What Happened on May 21

Reverdy Johnson is Born

On May 21, 1796, attorney and statesman Reverdy Johnson was born in Annapolis, Maryland. Johnson represented Maryland, a slaveholding state south... Read more

Battle of Plains Store - Union Victory near Baton Rouge

Description: Early in the morning of May 21, 1863, Maj. Gen. Christopher C. Augur’s Union division advanced from Baton Rouge toward the... Read more

Last Confederate Stronghold on Mississippi Surrenders at the Siege of Port Hudson

The Siege of Port Hudson occurred from May 21 to July 9, 1863, when Union Army troops assaulted and then surrounded the Mississippi River town of... Read more

Charles Lindbergh Completes First Solo Flight across the Atlantic

Lindbergh's heroic flight thrilled people throughout the world. He was honored with awards, celebrations, and parades. President Calvin Coolidge... Read more

Jane Addams Dies

The Jane Addams Burial Site is located in Cedarville Cemetery in the village of Cedarville, Illinois, United States. Jane Addams' burial site is... Read more

Battle of Arras (1940)

During the afternoon of 21 May, the attack by the 50th Division and the 1st Tank Brigade was progressing south from Arras. This was to be the only... Read more

British Forces Launch Naval Attack through the Kaso Strait

Admiral Andrew Cunningham, determined that no German troop transports should reach Crete, sent Admiral King's Force C (three cruisers and four... Read more

"The Ox-Bow Incident" Is Released

The Ox-Bow Incident is a 1943 western movie directed by William A. Wellman and starring Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, Mary Beth Hughes, Anthony Quinn,... Read more

West Loch Disaster

A second major tragedy at Pearl Harbor became the Navy's best-kept wartime secret when powerful explosions wracked the amphibious staging area at... Read more

Ferrari Debuts in the Formula One World Championship

Ferrari debuted in the Formula One World Championship in the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix with the 125 F1, sporting a supercharged version of the 125... Read more

The Notorious B.I.G. is Born

Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), popularly known as Biggie Smalls (after a fictional gangster in the 1975 film... Read more

Montreal Canadiens win Stanley Cup

The 1979 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the New York Rangers and the defending champion Montreal Canadiens, making... Read more

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner. The screenplay, based on a story by George... Read more

New York Islanders win Stanley Cup

The 1981 Stanley Cup Final was contested by the Minnesota North Stars making their first Finals appearance and the defending champion New York... Read more

MST3K Ep. K20 - "The Last Chase"

Movie Summary: In a Mad Max-type future, America has no gas and an ex-racecar driver makes his way to California. Stars Lee Majors as Franklyn... Read more

The Doors Release "In Concert"

In Concert is a live double album, recorded by The Doors. The album's performances is culled from a variety of different concerts and releases. In... Read more

Rage releases Trapped!

Trapped! is the sixth studio album by the German heavy metal band Rage. The album was remastered by Noise/Sanctuary in 2002 with five bonus tracks. Read more

Cannibal Corpse releases Vile

Vile is the fifth studio album by American death metal band Cannibal Corpse. It was released in 1996 through Metal Blade Records. It was originally... Read more

Scorpions release Pure Instinct

Pure Instinct is the thirteenth studio album by German heavy metal band Scorpions, released in 1996. The cover art for this album like many... Read more

Soundgarden release Down on the Upside

Down on the Upside is the fifth studio album by the American grunge band Soundgarden, released on May 21, 1996 through A&M Records. Following a... Read more

Radiohead releases "Pyramid Song" single

"Pyramid Song" is a song by the English band Radiohead. It was the first single from their 2001 album Amnesiac and the first Radiohead single... Read more

Danzig releases 777: I Luciferi

Danzig 777: I Luciferi is the seventh album from Danzig. It was released in 2002 on Glenn Danzig's Evilive label and distributed by Spitfire... Read more

LeBron James Signs Endorsement Deals Worth Over $90 Million

LeBron James hit the jackpot Wednesday night. The USA TODAY basketball player of the year from St. Vincent-St. Mary High (Akron, Ohio) signed a... Read more

Ruben Studdard Wins the Second Season of 'American Idol'

In season two, Seacrest surfaced as the lone host. Brian Dunkleman reportedly hated working on the show and the studio was dissatisfied with his... Read more

"Glitter" Rifftrax is Released

If you're a fan of movies that feature screaming, megalomaniacal divas and their relationships to shirtless guys, you have so far been limited to... Read more