On This Day
What Happened on February 21 in History
9 events that happened on February 21, oldest first. Every entry is written in our own words and links to its source.
The Young Republic and the Civil War Era
1848
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels publish The Communist Manifesto in London.
The short pamphlet, written for the Communist League, argued that history was driven by class struggle and called on workers to unite. It became one of the most influential political texts ever written.
Source: history.com
1862
Confederate troops win the Battle of Valverde in New Mexico Territory.
Texans led by Henry Sibley drove Union forces back near Fort Craig on the Rio Grande. The victory let the Confederates push north toward Santa Fe, but their campaign in the Southwest failed within weeks.
Source: battlefields.org; history.com
1885
The Washington Monument is dedicated in the nation's capital.
Construction of the marble obelisk began in 1848 but stalled for years because of money problems and the Civil War. When finished, it was the tallest structure in the world, and it opened to the public a few years after the dedication.
Source: nps.gov; history.com
The Early 1900s and the World Wars
1916
German forces open the Battle of Verdun in northeastern France.
The attack began with a massive artillery bombardment of the French positions around the fortress city. The fighting lasted most of the year and became one of the longest and costliest battles of World War I.
Source: history.com
1918
British and Australian troops capture the ancient city of Jericho from Ottoman forces.
Troops under General Edmund Allenby had moved east from Jerusalem two days earlier and pushed through rough hill country toward the Jordan Valley. Australian mounted riders entered the town that morning, securing the Allies' flank for later advances in Palestine.
Source: history.com
The Cold War
1965
Malcolm X is shot and killed while speaking in New York City.
The Black nationalist leader was attacked by gunmen as he began an address at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan. He had broken with the Nation of Islam the year before, and his autobiography appeared later in 1965.
Source: history.com; archive.nytimes.com
1970
Henry Kissinger begins secret peace talks with North Vietnamese envoys near Paris.
Nixon's national security adviser met Le Duc Tho and Xuan Thuy in private, apart from the public peace conference. The secret channel continued for years and led to the Paris Peace Accords of 1973.
Source: history.com; history.state.gov
1971
Nations sign the Convention on Psychotropic Substances in Vienna.
The United Nations treaty extended international drug controls to synthetic substances such as amphetamines, barbiturates and LSD. It built on the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and remains one of the pillars of global drug policy.
Source: treaties.un.org
1972
President Richard Nixon arrives in Beijing for a historic visit to China.
Nixon became the first sitting U.S. president to visit the People's Republic and met with Mao Zedong. The week-long trip ended with the Shanghai Communique and opened the way to normal relations between the two countries.
Source: history.state.gov; history.com