What Happened on February 21?

February 21 celebrates the world's languages! It marks a day when students died defending their mother tongue — and when America dedicated its tallest stone tribute to its first president.

• 1885 — Washington Monument dedicated in Washington, D.C.

  President Chester Arthur dedicated the gleaming 555-foot obelisk honoring George Washington — then the tallest structure on Earth, and still the capital's tallest building by law. Read the full story →

• 1952 — Bengali Language Movement protests at the University of Dhaka

  Students in Dhaka protested for the right to speak Bengali; some were killed by police — inspiring UNESCO to create International Mother Language Day decades later. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Nina Simone (1933–2003) · Alan Rickman (1946–2016) · Kelsey Grammer (1955) · Jennifer Love Hewitt (1979) · Charlotte Church (1986) · Sophie Turner (1996)

Days & observances

International Mother Language Day · National Sticky Bun Day