Major Events
- Jan 4 First Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines given to the general public with 82-year-old Brian Pinker in the UK first to be jabbed [1]
- Jan 6 Supporters of US President Donald Trump storm the Capitol in Washington during congressional certification of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris's win, resulting in five deaths and prompting evacuation of lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence
- Feb 1 Military stage a coup in Myanmar, detaining civilian leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi and declare a one-year state of emergency
- May 25 US CDC says half of all US adults are now fully vaccinated, with 61% having had their first shot
- Jun 25 WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirms the COVID-19 Delta variant is the most transmissible to date, now present in 85 countries and spreading rapidly [1]
- Jun 28 Tigray Defense Forces retake Tigray's regional capital of Mekelle in Ethiopia's Tigray War. The Ethiopian government declares a unilateral ceasefire to save face but neither side sticks to it. [1]
- Aug 15 Afghan President Ashraf Ghani flees the country as Taliban forces enter the capital Kabul and take control
- Sep 14 1 in 500 Americans have died of COVID-19 as the nation's known death toll reaches 663,913 (Johns Hopkins) [1]
- Oct 6 WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recommends world's first Malaria vaccine (Mosquirix) for children after a pilot program was effective in Africa [1]
- More 2021 Events
2021 in Film & TV
- Sep 27 Netflix says Shonda Rhimes' "Bridgerton" is its most-watched series ever, with "Extraction", starring Chris Hemsworth, its No. 1 film [1]
2021 in Music
- Jun 23 Britney Spears requests a judge end her court-ordered conservatorship, states "I think this conservatorship is abusive. I don't think I can live a full life"
- Nov 12 LA judge rules to end Britney Spears' conservatorship, which had controlled almost all aspects of her life for 14 years
2021 in Sport
- Jun 23 1st ICC World Test Championship final, Southampton: New Zealand dismisses India for meagre 170; completes tricky chase of 139 on 6th day to win inaugural cricket title
Did You Know?
Egyptian archaeologists announce their most important find since Tutankhamun's tomb - discovery of a lost 'golden city' the 3,000-years-old ancient city of Aten near Luxor
Born in 2021
- Jun 4 Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, born in Santa Barbara, California
Fun Fact About 2021
English playwright William Shakespeare reported to have died after receiving COVID-19 vaccine by Argentine news channel Chanal 26 (case of mistaken identity, the Bard died in 1616)
Prince Philip
Hissène Habré
Abdelaziz Bouteflika
Colin Powell
F. W. de Klerk
Desmond Tutu
Larry King
Christopher Plummer
DMX
Sally Ann Howes
John Madden
Betty White
Johnny Ventura
Charlie Watts
Melvin Van Peebles
Stephen Sondheim
Tommy Lasorda
Hank Aaron
Tony Trabert
Darlene Hard
Al UnserMore 2021 Deaths
Famous Weddings in 2021
- Feb 16 Actor Nicholas Cage marries for the fifth time to Riko Shibata at Wynn Hotel, Las Vegas
- Mar 27 Rapper Jeezy marries TV fashion expert Jeannie Mae Jenkins at home in Atlanta
- May 15 American pop singer Ariana Grande (28) weds American realtor Dalton Gomez (25) at home in Montecito, California; divorce in 2023
Famous Divorces in 2021
- Feb 19 Kim Kardashian West files for divorce from her third husband, Kanye West after almost seven years
- May 3 Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates announce their divorce after 27 years
- Aug 3 Singer Kelly Clarkson divorces talent manager Brandon Blackstock after 7 years of marriage
More 2021 Weddings
Anthony Hopkins
Elon Musk
Frances McDormand
Naomi Osaka
Rafael Nadal
Taylor Swift
Angela Merkel
Boris Johnson
Emmanuel Macron
Joe Biden
Vladimir Putin
Xi Jinping