December 21
People born on this day are Sagittarius.
- 1968
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.
Wikipedia ↗ - 1979
Lancaster House Agreement: An independence agreement for Rhodesia is signed in London by Lord Carrington, Sir Ian Gilmour, Robert Mugabe, Joshua Nkomo, Bishop Abel Muzorewa and S.C. Mundawarara.
Wikipedia ↗ - 1988
A bomb explodes on board Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, killing 270. This is to date the deadliest air disaster to occur on British soil.
Wikipedia ↗ - 1991
Dissolution of the Soviet Union: The leaders of 11 now effectively autonomous Soviet republics sign the Alma-Ata Protocol establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States in place of the collapsing Soviet Union.
Wikipedia ↗ - 1992
A Dutch DC-10, flight Martinair MP 495, crashes at Faro Airport, Portugal, killing 56.
Wikipedia ↗ - 1995
The city of Bethlehem passes from Israeli to Palestinian control.
Wikipedia ↗ - 1999
The Spanish Civil Guard intercepts a van loaded with 950 kg of explosives that ETA intended to use to blow up Torre Picasso in Madrid, Spain.
Wikipedia ↗ - 1999
Cubana de Aviación Flight 1216 overshoots the runway at La Aurora International Airport, killing 18.
Wikipedia ↗ - 2004
Iraq War: A suicide bomber kills 22 at the forward operating base next to the main U.S. military airfield at Mosul, Iraq, the single deadliest suicide attack on American soldiers in Iraq.
Wikipedia ↗ - 2012
2012 phenomenon: Festivities are held in parts of Mesoamerica to commemorate the conclusion of b'ak'tun 13, a roughly 5,126-year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar whose passing many New Age spiritualists had earlier held to portend a variety of cataclysmic or transformative events.
Wikipedia ↗ - 2020
A great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn occurs, with the two planets separated in the sky by 0.1 degrees. This is the closest conjunction between the two planets since 1623.
Wikipedia ↗ - 2023
Fourteen people are killed and 25 others injured during a mass shooting at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic.
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2006Cooper Flagg, American basketball player
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2002Clara Tauson, Danish tennis player
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1997Madelyn Cline, American actress and model
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1997Charlie McAvoy, American ice hockey player
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1996Ben Chilwell, English footballer
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1996Kaitlyn Dever, American actress
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1994Luke Brooks, Australian rugby league player
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1992Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, American football player
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1992Jamie Oleksiak, Canadian ice hockey player
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1991Nic Maddinson, Australian cricketer
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1991Otis, American wrestler
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1991Riccardo Saponara, Italian footballer
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Data: Wikipedia “December 21” and “On this day”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia ↗