December 21 in history — What Happened Today in History

The Geneva Conference on the Arab–Israeli conflict opens.

Apollo program: Apollo 8 is launched from the Kennedy Space Center, placing its crew on a lunar trajectory for the first visit to another celestial body by humans.

Louis Washkansky, the first man to undergo a human-to-human heart transplant, dies in Cape Town, South Africa, having lived for 18 days after the transplant.

International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination is adopted.

"Bloody Christmas" begins in Cyprus, ultimately resulting in the displacement of 25,000–30,000 Turkish Cypriots and destruction of more than 100 villages.

An 8.1 Mw earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Nankaidō, Japan, kills over 1,300 people and destroys over 38,000 homes.

World War II: A Thai-Japanese Pact of Alliance is signed.

Lieutenant Kijé, one of Sergei Prokofiev's best-known works, premiered.

United Kingdom and Nepal formally sign an agreement of friendship, called the Nepal–Britain Treaty of 1923, which superseded the Treaty of Sugauli signed in 1816.

American anarchist Emma Goldman is deported to Russia.

An underground explosion at the Hulton Bank Colliery No. 3 Pit in Over Hulton, Westhoughton, England, kills 344 miners.

The Chilean Army commits a massacre of at least 2,000 striking saltpeter miners in Iquique, Chile.

The Royal Canadian Dragoons and The Royal Canadian Regiment, the first Permanent Force cavalry and infantry regiments of the Canadian Army, are formed.

the fictional character of Nora Helmer is first portrayed by Betty Hennings at a showing of A Doll's House at the Royal Danish Theatre.

Challenger expedition: HMS Challenger, commanded by Captain George Nares, sails from Portsmouth, England.

Medal of Honor: Public Resolution 82, containing a provision for a Navy Medal of Valor, is signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln.

The Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers commences business at its cooperative in Rochdale, England, starting the Cooperative movement.

Egyptian–Ottoman War: Egyptian forces decisively defeat Ottoman troops at the Battle of Konya.

American settlers in Nacogdoches, Mexican Texas, declare their independence, starting the Fredonian Rebellion.

The second earthquake to hit southern California in 13 days causes severe damage in Santa Barbara and Ventura.

Plymouth Colony: William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims land near what is now known as Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Battle of Curalaba: The revolting Mapuche, led by cacique Pelentaru, inflict a major defeat on Spanish troops in southern Chile.

Mark Ingram II, American football player

Tamannaah, Indian actress

Danny Duffy, American baseball player

Perri Shakes-Drayton, English sprinter and hurdler

Khris Davis, American baseball player

Tom Sturridge, English actor

Taylor Teagarden, American baseball player

Steven Yeun, American actor

Primo Colón, Puerto Rican wrestler

Philip Humber, American baseball player

Tom Payne, English actor

Marta Fernández, Spanish basketball player

Cristian Zaccardo, Italian footballer

Saparmyrat Nyýazow, Turkmen engineer and politician, 1st President of Turkmenistan (born 1940) (date death announced)

Autar Singh Paintal, Indian physiologist and neurologist (born 1925)

Ernst-Günther Schenck, German colonel and physician (born 1904)

Stella Adler, American actress and educator (born 1901)

Albert King, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1924)

Nathan Milstein, Russian-American violinist and composer (born 1903)

Nikolaas Tinbergen, Dutch-English ethologist and ornithologist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1907)

Paul de Man, Belgian-born philosopher, literary critic and theorist (born 1919)

Abu Al-Asar Hafeez Jullundhri, Pakistani poet and composer (born 1900)

Richard Long, American actor and director (born 1927)

Ásta Sigurðardóttir, Icelandic writer and visual artist (born 1930)

Vittorio Pozzo, Italian footballer, coach, and manager (born 1886)

Claude Champagne, Canadian violinist, pianist, and composer (born 1891)