Dec
January 2025
Feb
On This Day 4 mins Read

January 21: Facts & Historical Events On This Day

Did you know that on this day, January 21, 2007, American pop singer Ariana Grande joined YouTube at 13 years old?

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You're On the 2025 version of this page. Click to view Jan 21, 2026.

January 21st is officially International Sweatpants Day as well as National Hug Day.

We made it to day twenty one of the year and there’s 344 days left in 2025.

January 21 has been a very important day throughout history with many important events… and also some not so important, but nonetheless fun to share.

Did you know that on this day, January 21, 2007, American pop singer Ariana Grande joined YouTube at 13 years old? She is of Italian descent and is half Sicilian, half Abruzzese.

Keep reading for more fun & interesting facts about January 21st in history!

Historical Events

What memorable events happened on January 21 in history? Keep reading to find out!

A meteorite that hit Australia 2.2 billion years ago was announced as Earth’s oldest recognized meteorite impact structure.

Li Na became the first Asian-born tennis player to be entered into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

America’s Rocket Lab Electron sent a rocket that uses an electric-filled pump engine into orbit, making it the first of its kind.

Over two million women worldwide marched against Trump’s anti-women and offensive slews.

OTD in 2017: Over two million women worldwide marched against Trump's anti-women and offensive slews.

Donald Trump had only been in his presidency for 24 hours!

American pop singer Ariana Grande joined YouTube at 13 years old.

American tennis player John McEnroe became the first player to be expelled from the Australian Open.

The iconic DeLorean sports car began production in Northern Ireland.

This was the only model ever made by the DeLorean Motor Company, which filed for bankruptcy after building just 9,000 cars. Despite looking incredibly sleek, its engine was surprisingly underpowered - not that speed matters when you turn it into a time machine!

Hundreds of thousands of Americans who evaded the Vietnam War were pardoned by President Jimmy Carter.

OTD in 1977: Hundreds of thousands of Americans who evaded the Vietnam War were pardoned by President Jimmy Carter.

This is known as the Granting Pardon for Violations of the Selective Service Act. The President signed the proclamation on his first full day in office.

The first Star Trek convention was held in New York City.

The "Star Trek Lives!" convention was held at the Statler Hilton hotel from January 21-23 and featured a variety of special guests from the show.

The Flag of Quebec was adopted and flown for the first time over the National Assembly of Quebec.

The day is marked annually as Québec Flag Day.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by British crime writer Agatha Christie, was published in the UK.

OTD in 1921: The Mysterious Affair at Styles

This was her first novel and introduced the famous character, Hercule Poirot.

New York City passed a law prohibiting women from smoking in public places.

King of France, Louis XVI, faced gruesome guillotine execution for high treason.

OTD in 1793: King of France

The Power of Symphony by William Hill Brown became the first novel published in America.

A medical paper on smallpox was published in Boston, making it the first medical publication in American history.

Famous Births

Are you celebrating your birthday today? If so, did you know that you share the same birthday as Christian Dior? See what other famous people were born on this day.

1994

Booboo Stewart

American Actor

Age

31 years old

Born IN

California, USA

1869

Grigori Rasputin

Russian Peasant

Died On

Dec 30, 1916 (Age 47)

Born IN

Pokrovskoe, Russia

1905

Christian Dior

French Fashion Designer

Died On

Oct 24, 1957 (Age 52)

Born IN

Granville, France

1970

Ken Leung

American Actor

Age

55 years old

Born IN

New York, USA

Birthday & Zodiac

Everyone who was born on January 21st shares the star sign of Aquarius.

Aquarians are known thinkers, and they’ll be able to shake your world once they are in it.

If you were born in January, your birthstone is the Garnet. Garnet comes from the Latin word Garanatus, meaning seeds or seed-representing.

The carnation, January’s primary birth flower, symbolizes the resilience and warmth of people born this month. Snowdrops, the secondary birth flower, symbolize hope and renewal during the coldest days of winter.

People born on January 21 were likely conceived the previous year on April 30.

A baby conceived on January 21, 2025, will likely be born around October 14, 2025.

Famous Deaths

Unfortunately, January 21st has also been a day where we've had to say some goodbyes over the years…

1903 — 1950

George Orwell

English Novelist George Orwell was born on June 25, 1903. He died on this day in 1950, at age 46 in England, UK.

Quotes

Every day brings a new quote - here are the most well-known quotes spoken or written on Jan 21st in history.

1993

“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”

Maya Angelou

(American Memoirist)

1971

“Art is only a way of expressing pain.”

John Lennon

(English Singer)

1941

“Anyone who thinks must think of the next war as they would of suicide.”

Eleanor Roosevelt

(American First Lady)

Special Holidays

If you're looking to try something new today, here are some special holidays that might just give you an idea.

International

International Sweatpants Day

Today is the perfect excuse to wear whatever you like and spend 24 hours in total comfort. That’s because today is International Sweatpants Day, so pull out your coziest sweatpants and just chill.

United States

National Hugging Day

Does anything lift your spirits as much as a long hug? National Hugging Day was created back in the ’60s to help people overcome their fear of showing emotion in public. Also, by this time of year, everyone needs a good hug!

Fact Of The Day

Days Until

Your countdown to 2025's upcoming special days!

  • Groundhog Day

    12 days

  • Valentine's Day

    24 days

  • Women's Day

    46 days

  • St Patrick's Day

    55 days

  • Halloween

    283 days

  • Christmas Day

    338 days

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About The Author

Luke Ward
Owner

Luke Ward is the owner of FactstoryHub. He has over 14 years of experience in researching, informative writing, fact-checking, SEO & web design. In his spare time, he loves to explore the world, drink coffee & attend trivia nights.

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