On this day: 21 December

Selected events and births on 21 December, from Wikipedia’s “On this day”.

Events

• 1124 – Lamberto Scannabecchi was elected pope, taking the name Honorius II. Read more: 1124 papal election Pope Honorius II
• 1620 – The Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower landed at present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, to establish the Plymouth Colony. Read more: Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony) Mayflower Plymouth, Massachusetts
• 1826 – Settlers from the United States in Mexican Texas made the first attempt to secede from Mexico, establishing the short-lived Republic of Fredonia. Read more: Mexican Texas Fredonian Rebellion
• 1844 – The Rochdale Pioneers opened their store in Rochdale, England, forming the basis for the modern co-operative movement. Read more: Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers Rochdale History of the cooperative movement
• 1872 – HMS Challenger departed Portsmouth on a scientific expedition that laid the foundations of oceanography. Read more: HMS Challenger (1858) Portsmouth Challenger expedition
• 1879 – the fictional character of Nora Helmer is first portrayed by Betty Hennings at a showing of A Doll's House at the Royal Danish Theatre. Read more: Nora Helmer Betty Hennings A Doll's House
• 1911 – Moscow's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was consecrated. Read more: Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Moscow)
• 1923 – Nepal and the United Kingdom signed the first treaty that defined the international status of Nepal as an independent and a sovereign nation. Read more: Nepal–Britain Treaty of 1923
• 1934 – Lieutenant Kijé, the first film composition by Sergei Prokofiev, premiered. Read more: Lieutenant Kijé (Prokofiev) Sergei Prokofiev
• 1937 – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first full-length cel-animated feature in film history, premiered at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles. Read more: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (film) Cel Carthay Circle Theatre
• 1965 – The United Nations adopted the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which 88 member states have since signed. Read more: United Nations International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
• 1968 – Apollo 8 launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a trajectory to the Moon; its crew became the first humans to visit another celestial body. Read more: Apollo 8 Kennedy Space Center Moon
• 1988 – The world's heaviest aircraft, the Antonov An-225 Mriya, made its first flight. Read more: Antonov An-225 Mriya
• 1994 – Mexico's Popocatépetl volcano, dormant for 47 years, began erupting, and is now one of the nation's most active volcanoes. Read more: Popocatépetl
• 2012 – Countries that were part of the Maya civilization celebrated the end-date of a 5,126-year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar. Read more: Maya civilization 2012 phenomenon Mesoamerican Long Count calendar
• 2018 – Operatives of the British Special Boat Service boarded the container ship Grande Tema in the Thames Estuary to detain four stowaways who had threatened the crew. Read more: Special Boat Service Grande Tema incident Thames Estuary

Born on this day

• 1935 – Edward Schreyer, Canadian academic and politician, Governor General of Canada Read more: Edward Schreyer Governor General of Canada
• 1939 – Lloyd Axworthy, Canadian academic and politician, 2nd Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Read more: Lloyd Axworthy Minister of Foreign Affairs (Canada)
• 1942 – Hu Jintao, Chinese engineer and politician, 5th Paramount leader of China Read more: Hu Jintao Paramount leader
• 1950 – Jeffrey Katzenberg, American screenwriter and producer, co-founded DreamWorks Animation Read more: Jeffrey Katzenberg DreamWorks Animation
• 1960 – Sherry Rehman, Pakistani journalist, politician, and diplomat, 25th Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Read more: Sherry Rehman List of ambassadors of Pakistan to the United States
• 1966 – William Ruto, 5th President of Kenya Read more: William Ruto List of heads of state of Kenya
• 1967 – Mikheil Saakashvili, Georgian lawyer and politician, 3rd President of Georgia Read more: Mikheil Saakashvili President of Georgia
• 1973 – Irakli Alasania, Georgian colonel and politician, Georgian Minister of Defense Read more: Irakli Alasania Ministry of Defence of Georgia
• 1977 – Emmanuel Macron, French politician, 25th President of France Read more: Emmanuel Macron President of France
• 1997 – Madelyn Cline, American actress and model Read more: Madelyn Cline
• 2002 – Clara Tauson, Danish tennis player Read more: Clara Tauson
• 2006 – Cooper Flagg, American basketball player Read more: Cooper Flagg

Text from Wikipedia: Selected anniversaries / December 21 and the linked articles, via the Wikimedia “On this day” feed, under CC BY-SA 4.0. We leave out entries about wars, violence and disasters to keep this page family-friendly.