October 21
1797 - The U.S. Navy frigate U.S. Constitution, known as "Old Ironsides," was launched in Boston Harbor.
1805 - A British fleet commanded by Adm. Horatio Nelson defeated a French-Spanish fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar; Nelson, however, was killed.
1837 - Seminole Indian chief Osceola was captured as he carried a white flag of truce during the Second Seminole War.
1879 - Thomas Edison invented a working incandescent electric lamp.
1940 - Ernest Hemingway’s novel “For Whom the Bell Tolls” was first published.
1944 - U.S. troops captured the German city of Aachen -- the first German city to fall to Allied forces during World War II.
1959 - The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, opened to the public in New York City.
1966 - A coal waste landslide engulfed a school and some 20 houses in Aberfan, Wales, killing 144 people -- 116 of them children.
2013 - A seventh grader at Sparks Middle School in Sparks, Nevada shot and killed a teacher an wounded two classmates before taking his own life.
2021 - Actor Alec Baldwin was pointing a gun on a movie set in New Mexico when it went off and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza. (Charges of involuntary manslaughter against Baldwin were dropped in July 2024.)
Birthdays
23 - Ashley Liao (actress)
29 - Doja Cat (singer)
31 - Kane Brown (singer)
35 - Cody Johns (actor)
36 - Glenn Powell (actor)
41 - Zack Greinke (baseball player)
41 - Amber Rose (model)
44 - Kim Kardashian (reality star)
46 - Will Estes (actor)
65 - Ken Watanabe (actor)
82 - Judy Sheindlin (TV judge)
84 - Manfred Mann (singer)
===========================
Today in Sports History - October 21
1956 - Billy Howton (Green Bay Packers) caught seven passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns against the Los Angeles Rams. The final score was 42-17.
1964 - The ownership group of the Milwaukee Braves ask the National League for permission to move to Atlanta.
1966 - Congress approved the merger of the American Football League and National Football League.
1973 - The Oakland Athletics defeat the New York Mets in seven games to win the World Series.
1973 - Fred Dryer (Los Angeles Rams) became the first NFL player to record two safeties in a single game. The Rams defeated the Green Bay Packers 24-7.
1976 - The Cincinnati Reds sweep the New York Yankees to win the World Series.
1976 - The New York Knicks retire Willis Reed's #19.
1976 - The Philadelphia 76ers purchased the rights for Julius Erving from the New Jersey Nets.
1980 - The Philadelphia Phillies defeat the Kansas City Royals in six games to win their first World Series title in the franchise's 98-year history.
1984 - Steve Cox (Cleveland Browns) kicked a 60-yard field goal against the Cincinnati Bengals. It was the second longest field goal in NFL history. The Browns lost to the Cincinnati Bengals 12-9.
1998 - The New York Yankees set a major league baseball record of 125 victories for the regular and postseason combined; the Yankees sweep the San Diego Padres to win the World Series.
2000 - The New York Yankees defeated the New York Mets 4-3 in 12 innings. It was the longest World Series game at 4 hours and 51 minutes.
2004 - The CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) ruled that Paul Hamm could keep his Olympic gold medal. They decided that Hamm was the rightful champion in the men's all-around gymnastics competition at the Athens Games. South Korea had challenged the medal.
2007 - Tennessee Titans kicker Rob Bironas sets an NFL record for most points scored in a game (no touchdowns) with 26 in a 38-36 win over the Houston Texans.
2014 - Paralympic runner Oscar Pistorius was convicted of culpable homicide for shooting and killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. The conviction was later upgraded to murder; Pistorius was released on parole in January 2024.
1797 - The U.S. Navy frigate U.S. Constitution, known as "Old Ironsides," was launched in Boston Harbor.
1805 - A British fleet commanded by Adm. Horatio Nelson defeated a French-Spanish fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar; Nelson, however, was killed.
1837 - Seminole Indian chief Osceola was captured as he carried a white flag of truce during the Second Seminole War.
1879 - Thomas Edison invented a working incandescent electric lamp.
1940 - Ernest Hemingway’s novel “For Whom the Bell Tolls” was first published.
1944 - U.S. troops captured the German city of Aachen -- the first German city to fall to Allied forces during World War II.
1959 - The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, opened to the public in New York City.
1966 - A coal waste landslide engulfed a school and some 20 houses in Aberfan, Wales, killing 144 people -- 116 of them children.
2013 - A seventh grader at Sparks Middle School in Sparks, Nevada shot and killed a teacher an wounded two classmates before taking his own life.
2021 - Actor Alec Baldwin was pointing a gun on a movie set in New Mexico when it went off and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza. (Charges of involuntary manslaughter against Baldwin were dropped in July 2024.)
Birthdays
23 - Ashley Liao (actress)
29 - Doja Cat (singer)
31 - Kane Brown (singer)
35 - Cody Johns (actor)
36 - Glenn Powell (actor)
41 - Zack Greinke (baseball player)
41 - Amber Rose (model)
44 - Kim Kardashian (reality star)
46 - Will Estes (actor)
65 - Ken Watanabe (actor)
82 - Judy Sheindlin (TV judge)
84 - Manfred Mann (singer)
===========================
Today in Sports History - October 21
1956 - Billy Howton (Green Bay Packers) caught seven passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns against the Los Angeles Rams. The final score was 42-17.
1964 - The ownership group of the Milwaukee Braves ask the National League for permission to move to Atlanta.
1966 - Congress approved the merger of the American Football League and National Football League.
1973 - The Oakland Athletics defeat the New York Mets in seven games to win the World Series.
1973 - Fred Dryer (Los Angeles Rams) became the first NFL player to record two safeties in a single game. The Rams defeated the Green Bay Packers 24-7.
1976 - The Cincinnati Reds sweep the New York Yankees to win the World Series.
1976 - The New York Knicks retire Willis Reed's #19.
1976 - The Philadelphia 76ers purchased the rights for Julius Erving from the New Jersey Nets.
1980 - The Philadelphia Phillies defeat the Kansas City Royals in six games to win their first World Series title in the franchise's 98-year history.
1984 - Steve Cox (Cleveland Browns) kicked a 60-yard field goal against the Cincinnati Bengals. It was the second longest field goal in NFL history. The Browns lost to the Cincinnati Bengals 12-9.
1998 - The New York Yankees set a major league baseball record of 125 victories for the regular and postseason combined; the Yankees sweep the San Diego Padres to win the World Series.
2000 - The New York Yankees defeated the New York Mets 4-3 in 12 innings. It was the longest World Series game at 4 hours and 51 minutes.
2004 - The CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) ruled that Paul Hamm could keep his Olympic gold medal. They decided that Hamm was the rightful champion in the men's all-around gymnastics competition at the Athens Games. South Korea had challenged the medal.
2007 - Tennessee Titans kicker Rob Bironas sets an NFL record for most points scored in a game (no touchdowns) with 26 in a 38-36 win over the Houston Texans.
2014 - Paralympic runner Oscar Pistorius was convicted of culpable homicide for shooting and killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. The conviction was later upgraded to murder; Pistorius was released on parole in January 2024.
