On This Day - What Happened On May 21 | Britannica

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Featured Event

1927 First nonstop solo transatlantic flight made by Charles Lindbergh American aviator Charles Lindbergh completed the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean on this day in 1927, traveling from New York to Paris in the monoplane Spirit of Saint Louis in about 33.5 hours. Watch a brief video of Charles Lindbergh and the Spirit of Saint Louis Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Featured Biography

Malcolm Fraser prime minister of Australia bornMay 21, 1930Melbourne, AustraliadiedMarch 20, 2015 (aged 84)(Anniversary in 4 days)Keystone Pictures USA/age fotostock 1960 Jeffrey Dahmer American serial killer 1959 Loretta Lynch American lawyer and official 1951 Al Franken United States senator 1904 Fats Waller American musician 1527 Philip II king of Spain and Portugal See All Biographies On This Day

More Events On This Day

2017 After years of declining attendance—in part due to animal rights protests—the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus gave what it said would be its final performance. (In 2023 the circus returned with an animal-free show.) Take our quiz about clowns© Erik S. Lesser—EPA/REX/Shutterstock.com 2000 British author Dame Barbara Cartland—who wrote more than 700 books, mostly formulaic novels of romantic love set in the 19th century—died at age 98. Test your knowledge of famous authors 1991 Indian politician Rajiv Gandhi, who served as the country's prime minister (1984–89), was assassinated in a suicide bombing attack. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about IndiaYutaka Nagata/UN Photo 1972 Michelangelo's Pietà, a sculpture depicting the Virgin Mary supporting the body of the dead Christ, was attacked and badly damaged in St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City. How much do you know about Italian Renaissance art?SCALA/Art Resource, New York 1932 American aviator Amelia Earhart became the first woman to pilot an airplane solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Take our quiz about early aviationEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1921 Soviet nuclear theoretical physicist and human rights advocate Andrey Sakharov, who won the 1975 Nobel Prize for Peace, was born in Moscow. Test your knowledge of Nobel laureates in literatureS. Zal/Sygma 1881 Clara Barton founded the American Association of the Red Cross (later the American Red Cross).National Archives, Washington, D.C. (111-B-1857) 1871 The Commune of Paris revolted against the French national government under Adolphe Thiers, beginning a period of violence known as “Bloody Week.” Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about FranceArchives Photographiques, Paris 1856 During the small civil war known as Bleeding Kansas—a dispute over control of the new U.S. territory of Kansas under the doctrine of popular sovereignty—the town of Lawrence was sacked by a pro-slavery mob intent on destroying the “hotbed of abolitionism.” Test your knowledge of the history of slavery in North America 1844 French painter Henri Rousseau—the archetype of the modern naive artist, known for his richly coloured and meticulously detailed pictures of lush jungles, wild beasts, and exotic figures—was born in Laval. Take our quiz about painters and artistsErich Lessing/Art Resource, New York 1542 Spanish explorer and conquistador Hernando de Soto, the first European to discover the Mississippi River, died and was buried in the river in Louisiana. Test your knowledge of human exploration and discoveryLibrary of Congress, Washington, D.C. SIGN UP FOR History's Biggest Headlines Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! SIGN UP By clicking "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.