Summary of the Day ✨ 21 March (21/03)
Tragedy struck on this day with China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735 crashing in Guangxi, China, killing all 132 aboard, while a separate chemical plant explosion in Xiangshui claimed at least 47 lives and injured 640 others. Meanwhile, history was made as Twitter was founded, Pope John Paul II made his historic first visit to Israel, and adventurers Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones became the first to circle the globe in a hot air balloon.
Historical Events 📜
- 2022: China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735 crashes in Guangxi, China, killing 132 people.
- 2019: The 2019 Xiangshui chemical plant explosion occurs, killing at least 47 people and injuring 640 others.
- 2006: The social media site Twitter (now officially named X) is founded.
- 2000: Pope John Paul II makes his first ever pontifical visit to Israel.
- 1999: Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones become the first to circumnavigate the Earth in a hot air balloon.
- 1994: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change enters into force.
- 1990: Namibia becomes independent after 75 years of South African rule.
- 1989: Transbrasil Flight 801 crashes into a slum near São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport, killing 25 people.
- 1986: Debi Thomas becomes the first African American to win the World Figure Skating Championships.
- 1985: Canadian paraplegic athlete and humanitarian Rick Hansen begins his circumnavigation of the globe in a wheelchair in the name of spinal cord injury medical research.
- 1983: The first cases of the 1983 West Bank fainting epidemic begin; Israelis and Palestinians accuse each other of poison gas, but the cause is later determined mostly to be psychosomatic.
- 1980: Cold War: American President Jimmy Carter announces a United States boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow to protest the Soviet–Afghan War.
- 1970: The first Earth Day proclamation is issued by Joseph Alioto, Mayor of San Francisco.
- 1970: San Diego Comic-Con, the largest pop and culture festival in the world, hosts its inaugural event.
- 1968: Battle of Karameh in Jordan between the Israel Defense Forces and the combined forces of the Jordanian Armed Forces and PLO.
Famous Births 👶
- 2007: Ethan Nwaneri, English footballer
- 2003: Abbi Pulling, English racing driver
- 2000: Jace Norman, American actor
- 2000: Yoon San-ha, South Korean singer and actor
- 1998: Miles Bridges, American basketball player
- 1997: Nat Phillips, English footballer
- 1997: Martina Stoessel, Argentine singer and actress
- 1996: Aurora Mikalsen, Norwegian footballer
- 1995: RJ Cyler, American actor
- 1995: Nick Mullens, American football player
- 1995: Mirco Müller, Swiss ice hockey player
- 1994: Jasmin Savoy Brown, American actress
- 1993: Sven Andrighetto, Swiss ice hockey player
- 1993: Jake Bidwell, English footballer
- 1993: Jesse Joronen, Finnish footballer
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2026: Michael Lyster, Irish radio and television broadcaster (born 1954)
- 2026: Rhoda Roberts, Australian arts executive (born 1959)
- 2025: Kitty Dukakis, American author, First Lady of Massachusetts (born 1936)
- 2025: George Foreman, American boxer, actor, and businessman (born 1949)
- 2023: Willis Reed, American basketball player (born 1942)
- 2021: Nawal El Saadawi, Egyptian secularist, feminist (born 1931)
- 2019: Victor Hochhauser CBE, British music promoter (born 1923)
- 2019: Gonzalo Portocarrero, Peruvian sociologist (born 1949)
- 2017: Chuck Barris, American game show host and producer (born 1929)
- 2017: Colin Dexter, English author (born 1930)
- 2017: Martin McGuinness, Irish republican and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland (born 1950)
- 2017: Mike Hall, British cyclist (born 1981)
- 2015: Ishaya Bakut, Nigerian general and politician, Governor of Benue State (born 1947)
- 2015: Chuck Bednarik, American lieutenant and football player (born 1925)
- 2015: James C. Binnicker, American sergeant (born 1938)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Arbor Day (Lesotho)
- Arbor Day (Portugal)
- Christian feast day:
Augustine Zhao Rong - Christian feast day:
Benedetta Cambiagio Frassinello - Christian feast day:
Passing of Saint Benedict (Order of Saint Benedict, pre-1970 Calendar) - Christian feast day:
Birillus - Christian feast day:
Enda of Aran - Christian feast day:
Nicholas of Flüe - Christian feast day:
Serapion of Thmuis - Christian feast day:
Thomas Cranmer (Anglicanism) - Christian feast day:
March 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - Early music
- Education Freedom Day
- Harmony Day (Australia)
- Human Rights Day (South Africa)