Wednesday 21 August 2024 Calendar with holidays, observances and special days

Holidays and observances

• Hawai`i Statehood Day (1959)
• Independence Day of Latvia (from the Soviet Union in 1991)
• International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism (adopted by the UN on October 27, 2017)
• National Chilean Trap Day
• National Medical Dosimetrist Day in US (Held on the third Wednesday of August)
• National Sweet Tea Day and Spumoni Day in USA
• National Women Soccer Players Day in Argentina
• Ninoy Aquino Day in the Philippines
• Officer Day in Russia
• Patronal feast in honor of St. Bonoso and St. Maximiano
• Social Workers Day in Mexico
• Speech Pathology Week in Australia (2022, 21-27 August. Speech Pathology Week seeks to promote the speech pathology profession and the work done by speech pathologists with the more than 1.1 million Australians who have a communication or swallowing disorder that impacts on their daily life)
• Youth Day in Morocco

Events

• 2017 – An eclipse traverses the continental United States.
• 2000 - Tiger Woods, American professional golfer, wins the 82nd PGA Championship and becomes the first golfer since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win 3 majors in a calendar year.
• 1982 – Lebanese Civil War: The first troops of a multinational force lands in Beirut to oversee the Palestine Liberation Organization's withdrawal from Lebanon.
• 1968 – James Anderson, Jr. posthumously receives the first Medal of Honor to be awarded to an African American U.S. Marine.
• 1961 – American country music singer Patsy Cline returns to record producer Owen Bradley's studio in Nashville, Tennessee to record her vocals to Willie Nelson's "Crazy", which would become her signature song.
• 1961 – Motown releases what would be its first #1 hit, "Please Mr. Postman" by The Marvelettes.
• 1959 – United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs an executive order proclaiming Hawaii the 50th state of the union. Hawaii's admission is currently commemorated by Hawaii Admission Day
• 1957 – The Soviet Union successfully conducts a long-range test flight of the R-7 Semyorka, the first intercontinental ballistic missile.
• 1942 – World War II: The Guadalcanal Campaign: American forces defeat an attack by Imperial Japanese Army soldiers in the Battle of the Tenaru.
• 1901 – Six hundred American school teachers, Thomasites, arrived in Manila on the USAT Thomas.
• 1897 – Oldsmobile, a brand of American automobiles, is founded.
• 1888 – The first successful adding machine in the United States is patented by William Seward Burroughs.
• 1821 – Jarvis Island is discovered by the crew of the ship, Eliza Frances.
• 1808 – Battle of Vimeiro: British and Portuguese forces led by General Arthur Wellesley defeat French force under Major-General Jean-Andoche Junot near the village of Vimeiro, Portugal, the first Anglo-Portuguese victory of the Peninsular War.
• 1778 – American Revolutionary War: British forces begin besieging the French outpost at Pondichéry.

