Discover what happened on June 21 in history, featuring milestones in American government, innovation, sports, entertainment, space exploration, and memorable events connected to Michigan history.
What Happened on June 21 in History?
Important events on this day include the U.S. Constitution officially taking effect, the debut of the Ferris Wheel at the Chicago World’s Fair, the launch of the WNBA, and SpaceShipOne becoming the first privately developed aircraft to reach space.
JUNE 21 – TODAY IN HISTORY:
1788 – The U.S. Constitution went into effect when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it.
1834 – Cyrus McCormick patented the first practical mechanical reaper for farming. His invention allowed farmers to more than double their crop size.
1859 – Andrew Lanergan received the first rocket patent.
1893 – The Ferris Wheel was introduced at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, IL.
1913 – Georgia Broadwick became the first woman to jump from an airplane.
1938 – In Washington, DC, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the $3.75 billion Emergency Relief Appropriation Act.
1939 – Lou Gehrig quit baseball due to illness.
1940 – Richard M. Nixon and Thelma Catherine ‘Pat’ Ryan were married in Riverside, CA.
1942 – Ben Hogan recorded the lowest score (at that time) in a major golf tournament. Hogan shot a 271 for 72 holes in Chicago, IL.
1945 – Pan Am announced an 88-hour round-the-world flight at a cost of $700.
1946 – Bill Veeck Jr., whose father once owned the Chicago Cubs, purchased the Cleveland Indians for $2.2 million.
1948 – Dr. Peter Goldmark of Columbia Records introduced the 33 1/3 rpm long play record at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York, NY.
1948 – The First Bill Knapp’s Restaurant Opened in Battle Creek, MI.
1954 – The American Cancer Society reported significantly higher death rates among cigarette smokers than among non-smokers.
1954 – Australian John Landy ran the mile in 3:58. He was the second person to achieve the feat.
1958 – In Arkansas, a federal judge let Little Rock delay school integration.
1963 – Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini was elected as Pope Paul VI.
1963 – In St. Louis, MO, Bob Hayes set a record when he ran the 100-yard dash in 0:09.1.
1964 – Jim Bunning, of the Philadelphia Phillies, pitched the National League’s first perfect game in 84 years, topping the Mets 6-0 on Father’s Day.
1970 – The James C. Veen Observatory, on Kissing Rock Road in Lowell, MI, was dedicated.
1970 – Tony Jacklin became the second British golfer in 50 years to win the U.S. Open golf tournament.
1972 – Pinball machines were legalized in liquor establishments in Michigan.
1973 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states may ban materials found to be obscene according to local standards.
1974 – The U.S. Supreme Court decided that pregnant teachers could no longer be forced to take long leaves of absence.
1977 – Former President Richard Nixon aide H.R. Haldeman entered prison.
1982 – John Hinckley Jr. was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan.
1989 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that burning the American flag as a form of political protest was protected by the First Amendment.
1990 – Little Richard received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
1996 – The Disney animated film “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” debuted in theaters.
1997 – The WNBA made its debut as the New York Liberty defeat the Los Angeles Sparks 67-57.
2002 – The Disney animated feature “Lilo and Stitch” opened in theaters nationwide.
2002 – The movie “Minority Report”, starring Tom Cruise and directed by Steven Spielberg, debuted in theaters.
2003 – The fifth Harry Potter book, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” was published by J.K. Rowling. Amazon.com shipped out more than one million copies making the day the largest distribution day of a single item in e-commerce history. The book set sales records around the world with an estimated 5 million copies sold on the first day.
2004 – Ben Affleck became the California State Poker champion, winning $356,000 by beating a pro named Stan Goldstein in a round of no-limit hold ’em.
2004 – SpaceShipOne, designed by Burt Rutan and piloted by Mike Melvill, reached 328,491 feet above Earth in a 90 minute flight. The height is about 400 feet above the distance scientists consider to be the boundary of space. Michael Melvil became the first person to do so in a privately developed aircraft.
2006 – Pluto’s newly discovered moons were officially named Nix and Hydra.
2013 – The U.S. charged Edward Snowden with espionage, theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified communications intelligence.
