December 21st
🎉 Holiday on this date
Winter Solstice
Shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, around December 21, marking the astronomical start of winter; celebrated across many cultures.
228 Notable deaths
Mikheil Gelovani
Russian and soviet actor and film director (1893-1956).
Born January 6th, 1893 in Lasuriashi.
Died December 21st, 1956 at 63 years old in Moscow (myocardial infarction).
Leon Pinsker
Physician, zionist pioneer and activist (1821-1891).
Born December 25th, 1821 in Tomaszów Lubelski.
Died December 21st, 1891 at 69 years old in Odesa.
J. Lister Hill
American politician (1894–1984).
Born December 29th, 1894 in Montgomery.
Died December 21st, 1984 at 89 years old in Montgomery. [ref]
Robert Paige
American actor, newscaster (1911-1987).
Born December 2nd, 1911 in Indianapolis.
Died December 21st, 1987 at 76 years old in San Clemente (aneurysm).
Gary Hocking
Rhodesian motorcycle racer and racing driver (1937–1962).
Born September 30th, 1937 in Caerleon.
Died December 21st, 1962 at 25 years old in Durban (car collision).
Thomas Sebeok
American semiotician (1920-2001).
Born November 9th, 1920 in Budapest.
Died December 21st, 2001 at 81 years old in Bloomington.
Lev Dovator
Soviet major general (1903–1941).
Born February 20th, 1903 in Chocina.
Died December 21st, 1941 at 38 years old in Ruzsky Municipal Okrug.
Walter Weiß
German general (1890–1967).
Born September 5th, 1890 in Sovetsk.
Died December 21st, 1967 at 77 years old in Aschaffenburg.
Alexei Starobinski
Russian astrophysicist.
Born April 19th, 1948 in Moscow. [ref]
Died December 21st, 2023 at 75 years old in Moscow.
Rotimi Fani-Kayode
Nigerian photographer (1955–1989).
Born April 20th, 1955 in Lagos. [ref]
Died December 21st, 1989 at 34 years old in London (death from AIDS-related complications).
Edwin G. Krebs
American biochemist (1918–2009).
Born June 6th, 1918 in Lansing.
Died December 21st, 2009 at 91 years old in Seattle. [ref]
Laya Raki
German actress (1927-2018).
Born July 27th, 1927 in Hamburg.
Died December 21st, 2018 at 91 years old in Hollywood.
Nelson Rodrigues
Brazilian writer and playwright (1912–1980).
Born August 23rd, 1912 in Recife.
Died December 21st, 1980 at 68 years old in Rio de Janeiro.
Philippa Pearce
English children's writer (1920–2006).
Born January 22nd, 1920 in Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire.
Died December 21st, 2006 at 86 years old in Durham (stroke). [ref]
Sidney Drell
American physicist (1926–2016).
Born September 13th, 1926 in Atlantic City.
Died December 21st, 2016 at 90 years old in Palo Alto.
Georges Catroux
French diplomat (1877-1969).
Born January 29th, 1877 in Limoges.
Died December 21st, 1969 at 92 years old in Paris.
Aminah Cendrakasih
Indonesian actress (1938–2022).
Born January 29th, 1938 in Magelang.
Died December 21st, 2022 at 84 years old in Pondok Aren. [ref]
Dale Wasserman
American playwright (1914–2008).
Born November 2nd, 1914 in Rhinelander.
Died December 21st, 2008 at 94 years old in Paradise Valley (heart failure). [ref]
Marc Connelly
American playwright (1890-1980).
Born December 13th, 1890 in McKeesport.
Died December 21st, 1980 at 90 years old in New York City.
Roswell Rudd
American jazz trombonist and composer (1935–2017).
Born November 17th, 1935 in Sharon. [ref]
Died December 21st, 2017 at 82 years old in Kerhonkson (cancer). [ref]
Kodo Sawaki
Japanese zen buddhist monk (1880-1965).
Died December 21st, 1965 at 85 years old in Antai-ji Temple.
Engelbert Endrass
German navy officer and world war ii u-boat commander.
Born March 2nd, 1911 in Bamberg.
Died December 21st, 1941 at 30 years old in Atlantic Ocean. [ref]
Dale Russell
American-canadian geologist and palaeontologist (1937-2019).
Born December 27th, 1937 in San Francisco.
Died December 21st, 2019 at 81 years old
Paul Gordan
German mathematician (1837-1912).
Born April 27th, 1837 in Wrocław.
Died December 21st, 1912 at 75 years old in Erlangen.
Francis Garnier
French navy officer (1839-1873).
Born July 25th, 1839 in Saint-Étienne.
Died December 21st, 1873 at 34 years old in Hanoi.
Deaths 76 to 100 of 228
It is the secret of the world that all things subsist and do not die, but retire a little from sight and afterwards return again. Ralph Waldo Emerson