Tukuk-OS📅 August 21
15 events · 12 births · 12 deaths
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What happened on August 21? Below are the notable events chosen by Wikipedia’s editors for this date, followed by celebrated births, deaths and the observances recognised around the world.
Events
- 2015 — Passengers on a Thalys train from Amsterdam to Paris confronted and subdued an attacker who attempted a mass shooting.
- 2013 — Syrian civil war: Areas controlled by the Syrian opposition in Ghouta, Damascus, were attacked by rockets (launcher pictured) containing sarin, killing at least 281 people.
- 2007 — BioShock was released in North America, becoming a critical success and a demonstration of video games as an art form.
- 1986 — A limnic eruption of Lake Nyos in Cameroon released a cloud of carbon dioxide, suffocating 1,746 people and 3,500 livestock.
- 1971 — Six people were killed during an escape attempt and riot at San Quentin State Prison in California; the subsequent trial of six inmates was the longest in state history at the time.
- 1963 — South Vietnamese special forces loyal to Ngô Đình Nhu, the brother of President Ngô Đình Diệm, raided and vandalised Buddhist pagodas (one pictured) across the country, arresting thousands and leaving hundreds dead.
Army of the Republic of Vietnam Special ForcesNgô Đình NhuNgo Dinh Diem
- 1945 — American physicist Harry Daghlian accidentally dropped a tungsten carbide brick onto a plutonium bomb core, exposing himself to neutron radiation and later becoming the first Manhattan Project fatality due to a criticality accident.
- 1944 — World War II: A combined Canadian–Polish force captured the town of Falaise, France, in the final offensive of the Battle of Normandy.
- 1942 — World War II: The Imperial Japanese Army lost the Battle of the Tenaru, the first of its three major land offensives during the Guadalcanal campaign.
- 1911 — Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa (pictured) was stolen from the Louvre by museum employee Vincenzo Peruggia and was not recovered until two years later.
- 1808 — Peninsular War: British and Portuguese forces put an end to the first French invasion of Portugal at the Battle of Vimeiro.
- 1789 — The national colours of Italy first appeared on a tricolour cockade in Genoa.
- 1717 — Austro-Turkish War: Austrian troops under Prince Eugene of Savoy captured the strategically important city of Belgrade from the Ottoman Empire.
Austro-Turkish War (1716–1718)Prince Eugene of SavoySiege of Belgrade (1717)
- 1716 — Seventh Ottoman–Venetian War: Ottoman forces suddenly abandoned their siege of Corfu, allowing the Republic of Venice to preserve its rule over the Ionian Islands.
Ottoman–Venetian War (1714–1718)Ottoman EmpireSiege of Corfu (1716)
- 1689 — Jacobite clans clashed with a regiment of Covenanters in the streets of Dunkeld, Scotland.
Births
- 2007 — Piper Rockelle, American model and singer
- 2002 — Kenji Fan, Hong Kong model and actor
- 2002 — Zion Suzuki, Japanese footballer
- 2000 — Corbin Carroll, American baseball player
- 1999 — Maxim Knight, American actor
- 1996 — Karolína Muchová, Czech tennis player
- 1995 — Dominik Kubalík, Czech ice hockey player
- 1994 — Alex Cooper, American podcaster
- 1994 — Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, British-Turkish reality television personality, actress and model
- 1993 — Millie Bright, English footballer
- 1993 — Mike Evans, American football player
- 1992 — Brandon Drury, American baseball player
Deaths
- 2026 — Sowcar Janaki, Indian actress (born 1931)
- 2026 — Nancy Kassebaum, American businesswoman and politician (born 1932)
- 2026 — Zolani Tete, South African boxer (born 1988)
- 2024 — Nell McCafferty, Northern Irish journalist, playwright and civil rights campaigner (born 1944)
- 2024 — Bill Pascrell, American politician (born 1937)
- 2024 — John Amos, American actor (born 1939)
- 2019 — Ifeanyi Chiejine, Nigerian footballer (born 1983)
- 2019 — Celso Piña, Mexican singer, composer, arranger, and accordionist (born 1953)
- 2018 — Stefán Karl Stefánsson, Icelandic actor and singer (born 1975)
- 2017 — Bajram Rexhepi, the first Kosovan Prime Minister of the UN mission administration in Kosovo (born 1954)
- 2015 — Colin Beyer, New Zealand lawyer and businessman (born 1938)
- 2015 — Wang Dongxing, Chinese commander and politician (born 1916)
Observances & holidays
- Christian Feast Day: Abraham of Smolensk (Eastern Orthodox Church)
- Christian Feast Day: Bernard of Alzira
- Christian Feast Day: Cyriaca
- Christian Feast Day: Euprepius of Verona
- Christian Feast Day: Maximilian of Antioch
- Christian Feast Day: Our Lady of Knock
- Christian Feast Day: Pope Pius X
- Christian Feast Day: Sidonius Apollinaris
- Christian Feast Day: Blessed Victoire Rasoamanarivo
- Christian Feast Day: August 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Ninoy Aquino Day (Philippines)
- Youth Day (Morocco)
- World Senior Citizen's Day
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