What Happened on May 21?

May 21 is World Day for Cultural Diversity — and the date Amelia Earhart landed solo in Ireland in 1932, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991, and the American Red Cross was founded in 1881.

• 1881 — Clara Barton and associates found the American Red Cross

  On May 21, 1881, Clara Barton established the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C. — bringing disaster relief and humanitarian aid modeled on the international movement born in Switzerland. Read the full story →

• 1927 — Charles Lindbergh lands in Paris after the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight

  Thirty-three and a half hours after leaving New York, Lindbergh touched down at Le Bourget Field near Paris on May 21, 1927 — greeted by more than 100,000 ecstatic spectators. Read the full story →

• 1932 — Amelia Earhart lands in Northern Ireland after solo transatlantic flight

  After leaving Newfoundland on May 20, Amelia Earhart completed the first solo transatlantic flight by a woman — landing in a pasture near Londonderry on May 21, 1932. Read the full story →

• 1932 — Earhart's May 21 landing earns her global honors for aviation courage

  After landing in Ireland on May 21, 1932, Amelia Earhart received the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross — the first woman so honored — cementing her place in aviation history. Read the full story →

• 1991 — Former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is assassinated

  Rajiv Gandhi — who had served as India's prime minister from 1984 to 1989 — was killed by a bomb at a campaign rally in Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) · Glenn Curtiss (1878–1930) · Mr. T (1952) · Lisa Edelstein (1966)

Days & observances

World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development · National Strawberries and Cream Day · National Memo Day · World Day for Cultural Diversity (UNESCO)