December 21

What happened on December 21 in history

6 events fall on December 21, from 1620 to 1988. Read them below, then try to place a historical scene yourself — guess where in the world it happened and in what year.

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Events on December 21

  1. 1620

    The Pilgrims land at Plymouth

    The Mayflower's passengers come ashore in Massachusetts.

    Read about Mayflower Landing at Plymouth RockPlay the Exploration & revolution round

  2. 1898

    The Curies announce radium

    They report a new element in pitchblende.

    Play the 19th century round

  3. 1913

    The first crossword puzzle

    The New York World prints a word-cross by Arthur Wynne.

    Play the 20th century round

  4. 1937

    Snow White premieres

    The first feature-length animated film opens in Los Angeles.

    Play the 20th century round

  5. 1968

    Apollo 8 launches

    The first crewed flight to leave Earth orbit sets out for the Moon.

    Play the 20th century round

  6. 1988

    Lockerbie

    Pan Am 103 is destroyed over a Scottish town.

    Play the 20th century round