Births

• 1989 – Hayden Panettiere, American actress. She is known for playing cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC Superhero series Heroes (2006–2010) and Juliette Barnes in the ABC/CMT musical drama series Nashville (2012–2018).
• 1988 – Kacey Musgraves, American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Musgraves self-released three albums before appearing on the fifth season of the USA Network's singing competition Nashville Star in 2007, where she placed seventh.
• 1984 – Melvin Upton, Jr., American baseball player. J." Upton Jr. (born August 21, 1984) is an American former professional baseball outfielder.
• 1981 – Cameron Winklevoss, American rower and businessman, co-founded ConnectU. Cameron and his brother are known for co-founding HarvardConnection (later renamed ConnectU) along with Harvard classmate Divya Narendra.
• 1981 – Tyler Winklevoss, American rower and businessman, co-founded ConnectU. Tyler Howard Winklevoss (born August 21, 1981) is an American cryptocurrency and Bitcoin investor, rower, entrepreneur, and founder of Winklevoss Capital Management.
• 1980 – Burney Lamar, American race car driver. He has driven in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series.
• 1980 – Paul Menard, American race car driver. He also raced part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 12 Mustang for Team Penske.
• 1979 – Kelis, American singer-songwriter, producer, chef and author. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.
• 1978 – Jason Marquis, American baseball player. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres, Minnesota Twins, and Cincinnati Reds.
• 1978 – Lee Gronkiewicz, American baseball player and coach. Lee Matthew Gronkiewicz (born August 21, 1978 in Los Angeles) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher.
• 1978 – Reuben Droughns, American football player and coach, was the assistant coach for the Serbian team Vukovi Beograd, the two-time champions of the Central European Football League, from 2010-2013. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft.
• 1976 – Alex Brooks, American ice hockey player and scout. Alex Whitmore Brooks (born August 21, 1976) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played as an Undrafted player, 19 games in the National Hockey League for the New Jersey Devils in the 2006–07 season.
• 1976 – Jeff Cunningham, Jamaican-American soccer player. He is Major League Soccer's third-all-time leader in regular-season goals scored with 134.
• 1976 – Ramón Vázquez, Puerto Rican-American baseball player and coach. In that role, he coordinates statistical analysis and advanced scouting data, and serves as a uniformed member of manager Alex Cora's staff.
• 1973 – Sergey Brin, Russian-American computer scientist and businessman, co-founded Google. Brin was the president of Google's parent company Alphabet Inc, until stepping down from the role on December 3, 2019.
• 1970 – Craig Counsell, American baseball player and coach. Craig John Counsell (born August 21, 1970) is an American former professional baseball player who is the manager for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB).
• 1967 – Serj Tankian, Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He is best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, keyboardist, and occasional live rhythm guitarist of the band System of a Down, formed in 1994.
• 1966 – John Wetteland, American baseball player and coach. A relief pitcher, Wetteland specialized as a closer, recording 330 saves during his career.
• 1965 – Jim Bullinger, American baseball player. James Eric Bullinger (born August 21, 1965) is a former professional starting pitcher.
• 1962 – John Korfas, Greek-American basketball player and coach. John Anthony Korfas (Greek: Τζον Κόρφας; born August 21, 1962) is a retired Greek-American professional basketball player and a professional basketball coach.
• 1961 – Stephen Hillenburg, American marine biologist, cartoonist, and animator, was an American animator, voice actor, and marine science educator. He is best remembered for creating the Nickelodeon animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants.
• 1959 – Jim McMahon, American football player and coach. He played college football at Brigham Young University, where he was a two-time All-American (1980, 1981) and later in the professional ranks with the Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, and Green Bay Packers.
• 1957 – Frank Pastore, American baseball player and radio host (d. 2012), was an American Major League Baseball player and radio host. He pitched for the Cincinnati Reds from 1979 until 1985 and for the Minnesota Twins in 1986, and was in the Texas Rangers organization in 1987.
• 1956 – Jon Tester, American farmer and politician, was first elected to in 2006. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
• 1954 – Archie Griffin, American football player. He is college football's only two-time Heisman Trophy winner.
• 1953 – Ivan Stang, American author, publisher, and director. Ivan Stang (born Douglass St.
• 1951 – Chesley V. Morton, American businessman and politician. Morton is an American stockbroker, securities arbitrator, and former member of the Georgia House of Representatives.
• 1949 – Loretta Devine, American actress and singer. Loretta Devine (born August 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer, best known for her roles as Marla Hendricks in the Fox drama series Boston Public, and for her recurring role as Adele Webber on the medical drama Grey's Anatomy, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2011.
• 1947 – Carl Giammarese, American singer-songwriter and musician (The Buckinghams). The Buckinghams are an American Sunshine pop band from Chicago, Illinois, United States.
• 1945 – Jerry DaVanon, American baseball player. He played all or part of seven seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily as an infielder.
• 1945 – Patty McCormack, American actress. Patricia "Patty" McCormack (born Patricia Ellen Russo; August 21, 1945) is an American actress with a career in theater, films, and television.
• 1945 – Willie Lanier, American football player. Willie Edward Lanier (born August 21, 1945) is a former American football middle-linebacker who played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1967 through 1977.
• 1944 – Jackie DeShannon, American singer-songwriter. Jackie DeShannon (born Sharon Lee Myers, August 21, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter with a string of hit song credits from the 1960s onwards, as both singer and composer.
• 1943 – Jonathan Schell, American journalist and author (d. 2014), was an American author and visiting fellow at Yale University, whose work primarily dealt with campaigning against nuclear weapons.
• 1943 – Lucius Shepard, American author and critic (d. 2014), was an American writer. Classified as a science fiction and fantasy writer, he often leaned into other genres, such as magical realism.
• 1940 – Endre Szemerédi, Hungarian-American mathematician and computer scientist. He also holds a professor emeritus status at the Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
• 1939 – Clarence Williams III, American actor. He played the character "Linc Hayes" in the "hippie" cop show The Mod Squad (1968–1973).
• 1939 – James Burton, American Hall of Fame guitarist. Critic Mark Demming writes that "Burton has a well-deserved reputation as one of the finest guitar pickers in either country or rock ...
• 1938 – Kenny Rogers, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor. He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
• 1937 – Donald Dewar, Scottish lawyer and politician, 1st First Minister of Scotland (d. 2000), was a Scottish politician, the inaugural First Minister of Scotland and an advocate of Scottish devolution.
• 1936 – Wilt Chamberlain, American basketball player and coach (d. 1999), was an American basketball player who played as a center and is considered one of the greatest players in history. He played for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
• 1932 – Melvin Van Peebles, American actor, director, and screenwriter. Melvin "Block" Van Peebles (born August 21, 1932) is an American actor, filmmaker, playwright, novelist and composer.
• 1930 – Frank Perry, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1995), was an American stage director and filmmaker. The 1962 independent film David and Lisa was nominated for two Academy Awards for best director (Frank Perry) and best screenplay (written by his then-wife, Eleanor Perry).
• 1929 – Herman Badillo, Puerto Rican-American lawyer and politician (d. 2014), was a Puerto Rican politician who served as borough president of The Bronx and United States Representative, and ran for Mayor of New York City. He was the first Puerto Rican elected to these posts, and the first Puerto Rican mayoral candidate in a major city in the continental United States.
• 1929 – X. J. Kennedy, American poet, translator, anthologist, editor. In his youth, under the name Joe Kennedy, he was an active member of science fiction fandom and published well-regarded fanzines, including Vampire (a quarterly, 1945–47) and the Vampire Annuals.
• 1928 – Addison Farmer, American bassist (d. 1963), was an American jazz bassist. He was the twin brother of Art Farmer.
• 1928 – Art Farmer, American trumpet player and composer (d. 1999), was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. He also played flumpet, a trumpet–flugelhorn combination especially designed for him.
• 1928 – Bud McFadin, American football player (d. 2006). He played college football at the University of Texas and was a unanimous selection at the guard position on the 1950 College Football All-America Team.
• 1927 – Thomas S. Monson, American religious leader, 16th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As president, he was considered by adherents of the religion to be a prophet, seer, and revelator.
• 1924 – Jack Buck, American sportscaster (d. 2002), was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals.
• 1924 – Jack Weston, American actor (d. 1996). He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1976 and a Tony Award in 1981.
• 1918 – Billy Reay, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (d. 2004), was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Reay played ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL).
• 1906 – Friz Freleng, American animator, director, and producer (d. 1995). Isadore "Friz" Freleng (August 21, 1906 – May 26, 1995), often credited as I.
• 1904 – Count Basie, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (d. 1984), was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, Basie formed his own jazz orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording.
• 1891 – Emiliano Mercado del Toro, Puerto Rican-American soldier (d. 2007), was a Puerto Rican supercentenarian and military veteran who was, at age 115, the world's oldest person for six weeks, and the world's oldest man from November 19, 2004 (death of Fred H. Hale, Sr.) until his own death on January 24, 2007.
• 1884 – Chandler Egan, American golfer and architect (d. 1936), was an American amateur golfer and golf course architect of the early 20th century.
• 1800 – Hiram Walden, American general and politician (d. 1880), was a United States Representative from New York.
• 1754 – William Murdoch, Scottish engineer and inventor, created gas lighting (d. 1839). Murdoch was employed by the firm of Boulton & Watt and worked for them in Cornwall, as a steam engine erector for ten years, spending most of the rest of his life in Birmingham, England.

