Holidays Calendar for June 21, 2023

National Indigenous Peoples Day (Día Nacional de los Pueblos Indígenas), also translated as the National Day of Aboriginal Peoples, is a Chilean public holiday observed on the day of the winter solstice, which falls on June 21 in the Southern Hemisphere.

June 21 is Martyr's Day, which is a very important day for the Togolese Republic. This holiday commemorates death of those people, who sacrificed their lives for peaceful life in Togo.

The major national holiday in Greenland is National Day (Ullortuneq), that is annually celebrated on June 21. The festival is organized in every settlement and town of Greenland.

Andean-Amazonic New Year is a national holiday in Bolivia. It's an ancient celebration of the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere.

June 21 is World Hydrography Day. Annual celebration of this holiday emphasizes importance of hydrography particularly in protection of marine reserves and promotion of safe navigation in international waters and ports.

Fête de la Musique, or World Music Day, is one of the worldwide known music festivals, that is annually celebrated on June 21. The festival is organized in 110 countries around the world in more than 406 cities.

World Giraffe Day is observed annually on June 21. It was created to raise awareness of the importance of giraffe conservation and to celebrate the animal with the longest neck on the longest day or night of the year, depending on which hemisphere you live in.

Go Skateboarding Day is an annual event, celebrated on June 21. This event is organized under initiative of the International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC).

World Humanist Day is annually observed on day of summer solstice, that usually falls on June 21. This holiday was created under initiative of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU).

A T-shirt is one of the most comfortable and democratic items of clothing that is especially popular during hot weather. So it is not surprising that International T-Shirt Day is celebrated on the first day of astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere, or the day of the summer solstice (June 21).

Volunteer Responsibility Amnesty Day is observed twice a year, on June 21 and December 22 (the days of the summer and winter solstice). It was created for volunteers to take a step back and reconsider their commitments and responsibilities.

World Lambrusco Day, also known as International Lambrusco Day or simply Lambrusco Day, is observed annually on June 21. It celebrates an Italian red wine grape that is used to produce a variety of wine styles, most famously semi-sparkling (frizzante) wines.

Agriculture Day (Hari Krida Pertanian), also translated as Agricultural Activity Day, is celebrated in Indonesia annually on June 21. It was launched in 1972 to show appreciation to all people who work in the country’s agricultural sector.

The tradition of planting trees is very old in Cuba. The Cubans gathered to celebrate the first Arbor Day on October 4, 1904. However, during the next years the date was changed to its present-day June 21.

National Indigenous Peoples Day, originally established as National Aboriginal Day, is observed in Canada on June 21. It was created to recognize and celebrate the cultures and contributions of the indigenous peoples of Canada (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) to the country’s history and the development of Canadian culture.

The Day of Reflection (sometimes referred to as the Day of Private Reflection or the Day of Reflection and Reconciliation) is observed on June 21 each year. It was created to reflect on the conflict in Northern Ireland.

The English ceremonial county of Suffolk observes its official holiday on June 21. Suffolk Day was created in 2016 to celebrate the rich history and culture of the county.

Shetland Flag Day, sometimes referred to as simply Shetland Day, is celebrated in Shetland on June 21. This date wasn’t chosen to honor the patron saint of the Shetland Islands or to commemorate an important event in Shetland’s history; it was chosen simply because it is the longest day of the year.

The birthday of the Prince of Wales is one of the designated flag flying days in the United Kingdom. Since King Charles III ascended to the throne and his son William became the Prince of Wales, it has been celebrated on June 21 every year.

Pagadian City Day (Araw ng Pagadian), also known as Pagadian City Charter Anniversary, is a special non-working holiday celebrated in the Philippine city of Pagadian on June 21 every year. It commemorates the day when Pagadian was granted cityhood.

June 21 is National Peaches and Cream Day. Peaches are great summer fruit to make a special treat. Today you can end your day with peaches and cream.

If you’re a fan of smoothies, do not miss your chance to celebrate National Smoothie Day on June 21. The origin of this unofficial food day is unclear, but it is not surprising that it is celebrated in summer, when fresh fruit and vegetables used to make smoothies are widely available.

The type of self-portrait photograph called selfie has become so popular that the word “selfie” was included in the Oxford English Dictionary and announced as being the “word of the year” in 2013. No wonder that there is National Selfie Day celebrated in the United States every June 21.

National Cookie Dough Day is observed annually on June 21. It was created to celebrate a sweet treat that many people in North America consider their comfort food.

June 21 is a great day to splurge and treat yourself to a delicious steak or burger because it is National Wagyu Day. It celebrates a type of beef popular around the globe due to its exquisite taste and unparalleled tenderness.

National Day of the Gong is celebrated annually on June 21. It honors the unique history and cultural significance of a percussion instrument that originated in Asia several thousand years ago.

International Day of Yoga, also known as International Yoga Day, is annually observed on June 21. This observance was established by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 2014.

The International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice was added to the list of the United Nations international days in 2019. It is celebrated on June 21 (the day of the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere and the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere) to highlight the importance of the solstice in the culture of many indigenous peoples and to encourage cultural exchange.

Some Arab countries, like Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, United Arab Emirates, annually celebrate Father's Day on June 21, that is a day of summer solstice.

