On This Day: October 21

Updated October 20, 2012, 2:28 pm

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On Oct. 21, 1879, Thomas Edison invented a workable electric light at his laboratory in Menlo Park, N.J.

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On Oct. 21, 1917, Dizzy Gillespie, the American jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader, was born. Following his death on Jan. 6, 1993, his obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1797 The U.S. Navy frigate Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, was launched in Boston Harbor.

1805 A British fleet commanded by Adm. Horatio Nelson defeated a French and Spanish fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar; Nelson was killed in the battle.

1917 American soldiers first saw action in World War I on the front lines in France.

1967 Tens of thousands of Vietnam War protesters marched in Washington, D.C.

1971 President Richard M. Nixon nominated Lewis F. Powell and William H. Rehnquist to the U.S. Supreme Court.

1975 Boston Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk hit a ball that struck the left field foul pole in Boston’s Fenway Park for a home run, giving the Red Sox a 7-6 victory in 12 innings over the Cincinnati Reds in Game 6 of the World Series.

1988 Former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife, Imelda, were indicted in New York on charges of fraud and racketeering.

2002 A car packed with explosives blew up next to a bus in northern Israel during rush hour; 14 people were killed in addition to two suicide attackers.

2003 Invoking a hastily-passed law, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush ordered a feeding tube reinserted into Terry Schiavo, a brain-damaged woman at the center of a bitter right-to-die battle.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turns 63 years old today.

AP Photo/Tara Todras-Whitehill

TV personality Kim Kardashian turns 32 years old today.

AP Photo/Dan Steinberg

1924 Joyce Randolph, Actress (“The Honeymooners”), turns 88

1928 Whitey Ford, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 84

1940 Manfred Mann, Rock musician, turns 72

1941 Steve Cropper, Rock musician (Booker T. & the MG’s), turns 71

1942 Elvin Bishop, Singer, turns 70

1942 Judy Sheindlin, TV personality (“Judge Judy”), turns 70

1955 Catherine Hardwicke, Director (“Twilight”), turns 57

1956 Carrie Fisher, Actress, author, turns 56

1959 Ken Watanabe, Actor, turns 53

1960 Melora Walters, Actress (“Big Love”), turns 52

1976 Jeremy Miller, Actor (“Growing Pains”), turns 36

1978 Michael McMillian, Actor (“True Blood”), turns 34

1981 Willis McGahee, Football player, turns 31

Historic Birthdays

Dizzy Gillespie 10/21/1917 – 1/6/1993 American jazz musician.Go to obituary »

61 Samuel Taylor Coleridge 10/21/1772 – 7/25/1834
English poet

? Samuel F. Smith 10/21/1808 – 11/16/1895
Boston-born Baptist minister and hymn writer (“America” (My Country ‘Tis of Thee”))

64 Georg von Dollmann 10/21/1830 – 3/31/1895
German architect

63 Alfred Bernhard Nobel 10/21/1833 – 12/10/1896
Swedish chemist

58 Giuseppe Giacosa 10/21/1847 – 9/1/1906
Italian dramatist

85 Jay Norwood Darling 10/21/1876 – 2/12/1962
American political cartoonist

80 Ted Shawn 10/21/1891 – 1/9/1972
American dancer

62 Edna Purviance 10/21/1895 – 1/13/1958
American silent film-era actress

84 Sir George Solti 10/21/1912 – 9/5/1997
Hungarian conductor

1797	The U.S. Navy frigate Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, was launched in Boston Harbor.
1805	A British fleet commanded by Adm. Horatio Nelson defeated a French and Spanish fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar; Nelson was killed in the battle.
1917	American soldiers first saw action in World War I on the front lines in France.
1967	Tens of thousands of Vietnam War protesters marched in Washington, D.C.
1971	President Richard M. Nixon nominated Lewis F. Powell and William H. Rehnquist to the U.S. Supreme Court.
1975	Boston Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk hit a ball that struck the left field foul pole in Boston’s Fenway Park for a home run, giving the Red Sox a 7-6 victory in 12 innings over the Cincinnati Reds in Game 6 of the World Series.
1988	Former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife, Imelda, were indicted in New York on charges of fraud and racketeering.
2002	A car packed with explosives blew up next to a bus in northern Israel during rush hour; 14 people were killed in addition to two suicide attackers.
2003	Invoking a hastily-passed law, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush ordered a feeding tube reinserted into Terry Schiavo, a brain-damaged woman at the center of a bitter right-to-die battle.

1924	Joyce Randolph, Actress (“The Honeymooners”), turns 88
1928	Whitey Ford, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 84
1940	Manfred Mann, Rock musician, turns 72
1941	Steve Cropper, Rock musician (Booker T. & the MG’s), turns 71
1942	Elvin Bishop, Singer, turns 70
1942	Judy Sheindlin, TV personality (“Judge Judy”), turns 70
1955	Catherine Hardwicke, Director (“Twilight”), turns 57
1956	Carrie Fisher, Actress, author, turns 56
1959	Ken Watanabe, Actor, turns 53
1960	Melora Walters, Actress (“Big Love”), turns 52
1976	Jeremy Miller, Actor (“Growing Pains”), turns 36
1978	Michael McMillian, Actor (“True Blood”), turns 34
1981	Willis McGahee, Football player, turns 31

61	Samuel Taylor Coleridge 10/21/1772 – 7/25/1834 English poet
?	Samuel F. Smith 10/21/1808 – 11/16/1895 Boston-born Baptist minister and hymn writer (“America” (My Country ‘Tis of Thee”))
64	Georg von Dollmann 10/21/1830 – 3/31/1895 German architect
63	Alfred Bernhard Nobel 10/21/1833 – 12/10/1896 Swedish chemist
58	Giuseppe Giacosa 10/21/1847 – 9/1/1906 Italian dramatist
85	Jay Norwood Darling 10/21/1876 – 2/12/1962 American political cartoonist
80	Ted Shawn 10/21/1891 – 1/9/1972 American dancer
62	Edna Purviance 10/21/1895 – 1/13/1958 American silent film-era actress
84	Sir George Solti 10/21/1912 – 9/5/1997 Hungarian conductor