April 21
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Christianfeast day:
Abdecalas, Anastasius Sinaita, Anselm of Canterbury, Beuno, Conrad of Parzham, Holy Infant of Good Health, Shemon Bar Sabbae, Wolbodo, April 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
In the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar, April 21 honors a group of saints and martyrs whose faith and devotion are remembered through special services.
Natale di Roma(Rome)
Natale di Roma celebrates the legendary founding of Rome by Romulus on April 21, 753 BC, with parades and cultural events.
Parilia(ancient Rome)
Parilia is an ancient Roman festival held on April 21 to purify shepherds and their flocks in honor of the deity Pales.
Civil Service Day(India)
Civil Service Day in India honors the dedication and achievements of the country's civil servants each April 21.
Grounation Day(Rastafari)
Grounation Day is a major Rastafari celebration marking the arrival of Emperor Haile Selassie in Jamaica on April 21, 1966.
National Tea Day(United Kingdom)
National Tea Day in the UK celebrates brewing traditions with tastings, events, and community gatherings on April 21.
National Tree Planting Day(Kenya)
Kenya's National Tree Planting Day mobilizes citizens every April 21 to plant millions of trees and combat deforestation.
San Jacinto Day(Texas)
San Jacinto Day commemorates the 1836 Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, a pivotal victory in the Texas Revolution.
Abdecalas
Abdecalas is an early Christian martyr honored on April 21 by Eastern Orthodox faithful.
Events
Romulus founds Rome (traditional date).
Legend holds that Romulus founded Rome on the Palatine Hill on this traditional date, marking the beginning of a civilization that would shape the ancient world.
Battle of Mutina: Mark Antony is again defeated in battle by Aulus Hirtius, who is killed. Antony fails to capture Mutina and Decimus Brutus is murdered shortly after.
In 43 BC, Mark Antony's attempt to seize Mutina ends in defeat by Aulus Hirtius, who is later killed, and the subsequent murder of Decimus Brutus.
The Laguna Copperplate Inscription (the earliest known written document found in what is now the Philippines): the Commander-in-Chief of the Kingdom of Tondo, as represented by the Honourable Jayadewa, Lord Minister of Pailah, pardons from all debt the Honourable Namwaran and his relations.
The Laguna Copperplate Inscription from 900 AD is the earliest known written document from the Philippines, recording the pardon of debts for a noble family.
The Diocese of Pisa is elevated to the rank of metropolitan archdiocese by Pope Urban II
Pope Urban II elevates the Diocese of Pisa to a metropolitan archdiocese, enhancing its ecclesiastical authority in 1092.
The three-day Lisbon Massacre comes to an end with the slaughter of over 1,900 suspected Jews by Portuguese Catholics.
The three-day Lisbon Massacre ends with the brutal killing of over 1,900 suspected Jews by Portuguese Catholics.
Henry VIII ascends the throne of England on the death of his father, Henry VII.
Following the death of Henry VII, his son Henry VIII is crowned King of England, beginning a new Tudor reign.
The last ruler of the Lodi dynasty, Ibrahim Lodi is defeated and killed by Babur in the First Battle of Panipat.
Babur defeats and kills Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, marking the end of the Lodi dynasty and the rise of the Mughal Empire.
The Wignacourt Aqueduct is inaugurated in Malta.
The Wignacourt Aqueduct is inaugurated in Malta, bringing fresh water from springs to the capital city of Valletta.
The city of Rattanakosin, now known internationally as Bangkok, is founded on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River by King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke.
King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke establishes the city of Rattanakosin (modern Bangkok) as the new Siamese capital in 1782.
Births
Sancho VI
King of Navarre from 1150 to 1194, known as Sancho the Wise who strengthened and expanded his realm.
Ulrich von Hutten
German knight, scholar, and humanist who championed reform and supported Martin Luther's challenge to the medieval Church.
Marco Antonio Bragadin
Venetian lawyer turned military commander who led the defense of Famagusta against the Ottomans in 1571.
Ludovico Carracci
Italian Baroque painter and etcher who co-founded the influential Carracci Academy in Bologna.
Jan van Riebeeck
Dutch colonial administrator who founded the settlement at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652, laying the foundation for Cape Town.
Pieter Gerritsz van Roestraten
Dutch Golden Age painter celebrated for his luxurious still lifes and vanitas compositions.
Francesco Maidalchini
Italian cardinal and grand-nephew of Pope Innocent X whose rise exemplified nepotism in the 17th-century Catholic Church.
Simon de la Loubère
French diplomat, mathematician, and poet best known for his embassy to Siam and contributions to mathematics.
Joseph Vaz
Sri Lankan Oratorian priest and missionary who revitalized the Catholic Church under persecution and became known as the Apostle of Sri Lanka.
Deaths
Emperor Xian of Han
The final emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty whose rule marked the end of over four centuries of Han imperial power.
Liuvigild
King of the Visigoths who expanded his realm in the Iberian Peninsula and pursued legal and religious reforms.
Odgar
Frankish archbishop of Mainz who played a key role in church affairs and Carolingian politics.
Bardas
Byzantine statesman and regent who wielded real power behind the throne in the 9th century.
Bajkam
Turkish military commander and de facto ruler of the Abbasid Caliphate during the 10th century.
Pope from 1061 to 1073 who championed church reforms and strengthened papal independence.
Anselm of Canterbury
Theologian and philosopher who served as Archbishop of Canterbury and developed the ontological argument for God's existence.
Stephen
Breton nobleman who governed the County of Tréguier in the early 12th century.
Peter Abelard
French philosopher and theologian known for his work in scholasticism and his tragic romance with Heloise.