132 things happened on 21 November, from 164 BC to 2019. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
1620 · 406 years ago
While the Mayflower was anchored in what is now Provincetown Harbor, in Massachusetts, 41 of its passengers signed the Mayflower Compact. This agreement was the first set of rules for governing their new settlement, Plymouth Colony. Many of the settlers were …
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UK story
The Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act 1918 was passed. It gave women over the age of 21 the right to stand for election as a Member of Parliament (MP). This meant voters could now choose women to represent them in the House of Commons. At just 41 words long, it is the shortest law ever passed by the UK Parliament.
UK story
The Natural History Museum in London announced that the 'Piltdown Man' skull was a hoax. In 1912, Charles Dawson claimed he had found the remains of an early human near Piltdown in East Sussex. Many experts believed it was a 'missing link' between apes and humans. In fact, it had been made from a small-brained modern human skull and the jawbone and teeth of an orangutan.
While the Mayflower was anchored in what is now Provincetown Harbor, in Massachusetts, 41 of its passengers signed the Mayflower Compact. This agreement was the first set of rules for governing their new settlement, Plymouth Colony. Many of the settlers were unhappy with the Church of England. Even so, the agreement included a promise of loyalty to King James I.
Danish astronomer Ole Rømer presented the first measurements of the speed of light. Working at the Royal Observatory in Paris, he carefully timed the eclipses of Io, one of Jupiter's moons. He showed that light takes time to travel and does not arrive instantly. His estimate was about a quarter too low, but his idea was soon supported by scientists including Isaac Newton.
In Paris, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes made the first free flight by people in a hot air balloon. 'Free' means the balloon was not tied to the ground. It was the first confirmed human flight of any kind. Pilâtre de Rozier was a chemistry and physics teacher and one of the first pioneers of flying.
American inventor Thomas Edison announced his invention of the phonograph, a machine that could record sound and play it back. Sounds were recorded as a groove cut into the surface of a turning cylinder. A needle then followed the groove to play the sound again. Later phonographs, or record players, became the first sound machines that people owned and used at home.
A scientific paper by Albert Einstein was published in the German journal Annalen der Physik. It led to his famous formula E = mc², which shows how mass and energy are linked. Because the speed of light (c) is so large, the formula means that a tiny amount of mass equals a huge amount of energy. E = mc² has been called 'the world's most famous equation'.
The Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge opened in New York City, linking Staten Island and Brooklyn. It is a suspension bridge, and its central span is 1.3 kilometres long. This was the longest suspension bridge span in the world until England's Humber Bridge was completed in 1981. The bridge is named after Giovanni da Verrazzano, the first European explorer to enter New York Harbor, in 1524.
The first permanent link on the ARPANET joined computers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a research centre called SRI. ARPANET was an early network that let distant computers share information. The technology it used became the foundation of the Internet. It was also used for an early form of email.
Judas Maccabeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family, rededicates the Temple in Jerusalem, an event that is commemorated each year by the festival of Hanukkah. (25 Kislev 3597 in the Hebrew calendar.)
Pope Anterus succeeds Pontian as the nineteenth pope.
North Carolina ratifies the United States Constitution and is admitted as the 12th U.S. state.
American Civil War: Confederate President Jefferson Davis appoints Judah Benjamin Secretary of War.
Claude Monet's paintings shown at Gallery Durand-Ruel in Paris.
The Philadelphia Football Athletics defeat the Kanaweola Athletic Club of Elmira, New York, 39–0, in the first-ever professional American football night game.
Sailors on board Brazil's warships including the Minas Gerais, São Paulo, and Bahia, violently rebel in what is now known as the Revolta da Chibata (Revolt of the Lash).
The Flag of Estonia, previously used by pro-independence activists, is formally adopted as the national flag of the Republic of Estonia.
Rebecca Latimer Felton became the first woman to serve in the United States Senate, albeit for only one day.
The completion of the Alaska Highway (also known as the Alcan Highway) is celebrated (however, the highway is not usable by standard road vehicles until 1943).
Manzanar (pictured), a camp in California for the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, was closed.
The United Auto Workers strike 92 General Motors plants in 50 cities to back up worker demands for a 30-percent raise.
People's Action Party, an eventual dominative political party in Singapore, was established.
La Ronde (pictured), the first revolving restaurant in the United States, was inaugurated.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army declares a unilateral ceasefire in the Sino-Indian War.
The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, connecting Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City, opened to traffic as the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time.
Second Vatican Council: The third session of the Roman Catholic Church's ecumenical council closes.
Vietnam War: American General William Westmoreland tells news reporters: "I am absolutely certain that whereas in 1965 the enemy was winning, today he is certainly losing."
U.S. President Richard Nixon and Japanese Premier Eisaku Satō agree on the return of Okinawa to Japanese control in 1972. The U.S. retains rights to bases on the island, but these are to be nuclear-free.
Indian troops, partly aided by Mukti Bahini (Bengali guerrillas), defeat the Pakistan army in the Battle of Garibpur.
Voters in South Korea overwhelmingly approve a new constitution, giving legitimacy to Park Chung Hee and the Fourth Republic.
"God Defend New Zealand" became New Zealand's second national anthem, on equal standing with "God Save the King", which had been the traditional anthem since 1840.
National Security Council member Oliver North and his secretary start to shred documents allegedly implicating them in the Iran–Contra affair.
A major tornado strikes the Houston, Texas area during the afternoon. Over the next two days the largest tornado outbreak ever to occur in the US during November spawns over 100 tornadoes.
The Dayton Agreement is initialed at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio, ending three and a half years of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
NATO invites Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia to become members.
The Paris Club agrees to write off 80% (up to $100 billion) of Iraq's external debt.
The second round of the Ukrainian presidential election is held, giving rise to massive protests and controversy over the election's integrity.
Massive protests start in Ukraine after President Viktor Yanukovych suspended signing the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement.
Robert Mugabe formally resigns as President of Zimbabwe, after thirty-seven years in office.
Tesla launches the SUV Cybertruck. A gaffe occurs during the launch event when its "unbreakable" windows shatter during demonstration.
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
In which year did this happen: “Scientists reveal that Piltdown Man was a fake”?
A: 1953. 1953 — that’s 73 years ago. Find it on the page
In which year did this happen: “Women win the right to be elected to Parliament”?
A: 1918. 1918 — that’s 108 years ago. Find it on the page
Which of these happened first?
B: Thomas Edison announces his invention of the phonograph. 1953: Scientists reveal that Piltdown Man was a fake · 1877: Thomas Edison announces his invention of the phonograph · 1918: Women win the right to be elected to Parliament Find it on the page
“Christopher Tolkien” happened in 1924. How many years ago was that?
C: 102 years. 2026 − 1924 = 102. Find it on the page
Famous people whose birthday is 21 November.
UK story
Victoria was the eldest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. At 17 she married Prince Frederick of Prussia, and they had eight children. In 1888 her husband became German Emperor, making her German Empress, but he died only 99 days later. Their son became Wilhelm II, the last German Emperor.
UK story
Christopher Tolkien was an English writer and editor, and the son of J. R. R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings. He drew the original maps for his father's famous fantasy novel. After his father's death, he spent 45 years editing 24 books from his father's writings, including The Silmarillion.
Well-known people who died on 21 November.
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 21 November somewhere in the world.
Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.
Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “November 21” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.