On This Day June 21st

  OTD

June 21st is the one-hundred-seventy-second day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 193 days remain until the end of the year.

 

Events

1582 – Sengoku period: Oda Nobunaga, the most powerful of the Japanese daimyōs, is forced to commit suicide by his own general, Akechi Mitsuhide.

1749 – Halifax, Nova Scotia, is founded.

1898 – The United States captures Guam from Spain. The few warning shots fired by the U.S. naval vessels are misinterpreted as salutes by the Spanish garrison, which was unaware that the two nations were at war.

1919 – Admiral Ludwig von Reuter scuttles the German fleet at Scapa Flow, Orkney. The nine sailors killed were the last casualties of World War I.

1978 – The original production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, Evita, based on the life of Eva Perón, opens at the Prince Edward Theatre, London.

2004 – SpaceShipOne becomes the first privately funded spaceplane to achieve spaceflight.

 

Birthdays

Jean-Paul Marat (1743-1793) - French physician, journalist, and revolutionary leader during the French Revolution.

Reinhard Heydrich (1904-1942) - German Nazi official and one of the main architects of the Holocaust.

Jane Russell (1921-2011) - American actress and sex symbol of the 1940s and 1950s.

Mary McCarthy (1912-1989) - American author and critic known for her novels and essays.

Nils Krogstad (1807-1876) - Norwegian playwright and poet, considered one of the founders of modern Norwegian literature.

Judy Holliday (1921-1965) - American actress and comedian known for her roles in films like "Born Yesterday" and "Bells Are Ringing."

Al Hirschfeld (1903-2003) - American caricaturist known for his distinctive line drawings of celebrities and Broadway stars.

Lalo Schifrin (born 1932) - Argentine American composer and conductor known for his film and television scores, including the theme for "Mission: Impossible."

Maureen Stapleton (1925-2006) - American actress, winner of an Academy Award for her role in the film "Reds."

Anne Carson (born 1950) - Canadian poet, essayist, and translator known for her innovative and experimental writing style.

 

Highlighted Holiday

WORLD MOTORCYCLE DAY

Did you know the first motorcycle, a steam-powered invention by Pierre Michaux in Paris in 1860, marked a significant milestone in transportation history? This was the beginning of a journey that led to the creation of the first internal combustion motorcycle in 1885, a pivotal moment that propelled motorcycles into the mainstream.

Interestingly, motorcycles were even used in wars for messaging and battles. The first production motorcycle hit the market in 1894, and by the turn of the century, manufacturers like Royal Enfield entered the scene. They converted bicycles by adding small, center-mounted spark plug engines, also called pedal revs.

Fast forward to today, and motorcycles are used for commuting, transportation, entertainment, and delivery. They are popular due to their great gas mileage, small size, and easy storage, making them ideal for apartment living.

 

Holidays And Observance

 Atheists Solidarity Day

Baby Boomer's Recognition Day

Go Skateboarding Day

International T-Shirt Day

International Day of Yoga

National Day of the Gong

National Dog Party Day

National Flip Flop Day

National Peaches and Cream Day

National Selfie Day

Ryan Moran Day

Take Back the Lunch Break Day

Take Your Dog to Work Day

Ugliest Dog Day

World Giraffe Day

World Handshake Day

World Hydrography Day

World Music Day

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