2018 – In Grand Rapids, MI, the yearly ArtPrize competition announced that after their 10 year anniversary, the yearly event would become an every other year event. On the “off” years, they will hold public art projects that will take place from September through October at different places around the city, and include education and cultural programming that is free and open to the public.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON JUNE 21:
Bernie Kopell – 93 years old (1933) – Actor and comedian
John W. Dower – 88 years old (1938) – Historian and author
Mariette Hartley – 86 years old (1940) – Actress and television personality
Marjorie Margolies – 84 years old (1942) – Journalist and politician
Brenda Holloway – 80 years old (1946) – Singer-songwriter
Meredith Baxter – 79 years old (1947) – Actress
Michael Gross – 79 years old (1947) – Actor
Wade Phillips – 79 years old (1947) – Football coach
Joey Kramer – 76 years old (1950) – Rock drummer and songwriter
Jim Douglas – 75 years old (1951) – Academic and politician, 80th Governor of Vermont
Nils Lofgren – 75 years old (1951) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Ginny Ruffner – 74 years old (1952) – Artist
Mark Kimmitt – 72 years old (1954) – General and politician, 16th Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
Rick Sutcliffe – 70 years old (1956) – Baseball player and broadcaster
Berkeley Breathed – 69 years old (1957) – Author and illustrator
Tom Chambers – 67 years old (1959) – Basketball player and sportscaster
Marcella Detroit – 67 years old (1959) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Kathy Mattea – 67 years old (1959) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Kate Brown – 66 years old (1960) – Politician, 38th Governor of Oregon
Kip Winger – 65 years old (1961) – Rock singer-songwriter and musician
Mike Sherrard – 63 years old (1963) – Football player
Doug Savant – 62 years old (1964) – Actor
Lana Wachowski – 61 years old (1965) – Director, producer, and screenwriter
Gretchen Carlson – 60 years old (1966) – Model and TV journalist, Miss America 1989
Jim Breuer – 59 years old (1967) – Comedian, actor, and producer
Derrick Coleman – 59 years old (1967) – Basketball player and sportscaster
Pierre Omidyar – 59 years old (1967) – French-American businessman, founded eBay
Carrie Preston – 59 years old (1967) – Actress, director, and producer
Eric Reed – 56 years old (1970) – Pianist and composer
Tyronne Drakeford – 55 years old (1971) – Football player
Juliette Lewis – 53 years old (1973) – Actress and singer-songwriter
Rob Kelly – 52 years old (1974) – Football player
Brian Simmons – 51 years old (1975) – Football player
Mike Einziger – 50 years old (1976) – Guitarist and songwriter
Al Wilson – 49 years old (1977) – Football player
Matt Kuchar – 48 years old (1978) – Golfer
Chris Pratt – 47 years old (1979) – Actor
Richard Jefferson – 46 years old (1980) – Basketball player
Garrett Jones – 45 years old (1981) – Baseball player
Brandon Flowers – 45 years old (1981) – Singer-songwriter
Brad Walker – 45 years old (1981) – Pole vaulter
Jussie Smollett – 44 years old (1982) – Actor and singer
Edward Snowden – 43 years old (1983) – Activist and academic
Kris Allen – 41 years old (1985) – Musician, singer and songwriter
Lana Del Rey – 41 years old (1985) – Singer-songwriter
Allyssa DeHaan – 38 years old (1988) – Basketball and volleyball player
Alejandro Ramírez – 38 years old (1988) – Chess player
Thaddeus Young – 38 years old (1988) – Basketball player
MAX – 34 years old (1992) – Singer, songwriter, actor, dancer and model
Hungrybox – 33 years old (1993) – Argentine-American esports player
Scottie Scheffler – 30 years old (1996) – Golfer
Rebecca Black – 29 years old (1997) – Singer-songwriter
Derrius Guice – 29 years old (1997) – Football player
Isabel Atkin – 28 years old (1998) – British-American freestyle skier
DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR JUNE 21:
No events found for this date.
For additional information check out websites like: www.on-this-day.com, www.born-today.com, www.famousbirthdays.com, www.daysoftheyear.com, and www.nationaldaycalendar.com.
