On This Day in History – September 21

Major Events

• 1435 – The Treaty of Arras is signed, ending the conflict between Burgundy and France during the Hundred Years’ War.
• 1792 – The French National Convention proclaims the abolition of the monarchy and establishes the French First Republic.
• 1937 – J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit is published in the United Kingdom.
• 1942 – Boeing B-29 Superfortress makes its maiden flight in Seattle, Washington.
• 1964 – Malta gains independence from the United Kingdom.
• 1981 – Belize gains independence from the United Kingdom.
• 1981 – Sandra Day O’Connor is unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate as the first female Supreme Court Justice.
• 1991 – Armenia declares independence from the Soviet Union.
• 2001 – The U.S. Congress passes legislation authorizing the use of military force against those responsible for the September 11 attacks.
• 2013 – Al-Shabaab militants attack the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, killing at least 67 people.
• 2014 – The People’s Climate March takes place in New York City, drawing over 300,000 participants.
• 2017 – Hurricane Maria, already devastating Puerto Rico, continues to cause widespread damage in the Caribbean.

Famous Birthdays

• 1866 – H. G. Wells, English writer (d. 1946)
• 1912 – Chuck Jones, American animator, director, and producer (d. 2002)
• 1926 – Donald A. Glaser, American physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 2013)
• 1934 – Leonard Cohen, Canadian singer-songwriter and poet (d. 2016)
• 1944 – Fannie Flagg, American actress and author
• 1947 – Stephen King, American author of horror and suspense novels
• 1950 – Bill Murray, American actor and comedian
• 1954 – Phil Taylor, English darts player (d. 2023)
• 1964 – Nancy Travis, American actress
• 1967 – Faith Hill, American country singer
• 1971 – Liam Gallagher, English rock singer, Oasis
• 1981 – Nicole Richie, American television personality
• 1983 – Maggie Grace, American actress
• 1988 – Maggie Q, American actress and model

Notable Deaths

• 19 BCE – Virgil, Roman poet (b. 70 BCE)
• 1832 – Walter Scott, Scottish novelist and poet (b. 1771)
• 1938 – Charles Duryea, American automotive pioneer (b. 1861)
• 1947 – J. C. Penney, American businessman and retailer (b. 1875)
• 1960 – John Drake, English cricketer (b. 1904)
• 1971 – Bernardo Houssay, Argentine physiologist and Nobel laureate (b. 1887)
• 1983 – George Cukor, American film director (b. 1899)
• 1996 – Paul Erdős, Hungarian mathematician (b. 1913)
• 2000 – Walter Matthau, American actor (b. 1920)
• 2012 – Henry W. Bloch, American businessman, co-founder of H&R Block (b. 1922)
• 2015 – Yogi Berra, American baseball player and coach (b. 1925)
• 2020 – Michael Lonsdale, French actor (b. 1931)

Holidays

• Independence Day in Malta
• Independence Day in Belize
• International Day of Peace (United Nations)
• World Alzheimer’s Day

Fun Facts

1. Both Malta and Belize celebrate independence on this date from the United Kingdom, in 1964 and 1981 respectively.
2. Stephen King and Leonard Cohen, two literary icons, share this birthday.
3. The International Day of Peace is observed globally to promote peace among nations and peoples.
4. The first edition of The Hobbit had only 1,500 copies printed.