On this day in history
January 21
American
1968The Battle of Khe Sanh begins in Vietnam, as North Vietnamese forces besiege a U.S. Marine base for 77 days.
The Battle of Khe Sanh begins in Vietnam, as North Vietnamese forces besiege a U.S. Marine base for 77 days.
Source: HaveFunWithHistory
1950Alger Hiss is convicted of perjury for denying he passed secrets to the Soviet Union, a landmark case of the e…
Alger Hiss is convicted of perjury for denying he passed secrets to the Soviet Union, a landmark case of the early Cold War.
Source: HaveFunWithHistory
1954The USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear powered submarine, is launched in Groton, Connecticut.
The USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear powered submarine, is launched in Groton, Connecticut.
Source: HaveFunWithHistory
1789William Hill Brown's The Power of Sympathy is published, the first American novel.
William Hill Brown's The Power of Sympathy is published, the first American novel.
Source: On This Day
1908New York City passes the Sullivan Ordinance banning women from smoking in public places; the mayor vetoes it t…
New York City passes the Sullivan Ordinance banning women from smoking in public places; the mayor vetoes it two weeks later.
Source: HaveFunWithHistory
1977President Jimmy Carter pardons Vietnam War draft evaders on his first full day in office.
President Jimmy Carter pardons Vietnam War draft evaders on his first full day in office.
Source: On This Day
World
1793Louis XVI of France is executed by guillotine in Paris during the French Revolution.
Louis XVI of France is executed by guillotine in Paris during the French Revolution.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
1924Vladimir Lenin, founder of the Soviet Union, dies at Gorki; his body is later preserved in a mausoleum in Mosc…
Vladimir Lenin, founder of the Soviet Union, dies at Gorki; his body is later preserved in a mausoleum in Moscow.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
2008Fears of a US recession trigger a global Black Monday, with European stocks suffering their worst day since 9/…
Fears of a US recession trigger a global Black Monday, with European stocks suffering their worst day since 9/11.
Source: On This Day
1525The Swiss Anabaptist movement is born in Zurich, when believers hold the first adult baptisms, rejecting infan…
The Swiss Anabaptist movement is born in Zurich, when believers hold the first adult baptisms, rejecting infant baptism.
Source: HaveFunWithHistory
1911The first Monte Carlo Rally begins, the automobile race that becomes one of motorsport's most prestigious even…
The first Monte Carlo Rally begins, the automobile race that becomes one of motorsport's most prestigious events.
Source: HaveFunWithHistory
1976Concorde begins commercial supersonic passenger service, with simultaneous flights from London and Paris.
Concorde begins commercial supersonic passenger service, with simultaneous flights from London and Paris.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
1991Iraqi forces capture CBS correspondent Bob Simon and his crew during the Gulf War; they are held for 40 days.
Iraqi forces capture CBS correspondent Bob Simon and his crew during the Gulf War; they are held for 40 days.
Source: On This Day