21st of July: Echoes of Fire and Footsteps on the Moon

July 21st: Echoes of Fire, Footsteps on the Moon, and Shifting Powers

Traditions, Calendars, and Key Events That Shaped the Day

July 21st, the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years), is marked by endings and beginnings—by the final flames of ancient Rome, the last steps on the Moon, and the first days of new governments. As we move deeper into the heart of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, this date has witnessed moments of heroism, transition, revolution, and remembrance.

Let’s explore what happened on July 21st, from global calendars and cultural observances to historical milestones and famous birthdays.


📅 July 21st in Calendars

  • Gregorian Calendar: 202nd day of the year, with 163 days remaining.

  • Julian Calendar: Corresponds to July 8th, due to the 13-day offset still used by some Eastern Orthodox traditions.

  • Hebrew Calendar: Falls in the months of Tammuz or Av, a time associated with mourning for the destruction of the Jewish Temples and reflection on spiritual history.

  • Islamic Calendar: In 2025, this day corresponds to 25 Muharram 1447 AH.

  • French Revolutionary Calendar: Roughly aligns with 3 Thermidor, part of the summer season in revolutionary-era France.


🎉 Traditions and Observances on July 21st

🇧🇪 Belgium National Day

July 21st, 1831 marks the official founding of Belgium as an independent constitutional monarchy. On this day, King Leopold I took the oath as the first King of the Belgians. Modern celebrations include:

  • Military parades in Brussels

  • Concerts and fireworks

  • Royal appearances and speeches

  • National pride and reflection on Belgium’s cultural and linguistic diversity

It is a public holiday in Belgium and a key moment in European statehood history.


🔥 Key Historical Events on July 21st

🌋 64 AD – The Great Fire of Rome Ends

After burning for six days, the Great Fire of Rome was finally extinguished on July 21st. Two-thirds of the city were destroyed. While Emperor Nero blamed Christians for the fire—leading to one of the earliest major persecutions in Roman history—many historians believe Nero himself may have started or at least used the fire to push through urban reforms.

🌕 1969 – Apollo 11 Astronauts Return to Lunar Module

After making history on July 20th by walking on the Moon, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin re-entered the Lunar Module (Eagle) on July 21st, 1969, concluding their historic EVA (Extra-Vehicular Activity). Their moonwalk lasted 2 hours and 15 minutes, and they collected samples, took photos, and planted the American flag.

⚔️ 1403 – Battle of Shrewsbury

In one of England’s bloodiest medieval battles, King Henry IV defeated rebel forces led by Henry “Hotspur” Percy. The Battle of Shrewsbury was part of ongoing uprisings and rivalries within England’s nobility. Shakespeare later dramatised the battle in Henry IV, Part 1.

👑 1798 – Napoleon Defeats Mamluks at Battle of the Pyramids

During his campaign in Egypt, Napoleon Bonaparte defeated the Mamluk cavalry in the Battle of the Pyramids, establishing French dominance in the region. Though short-lived, the campaign brought Western attention to ancient Egyptian culture, leading to a surge in Egyptology.


🎂 Famous Birthdays on July 21st

🎤 Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) (1948– )

British singer-songwriter known for folk-pop hits like Father and Son, Wild World, and Moonshadow. After converting to Islam, he withdrew from pop music for decades before returning to performing.

🎭 Robin Williams (1951–2014)

Beloved American comedian and actor, known for Dead Poets Society, Mrs. Doubtfire, Good Will Hunting, and voicing the Genie in Disney’s Aladdin. His unique blend of humour, energy, and vulnerability made him one of the most cherished performers of his generation.

📖 Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961)

Nobel Prize-winning American author known for works like The Old Man and the Sea, A Farewell to Arms, and For Whom the Bell Tolls. A key figure in 20th-century literature, Hemingway’s minimalist prose style became iconic.


🕯️ Notable Deaths on July 21st

  • Robert Burns (1759–1796) – Celebrated Scottish poet and lyricist, known for Auld Lang Syne, To a Mouse, and many works in Scots dialect.

  • John Gardner (1917–1982) – British author who continued the James Bond series after Ian Fleming’s death.


🧠 Fun Facts and Curiosities

  • The Apollo 11 astronauts left behind a plaque on the Moon that reads:
    “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon, July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.”

