Rust shooting incident
A shooting occurs on the set of the film Rust, in which actor Alec Baldwin discharged a prop weapon which had been loaded, killing the director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, and injuring director Joel Souza.
What happened on October 21
32 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 1096 to 2025.
Standout on October 21
2021
Rust shooting incident
A shooting occurs on the set of the film Rust, in which actor Alec Baldwin discharged a prop weapon which had been loaded, killing the director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, and injuring director Joel Souza.
About October 21
October 21 is the 294th day of the year. These facts are computed from the calendar, not copied from anywhere.
- Day of the year
- Day 294 of 365 (295 in leap years)71 days left in the year (71 in leap years)
- Falls on
- Wednesday in 2026, Thursday in 2027, Saturday in 2028, Sunday in 2029, Monday in 2030
- Week
- ISO week 43 of 2026 · Q4
- Zodiac sign
- ♎ Libra (September 23 – October 22)Cusp date — the exact boundary shifts by a day in some years.
- Season
- Autumn in the north · Spring in the south
- October birthstone
- Opal / Tourmalinehope, creativity and confidence
- October birth flower
- Marigold / Cosmoswarmth, creativity and harmony
- Next occurrence
- In 359 days
- Roman numerals
- XXI.Xday.month — see the Roman numeral date tool
Anniversaries in 2026
- 60thSpoil tip1966
- 40thLebanon hostage crisis1986
- 5thBernard Haitink2021
- 5thRust shooting incident2021
- 1stFrancisco Pinto Balsemão2025
Born on October 21 — ages this year
- 1995Antoinette Guedia Mouafoturns 31
- 1995Cameron Burgessturns 31
- 1995Doja Catturns 31
- 1993Kane Brownturns 33
- 1992Bernard Tomicturns 34
- 1992Marzia Kjellbergturns 34
Historical events 32
A dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Canada
In Canada, the 2019 Canadian federal election ends, resulting in incumbent Prime Minister Justin Trudeau remaining in office, albeit with the Liberal Party in a minority government.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Thirty people are killed in a fiery bus crash in western Democratic Republic of the Congo.
2018 Yilan train derailment
A passenger train derails in Yilan County, Taiwan, killing 18 people and injuring 187.
Iraq War
Iraq War: President Barack Obama announces that the withdrawal of United States troops from Iraq will be complete by the end of the year.
Kimi Räikkönen
Finnish race drivers Kimi Räikkönen of Scuderia Ferrari won the Brazilian Grand Prix in Formula One. With this result, Räikkönen became world champion, surpassing McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso by one point in the drivers' standings.
Eris (dwarf planet)
Images of the dwarf planet Eris are taken and subsequently used in documenting its discovery.
Agreed Framework
North Korea and the United States signed the Agreed Framework to limit the former's nuclear weapons program and to normalize relations between the two countries.
Seoul
In Seoul, South Korea, 32 people were killed and 17 others injured when a span of the Seongsu Bridge collapsed (pictured).
Seongsu Bridge disaster
In Seoul, South Korea, 32 people are killed when a span of the Seongsu Bridge collapses.
Honduras
In Honduras, 131 people are killed when a Boeing 727 crashes on approach to Toncontín International Airport near the nation's capital Tegucigalpa.
Jaffna hospital massacre
The Jaffna hospital massacre is carried out by Indian peacekeeping forces in Sri Lanka, killing 70 Tamil patients, doctors and nurses.
Lebanon hostage crisis
In Lebanon, pro-Iran kidnappers claim to have abducted American writer Edward Tracy (he is released in August 1991).
Niki Lauda
Niki Lauda claims his third and final Formula One Drivers' Championship Title by half a point ahead of McLaren team-mate Alain Prost at the Portuguese Grand Prix.
Metre
The metre is defined as the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second.
Andreas Papandreou
Andreas Papandreou becomes Prime Minister of Greece, ending an almost 50-year-long system of power dominated by conservative forces.
Moshe Dayan
Moshe Dayan resigns from the Israeli government because of strong disagreements with Prime Minister Menachem Begin over policy towards the Arabs.
Disappearance of Frederick Valentich
Australian civilian pilot Frederick Valentich vanishes over the Bass Strait south of Melbourne, after reporting contact with an unidentified aircraft.
