What Happened on June 21
Important Events
- 1788 US Constitution comes into effect when New Hampshire is the 9th state to ratify it
- 1854 First Victoria Cross won during bombardment of Bomarsund in the Aland Islands (Crimean War)
- 1948 Lord Mountbatten resigns as Governor General of India (formerly the last Viceroy)
- 1990 7.7 Manjil-Rudbar Earthquake with hundreds of aftershocks hits Iran; killing about 50,000
- 1993 English mathematician Andrew Wiles proves last theorem of Fermat
Jun 21 in Film & TV
- 1966 "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", directed by Mike Nichols and based on the 1962 play of the same name, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, is released (Academy Awards Best Actress 1967)
Jun 21 in Music
- 1978 Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's musical "Evita" premieres in London
Jun 21 in Sport
- 1970 FIFA World Cup Final, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City: Brazil and Pelé become first team and player to win World Cup 3 times, beating Italy, 4-1 in front of 107,412
Did You Know?
American inventor and businessman Cyrus McCormick patents the reaping machine
On June 21, 1834
Famous Birthdays
Jean-Paul Sartre
(1905 - 1980)Benazir Bhutto
(1953 - 2007)Chris Pratt
41 Years OldPrince William
38 Years OldEdward Snowden
37 Years OldLana Del Rey
35 Years Old
Would You Believe?
Frank W. Woolworth opens his 1st successful "F. W. Woolworth Great Five Cent Store" on North Queen Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
On June 21, 1879
Famous Weddings
- 1810 US President Zachary Taylor (25) weds Margaret Smith near Louisville, Kentucky
- 1924 Inventor Robert H. Goddard (41) weds secretary Esther Christine Kisk (23) at St. John's Episcopal Church in Worcester
- 1930 "Titanic" actress Gloria Stuart (19) weds sculptor Blair Gordon Newell
June in History
'Gorgeous Gussie' Shocks Wimbledon
There is a strict dress code at Wimbledon and, as Gussie Moran discovered on this day in tennis history, tennis players break it at their peril.
June 20, 1949Misery of The King's Executioner
He may have caused civil war but the execution of King Charles I shocked many Englishmen and caused untold anguish for the man who took the royal life.
June 20, 1649Deadly Quest For The Northern Passage
For centuries mankind had sought the fabled Northern Passage - a new route for shipping from Europe to Asia. Explorer Henry Hudson's attempt did not go well.
June 22, 1611The Painter Who Died For His Art
Painter Benjamin Haydon, who died on this day, spent his life beating on the door of London’s exclusive art ‘club’, the Royal Academy. They never let him in.
June 22, 1846