1431
Politics
Joan of Arc's heresy trial opens
The public heresy trial of Joan of Arc opens at Rouen.
View detailsThis Day
21February
21 indexed achievements across recorded history.
1846
Activism
First female telegraph operator in the United States
Bagley became the USA's first female telegraph operator.
View details1850
Activism
Birth of Elizabeth Webb Nicholls
Elizabeth Webb Nicholls was born in Adelaide on February 21, 1850.
View details1864
Science
1864 patent for Improvement in Submarine Telescopes
On February 21, 1864, Sarah P. Mather is granted U.S. Patent No. 36,351 for an “Improvement in Submarine Telescopes,” her second submarine optics patent.
View details1866
Science
First woman to receive a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree
On February 21, 1866, Lucy Hobbs graduated from the Ohio College of Dental Surgery, becoming the first woman in the world to earn a DDS degree.
View details1872
Science
Birth of Lettie Pate Whitehead in Thaxton, Virginia
Letitia 'Lettie' Pate was born on February 21, 1872, in Thaxton, Bedford County, Virginia.
View details1899
Arts
Born in Hampton, New Jersey
Mary Petty was born on February 21, 1899, in Hampton, New Jersey, the artist who would become one of The New Yorker's most distinctive cartoonists and cover artists.
View details1903
Literature
Birth of Anaïs Nin in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
Angela Anaïs Juana Antolina Rosa Edelmira Nin y Culmell was born near Paris to Cuban-Spanish-Danish parents.
View details1915
Science
Birth in Port of Spain, Trinidad
Claudia Vera Cumberbatch was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, then part of the British West Indies.
View details1919
Medicine
Death of Mary Edwards Walker
Died in Oswego, New York; worn Medal of Honor until death.
View details1919
Medicine
Death of Mary Edwards Walker
Mary Walker died in Oswego, NY at 86, leaving a legacy in medicine and women's rights.
View details1924
Science
Born in New York City
Thelma Estrin was born on February 21, 1924, in New York City, the daughter of Jewish immigrants.
View details1936
Science
Birth in Houston, Texas
Barbara Charline Jordan was born in Houston, Texas, the youngest of three daughters of Benjamin and Arlyne Jordan.
View details1965
Activism
Present at the assassination of Malcolm X
Kochiyama was in the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem and cradled Malcolm X's head as he lay dying after being shot, becoming a lasting symbol of Afro-Asian solidarity.
View details1993
Science
Death of Inge Lehmann in Copenhagen
Inge Lehmann died on February 21, 1993, in Copenhagen at the age of 104, having lived long enough to see her inner-core theory become established science.
View details1994
Activism
Death of Mary Lasker
Mary Woodard Lasker died at age 93, ending a career as a health activist who reshaped U.S. medical research funding.
View details1999
Science
Death of Gertrude Belle Elion
Gertrude B. Elion died in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, at the age of 81, marking the end of a groundbreaking scientific career.
View details1999
Science
Death of Gertrude Belle Elion
Gertrude Belle Elion died in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States.
View details2008
Science
Patent publication for heat protected construction
U.S. Patent Publication 2008/0044648 A1 for heat protected materials.
View details2015
Activism
Female Founders Conference keynote
Keynote speaker at the Female Founders Conference 2015.
View details2018
Aviation
Death of Betty Jean Verret Miller
Betty Jean Verret Miller died in 2018 at age 91, closing the life of a pioneering woman aviator.
View details