On This Day: November 21, 2024

Birthdays

1787 Samuel Cunard, Canadian shipowner

1888 Harpo Marx, Harp playing comedian in the famous Marx Brothers films

1913 Roy Boulting, Renowned film maker

1922 Telly Savalas, American actor best known as TV's 'Kojak'

1941 Juliet Mills, Actress and daughter of Sir John Mills

1943 Jacques Laffite, French Grand Prix driver

1945 Goldie Hawn, Oscar winning American actress

Events

1783 A Montgolfier brothers hot-air balloon, took Jean de Rosier and the Marquis d'Arlandes, 500ft above Paris

1843 A Briton, Thomas Hancock, patented vulcanised rubber. He had produced the first ever inflatable toy balloons in 1825

1922 Ramsay MacDonald was elected leader of the Labour Party

1953 The Skull of Piltdown Man was proved to be a hoax,it had long been believed to be the missing link

1974 The IRA exploded two bombs in two Birmingham Pubs, killing 17 people and injuring 20 others

1991 An Egyptian, Dr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, is elected Secretary-General of the United Nations, bringing an end to Nigeria's former military leader, General Obasanjo's
hope for the job.

1994 The Ogoni Civil Disturbances Tribunal is sworn in by Justice Mohammed Bello.