August 21
August 21 is the 234th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 132 days remain until the year's end. It falls in summer (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Leo.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On August 21 the Sun's declination is approximately +11.4°. At this latitude the Sun is north of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere longer days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a August 21.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Christian Feast Day: Abraham of Smolensk (Eastern Orthodox Church)
- Christian Feast Day: Euprepius of Verona
- Christian Feast Day: Maximilian of Antioch
- Christian Feast Day: Our Lady of Knock
- Christian Feast Day: Pope Pius X
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
2017 — A solar eclipse traverses the continental United States. ↗(9 years ago)more
A total solar eclipse, dubbed the "Great American Eclipse" by some media, occurred on August 21, 2017. It was visible within a band that spanned the contiguous United States from the Pacific to the Atlantic coasts. It was also visible as a partial solar eclipse from as far north as Nunavut in northern Canada to as far south as northern South America.
2013 — Hundreds of people are reported killed by chemical attacks in the Ghouta region of Syria. ↗(13 years ago)more
The Ghouta chemical attack was a chemical attack carried out by the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in the early hours of 21 August 2013 in Ghouta, Syria during the Syrian civil war. It was the deadliest use of chemical weapons in Syrian conflict and since the Iran–Iraq War.
2000 — American golfer Tiger Woods wins the 82nd PGA Championship and becomes the first golfer since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win three majors in a calendar year. ↗(26 years ago)more
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer. Woods is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time and as one of the most famous athletes in modern history. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, holds numerous golf records, and is an inductee of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
1995 — Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529, an Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia, attempts to divert to West Georgia Regional Airport after the left engine fails, but the aircraft crashes in Carroll County near Carrollton, Georgia, killing nine of the 29 people on board. ↗(31 years ago)more
On August 21, 1995, Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529, an Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia flying from Atlanta, Georgia, to Gulfport, Mississippi, crashed in the community of Burwell between the cities of Bowdon, Georgia, and Carrollton, Georgia. Out of the 29 people on board, 9 were killed.
1994 — Royal Air Maroc Flight 630 crashes in Douar Izounine, Morocco, killing all 44 people on board. ↗(32 years ago)more
Royal Air Maroc Flight 630 was a passenger flight on 21 August 1994 which crashed approximately ten minutes after takeoff from Agadir–Al Massira Airport in Morocco. All 44 passengers and crew on board were killed. It was the deadliest ATR 42 aircraft crash at that point in time.
1993 — NASA loses contact with the Mars Observer spacecraft. ↗(33 years ago)more
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the United States' civil space program and for research in aeronautics and space. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., NASA operates ten field centers across the U.S.
1991 — Latvia declares renewal of its full independence after its occupation by the Soviet Union since 1940. ↗(35 years ago)more
Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to the southeast and shares a maritime border with Sweden to the west.
1991 — Coup attempt against Mikhail Gorbachev collapses. ↗(35 years ago)more
The 1991 Soviet coup attempt, also known as the August Coup, was a failed attempt by hardliners of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) to forcibly seize control of the country from Mikhail Gorbachev, who was Soviet president and General Secretary of the CPSU at the time.
- 1988 — The 6.9 Mw Nepal earthquake shakes the Nepal–India border with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), leaving 709–1,450 people killed and thousands injured. ↗(38 years ago)
more
The 1988 Nepal earthquake occurred near the Nepal–India border on 20 August 1988 at 23:09:09 UTC. The epicenter was located in Udayapur District. Measuring Mw 6.9, it was the largest earthquake recorded in the country since 1934.
1986 — Carbon dioxide gas erupts from volcanic Lake Nyos in Cameroon, killing up to 1,800 people within a 20-kilometre (12 mi) range. ↗(40 years ago)more
A volcano is a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
1983 — Philippine opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr. is assassinated at Manila International Airport (now renamed Ninoy Aquino International Airport in his honor). ↗(43 years ago)more
Benigno Simeón "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., was a Filipino politician and journalist who served as a senator of the Philippines (1967–1972) and governor of the province of Tarlac (1963–1967). Aquino was the husband of Corazon Aquino, who became the 11th president of the Philippines after his assassination, and father of Benigno Aquino III, who became the 15th pres...