  • Robin Williams and Ernest Hemingway, two July 21st birthdays, both struggled with mental health and died by suicide—reminders of the importance of mental health awareness.

  • The Battle of Shrewsbury was the first English battle in which longbows were used extensively against knights wearing plate armor—a shift in medieval warfare tactics.


🗓️ What Else Happened Around This Date?

  • July 20th – Apollo 11 Moon landing and Colombia’s Independence Day.

  • July 22nd – Feast day of Mary Magdalene and historical connections to Richard III.

  • July 23rd – Start of the Egyptian Revolution in 1952.


🧭 Conclusion: A Day of Bold Endings and New Beginnings

July 21st carries the weight of empires falling, kingdoms rising, and humans returning from the Moon. It’s a day that reflects both historical turning points and deeply personal stories—national identity, cultural legacy, and the shared pursuit of greatness and understanding.

1969

In 1969 Astronauts Neil Alden Armstrong becomes the first human being to step on the moon followed by Buzz Aldrin.

 

After WWII the United States and the Soviet Union had gathered German missile technology and personnel in order to create their own rockets. In the 1940’s and 50’s attempts were made by both sides to reach space with some success. They had even attempted to send organisms into space but more often than not the rockets and their inhabitants would not survive the journey. On the 22nd of July 1951 Russia successfully sent the first “higher” organisms into space with two dogs, Tsygan and Dezik, both of which survived and were recovered. Neither side had managed an orbital space flight which brought questions of at what point was it an invasion of a nations airspace. With the Cold War fully established neither side wanted to provoke the other. Therefore completely new spacecraft, separate from the military rockets and designed solely for space exploration had to be used.

On the 29th of July 1955 the United States of America announced plans to launch an artificial satellite into orbit. On the 2nd of August 1955 the Soviet Union announced plans of their intentions for their own satellites. This marked the beginning of the space race as each power strove to beat the other as a mark of their superiority. By 1961 the United States had lost every mile stone of the Space Race including first spacecraft to orbit the Earth, first ‘higher’ organism to orbit Earth, First Human in space and to orbit the Earth. But there still remained the ‘holy grail’ of space exploration and the space race; the landing of a human onto and extraterrestrial body.

On the 25th of May 1961 President John F. Kennedy announced the plan to send a human safely to the surface of the moon by the end of the decade. His announcement to the special joint session of Congress came a little over a month after Russian Uri Gagarin became the first human in space and to orbit the Earth on the 12th April 1961. The political value of becoming the first nation to accomplish this was obviously a major factor for the United States. But on the 20th of September 1962 US President J F Kennedy made a proposal of a joint project to the moon with Soviet President Nikita Khrushchev. Khrushchev declined the offer but Kennedy’s offer showed that winning the space race was not Kennedy’s only motivation.

After many years of planning and at enormous economic cost the dream mission began at 13:32 GMT on the 16th of July 1969 when Apollo 11 was launched on a Saturn V rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre, Florida. On board were accomplished astronaut and Mission Commander Neil Armstrong, Apollo Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Luna Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11 headed for the moon with the Command Module and Luna Module docked. On the 20th of July Armstrong and Aldrin entered the Luna Module and prepared for separation from the command module. Michael Collins remained aboard the Command Module to pilot it into orbit around the moon from where he would perform various experiments and take images of the surface. At 17:44 GMT the Luna Module undocked from the Command Module and Buzz began the descent to the Luna surface landing safely in the “sea of Tranquillity” at 20:18 on the 20th of July 1969. Armstrong and Aldrin remained on board the Luna Module until the early hours of the 21st of July at 02:56 GMT when Neil Armstrong left and became the first human to step foot on the moon, followed by Buzz Aldrin at 03:15 GMT.

Armstrong and Aldrin conducted several experiments including seismic and solar wind experiments. They also left laser ranging reflecting equipment to allow scientist from earth to measure the precise distance from Earth to the Moon. Many images and TV recordings were transmitted back to Earth where people from all over the planet could marvel at the success of the entire United States and mankind. Aldrin and Armstrong spent 2.5 hours on the surface of the moon before returning to the Luna Module. Aldrin piloted the Luna Module to rendezvous with the Command Module and Michael Collins and on the 24th of July all members returned safely to Earth, landing in the Pacific Ocean.

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