What happened in 1921
33 entries recorded for 1921, listed by date. That was 105 years ago.
1921 at a glance
- Years ago
- 105 (as of 2026)
- Century
- 20th century
- Decade
- 1920s
- Generation born
- Greatest Generation
- Entries here
- 33
- Breakdown
- 33 historical events
January
- January 20
HMS K5
The British K-class submarine HMS K5 sinks in the English Channel; all 56 on board die.
February
- February 25
Democratic Republic of Georgia
Georgian capital Tbilisi falls to the invading Russian forces after heavy fighting and the Russians declare the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic.
March
- March 1
Australia national cricket team
The Australian cricket team, led by Warwick Armstrong, became the first team to complete a whitewash in the Ashes, an achievement that would not be repeated for 86 years.
- March 1
Kronstadt rebellion
The Kronstadt rebellion began following mass protests in Petrograd demanding greater freedom in Russia with sailors and citizens taking up arms against the Bolsheviks.
- March 7
Labin Republic
The short-lived socialist Labin Republic is proclaimed.
- March 15
Talaat Pasha
Talaat Pasha, the main perpetrator of the Armenian genocide, was assassinated by Soghomon Tehlirian.
- March 18
Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War: Bolshevik forces suppressed a rebellion of sailors and civilians in Kronstadt.
- March 24
1921 Women's Olympiad
The inaugural Women's Olympiad (cover pictured), the first international women's sports event, opened at the International Sporting Club of Monaco in Monte Carlo.
- March 30
Australian Air Corps
The Australian Air Corps was disbanded, to be replaced the following day by the Australian Air Force.
- March 31
Royal Australian Air Force
The Australian Air Force was formed, replacing the short-lived Australian Air Corps and separating it from the Army.
April
- April 11
Abdullah I of Jordan
Emir Abdullah established the first centralised government in the recently created British protectorate of Transjordan.
May
- May 3
Government of Ireland Act 1920
Under the British Government of Ireland Act, Ireland was partitioned into two self-governing territories, Northern and Southern Ireland.
June
- June 3
Assassination of Talaat Pasha
At his trial for the assassination of Talaat Pasha, viewed as the main orchestrator of the Armenian genocide, Soghomon Tehlirian was acquitted after arguing: "I have killed a man, but I am not a murderer."
- June 12
Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko
Soviet politician Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko authorised the use of chemical weapons against a peasant rebellion in the Tambov Governorate.
- June 15
Bessie Coleman
Bessie Coleman (pictured) became the first Black person to earn an international pilot's license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.
- June 20
Buckingham and Carnatic Mills
Workers at the Buckingham and Carnatic Mills in Madras, India, began a four-month strike.
- June 20
Thomas Stanton Lambert
British Army officer Thomas Stanton Lambert was assassinated by the Irish Republican Army near Moydrum, Ireland.
- June 21
Irish War of Independence
Irish War of Independence: Most of the village of Knockcroghery in County Roscommon was burned by British forces.
July
- July 1
Yan Ruisheng
Yan Ruisheng (advertisement pictured), the first full-length Chinese film, is released in Shanghai.
- July 2
World War I
World War I: U.S. President Warren G. Harding signs the Knox–Porter Resolution formally ending the war between the United States and Germany.
- July 10
Irish War of Independence
Irish War of Independence: One day after a truce was agreed between the Irish Republican Army and British forces, violence broke out between Catholics and Protestants in Belfast.
- July 23
1st National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party
The first National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party opened in a house in Shanghai.
- July 29
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler became leader of the National Socialist German Workers' Party.
August
- August 24
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy's R.38, the world's largest airship at the time, was destroyed by a structural failure over Hull, killing 44 of the 49 crew aboard.
September
- September 8
Atlantic City, New Jersey
In Atlantic City, New Jersey, Margaret Gorman (pictured) was crowned the "Golden Mermaid", the forerunner to the Miss America pageant.
October
- October 9
Mortimer War Memorial
The Mortimer War Memorial (pictured), designed by Herbert Maryon in memory of local servicemen who died in the First World War, was dedicated.
- October 13
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Soviet republics of Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia signed the Treaty of Kars with the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, establishing the current borders between Turkey and the Caucasian states.
- October 13
Treaty of Kars
Soviet republics sign the Treaty of Kars to formalize the borders between Turkey and the South Caucasus states.
- October 26
Chicago Theatre
The Chicago Theatre (pictured), the oldest surviving grand movie palace, opened.
November
- November 1
Frances Kyle
Frances Kyle was called to the Bar of Ireland, becoming the first female barrister in Ireland or Great Britain.
- November 4
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Italy)
The remains of an unknown soldier were buried with an eternal flame at the Altare della Patria in Rome.
- November 17
Prince of Wales riots
Rioting broke out in Bombay, India, during the visit of Edward, Prince of Wales, leading to at least 58 deaths.
- November 26
Bolshevik–Makhnovist conflict
The Bolshevik–Makhnovist conflict resumes with a surprise attack by the Red Army against the Makhnovshchina.
Questions about 1921
What happened in 1921?
This site records 33 entries for 1921, including HMS K5 on January 20. They are listed below by date.
How long ago was 1921?
105 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 1921 turns 105 this year.
Which century is 1921 in?
1921 falls in the 20th century, in the 1920s.
Which generation was born in 1921?
Greatest Generation (1901–1927). Grew up in the Depression and fought in the Second World War.
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