 

This Day in History

  • 2012 A Fokker 27 that belonged to the Indonesian Air Force crashed into a housing complex in the city of Jakarta, killing 11 people (4 on the ground).
  • 2004 SpaceShipOne became the first spaceplane to complete a manned private spaceflight. It was developed and flown by Mojave Aerospace Ventures.
  • 2001 Died: John Lee Hooker, American blues singer, songwriter and musician. One of his best known songs is "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer".
  • 1997 Born: Rebecca Black, American singer, songwriter, and YouTuber. She gained extensive media coverage when the music video for her 2011 debut single "Friday" went viral.
  • 1990 Died: Cedric Belfrage, English journalist, writer, film critic, and political activist best known as a co-founder of the radical newspaper The National Guardian.
  • 1985 Born: Lana Del Rey (stage name of Elizabeth Woolridge Grant), American singer-songwriter who rose to international prominence in 2011.
  • 1982 Born: Benjamin Walker, American actor and stand-up comedian. He has appeared in a number of Broadway productions, notably as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho and as Chris Keller in All My Sons.
  • 1982 Born: William, Prince of Wales, the elder son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales. He became the heir apparent to the British throne upon his father's ascension in 2022.
  • 1982 John Hinckley, Jr. was found not guilty by reason of insanity for attempting to assassinate United States President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
  • 1979 Born: Chris Pratt, American actor. He is best known for his roles as Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation, Owen Grady in the Jurassic World trilogy, and Star-Lord in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
  • 1978 Born: Erica Durance, Canadian actress primarily known for her television roles as Lois Lane in Smallville and as Dr. Alex Reid in Saving Hope.
  • 1978 The musical Evita by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice opened at the Prince Edward Theater in London. The title role was played by Elaine Paige.
  • 1970 Died: Sukarno, Indonesian revolutionary, politician and statesman who served as the first President of Indonesia from 1945 until his ousting in 1967.
  • 1967 Born: Carrie Preston, American actress, director and producer. She is best known for her roles as Arlene Fowler in True Blood and as Elsbeth Tascioni in The Good Wife, The Good Fight, and Elsbeth.
  • 1965 Born: Lana Wachowski (born Larry Wachowski), American film director, screenwriter and producer who mostly worked in tandem with her younger sister Lilly until 2018.
  • 1964 Three Mississippi civil rights workers were murdered in Neshoba County by members of the local White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.
  • 1964 Born: David Morrissey, English actor of stage and screen, and filmmakers. He has been described as one of the most versatile English actors of his generation.
  • 1954 Died: Gideon Sundback, Swedish-American electrical engineer who is primarily remembered for his work in the development of the zipper.
  • 1953 Born: Benazir Bhutto, Pakistani politician who served as Prime Minister from 1988 to 1990 and from 1993 to 1996. She earned the unofficial title "Iron Lady".
  • 1948 Born: Andrzej Sapkowski, Polish novelist best known for The Witcher Saga, a series of fantasy short stories and novels about Geralt of Rivia.
  • 1945 The Battle of Okinawa between the Allied forces and Japan ended during the Pacific War of World War II. It resulted in the Allied victory.
  • 1944 Born: Tony Scott, British film director and producer, the younger brother of Ridley Scott. One of his most successful films is Top Gun.
  • 1935 Born: Françoise Sagan, French novelist, playwright and screenwriter. Her best known novel is Bonjour Tristesse ("Hello Sadness") published in 1954.
  • 1914 Died: Bertha von Suttner, Austrian novelist and pacifist who became the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, receiving it in 1905.
  • 1908 Died: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Russian composer whose best known works include Capriccio Espagnol and the Great Russian Easter Overture.
  • 1905 Born: Jean-Paul Sartre, French philosopher, novelist, dramatist, literary critic and political activist. He was awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize in Literature but refused it.
  • 1903 Born: Al Hirschfeld, American caricaturist primarily remembered for his black and white portraits of Broadway stars and celebrities.
  • 1898 The United States captured Guam from the Kingdom of Spain during the Spanish-American War. The capture of Guam was a bloodless event.
  • 1876 Died: Antonio López de Santa Anna, Mexican politician and general who served as the eighth President of Mexico. He was called "the Napoleon of the West".
  • 1850 Born: Daniel Carter Beard, American illustrator, author and social reformer best known as a founding pioneer of the Boy Scouts of America.
  • 1813 The Battle of Vitoria was fought during the Peninsular War. The French army was defeated by the Allied forces (British, Portuguese and Spanish army).
  • 1749 The town of Halifax was founded in Nova Scotia, Canada. This marked the beginning of Father Le Loutre's War, which lasted until 1755.
  • 1734 In Montreal, Marie-Joseph Angélique, a Portuguese-born black slave, was executed for setting the fire that destroyed much of the city.
  • 1621 Died: Kryštof Harant, Czech nobleman, traveler, humanist, soldier, writer and composer. He took an active part in the revolt of Protestants.
  • 1582 Died: Oda Nobunaga, powerful samurai daimyo and warlord of Japan who initiated the unification of Japan in the late 16th century. He committed seppuku.
  • 1527 Died: Niccolò Machiavelli, Florentine politician, diplomat, humanist, philosopher, historian and writer during the Renaissance. He was the founder of political ethics.