1702
Science
Discovery of the Comet of 1702
Kirch discovered the comet of 1702, becoming the first woman known to discover a comet.
View detailsThis Day
21April
23 indexed achievements across recorded history.
1785
Law
Charter to the Nobility promulgated
Catherine issues the Charter to the Nobility on 21 April 1785, formally codifying the rights and privileges of Russia's aristocracy.
View details1785
Law
Charter to the Towns promulgated
Catherine issues the Charter to the Towns on 21 April 1785, organizing urban governance and defining the rights of city dwellers.
View details1807
Activism
Formal surveillance begins on Ann Moore's claimed fast in Tutbury
A public 16-day watch over Ann Moore's claimed total abstinence from food and drink began at her Tutbury home, supervised by physicians and local gentlemen.
View details1814
Science
Birth of Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts
Born in London, later to become one of the wealthiest women in Victorian Britain and a pioneering philanthropist.
View details1814
Activism
Birth of Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts
Angela Burdett-Coutts was born in London on April 21, 1814.
View details1879
Activism
Born in Jepara, Indonesia
Raden Ajeng Kartini was born on April 21, 1879, in Jepara, Central Java, Indonesia.
View details1896
Activism
Birth of Geertruida Wijsmuller
Geertruida Wijsmuller was born on April 21, 1896, in Alkmaar, Netherlands.
View details1896
Arts
First onscreen kiss in film history
Edison's film The Kiss captured May Irwin kissing John C. Rice.
View details1926
Politics
Birth of Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Mayfair, London.
View details1930
Literature
Birth of Hilda Hilst
Hilda Hilst was born on April 21, 1930, in Jaú, São Paulo, Brazil.
View details1952
Literature
Receives the George Polk Award for Foreign Reporting
Higgins was honored with the George Polk Award for Foreign Reporting for her behind-enemy-lines coverage in Korea and elsewhere.
View details1956
Arts
Co-writes 'Heartbreak Hotel,' Elvis Presley's first No. 1 hit
Axton co-wrote 'Heartbreak Hotel,' which Elvis Presley released and which reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts on April 21, 1956, launching his national stardom.
View details1959
Science
Honorary Fellow of the Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution named Mary Agnes Chase an Honorary Fellow, honoring her decades of work on its grass collections.
View details1972
Activism
Birth of Narges Mohammadi
Narges Mohammadi was born in Zanjan, Iran, on April 21, 1972.
View details1980
Sports
Initial declaration as 1980 Boston Marathon women’s winner
Ruiz deceptively crosses first at Boston Marathon on April 21, 1980.
View details1987
Politics
Death of Edith Green
Edith Green passed away on April 21, 1987, in Washington, D.C.
View details1989
Sports
Birth in Leningrad, Russia
Birth of Tatyana McFadden in Leningrad, Russia, with spina bifida, later becoming a leading Paralympic wheelchair racer and advocate.
View details2009
Arts
Death of Vivian Maier in Illinois
Vivian Maier died on April 21, 2009, in Oak Park, Illinois, just months before her photographic genius was posthumously discovered.
View details2011
Arts
Death in Indianapolis, Indiana
Madelyn Pugh died on April 21, 2011, in Indianapolis, Indiana, at age 90, remembered as a pioneering woman in television comedy writing.
View details2015
Science
Featured in European Patent Office Press Release on Predictive Breast Cancer Gene Test
The EPO issued a press release from Munich and Amsterdam spotlighting van 't Veer's predictive breast cancer gene test.
View details2016
Aviation
Named to the 2016 TIME 100 list
TIME included Robinson in its 2016 TIME 100 list of most influential people ahead of her historic NORAD/USNORTHCOM confirmation.
View details2016
Arts
Named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People
On 21 April 2016, Time magazine names Kusama one of the "100 Most Influential People," recognizing her global impact as a contemporary artist.
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