21 April 1960

A Thursday in history

Weekday

Thursday

Season

Spring (N. Hemisphere)

Century

20th century

Records

302

  1. 2021

    The Indonesian Navy submarine Nanggala imploded and sank in the Bali Sea, resulting in the deaths of all 53 people on board.

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  2. 2014

    The city of Flint, Michigan, U.S., changed its water source to the Flint River, which exposed residents to lead poisoning.a

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  3. 2010

    Ukraine and Russia signed the Kharkiv Pact, extending the Russian lease on naval facilities in Crimea.

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  4. 1975

    South Vietnamese president Nguyễn Văn Thiệu resigned on hearing of the fall of Xuân Lộc, the last battle of the Vietnam War.

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  5. 1970

    In response to a dispute over wheat production quotas, Leonard Casley declared his 75 km2 (29 sq mi) farm in Western Australia to be an independent country as the Hutt River Province.

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  6. 1967

    A violent tornado strikes multiple schools and destroys houses in Belvidere, Illinois, United States, causing over 450 casualties.

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  7. 1962

    The Century 21 Exposition, the first world's fair in the United States since World War II, opened in Seattle.

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  8. 1960

    Brasília, a planned city primarily designed by architect and urban planner Lúcio Costa, was officially inaugurated, replacing Rio de Janeiro as the capital of Brazil.

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  9. 1958

    United Airlines Flight 736 collided with a U.S. Air Force fighter jet over southern Nevada, resulting in the deaths of all 49 people on board both aircraft.

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  10. 1836

    Forces of the Republic of Texas led by Sam Houston defeated the Mexican troops of Antonio López de Santa Anna in the Battle of San Jacinto, the decisive and final battle of the Texas Revolution.

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  11. 1789

    The Ladies of Trenton social club hosted a reception for President-elect George Washington as he journeyed to New York City for his first inauguration.

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  12. 1725

    J. S. Bach's cantata Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden, was first performed on Easter Monday.

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  13. 1615

    The Wignacourt Aqueduct (pictured) in Malta was inaugurated, and was used to carry water to Valletta for about 300 years.

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  14. 1526

    Ibrahim Khan Lodi, the last ruler of the Lodi dynasty, was defeated and killed by Babur at the First Battle of Panipat, marking the beginning of Mughal rule in India.

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  15. 995

    Ælfric of Abingdon was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.

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  16. 900

    A debt was pardoned by the chief of Tondo on the island of Luzon and recorded on the Laguna Copperplate Inscription, the earliest known calendar-dated document found in the Philippines.

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  17. -43

    Forces led by Mark Antony fought the Battle of Mutina against those of Decimus Brutus, one of Julius Caesar's assassins.

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  18. -753

    According to the calculations of the ancient Roman scholar Varro Reatinus, Romulus and Remus legendarily founded the city of Rome.

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Photo archive

24 historic images from this day — tap to open the gallery.

What was life like?

Prices, jobs, food, music and everyday routine — the world as it felt to live in.

Sources & fact check

Every claim is traced to primary sources, archives, universities and the press — with an explicit confidence rating. Dossiers are generated once and cached permanently.