January 21 in history — What Happened Today in History
Welcome to January 21 in history! Here you can discover what happened on January 21, including the major events, the famous people born on January 21 and the notable deaths on January 21, with the newest story starting in 2025.
On this page, January 21 in history is arranged as a timeline of major events in reverse order, with birthdays and deaths in their own sections, plus a short FAQ about January 21 in history at the bottom.
Major Events on January 21 in History 40
- 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.
All entries for January 21（+28）
- 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.
- 1980
Iran Air Flight 291 crashes in the Alborz Mountains while on approach to Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran, Iran, killing 128 people.
- 1976
Commercial service of Concorde begins with the London-Bahrain and Paris-Rio routes.
- 1971
The current Emley Moor transmitting station, the tallest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom, begins transmitting UHF broadcasts.
- 1968
Vietnam War, Battle of Khe Sanh: One of the most publicized and controversial battles of the war begins.
- 1968
A B-52 bomber crashes near Thule Air Base, contaminating the area after its nuclear payload ruptures. One of the four bombs remains unaccounted for after the cleanup operation is complete.
- 1963
The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad ends operation.
- 1960
Little Joe 1B, a Mercury spacecraft, lifts off from Wallops Island, Virginia, with Miss Sam, a female rhesus monkey, on board.
- 1960
Avianca Flight 671 crashes at Montego Bay, Jamaica airport, killing 37 people.
- 1960
A coal mine collapses at Holly Country, South Africa, killing 435 miners.
- 1954
The first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, is launched in Groton, Connecticut by Mamie Eisenhower, the First Lady of the United States.
- 1951
The catastrophic eruption of Mount Lamington in Papua New Guinea claims 2,942 lives.
- 1950
American lawyer and government official Alger Hiss is convicted of perjury.
- 1948
The Flag of Quebec is adopted and flown for the first time over the National Assembly of Quebec. The day is marked annually as Québec Flag Day.
- 1945
The Trade Union Council of Transcarpathian Ukraine is founded in Mukachevo.
- 1942
The Jewish resistance organization, Fareynikte Partizaner Organizatsye, based in the Vilna Ghetto is established.
- 1941
Sparked by the murder of a German officer in Bucharest, Romania, the day before, members of the Iron Guard engage in a rebellion and pogrom killing 125 Jews.
- 1932
Finland and the Soviet Union sign a non-aggression treaty.
- 1931
Sir Isaac Isaacs is sworn in as the first Australian-born Governor-General of Australia.
- 1925
Albania declares itself a republic.
- 1919
A revolutionary Irish parliament is founded and declares the independence of the Irish Republic. One of the first engagements of the Irish War of Independence takes place.
- 1915
Kiwanis International is founded in Detroit.
- 1911
The first Monte Carlo Rally takes place.
- 1908
New York City passes the Sullivan Ordinance, making it illegal for women to smoke in public, only to have the measure vetoed by the mayor.
- 1893
The Tati Concessions Land, formerly part of Matabeleland, is formally annexed to the Bechuanaland Protectorate, now Botswana.
- 1854
The RMS Tayleur sinks off Lambay Island on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Australia with great loss of life.
Famous Birthdays on January 21 in History 25
- 2007
Luke Littler, English darts player
- 2005
IShowSpeed, American YouTuber and online streamer
- 2004
Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway
- 2003
Hannibal Mejbri, Tunisian footballer
- 2002
Moussa Diabaté, French basketball player
- 2002
Corey Kiner, American football player
- 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
All entries for January 21（+13）
- 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
- 1995
Marine Johannès, French basketball player
- 1995
Alanna Kennedy, Australian soccer player
- 1995
Nguyễn Công Phượng, Vietnamese footballer
- 1995
Yuliya Stupak, Russian cross-country skier
- 1994
Amin Affane, Swedish footballer
- 1994
Laura Robson, Australian-English tennis player
- 1994
Booboo Stewart, American actor
- 1993
Ronald Blair, former professional American football player
Notable Deaths on January 21 in History 25
- 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)
All entries for January 21（+13）
- 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)
- 2015
Johnnie Lewis, Liberian lawyer and politician, 18th Chief Justice of Liberia (born 1946)
- 2015
Canek Sánchez Guevara, Cuban author and dissident (born 1974)
- 2013
Ahmet Mete Işıkara, Turkish geophysicist and academic (born 1941)
- 2013
Chumpol Silpa-archa, Thai academic and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand (born 1940)
- 2013
Michael Winner, English director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1935)
- 2012
Jonathan Idema, American soldier, mercenary, con artist, vigilante, and criminal (born 1956)
- 2011
Theoni V. Aldredge, Greek-American costume designer (born 1922)
- 2011
Dennis Oppenheim, American sculptor and photographer (born 1938)
- 2011
E. V. V. Satyanarayana, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1958)
- 2010
Paul Quarrington, Canadian author, playwright, guitarist, and composer (born 1953)
That is the story of January 21 in history. Bookmark this page and come back next year on January 21 to relive these world-changing moments — or take a random trip through time and see what happened on another day in history.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on January 21 in history?
The biggest event on January 21 in history is: 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.. In total, 40 major events are recorded for this day.
Who was born on January 21?
25 famous people were born on January 21 in history, the best known being 2007 — Luke Littler, English darts player.
Who died on January 21?
25 notable people died on January 21 in history, including 2026 — Virginia Oliver (born 1920), American lobster fisherwoman.
Why should I read about January 21 in history?
Exploring January 21 in history helps you grasp the day's place in history in just a few minutes: events, birthdays and deaths in one read — perfect for students, teachers and curious minds.
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