November 21: Holidays, Historical Events, Famous Birthdays & Zodiac Sign
On November 21, 1783, two brave souls rose above Paris in the first untethered hot-air balloon flight, forever changing humanity's relationship with the sky.
About November 21
November 21 has a peculiar habit of marking moments when people looked up — or broke through. In 164 BCE, Judas Maccabeus rededicated the Temple in Jerusalem, an act of defiance and faith still celebrated each year during Hanukkah. Fast forward to 1783, and Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier with François Laurent d'Arlandes soared over Paris in the first untethered hot-air balloon, proving humans could leave the ground and live to tell the tale.
The day also carries intellectual milestones. Danish astronomer Ole Rømer presented the first quantitative measurements of the speed of light in 1676, and in 1905, Albert Einstein's paper introducing the mass–energy equivalence formula — E = mc² — appeared in Annalen der Physik. Thomas Edison announced the phonograph in 1877, giving the world its first machine capable of recording and replaying sound.
Political firsts echo as well. North Carolina joined the Union as the 12th state in 1789. In 1922, Rebecca Latimer Felton of Georgia was sworn in as the first female U.S. Senator — serving just one day, but shattering a ceiling that had stood for over a century. And in 2017, Robert Mugabe formally resigned as Zimbabwe's president after 37 years, closing one of Africa's longest political chapters.
Holidays & Observances on November 21
- Armed Forces Day (Bangladesh)
- Christian feast days: Amelberga of Susteren
- Christian feast days: Digain
- Christian feast days: Maurus of Parentium
- Christian feast days: Pope Gelasius I
- Christian feast days: Franciszka Siedliska
- Christian feast days: Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Christian feast days: Rufus of Rome (no. 7 in list)
Fun & National Days on November 21
- Alascattalo Day — Honor the mythical Alaskan beast that never existed — celebrate with tall tales and frontier humor.
- False Confession Day — Own up to something you definitely didn't do — purely in jest, of course. Keep it lighthearted!
- National Cranberry Day — Pucker up and enjoy these tart red gems in sauce, juice, or baked into something delightful.
- Pumpkin Pie Day — Slice into a spiced, creamy pumpkin pie and savor autumn's most iconic dessert.
- National Stuffing Day — Celebrate the savory side dish that proves bread cubes and herbs deserve center stage.
- Family Volunteer Day
- National Adoption Day
- National Gingerbread Day
- National Red Mitten Day (Canada)
- National Survivors of Suicide Day
On This Day in History
- -164 — Judas Maccabeus rededicated the Temple in Jerusalem, founding the annual festival of Hanukkah still observed worldwide.
- 1620 — Plymouth Colony settlers signed the Mayflower Compact, establishing early self-governance in what would become America.
- 1676 — Danish astronomer Ole Rømer presented the first quantitative measurements of the speed of light, transforming physics.
- 1783 — Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes made the first untethered hot-air balloon flight over Paris.
- 1789 — North Carolina ratified the U.S. Constitution, becoming the twelfth state to join the newly formed republic.
- 1877 — Thomas Edison announced the phonograph, the first machine capable of recording and playing back sound.
- 1905 — Albert Einstein's paper introducing mass–energy equivalence, E = mc², was published in Annalen der Physik.
- 1922 — Rebecca Latimer Felton of Georgia became the first woman to serve as a United States Senator.
- 1953 — London's Natural History Museum revealed that the famous Piltdown Man skull was actually an elaborate hoax.
- 1964 — The Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge opened to traffic, boasting the world's longest suspension span at the time.
- 1995 — The Dayton Agreement was initialed in Ohio, ending three and a half years of devastating war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- 2017 — Robert Mugabe formally resigned as Zimbabwe's president after thirty-seven years in power, closing a long political era.
Famous Birthdays on November 21
- 1694 — Voltaire, French Enlightenment writer and philosopher whose wit and advocacy for civil liberties shaped modern thought.
- 1898 — René Magritte, Belgian surrealist painter famous for bowler-hat men and pipes that were not pipes, redefining visual art.
- 1903 — Isaac Bashevis Singer, Polish-American novelist who won the Nobel Prize for his stories of Jewish life and folklore.
- 1904 — Coleman Hawkins, American tenor saxophonist who pioneered jazz improvisation and elevated the instrument to solo prominence.
- 1920 — Stan Musial, St. Louis Cardinals legend and Hall of Famer widely regarded as one of baseball's greatest hitters.
- 1924 — Christopher Tolkien, English author who edited and published his father J.R.R. Tolkien's posthumous Middle-earth works.
- 1944 — Harold Ramis, Actor, writer, and director behind Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day who shaped modern American comedy.
- 1945 — Goldie Hawn, Beloved American actress and producer known for comedic roles from Laugh-In to Private Benjamin.
- 1965 — Björk, Icelandic singer-songwriter whose avant-garde voice and visual artistry made her a global music icon.
- 1969 — Ken Griffey Jr., Seattle Mariners superstar whose graceful swing and 630 home runs made him a baseball icon.