May 21
May 21 is the 142nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 224 days remain until the year's end. It falls in spring (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Gemini.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On May 21 the Sun's declination is approximately +20.3°. 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 May 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.
1881 — The American Red Cross was founded by Clara Barton. ↗(145 years ago)more
The American National Red Cross, sometimes referred to as ANRC, is an American nonprofit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded the organization in 1881 after initially learning of the Red Cross, founded 1863 in Geneva, Switzerland.
1927 — Charles Lindbergh landed at Le Bourget Field near Paris, completing the first solo non-stop transatlantic flight. ↗(99 years ago)more
The Spirit of St. Louis is the custom-built, single-engine, single-seat, high-wing monoplane that Charles Lindbergh flew on May 20–21, 1927, on the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight from Long Island, New York, to Paris, France, for which Lindbergh won the $25,000 Orteig Prize.
1932 — Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean (Newfoundland to Northern Ireland). ↗(94 years ago)more
Amelia Mary Earhart was an American aviator and aviation pioneer who became one of the most celebrated figures of early flight.
1972 — Michelangelo's Pietà was attacked with a hammer by an Australian-Hungarian man at St Peter's Basilica. ↗(54 years ago)more
The Pietà is a Carrara marble sculpture of Jesus and Mary at Mount Golgotha representing the "Sixth Sorrow" of the Virgin Mary by Michelangelo Buonarroti, in Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, for which it was made. It is a key work of Italian Renaissance sculpture and often taken as the start of the High Renaissance.
Notable births
1471 — Albrecht Dürer, German Renaissance artist. ↗(555 years ago)more
Albrecht Dürer, sometimes spelled in English as Durer or Duerer, was a German painter, printmaker, and theorist of the German Renaissance. Born in Nuremberg, Dürer established his reputation and influence across Europe in his twenties due to his high-quality woodcut prints.
1844 — Henri Rousseau, French Post-Impressionist painter. ↗(182 years ago)more
Henri Julien Félix Rousseau was a French post-Impressionist painter in the Naïve or Primitive manner. He was also known as Le Douanier, a humorous description of his occupation as a toll and tax collector. He started painting seriously in his early forties; by age 49, he retired from his job to work on his art full-time.
1917 — Raymond Burr, Canadian-American actor. ↗(109 years ago)more
Raymond William Stacy Burr was a Canadian actor who had a lengthy Hollywood film career and portrayed the title roles in the television dramas Perry Mason and Ironside.
Notable deaths
1991 — Rajiv Gandhi, former Indian Prime Minister, assassinated. ↗(35 years ago)more
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was an Indian politician and pilot who served as the prime minister of India from 1984 to 1989 for two terms. He took office after the assassination of his mother, then–prime minister Indira Gandhi, to become the youngest Indian prime minister at the age of 40.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (142) | 2 × 71 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (224) | 2^5 × 7 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 21052026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +20.33° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 30 days |