What Happened on December 21 in History?
December 21st marks significant historical events like the 1891 introduction of basketball, the 1920 Snow White release, the 1970 Elvis-Nixon meeting, the tragic 1988 Lockerbie bombing (Pan Am Flight 103), and the 1991 formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) after the Soviet Union's collapse, alongside the 2012 "2012 phenomenon" and the 2019 signing of the US NDAA creating the Space Force.
Historical Events
1891: James Naismith introduces basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts.
1937: Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first full-length animated feature, premieres.
1945: U.S. General George S. Patton dies from injuries in a car accident.
1954: Dr. Sam Sheppard convicted in a sensational murder trial that inspired The Fugitive.
1958: Charles de Gaulle becomes the first President of France's Fifth Republic.
1968: Apollo 8 launches, the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon.
1970: Elvis Presley meets President Richard Nixon at the White House.
1988: The Lockerbie bombing (Pan Am Flight 103) kills 270 people.
1991: 11 former Soviet republics form the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
2012: The Maya Long Count calendar reaches its 13.0.0.0.0 date, sparking global "end of the world" theories.
2012: PSY's "Gangnam Style" becomes the first YouTube video to reach 1 billion views.
2019: President Trump signs the National Defense Authorization Act, establishing the U.S. Space Force.
2019: Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" hits #1 on Billboard Hot 100.
2020: A $900 billion COVID-19 relief package is agreed upon in the U.S. Congress.
