Summary of the Day ✨ 21 January (21/01)
Turkey mourns as a devastating hotel fire kills 78 in Bolu Province, while the United States reels from a deadly mass shooting in California that claimed 11 lives at a dance studio. Across the globe, women march in protest of President Trump’s inauguration as Syria’s Jazira Canton declares autonomy and anti-government demonstrations turn deadly in Albania with four fatalities.
Historical Events 📜
- 2025: A fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in the Kartalkaya ski resort in Bolu Province, Turkey, results in 78 people dead and 51 injured.
- 2023: Huu Can Tran, 72, opens fire in a dance studio in Monterey Park, California, killing eleven people and injuring nine others before later committing suicide. It is the worst mass shooting in Los Angeles County since the 2008 Covina massacre.
- 2017: Over 400 cities across America and 160+ countries worldwide participate in a large-scale women’s march, including in Portland, on Donald Trump’s first full day as President of the United States.
- 2014: Rojava conflict: The Jazira Canton declares its autonomy from the Syrian Arab Republic.
- 2011: Anti-government demonstrations take place in Tirana, Albania. Four people die from gunshots, allegedly fired from armed police protecting the Prime Minister’s office.
- 2009: Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip, officially ending a three-week war it had with Hamas. However, intermittent fire by both sides continues in the weeks to follow.
- 2005: In Belmopan, Belize, the unrest over the government’s new taxes erupts into riots.
- 2004: NASA’s MER-A (the Mars Rover Spirit) ceases communication with mission control. The problem lies in the management of its flash memory and is fixed remotely from Earth on February 6.
- 2003: A 7.6 magnitude earthquake strikes the Mexican state of Colima, killing 29 and leaving approximately 10,000 people homeless.
- 2000: Ecuador: After the Ecuadorian Congress is seized by indigenous organizations, Col. Lucio Gutiérrez, Carlos Solorzano and Antonio Vargas depose President Jamil Mahuad. Gutierrez is later replaced by Gen. Carlos Mendoza, who resigns and allows Vice-President Gustavo Noboa to succeed Mahuad.
- 1999: War on drugs: In one of the largest drug busts in American history, the United States Coast Guard intercepts a ship with over 4,300 kilograms (9,500 lb) of cocaine on board.
- 1997: The U.S. House of Representatives votes 395–28 to reprimand Newt Gingrich for ethics violations, making him the first Speaker of the House to be so disciplined.
- 1986: Conservative protestors attack a mock shanty town that had been erected on the Green at Dartmouth College as part of anti-apartheid protests.
- 1985: Galaxy Airlines Flight 203 crashes near Reno–Tahoe International Airport in Reno, Nevada, killing 70 people.
- 1981: Production of the DeLorean sports car begins in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
Famous Births 👶
- 2007: Luke Littler, English darts player
- 2005: IShowSpeed, American YouTuber and online streamer
- 2004: Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway
- 2003: Hannibal Mejbri, Tunisian footballer
- 2001: Baek Jong-bum, South Korean footballer
- 1999: Rubina Ali, Indian actress
- 1999: Fūju Kamio, Japanese actor
- 1999: Alisha Lehmann, Swiss footballer
- 1998: Pervis Estupiñán, Ecuadorian footballer
- 1997: Mamadi Diakite, Guinean basketball player
- 1997: Jeremy Shada, American actor, musician and singer
- 1997: Ilia Topuria, German-Georgian mixed martial artist
- 1996: Marco Asensio, Spanish footballer
- 1996: Cristian Pavón, Argentine footballer
- 1995: Jake Elliott, American football player
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2026: Virginia Oliver (born 1920), American lobster fisherwoman
- 2025: Mauricio Funes, Salvadoran politician, 79th President of El Salvador (born 1959)
- 2025: Garth Hudson, Canadian keyboard player, songwriter, and producer (born 1937)
- 2022: Louie Anderson, American actor and comedian (born 1953)
- 2022: Leonor Oyarzún, Chilean socialite, First Lady of Chile (born 1919)
- 2020: Terry Jones, Welsh actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1942)
- 2020: Morgan Wootten, American high school basketball coach (born 1931)
- 2019: Kaye Ballard, American actress (born 1925)
- 2019: Henri, Count of Paris, Head of the House of Orléans (born 1933)
- 2019: Emiliano Sala, Argentine footballer (born 1990)
- 2019: Harris Wofford, American politician, author and civil rights activist (born 1926)
- 2016: Bill Johnson, American skier (born 1960)
- 2016: Mrinalini Sarabhai, a 1992-Padma Bhushan award winner Indian classical dancer, choreographer and instructor. (born 1918)
- 2015: Marcus Borg, American scholar, theologian, and author (born 1942)
- 2015: Leon Brittan, English lawyer and politician, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (born 1939)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Babinden (Bulgaria, Serbia)
- Christian feast day:
Agnes - Christian feast day:
Demiana (Coptic Church) - Christian feast day:
Fructuosus - Christian feast day:
John Yi Yun-il (one of The Korean Martyrs) - Christian feast day:
Meinrad of Einsiedeln - Christian feast day:
January 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - Errol Barrow Day (Barbados)
- Flag Day (Quebec)
- Grandmother’s Day (Poland)
- Lady of Altagracia Day (Dominican Republic)
- Lincoln Alexander Day (Canada)
- National Hugging Day (United States)
- Squirrel Appreciation Day