August 21st, 1917

Born on August 21st, 1917

Age in days, weeks and months
Wow, over 39,000 days old!

Why not celebrate an alternative birthday? In 232 days, exactly on February 25th, 2027, people who were born on August 21st, 1917 will be 40,000 days old!

... in seconds, minutes and hours

What happened on August 21st?

August 21st, 2007

BioShock was released in North America, becoming a critical success and a demonstration of video games as an art form.

August 21st, 2015

Passengers on a Thalys train from Amsterdam to Paris confronted and subdued an attacker who attempted a mass shooting.

August 21st, 2013

Syrian civil war: Areas controlled by the Syrian opposition in Ghouta, Damascus, were attacked by rockets (launcher pictured) containing sarin, killing at least 281 people.

August 21st, 1986

A limnic eruption of Lake Nyos in Cameroon released a cloud of carbon dioxide, suffocating 1,746 people and 3,500 livestock.

August 21st, 1963

South Vietnamese special forces loyal to Ngô Đình Nhu, the brother of President Ngô Đình Diệm, raided and vandalised Buddhist pagodas (one pictured) across the country, arresting thousands and leaving hundreds dead.

August 21st, 1945

American physicist Harry Daghlian accidentally dropped a tungsten carbide brick onto a plutonium bomb core, exposing himself to neutron radiation and later becoming the first Manhattan Project fatality due to a criticality accident.

August 21st, 1944

World War II: A combined Canadian–Polish force captured the town of Falaise, France, in the final offensive of the Battle of Normandy.

August 21st, 1942

World War II: The Imperial Japanese Army lost the Battle of the Tenaru, the first of its three major land offensives during the Guadalcanal campaign.

August 21st, 1911

Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa (pictured) was stolen from the Louvre by museum employee Vincenzo Peruggia and was not recovered until two years later.

August 21st, 1858

The first of seven debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas (both pictured), candidates for an Illinois seat in the U.S. Senate, was held in Ottawa, Illinois.

August 21st, 1808

Peninsular War: British and Portuguese forces put an end to the first French invasion of Portugal at the Battle of Vimeiro.

August 21st, 1789

The national colours of Italy first appeared on a tricolour cockade in Genoa.

August 21st, 1717

Austro-Turkish War: Austrian troops under Prince Eugene of Savoy captured the strategically important city of Belgrade from the Ottoman Empire.

August 21st, 1716

Seventh Ottoman–Venetian War: Ottoman forces suddenly abandoned their siege of Corfu, allowing the Republic of Venice to preserve its rule over the Ionian Islands.

August 21st, 1689

Jacobite clans clashed with a regiment of Covenanters in the streets of Dunkeld, Scotland.

Birthdays
... of famous people, actors, celebrities and stars on August 21st

Born on August 21st, 1917

90

Leonid Hurwicz

Polish-American economist and mathematician (1917-2008)

*August 21st, 1917, Moscow †June 24th, 2008, Minneapolis

Same year
Born in 1917

46

John F. Kennedy

President of the United States from 1961 to 1963

*May 29th, 1917, Brookline †November 22nd, 1963, Parkland Memorial Hospital

66

Indira Gandhi

Prime Minister of India (1966–1977, 1980–1984)

*November 19th, 1917, Prayagraj †October 31st, 1984, New Delhi

72

Ferdinand Marcos

President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986

*September 11th, 1917, Sarrat †September 28th, 1989, Honolulu

91

Helga Tiemann

German painter and sculptor (1917–2008)

*October 11th, 1917, Remscheid †October 13th, 2008, Cologne

53

Bourvil

French actor and singer (1917–1970)

*July 27th, 1917, Prétot-Vicquemare †September 23rd, 1970, Paris

79

Ella Fitzgerald

American jazz singer (1917–1996)

*April 25th, 1917, Newport News †June 15th, 1996, Beverly Hills

84

Kamagate el hadj fetigue

American publisher, editor and author (1917–2001)

*June 16th, 1917, New York City †July 17th, 2001, Boise

88

John Raitt

American singer and actor (1917-2005)

*January 29th, 1917, Santa Ana †February 20th, 2005, Pacific Palisades

89

Barry Nelson

American actor (1917–2007)

*April 16th, 1917, San Francisco †April 7th, 2007, Bucks County

90

Arthur C. Clarke

British science fiction writer, inventor, and futurist (1917–2008)

*December 16th, 1917, Minehead †March 19th, 2008, Colombo

61

Park Chung Hee

3rd President of the Republic of Korea

*November 14th, 1917, Gumi †October 26th, 1979, Jongno District

103

Vera Lynn

British singer (1917–2020)

*March 20th, 1917, East Ham †June 18th, 2020, Ditchling

67

Heinrich Böll

German writer (1917–1985)

*December 21st, 1917, Cologne †July 16th, 1985, Langenbroich

91

Robert Anderson

American playwright, screenwriter, and theater producer (1917-2009)

*April 28th, 1917, Manhattan †February 9th, 2009, Manhattan

81

Hurd Hatfield

American actor (1917–1998)

*December 7th, 1917, New York City †December 26th, 1998, Rathcormac

49

William Tracy

American actor (1917-1967)

*December 1st, 1917, Pittsburgh †July 18th, 1967, Hollywood

92

Carl Ballantine

American entertainer (1917-2009)

*September 27th, 1917, Chicago †November 3rd, 2009, Hollywood Hills

70

Henry Ford II

American automotive industry executive (1917–1987)

*September 4th, 1917, Detroit †September 29th, 1987, Detroit

87

Ramanand Sagar

Indian film director (1917-2005)

*December 29th, 1917, Lahore †December 12th, 2005, Mumbai

95

Phyllis Diller

American stand-up comedian, actress, author, musician, and visual artist (1917–2012)

*July 17th, 1917, Lima †August 20th, 2012, Brentwood

Birthdays of famous people

Public holidays on August 21st

Fixed holidays (Christian Feast Day) which are celebrated on August 21st.

Date as a Roman numeral / digit

Leap year

No: With 365 days 1917 is a normal year and no leap year.

Calendar
August 1917