Hot air balloon
A hot air balloon catches fire mid-flight and crashes in Praia Grande, Santa Catarina, Brazil, killing 8 of the 21 on board.
What happened on June 21
38 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 217 BCE to 2025.
Standout on June 21
2025
Hot air balloon
A hot air balloon catches fire mid-flight and crashes in Praia Grande, Santa Catarina, Brazil, killing 8 of the 21 on board.
About June 21
June 21 is the 172nd day of the year. These facts are computed from the calendar, not copied from anywhere.
- Day of the year
- Day 172 of 365 (173 in leap years)193 days left in the year (193 in leap years)
- Falls on
- Sunday in 2026, Monday in 2027, Wednesday in 2028, Thursday in 2029, Friday in 2030
- Week
- ISO week 25 of 2026 · Q2
- Zodiac sign
- ♋ Cancer (June 21 – July 22)Cusp date — the exact boundary shifts by a day in some years.
- Season
- Summer in the north · Winter in the south
- June birthstone
- Pearl / Alexandrite / Moonstonepurity, balance and new beginnings
- June birth flower
- Rose / Honeysucklelove, passion and devoted affection
- Next occurrence
- In 237 days
- Roman numerals
- XXI.VIday.month — see the Roman numeral date tool
Anniversaries in 2026
- 200thGreek War of Independence1826
- 30thScottie Scheffler1996
- 30thTyrone May1996
- 25thAlexandra Obolentseva2001
- 25thAlexandria, Virginia2001
- 20thPluto2006
- 20thYeti Airlines2006
- 10thPierre Lalonde2016
June 21 through the years
- 10 years ago2016
- Pierre Lalonde
- 25 years ago2001
- Alexandria, Virginia · Alexandra Obolentseva
- 50 years ago1976
- Nothing recorded
- 100 years ago1926
- Nothing recorded
- 200 years ago1826
- Greek War of Independence
Born on June 21 — ages this year
- 2011Lil Bubturns 15
- 2007Nanou ASMRturns 19
- 2001Alexandra Obolentsevaturns 25
- 2000Dylan Brownturns 26
- 1999Ky Rodwellturns 27
- 1998Isabel Atkinturns 28
Historical events 38
A dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
2012 Indian Ocean migrant boat disaster
A boat carrying more than 200 migrants capsizes in the Indian Ocean between the Indonesian island of Java and Christmas Island, killing 17 people and leaving 70 others missing.
Indonesian Air Force
An Indonesian Air Force Fokker F27 Friendship crashes near Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport, killing 11.
Greenland
Greenland assumes self-rule.
Yeti Airlines
A Yeti Airlines de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter crashes at Jumla Airport in Nepal, killing nine people.
Pluto
Pluto's newly discovered moons are officially named Nix and Hydra.
Edgar Ray Killen
Edgar Ray Killen, who had previously been unsuccessfully tried for the murders of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Mickey Schwerner, is convicted of manslaughter 41 years afterwards (the case had been reopened in 2004).
SpaceShipOne
SpaceShipOne becomes the first privately funded spaceplane to achieve spaceflight.
Alexandria, Virginia
A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, indicts 13 Saudis and a Lebanese in the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 American servicemen.
Section 28
Section 28 (of the Local Government Act 1988), outlawing the 'promotion' of homosexuality in the United Kingdom, is repealed in Scotland with a 99 to 17 vote.
Bill Clinton
President Bill Clinton awarded the Medal of Honor to 22 Asian Americans, mostly from the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, for actions during World War II.
Space Shuttle Endeavour
Space Shuttle Endeavour is launched on STS-57 to retrieve the European Retrievable Carrier (EURECA) satellite. It is also the first shuttle mission to carry the Spacehab module.
Supreme Court of the United States
The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397, that American flag-burning is a form of political protest protected by the First Amendment.
Braathens SAFE Flight 139
Braathens SAFE Flight 139 is hijacked on approach to Oslo Airport, Fornebu. Special forces arrest the hijacker and there are no fatalities.
John Hinckley Jr.
John Hinckley is found not guilty by reason of insanity for the attempted assassination of U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
Tim Rice
The original production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, Evita, based on the life of Eva Perón, opens at the Prince Edward Theatre, London.
Supreme Court of the United States
The U.S. Supreme Court delivered its decision in the landmark case Miller v. California, establishing the Miller test for determining what is obscene material.
Miller v. California
In its decision in Miller v. California, 413 U.S. 15, the Supreme Court of the United States establishes the Miller test for determining whether something is obscene and not protected speech under the U.S. constitution.
Primer Congreso del Hombre Andino
The Primer Congreso del Hombre Andino is inaugurated in Arica, Chile.
Penn Central Transportation Company
Penn Central declares Section 77 bankruptcy in what was the largest U.S. corporate bankruptcy to date.
Civil rights movement
Three civil rights workers, Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner, are murdered in Neshoba County, Mississippi, United States, by members of the Ku Klux Klan.
1963 conclave
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini is elected as Pope Paul VI.
