THIS DAY IN HISTORY 21/05

This Day in History 21/05

MAY 21ST

1502 – Portuguese admiral Da Nova discovers St Helena

1819 – 1st bicycles (swift walkers) in US introduced in NYC

1840 – New Zealand became a British colony

1864 – Russia declares an end to the Russian-Circassian War and many Circassians are forced into exile. The day is designated to be the Circassian Day of Mourning.

1881 – American Red Cross founded by Clara Barton

1994 – South Yemen secedes from Yemen

2001 – French Taubira law officially recognizes the Atlantic slave trade and slavery as crimes against humanity.

2003 – An earthquake hits northern Algeria killing more than 2,000 people.

2006 – The Republic of Montenegro holds a referendum proposing independence from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. The Montenegrin people choose independence with a majority of 55

2013 – Microsoft announces the release of Xbox O

FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS

1688 – Alexander Pope, London, English poet (Rape of the Lock, translation of Homer) (d.1744)

1799 – Mary Anning, Lyme Regis, Dorset, British fossil collector, dealer, and palaeontologist (Jurassic marine fossil beds of Lyme Regis in Dorset)

1780 – Elizabeth Fry, Quaker minister/prison reformer/nurse

1865 – C J Thomsen, Denmark, archaeologist, named Stone/Iron/Bronze Ages

1940 – Tony Sheridan, Norwich, Norfolk,singer-songwriter and guitarist, (d. 2013)

1946 – David Hill, Australian TV-reporter/owner (Fox Sports)

1948 – Carol Potter, actress (Beverly Hills 90210)

1952 – Mr. T, [Lawrence Tureaud], Chicago, American actor (A-Team, Rocky III, T & T)

1972 – The Notorious B.I.G. [Christopher Wallace], New York City, New York, rapper (Life After Death), (d. 1997)

1976 – Kardinal Offishall, Canadian rapper

1977 – Quinton Fortune, South African footballer

FAMOUS DEATHS

1542 – Hernando de Soto, dies while searching for gold, near Mississippi River

1790 – Thomas Warton, English poet (Oxford sausage), dies

1935 – Jane Addams, a founder of ACLU (Nobel 1973), dies at 65

1991 – Rajiv Gandhi, Indian Prime Minster (1984-89), assassinated at 46

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