January 21
January 21 is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 345 days remain until the year's end. It falls in winter (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Aquarius.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On January 21 the Sun's declination is approximately -20.1°. At this latitude the Sun is south of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere shorter 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 January 21.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
No widely-observed holidays catalogued for this day in our base set. See the external almanacs above for region-specific observances.
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
1793 — Louis XVI of France was guillotined in the Place de la Révolution in Paris. ↗(233 years ago)more
Louis XVI, former Bourbon King of France since the abolition of the monarchy, was publicly executed on 21 January 1793 during the French Revolution at the Place de la Révolution in Paris. At his trial four days prior, the National Convention had convicted the former king of high treason in a near-unanimous vote; while no one voted "not guilty", several de...
1908 — New York City passed the Sullivan Ordinance, making it illegal for women to smoke in public; the mayor vetoed it two weeks later. ↗(118 years ago)more
The Sullivan Ordinance was a municipal law passed on January 21, 1908, in New York City by the board of aldermen, barring the management of a public place from allowing women to smoke within their venue. The ordinance did not bar women from smoking in general nor did the ordinance bar women from smoking in public, only public places.
1954 — USS Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine, was launched at Groton, Connecticut. ↗(72 years ago)more
USS Nautilus (SSN-571) was the world's first nuclear-powered boat, nuclear-powered submarine, and the first submarine to complete a submerged transit of the North Pole on 3 August 1958. Her initial commanding officer was Eugene "Dennis" Wilkinson, a widely respected naval officer who set the stage for many of the protocols of today's Nuclear Navy in the U...
1976 — Concorde began commercial supersonic passenger service. ↗(50 years ago)more
Concorde is a retired Anglo-French supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Studies began in 1954 and a UK–France treaty followed in 1962, as the programme cost was estimated at £70 million . Construction of six prototypes began in February 1965, with the first flight from Toulouse...
Notable births
1824 — Stonewall Jackson, Confederate general. ↗(202 years ago)more
Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson was a Confederate general and military officer who served during the American Civil War. He played a prominent role in nearly all military engagements in the eastern theater of the war until his death. Military historians regard him as one of the most gifted tactical commanders in U.S. history.
1956 — Geena Davis, American actress. ↗(70 years ago)more
Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis is an American actor. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award.
Notable deaths
1924 — Vladimir Lenin, Russian revolutionary and Soviet head of state. ↗(102 years ago)more
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until his death in 1924 and of the Soviet Union from 1922 until his death.
1959 — Cecil B. DeMille, American filmmaker. ↗(67 years ago)more
Cecil Blount DeMille, often known in popular culture as Mr. DeMille, was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he created 70 features including silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most commercially successful producer-director in film history, with many films dominating the box offic...
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (21) | 3 × 7 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (345) | 3 × 5 × 23 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 21012026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | -20.13° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 32 days |