1982 — Lebanese Civil War: The first troops of a multinational force lands in Beirut to oversee the Palestine Liberation Organization's withdrawal from Lebanon. ↗(44 years ago)more
The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 150,000 fatalities and led to the exodus of almost one million people from Lebanon.
Notable births
2002 — Kenji Fan, Hong Kong model and actor ↗(24 years ago)more
Kenji Fan is a Hong Kong fashion model, actor and singer. He was a former water polo player for the Hong Kong water polo team. He is the son of former professional footballer Fan Chun Yip. His first film is My First of May starring Aaron Kwok.
2000 — Corbin Carroll, American baseball player ↗(26 years ago)more
Corbin Franklin Carroll is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Diamondbacks selected Carroll 16th overall in the first round of the 2019 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2022.
- 1999 — Maxim Knight, American actor ↗(27 years ago)
more
Maxim Knight is an American actor and voice actor who started acting at the age of seven. He is perhaps best known for his supporting role on the TNT television series Falling Skies (2011–2015).
1996 — Karolína Muchová, Czech tennis player ↗(30 years ago)more
Karolína Muchová is a Czech professional tennis player. She has a career-high singles ranking of world No. 8 by the WTA, achieved in September 2023, and a doubles ranking of No. 156, reached in January 2026. Muchová has won two WTA Tour singles titles, including a WTA 1000 event at the 2026 Qatar Open.
- 1995 — Dominik Kubalík, Czech ice hockey player ↗(31 years ago)
more
Dominik Kubalík is a Czech professional ice hockey player who is a winger for EV Zug of the National League (NL). He was drafted in the seventh round, 191st overall, by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2013 NHL entry draft.
- 1994 — Alexandra Cooper, American podcaster ↗(32 years ago)
more
Alexandra Cooper is an American podcaster who co-created and hosts Call Her Daddy, a weekly comedy and advice podcast on Spotify. In 2021, Time Magazine called her "arguably the most successful woman in podcasting" after she signed a three-year exclusive deal with Spotify worth $60 million.
Notable deaths
2024 — Nell McCafferty, Northern Irish journalist, playwright and civil rights campaigner (born 1944) ↗(2 years ago)more
Ellen Pamela McCafferty was an Irish journalist, playwright, civil rights campaigner and feminist. She wrote for The Irish Press, The Irish Times, Sunday Tribune, Hot Press and The Village Voice.
2024 — Bill Pascrell, American politician (born 1937) ↗(2 years ago)more
William James Pascrell Jr. was an American politician who was a U.S. representative from New Jersey from 1997 until his death in 2024. Pascrell was a member of the Democratic Party and native of Paterson.
2024 — John Amos, American actor (born 1939) ↗(2 years ago)more
John Allen Amos Jr. was an American actor. He was best known for his role as James Evans Sr. on the CBS television series Good Times. His other well known roles were as the adult Kunta Kinte in the landmark miniseries Roots and for portraying Captain Meissner in Lock Up (1989) and Major Grant in Die Hard 2 (1990).
2019 — Celso Piña, Mexican singer, composer, arranger, and accordionist (born 1953) ↗(7 years ago)more
Celso Piña Arvizu was a Mexican singer, composer and accordionist, mainly in the genre of cumbia, being one of the most important musicians in the style of "cumbia rebajada".
2018 — Stefán Karl Stefánsson, Icelandic actor and singer (born 1975) ↗(8 years ago)more
Stefán Karl Stefánsson was an Icelandic actor and singer. He was best known for portraying Robbie Rotten, the antagonist of the children's television series LazyTown.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (234) | 2 × 3^2 × 13 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (132) | 2^2 × 3 × 11 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 21082026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +11.40° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 62 days |