June 21 in History

Significant events that happened on this day.

Historical Events

2018

A man in Thailand was arrested for posting negative reviews of a restaurant on TripAdvisor

The American expat was charged with criminal defamation after complaining online about a resort restaurant near Koh Chang island. He faced up to two y...

2006

Pluto's two newly discovered moons were officially named Nix and Hydra by the International Astronomical Union

The names honored the mythological mother of Pluto's ferryman Charon and the nine-headed serpent that guarded the underworld. Ironically, just two mon...

2003

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was published with a record-breaking 8.5 million copy first printing in the U.S.

The fifth book in J.K. Rowling's series became the fastest-selling book in history at the time, with an estimated 5 million copies sold in the first 2...

1982

Prince William was born at St. Mary's Hospital in London, becoming second in line to the British throne

The first child of Prince Charles and Princess Diana became the first heir to the throne born in a hospital rather than a palace. His birth was announ...

1970

Brazil won its third FIFA World Cup by defeating Italy 4-1, earning permanent possession of the Jules Rimet Trophy

Led by Pelé in his final World Cup, Brazil's victory in Mexico City is considered one of the greatest team performances in football history. Under FIF...

1948

Columbia Records introduced the 33⅓ rpm long-playing record, revolutionizing the music industry

The new LP format could hold about 21 minutes per side, compared to just 3-4 minutes on existing 78 rpm records. The first LP released was the Mendels...

1919

German sailors scuttled their own fleet of 74 warships at Scapa Flow rather than let them fall into British hands

Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter secretly coordinated the mass scuttling of the interned German High Seas Fleet in Scotland's Orkney Islands. The Britis...

1908

A massive explosion near the Tunguska River in Siberia flattened 80 million trees across 830 square miles

Major

The blast was roughly 1,000 times more powerful than the Hiroshima atomic bomb, yet incredibly, no casualties were confirmed due to the remote locatio...

1905

A mutiny erupted on the Russian battleship Potemkin when the crew refused to eat maggot-infested meat

Major

The sailors' revolt against their officers became one of the most famous mutinies in history and a key moment in the 1905 Russian Revolution. The ship...

1893

The first Ferris wheel made its debut at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago

George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. created the 264-foot wheel to rival the Eiffel Tower from the previous Paris exposition. Each of the 36 wooden cars...

1788

New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, making it officially operational

Major

When New Hampshire's ratification put the Constitution over the required nine-state threshold, the document officially became the law of the land. Thi...

1633

Galileo Galilei was forced by the Roman Inquisition to recant his view that the Earth orbits the Sun

Major

After being shown the instruments of torture, the 69-year-old astronomer publicly stated that his heliocentric views were wrong and that Earth was the...