What Happened On This Day – January 21
1998 Pope John Paul II visits Cuba
It was the first time any Pope visited the country.
1976 Concorde takes off on its first scheduled flights
2 of the supersonic aircraft took off from Paris and London simultaneously.
1968 The Battle of Khe Sanh begins
It is one of the most publicized battles of the Vietnam War.
1911 23 cars take part in the first Rally Monte Carlo
Unlike today, the competitors set out from 11 different European locations, heading for the finish line in Monte Carlo.
1899 Opel builds its first automobile
Today, Opel is one of the world's largest car manufacturers.
Births On This Day – January 21
1963 Hakeem Olajuwon
Nigerian/American basketball player
1941 Plácido Domingo
Spanish tenor, conductor
1940 Jack Nicklaus
American golfer
1905 Christian Dior
French fashion designer, founded S.A.
1824 Stonewall Jackson
American general
Deaths On This Day – January 21
1997 Colonel Tom Parker
Dutch/American talent manager
1950 George Orwell
English author
1938 Georges Méliès
French director
1924 Vladimir Lenin
Russian politician
1683 Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury
English politician