December 21 in History

• 1845

  December 21, 1845:

  Sikh forces and the British begin the Battle of Firoz Shah as part of the First Sikh War.

• 1898

  December 21, 1898:

  Radium, a chemical element, is discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie.

• 1913

  December 21, 1913:

  The first modern crossword puzzle is published by the New York World newspaper.

• 1937

  December 21, 1937:

  The American animated musical fantasy film by Walt Disney titled “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” is released.

• 1958

  December 21, 1958:

  The people of France elect Charles de Gaulle as their president.

• 1967

  December 21, 1967:

  The romantic comedy-drama film, “The Graduate” is premiered in New York City.

• 1968

  December 21, 1968:

  Apollo 8 is launched from Cape Kennedy.

• 1988

  December 21, 1988:

  A terrorist bombing causes Pan Am Flight 103 to explode.

• 1999

  December 21, 1999:

  Brazilian footballer Rivaldo is named winner of the Ballon d’Or.

• 2012

  December 21, 2012:

  The official music video for “Gangnam Style” by South Korean singer Psy becomes the first YouTube video to reach 1 billion views.