1770 – James Cook formally claimed eastern Australia for Great Britain on the 21st day of August in 1770, naming it New South Wales.
1791 ~ The Haitian Revolution began on the 21st August 1791.
1821 – Jarvis Island was discovered on the 21st August 1821, by the crew of the ship, Eliza Frances.
1858 ~ Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria the Archduke of Austria and Crown Prince of Austria–Hungary was born at Schloss Laxenburg, a castle near Vienna, on the 21st August 1858 (died 30 January 1889 aged 30). Rudolf’s suicide death with his mistress, Baroness Mary Vetsera, at his Mayerling hunting lodge in 1889 made international headlines.
1888 – The 1st successful adding machine in the United States was patented on the 21st August 1888, by William Seward Burroughs.
1897 – Oldsmobile, a brand of American automobiles was founded on the 21st August 1897..
1944 – Dumbarton Oaks Conference, the prelude to the United Nations, began on the 21st August 1944.
1904 – William “Count” Basie the American bandleader was born on the 21st August 1904 (died 1984).
1905 – Friz Freleng the American animator, director, and producer was born on the 21st August 1905 (died 1995)
1911 – The Mona Lisa was stolen by a Louvre employee on the 21st August 1911.
1920 – Christopher Robin Milne the British soldier and bookseller was born on the 21st August 1920 (died 1996).
1928 – Art Farmer the American trumpet player was born on the 21st August 1928 (died 1999)
1930 – Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was born on the 21st August 1930 (died 2002).
1944 – Jackie DeShannon the American singer-songwriter was born on the 21st August 1944.
1944 – Peter Weir the Australian director was born on the 21st August 1944.
1938 – Kenny Rogers the American singer and actor was born on the 21st August 1938.
1940 – Leon Trotsky the Russian politician and theorist died on the 21st August 1940 (born 1879).
1952 – Joe Strummer the British musician and singer from The Clash was born on the 21st August in 1952 (d. 2002).
1956 – Kim Cattrall the British-born Canadian actress was born on the 21st August 1956.
1961 – Motown released what would be its first No.1 hit, “Please Mr. Postman” by The Marvelettes on the 21st August 1961.
1973 – Sergey Brin the Russian-American computer scientist, businessman and co-founder of Google was born on the 21st August 1973.
1986 – Carbon dioxide gas erupted from volcanic Lake Nyos in Cameroon on the 21st August 1986, killing approximately 1,800 people within a 20 kilometer range.
1991 – Latvia declared renewal of its full independence on the 21st August 1991, after the occupation of Soviet Union.
1993 – NASA lost contact with the Mars Observer spacecraft on the 21st August 1993.
2013 ~ The Ghouta alleged chemical attacks on the 21st August 2013, with approximately 1300 people killed, when a series of alleged chemical attacks in the Ghouta region of the Rif Dimashq Governorate of Syria occurred, although the Syrian government and Army deny that chemical attacks occurred. The Syrian government prevented United Nations investigators from reaching the sites of the attacks, despite their accommodations being only a few kilometers away.
Today in History for August 21st ~ video presented by the Associated Press…