July 21
July 21 is the 203rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 163 days remain until the year's end. It falls in summer (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Cancer.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On July 21 the Sun's declination is approximately +20.2°. 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 July 21.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Christian feast day: Albert John Luthuli (Episcopal Church)
- Christian feast day: Arbogast
- Christian feast day: Barhadbesciabas
- Christian feast day: Carlos of Brazil (Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church)
- Christian feast day: Daniel (Catholic Church)
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
2025 — A Bangladesh Air Force Chengdu FT-7BGI crashes shortly after takeoff into Milestone School campus in Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing 35 people and injuring 173. ↗(1 years ago)more
The Bangladesh Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, responsible for defending the airspace of Bangladesh and supporting national security operations. Operating under the Ministry of Defence, the BAF conducts air defense, reconnaissance, transport, and disaster relief missions.
2024 — U.S. President Joe Biden announces he will no longer seek a second term and withdraws from the 2024 election, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as she launches her own presidential campaign. ↗(2 years ago)more
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented Delaware in the United States Senate from 1973 to 2009 and also served as the 47th vice president under President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017.
2023 — The Barbenheimer phenomenon begins as two major motion pictures, Greta Gerwig's fantasy comedy Barbie and Christopher Nolan's epic biographical thriller Oppenheimer, are released in theaters on the same day and audiences, instead of creating a rivalry between the extremely dissimilar films, instead attend and praise both as an informal, surreal double feature. ↗(3 years ago)more
Barbenheimer was a cultural phenomenon that preceded and surrounded the simultaneous theatrical release of two major studio films—Barbie by Warner Bros. Pictures and Oppenheimer by Universal Pictures—on July 21, 2023.
2019 — Yuen Long attack or '721 incident' in Hong Kong. Triad members indiscriminately beat civilians returning from protests while police failed to take action. ↗(7 years ago)more
The 2019 Yuen Long attack, also known as the 721 incident, refers to a mob attack that occurred in Yuen Long, a town in the New Territories of Hong Kong, on the evening of 21 July 2019. It took place in the context of the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests.
- 2012 — Erden Eruç completes the first solo human-powered circumnavigation of the world. ↗(14 years ago)
more
Erden Eruç is a Turkish-American adventurer who became the first person in history to complete an entirely solo and entirely human-powered circumnavigation of the Earth on 21 July 2012 in Bodega Bay, California, United States. The journey had started from Bodega Bay a little more than five years earlier on 10 July 2007.
2011 — NASA's Space Shuttle program ends with the landing of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-135 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. ↗(15 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.
2010 — U.S. President Barack Obama signs the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. ↗(16 years ago)more
Barack Hussein Obama II is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president. Obama previously served as a U.S. senator representing Illinois from 2005 to 2008 and as an Illinois state senator from 1997 to 2004.
2008 — Ram Baran Yadav is declared the first President of Nepal. ↗(18 years ago)more
Dr. Ram Baran Yadav is a Nepali politician and physician who served as the first president of Nepal from 23 July 2008 to 29 October 2015, following the declaration of republic in 2008. Previously, he served as Minister of Health from 1999 to 2001 and general secretary of the Nepali Congress.
- 2005 — Four attempted bomb attacks by Islamist extremists disrupt part of London's public transport system. ↗(21 years ago)
more
On 21 July 2005, four attempted bomb attacks by four Islamist extremists disrupted part of London's public transport system as a follow-up attack to the 7 July 2005 London bombings two weeks earlier. The explosions occurred around midday at Shepherd's Bush, Warren Street and Oval stations on the London Underground, and on London Buses route 26 in Haggerst...
2001 — At the conclusion of a fireworks display on Okura Beach in Akashi, Hyōgo, Japan, 11 people are killed and more than 120 are injured when a pedestrian footbridge connecting the beach to JR Asagiri Station becomes overcrowded and people leaving the event fall down in a domino effect. ↗(25 years ago)more
Akashi is a city in southern Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 February 2024, the city had an estimated population of 305,925 in 137,288 households and a population density of 6,200 people per km2. The total area of the city is 49.42 square kilometres (19.08 sq mi).
