December 21st is known as Look On The Bright Side Day & Phileas Fogg Win A Wager Day.
Welcome to day 355 of the year folks, there are just 4 days left until Christmas & 10 days left in 2025.
At some point today, we’ll have exactly one million seconds left of 2025.
From inventions and discoveries and advances in film, TV and space, this day has certainly been an important one in history.
Did you know that on this day, December 21, 1968, the first manned Moon voyage, Apollo 8, was launched? It was the first time a human eye ever saw an ‘Earthrise’ as the planet appeared over the Moon’s horizon.
Keep reading for more fun & interesting facts about December 21st in history!
Historical Events
What memorable events happened on December 21 in history? Keep reading to find out!
Antonov An-255 Mriya, the largest airplane in the world, flew for the first time.
Initially designed by the Soviet Union to transport rockets and shuttles for their space program, this behemoth holds several world records for transporting the heaviest payloads. The Soviet Union made only one Antonov AN-255. After the Soviet Union no longer needed it, it was placed in storage for nearly a decade before being fixed up to fly as a commercial cargo plane in 2001.
John Wayne Gacy was arrested.
Police in Des Plaines, Illinois, arrested John Wayne Gacy after having him under surveillance. While in custody, Gacy claimed to have killed someone in self-defense, which he buried in his garage. Police searched the house and found at least three bodies in the house's crawl space.
Famous Births
Are you celebrating your birthday today? If so, did you know that you share the same birthday as Samuel L. Jackson? See what other famous people were born on this day.
1948
Samuel L. Jackson
American Actor
Age
76 years old
Born IN
Washington D.C., USA
1982
Steven Yeun
American Actor
Age
42 years old
Born IN
Seoul, South Korea
1982
Tom Payne
English Actor
Age
42 years old
Born IN
England, UK
1978
Rutina Wesley
American Actress
Age
46 years old
Born IN
Nevada, USA
Birthday & Zodiac
Everyone who was born on December 21st shares the same zodiac sign, Sagittarius.
Sagittarius is represented by the archer and is the ninth sign in the zodiac. Anyone who was born between November 22 and December 21 falls into this astrological sign.
All those who are born in December share the Blue Topaz birthstone. The blue topaz promotes harmony, serenity, tranquility and helps the wearer to overcome pain and hurt.
If you were born on this day, it’s likely that you were conceived on March 30 in the same year.
A baby that is conceived on this day will likely be born around September 13th, 2026.
Famous Deaths
Unfortunately, December 21st has also been a day where we've had to say some goodbyes over the years…
1896 — 1940
F. Scott Fitzgerald
American Novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896. He died on this day in 1940, at age 44 in California, USA.
Quotes
Of all of the quotes said on this day, these are the most notable ones said on Dec 21st throughout history.
1934
“Manners consist in pretending that we think as well of others as of ourselves.”
Bertrand Russell
(British Mathematician)
1855
“To be as good as our fathers we must be better. Imitation is not discipleship.”
Wendell Phillips
(American Advocate)
Special Holidays
Looking for a reason to celebrate? Well, here's a few! These unique holidays are sure to bring some enjoyment to your day.
United States
Look On The Bright Side Day
Some say the glass is half-full, others day half-empty. What we can learn most from this is that life is all about perspective, so why choose to look at things negatively? Do your best today to look on the bright side, and you’ll be surprised how much happier you’ll feel!
United States
Phileas Fogg Win A Wager Day
In Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days, Phileas Fogg makes a wager that he could circumnavigate the globe in his hot air balloon in just 80 days, returning by December 21. The best way to celebrate today is to read the book and learn about Phileas Fogg’s adventure!
Fact Of The Day
Days Until
Your countdown to 2025's upcoming special days!
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Christmas Eve
3 days
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Christmas Day
4 days
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Bacon Day
9 days
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New Year's Day
11 days
