December 21: Day of the Week
December 21, 2023 is the 355th day of the year 2023 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 10 days remaining until the end of the year. The day of the week is Thursday.
If you are trying to learn French then this day of the week in French is jeudi.
Holy Toledo! Did you know that coffee and word games are an excellent combination to sharpen your vocabulary? Let’s give it a quick spin. Within 30 seconds, how many words can you think of from these letters ORUEXDXVZ? Check your answers here: Word scramble ORUEXDXVZ. (Sponsored by WordFinder.Cafe)
Here’s the December calendar. You can also browse the full year monthly calendar.
Are you not curious to discover some fun facts about your birthday? Find out ‘what happened on my birthday’ and what was the number one song on your day of birth. Know the meaning of your special day and who shares your birthday! (Sponsored link)
Zodiac & Birthstone
Sagittarius is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Turquoise is the modern birthstone for this month. Onyx is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.
December 21: This Day in History
This is a frequent day for the winter solstice to occur in the northern hemisphere and summer solstice to occur in the southern hemisphere.
December 21 Historical Event(s)
- 1832Egyptian–Ottoman War: Egyptian forces decisively defeat Ottoman troops at the Battle of Konya.
- 1861Medal of Honor: Public Resolution 82, containing a provision for a Navy Medal of Valor, is signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln.
- 1872Challenger expedition: HMS Challenger, commanded by Captain George Nares, sails from Portsmouth.
- 1883The first Permanent Force cavalry and infantry regiments of the Canadian Army are formed: The Royal Canadian Dragoons and The Royal Canadian Regiment.
- 1907The Chilean Army commits a massacre of at least 2,000 striking saltpeter miners in in Iquique, Chile.
- 1910An underground explosion at the Hulton Bank Colliery No. 3 Pit in Over Hulton, Westhoughton, England, kills 344 miners.
- 1968Apollo program: Apollo 8 launched from the Kennedy Space Center, placing its crew on a lunar trajectory for the first visit to another celestial body by humans.
- 1969The United Nations adopts the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
- 1994Mexican volcano Popocatepetl, dormant for 47 years, erupts gases and ash.
- 1999The Spanish Civil Guard intercepts a van loaded with 950 kg of explosives that ETA intended to use to blow up Torre Picasso in Madrid.
Who were born on December 21?
- 1118Thomas Becket, Lord Chancellor of England and Archbishop of Canterbury (d. 1170)
- 1778Anders Sandøe Ørsted, Danish politician (d. 1860)
- 1872Don Lorenzo Perosi, Italian composer (d. 1956)
- 1922Itubwa Amram, Nauruan pastor and politician (d. 1989)
- 1948Willi Resetarits, Austrian musician
- 1951Nick Gilder, English musician (Sweeney Todd)
- 1955Kazuyuki Sekiguchi, Japanese musician
- 1973Karmen Stavec, German-born Slovenian singer
- 1976Mirela Manjani, Greek javelin thrower
- 1982Philip Humber, American baseball player
Now try another date like anniversaries, birthdays of someone you know or any other date that is special to you. Don’t forget to share the info to your friends, loved ones or social media followers. Who knows, they might appreciate and thank you for it.