- 1995 — Third Taiwan Strait Crisis: The People's Liberation Army begins firing missiles into the waters north of Taiwan. ↗(31 years ago)
more
The Third Taiwan Strait Crisis, also called the 1995–1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, or the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, was the effect of a series of missile tests conducted by the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the waters surrounding Taiwan, including the Taiwan Strait, from 21 July 1995 to 23 March 1996.
1990 — Taiwan's military police forces mainland Chinese illegal immigrants into sealed holds of a fishing boat Min Ping Yu No. 5540 for repatriation to Fujian, causing 25 people to die from suffocation. ↗(36 years ago)more
The Republic of China Military Police, referred to informally as the Taiwanese Military Police is a military police force operating under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Defense of Republic of China (Taiwan).
Notable births
2006 — Endrick, Brazilian footballer ↗(20 years ago)more
Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa, known as Endrick, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Ligue 1 club Lyon, on loan from La Liga club Real Madrid, and the Brazil national team.
2000 — Erling Haaland, Norwegian footballer ↗(26 years ago)more
Erling Braut Haaland is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester City and the Norway national team. Considered one of the best players in the world, and the greatest Norwegian player ever, he is known for his speed, strength, positioning, and finishing inside the box.
2000 — Lia, South Korean singer ↗(26 years ago)more
Choi Ji-su, better known by her stage name Lia (리아), is a South Korean singer. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Itzy, formed by JYP Entertainment in 2019.
1999 — Evan McPherson, American football player ↗(27 years ago)more
Evan McPherson mick-FEAR-suhn; is an American professional football placekicker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators before being drafted by the Bengals in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft, the only kicker to be selected that year.
1998 — Maggie Lindemann, American singer-songwriter. ↗(28 years ago)more
Margaret Elizabeth Lindemann is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her 2016 breakout single "Pretty Girl", which peaked at number 4 in Sweden, number 6 in Ireland, and number 8 in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Following the song, Lindemann transitioned her music into a more alternative sound.
1998 — Marie Bouzkova, Czech tennis player ↗(28 years ago)more
Marie Bouzková is a Czech professional tennis player. She reached a career-high WTA singles ranking of No. 24 on 12 December 2022, and a best doubles ranking of No. 15, on 6 May 2024. She has won three singles titles and six doubles titles on the WTA Tour. In addition, she has won twelve singles titles and three doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit.
Notable deaths
2025 — Pau Alsina, Spanish motorcycle rider (born 2008) ↗(1 years ago)more
Pau Alsina was a Spanish motorcycle racer. He died from injuries sustained in an accident at MotorLand Aragón. He was competing in the 2025 FIM JuniorGP World Championship at the time of his death.
2023 — Tony Bennett, American singer (born 1926) ↗(3 years ago)more
Anthony Dominick Benedetto, known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. Bennett was named a National Endowments for the Arts Jazz Master and a Kennedy Center Honoree.
2020 — Annie Ross, Scottish-American singer and actress (born 1930) ↗(6 years ago)more
Annie Ross was a British-born American singer and actress, best known as a member of the influential jazz vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. She helped pioneer the vocalese style of jazz singing, with a style described by critic Dave Gelly as "a kind of dreamy watchfulness that is a definition of 1950s hip." In 2010, she was named a Jazz Master by the ...
- 2020 — Andrew Mlangeni, South African political activist (born 1925) ↗(6 years ago)
more
Andrew Mokete Mlangeni, also known as Percy Mokoena, Mokete Mokoena, and Rev. Mokete Mokoena, was a South African political activist and anti-apartheid campaigner who, along with Nelson Mandela and others, was imprisoned after the Rivonia Trial.
2018 — Alene Duerk, U.S. Navy first female admiral (born 1920) ↗(8 years ago)more
Alene Bertha Duerk became the first female admiral in the U.S. Navy in 1972. She was also the director of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps from 1970 to 1975. She is a 1974 recipient of a Distinguished Alumni Award of Case Western Reserve University's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (203) | 7 × 29 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (163) | 163 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 21072026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +20.23° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 31 days |