939 – Armand Călinescu, the Prime Minister of Romania (born 1893).
• 1957 – Haakon VII of Norway (born 1872).
• 1971 – Bernardo Houssay, an Argentinian physiologist who won a Nobel Prize (born 1887).
• 1976 – Orlando Letelier, a Chilean politician (born 1932).
• 1987 – Jaco Pastorius, an American bass player and composer (born 1951).
• 1998 – Florence Griffith Joyner, an American sprinter and Olympic champion (born 1959).
• 2000 – Leonid Rogozov, a Russian surgeon (born 1934).
• 2020 – Arthur Ashkin, an American scientist and Nobel laureate (born 1922).
• 2021 – Willie Garson, an American actor (born 1964).
• 2023 – Walewska Oliveira, a Brazilian volleyball player and Olympic champion (born 1979).

Holidays and Celebrations: What We Observe on This Day

• The Autumnal equinox happens around this time in the Northern Hemisphere. This marks the start of autumn. In the Southern Hemisphere, it's the vernal equinox, marking the start of spring.
  • In Argentina, this day is known as Spring Day.
• It's a Christian feast day for several important figures:
  • Ephigenia of Ethiopia
  • Laurent-Joseph-Marius Imbert (one of the Korean Martyrs)
  • Matthew the Evangelist (in the Western Church)
  • Nativity of the Theotokos (in the Eastern Orthodox Church, according to the Julian calendar)
• Arbor Day is celebrated in Brazil.
• In the Philippines, it's the Commemoration of the Declaration of Martial Law.
• Customs Service Day is observed in Poland.
• Founder's Day and National Volunteer Day are celebrated in Ghana.
• Independence Day in Armenia celebrates their freedom from the Soviet Union in 1991.
• Independence Day in Belize celebrates their freedom from the United Kingdom in 1981.
• Independence Day in Malta celebrates their freedom from the United Kingdom in 1964.
• It's the International Day of Peace, an international day dedicated to peace.
• Student's Day (Bolivia) is celebrated in Bolivia.
• Russia celebrates Victory over the Golden Horde in the Battle of Kulikovo.

Other Fun Facts About September 21st

• The popular 1978 song "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire mentions this date. The lyric "Do you remember the 21st night of September?" has made this day famous as an internet meme.