Deaths

• 2017 – Bajram Rexhepi, First Kosovan Prime Ministers of UN mission administration in Kosovo . (b. 1954)
• 2015 – Jimmy Evert, American tennis player and coach (b. 1924)
• 2014 – Steven R. Nagel, American colonel, engineer, and astronaut (b. 1946)
• 2013 – C. Gordon Fullerton, American colonel, engineer, and astronaut (b. 1936)
• 2013 – Jean Berkey, American lawyer and politician (b. 1938)
• 2013 – Sid Bernstein, American record producer (b. 1918)
• 2012 – J. Frank Raley Jr., American soldier and politician (b. 1926)
• 2012 – William Thurston, American mathematician and academic (b. 1946)
• 2008 – Jerry Finn, American engineer and producer (b. 1969)
• 2007 – Elizabeth P. Hoisington, American general (b. 1918)
• 2005 – Martin Dillon, American tenor and educator (b. 1957)
• 2005 – Robert Moog, American businessman, founded Moog Music (b. 1934)
• 2000 – Tomata du Plenty, American singer-songwriter and playwright (b. 1948)
• 1995 – Chuck Stevenson, American racing driver (b. 1919)
• 1995 – Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, Indian-American astrophysicist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1910)
• 1993 – Tatiana Troyanos, American soprano and actress (b. 1938)
• 1988 – Ray Eames, American architect, co-designed the Eames House (b. 1912)
• 1978 – Charles Eames, American architect, co-designed the Eames House (b. 1907)
• 1974 – Buford Pusser, American police officer (b. 1937)
• 1960 – David B. Steinman, American engineer, designed the Mackinac Bridge (b. 1886)
• 1947 – Ettore Bugatti, Italian-French engineer and businessman, founded Bugatti (b. 1881)
• 1940 – Ernest Thayer, American poet and author (b. 1863)
• 1940 – Leon Trotsky, Russian theorist and politician, founded the Red Army (b. 1879)
• 1854 – Thomas Clayton, American lawyer and politician (b. 1777)
• 1814 – Benjamin Thompson, American-English physicist and colonel (b. 1753)
• 1796 – John McKinly, American physician and politician, 1st Governor of Delaware (b. 1721)