Ellen Fairclough
Ellen Fairclough (pictured) became the first woman to be appointed to the cabinet of Canada.
Manchester Baby
The Manchester Baby (replica pictured), the world's first stored-program computer, ran its first program.
World War II
World War II: The main offensive of the unsuccessful Italian invasion of France began.
Irish War of Independence
Irish War of Independence: Most of the village of Knockcroghery in County Roscommon was burned by British forces.
Winnipeg general strike
During a general strike in Winnipeg, Canada, members of the Royal North-West Mounted Police attacked a crowd of strikers, armed with clubs and revolvers.
Ludwig von Reuter
Admiral Ludwig von Reuter scuttled the German High Seas Fleet in Scapa Flow to prevent the ships from being seized and divided amongst the Allied Powers.
Capture of Guam
The United States captured Guam from Spain in a bloodless event during the Spanish–American War.
Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling's poem Mandalay was published.
New Zealand Wars
New Zealand Wars: A British victory against the Māori King Movement brought the Tauranga campaign to an end.
Wallachian Revolution of 1848
In the Wallachian Revolution, Ion Heliade Rădulescu and Christian Tell proclaimed a new republican government in present-day Romania.
Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence: A combined Egyptian and Ottoman army began an invasion of the Mani Peninsula, but were initially held off by the Maniots at the fortifications of Vergas.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire ratified the U.S. Constitution and was admitted as the ninth U.S. state.
French Wars of Religion
French Wars of Religion: Catholic forces defeated an armed group of Huguenots attempting to capture Besançon, from which they had previously been expelled.
War of the League of Cognac
War of the League of Cognac: The French army under Francis de Bourbon was destroyed in Lombardy, Italy, by the Spanish army.
William Clito
William Clito defeated Thierry of Alsace in a battle over the succession to the title of Count of Flanders.
Second Punic War
Second Punic War: Commanded by Hannibal, the Carthaginians ambushed a Roman army at the Battle of Lake Trasimene, capturing or killing 25,000 men.
Births 20
A notable person born on this day. Each links to a person page with their dates and story.
Min (South Korean singer)
Lee Min-young, South Korean singer-songwriter, actress, and entertainer
Deaths 20
A notable person who died on this day.
Charles Krauthammer
Charles Krauthammer, American columnist and conservative political commentator (born 1950)
Gunther Schuller
Gunther Schuller, American horn player, composer, and conductor (born 1925)
Alexander Schalck-Golodkowski
Alexander Schalck-Golodkowski, German soldier and politician (born 1932)
Walter Kieber
Walter Kieber, Austrian-Liechtenstein politician, 7th Prime Minister of Liechtenstein (born 1931)
Yozo Ishikawa
Yozo Ishikawa, Japanese politician, Japanese Minister of Defense (born 1925)
Abid Hussain
Abid Hussain, Indian economist and diplomat, Indian Ambassador to the United States (born 1926)
Holidays & observances 8
A holiday, feast day, awareness day or national day observed every year on this date.
Martin of Tongres
Christian feast day: Martin of Tongres
John Rigby (martyr)
Christian feast day: John Rigby
Alban of Mainz
Christian feast day: Alban of Mainz
June 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Christian feast day: June 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Engelmund of Velsen
Christian feast day: Engelmund of Velsen
Mewan
Christian feast day: Mewan
Onesimos Nesib
Christian feast day: Onesimos Nesib (Lutheran)
Aloysius Gonzaga
Christian feast day: Aloysius Gonzaga
Spread across the centuries
- 3rd century BCE1
- 12th century1
- 16th century2
- 18th century1
- 19th century5
- 20th century36
- 21st century32
Earliest: Second Punic War (217 BCE). Most recent: Hot air balloon (2025).
What the categories mean, and how the standout is chosen
- Historical events
- A dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
- Births
- A notable person born on this day. Each links to a person page with their dates and story.
- Deaths
- A notable person who died on this day.
- Milestones
- A first, a founding or a turning point our editors flagged as a landmark moment.
- Holidays & observances
- A holiday, feast day, awareness day or national day observed every year on this date.
- Standout / notable
- Editor-written entries come first, then entries covered by the most Wikipedia language editions. For the standout tile we prefer an entry that has a picture.
Dates before the year 1 are given on the proleptic Julian calendar. Day-level precision for ancient events is traditional rather than documented.
Nearby and related
Questions about June 21
What day of the year is June 21?
June 21 is the 172nd day of the year, with 193 days left after it.
What star sign is June 21?
June 21 falls under Cancer (June 21 – July 22), a water sign ruled by Moon. The birthstone for the month is Pearl or Alexandrite or Moonstone.
How many things happened on June 21?
We record 86 entries for June 21: 38 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 217 BCE to 2025.
Who was born on June 21?
Lil Bub (2011) is among the notable births on June 21. The births section lists the rest.
How often is the June 21 page updated?
The day is filled the first time anyone opens it and then re-checked for new entries about every 90 days. Computed facts such as the weekday and the anniversaries update every year.
Get a daily entry like June 21
One short email a day from this calendar. Kept for this site only.
Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.