Fred Dryer
Fred Dryer of the Los Angeles Rams becomes the first player in NFL history to score two safeties in the same game.
Clarkston explosion
A gas explosion kills 22 people at a shopping centre near Glasgow, Scotland.
1969 Somali coup d'état
The 1969 Somali coup d'état establishes a Marxist–Leninist administration.
1968–1969 Japanese university protests
At the height of the Japanese university protests, protesters occupied Shinjuku Station in Tokyo and clashed violently with police.
Spoil tip
A coal tip fell on the village of Aberfan, Wales, killing 144 people, mostly schoolchildren.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, opened in New York City.
World War II
World War II: The three-week-long Battle of Aachen concluded, making the city the first on German soil to be captured by the Allies.
World War II
World War II: German soldiers massacred nearly 2,800 Serbs in Kragujevac in reprisal for insurgent attacks in the district of Gornji Milanovac.
HMS Niobe (1897)
HMS Niobe arrived in Halifax Harbour to become the first large ship of the Royal Canadian Navy.
Medicine Lodge Treaty
The first and second of three treaties were signed near Medicine Lodge, Kansas, between the United States federal government and several Native American tribes in the Great Plains, requiring them to relocate to areas in present-day western Oklahoma.
Jacques Offenbach
French composer Jacques Offenbach's operetta Orpheus in the Underworld, featuring the music most associated with the can-can (audio featured), was first performed at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens in Paris.
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale and a staff of 38 nurses and 15 nuns were sent to the Ottoman Empire to help treat wounded British soldiers fighting in the Crimean War.
Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War: The English victory at the Battle of Auberoche marked a change in the military balance of power in Aquitaine, with the subsequent collapse of the French position.
First Crusade
First Crusade: At the Battle of Civetot, the Seljuk forces of Kilij Arslan destroyed the army of the People's Crusade as it marched toward Nicaea.
Births 20
A notable person born on this day. Each links to a person page with their dates and story.
Deaths 20
A notable person who died on this day.
Francisco Pinto Balsemão
Francisco Pinto Balsemão, Portuguese politician, former Prime Minister of Portugal (born 1937)
Bill Hayden
Bill Hayden, Australian politician, 21st Governor General of Australia (born 1933)
Mohammad-Reza Mahdavi Kani
Mohammad-Reza Mahdavi Kani, Iranian cleric and politician, Prime Minister of Iran (born 1931)
Edith Kawelohea McKinzie
Edith Kawelohea McKinzie, Hawaiian genealogist, author, and hula expert (born 1925)
Gough Whitlam
Gough Whitlam, Australian lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 21st Prime Minister of Australia (born 1916)
Colonel Robert Morris
Colonel Robert Morris, American singer-songwriter and drummer (born 1954)
Holidays & observances 8
A holiday, feast day, awareness day or national day observed every year on this date.
Laura Montoya
Christian feast day: Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena
Fintán of Taghmon
Christian feast day: Fintán of Taghmon
Céline of Laon
Christian feast day: Céline of Laon
Malchus of Syria
Christian feast day: Malchus of Syria
John Twenge
Christian feast day: John of Bridlington
Beatification
Christian feast day: Blessed Charles of Austria (Roman Catholic Church)
Hilarion
Christian feast day: Hilarion
Public holidays in Honduras
Armed Forces Day (Honduras)
Spread across the centuries
- 11th century1
- 14th century1
- 19th century3
- 20th century40
- 21st century27
Earliest: First Crusade (1096). Most recent: Francisco Pinto Balsemão (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.
Nearby and related
Questions about October 21
What day of the year is October 21?
October 21 is the 294th day of the year, with 71 days left after it.
What star sign is October 21?
October 21 falls under Libra (September 23 – October 22), a air sign ruled by Venus. The birthstone for the month is Opal or Tourmaline.
How many things happened on October 21?
We record 80 entries for October 21: 32 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 1096 to 2025.
Who was born on October 21?
Antoinette Guedia Mouafo (1995) is among the notable births on October 21. The births section lists the rest.
How often is the October 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 October 21
One short email a day from this calendar. Kept for this site only.
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