Live Today • Wednesday, October 21, 2026

What Day is
Today?

Explore all special observances happening right now worldwide and in GT — complete with wishes, quotes, and history.

6 Today's Days

47 Famous Figures

2 This Week

Celebrated Today

October 21 — Today's Observances

Official international and domestic observances for today.

6 observances

Today International

International Day of the Nacho

Observance

Celebrated annually on October 21, International Day of the Nacho honors the iconic Tex-Mex snack invented in 1943 by maître d' Ignacio 'Nacho' Anaya at the Victory Club in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, transforming fried tortillas, colby cheese, and pickled jalapeños into a global culinary sensation.

Today International

Celebration of the Mind Day

Awareness Day

Coordinated globally by the Gathering 4 Gardner Foundation on Martin Gardner's birthday (October 21), Celebration of the Mind brings mathematicians, magicians, puzzlers, and educators together to spark curiosity through recreational mathematics, magic tricks, and logic puzzles.

Today International

Garbanzo Bean Day

Observance

Observed globally on October 21, Garbanzo Bean Day celebrates the chickpea (Cicer arietinum), one of the earliest cultivated crops in agricultural history. Packed with complex carbohydrates, prebiotics, and essential minerals, it forms the cornerstone of healthy Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines.

Today International

Count Your Buttons Day

Observance

Celebrated on October 21, Count Your Buttons Day is a delightfully mindful observance that invites people to notice the unnoticed—the intricate fasteners holding our clothing together, the timeless heritage of mother-of-pearl and horn buttons, and the mindful art of domestic sewing repairs.

Today International

American Frog Day

Awareness Day

Observed on October 21, American Frog Day mobilizes wildlife advocates and herpetologists to champion amphibian conservation. Because frogs absorb water and oxygen through permeable skin, they serve as the planet's most sensitive ecological 'canaries in the coal mine'.

Today International

Babbling Day

Observance

Celebrated on October 21, Babbling Day honors the joyful and critical milestone of infant babbling. Developmental cognitive science shows that repetitive syllables like 'ba-ba' and 'da-da' represent the infant brain's active calibration of the vocal tract and the foundation of human language.

Born & Remembered on This Day

Famous Figures Today

Historic birthdays, anniversaries, and memorials of global leaders, visionaries, and icons honored on October 21.

All Famous People

130th Death Anniversary 🇸🇪 Sweden

🎂

Alfred Nobel

Alfred Bernhard Nobel

Passed Away Dec 10, 1896

Swedish Chemist, Engineer, Inventor of Dynamite & Founder of the Nobel Prizes

192nd Death Anniversary 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🎂

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Passed Away Jul 25, 1834

English Romantic Poet, Literary Critic, Philosopher & Co-Author of "Lyrical Ballads"

628th Death Anniversary 🇨🇳 China

🎂

Hongwu Emperor

朱元璋 (Zhu Yuanzhang) / 明太祖 (Ming Taizu)

Passed Away Jun 24, 1398

Founding Emperor of China's Ming Dynasty (1368–1398), Peasant Revolutionary & Reformer

15th Death Anniversary 🇮🇳 India

🎂

Shammi Kapoor

शम्मी कपूर (Shamsher Raj Kapoor)

Passed Away Aug 14, 2011

Legendary Indian Actor, "The Elvis Presley of India" & Pioneer of Bollywood Musical Romances

67th Birthday 🇯🇵 Japan

🎂

Ken Watanabe

渡辺謙 (Watanabe Ken)

Born Oct 21, 1959

Internationally Acclaimed Japanese Actor, Academy Award & Tony Award Nominee

8th Death Anniversary 🇺🇸 United States

🎂

Ursula K. Le Guin

Ursula Kroeber Le Guin

Passed Away Jan 22, 2018

Visionary American Author, Literary Pioneer of Speculative Fiction, Hugo & Nebula Laureate

33rd Death Anniversary 🇺🇸 United States

🎂

Dizzy Gillespie

John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie

Passed Away Jan 6, 1993

American Jazz Trumpeter, Composer, Bandleader & Founding Pioneer of Bebop and Afro-Cuban Jazz

10th Death Anniversary 🇺🇸 United States

🎂

Carrie Fisher

Carrie Frances Fisher

Passed Away Dec 27, 2016

American Actress, Screenwriter, Best-Selling Author & Advocate ("Princess Leia" in Star Wars)

36th Death Anniversary 🇦🇷 Argentina

🎂

Alfredo Pián

Passed Away Jul 25, 1990

Argentine Formula One Driver, South American Motorsport Pioneer & Turismo Carretera Legend

11th Death Anniversary 🇧🇷 Brazil

🎂

Eudóxia Maria Froehlich

Passed Away Sep 26, 2015

Brazilian Zoologist, Biodiversity Academic & World Authority on Neotropical Land Planarians

15th Death Anniversary 🇿🇦 South Africa

🎂

Albertina Sisulu

Nontsikelelo Albertina Sisulu ("Ma Sisulu")

Passed Away Jun 2, 2011

South African Anti-Apartheid Leader, Human Rights Champion & Revered "Mother of the Nation"

86th Birthday 🇿🇦 South Africa

🎂

Manfred Mann

Manfred Sepse Lubowitz

Born Oct 21, 1940

South African-British Rock Keyboardist, Songwriter, Producer & Founder of the Earth Band

37th Birthday 🇳🇬 Nigeria

🎂

Festus Ezeli

Ifeanyi Festus Ezeli-Ndulue

Born Oct 21, 1989

Nigerian Professional Basketball Player, 2015 NBA Champion with Golden State Warriors

64th Birthday 🇦🇺 Australia

🎂

David Campese

David Ian Campese AM ("Campo")

Born Oct 21, 1962

Australian Rugby Union Immortal, 1991 Rugby World Cup Champion & All-Time Greatest Winger

55th Birthday 🇦🇺 Australia

🎂

Damien Martyn

Damien Richard Martyn

Born Oct 21, 1971

Australian Cricket Legend, Two-Time ICC Cricket World Cup Champion & Classical Stroke-Maker

157th Death Anniversary 🇫🇷 France

🎂

Alphonse de Lamartine

Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine

Passed Away Feb 28, 1869

French Romantic Poet, Statesman, Head of the Provisional Government (1848) & Abolitionist

69th Birthday 🇩🇪 Germany

🎂

Wolfgang Ketterle

Born Oct 21, 1957

German Physicist, 2001 Nobel Laureate in Physics & Pioneer of Bose-Einstein Condensation and Atom Lasers

4th Death Anniversary 🇪🇸 Spain

🎂

Francisco Gento

Francisco "Paco" Gento López

Passed Away Jan 18, 2022

Spanish Football Legend, Honorary President of Real Madrid & Only 6-Time European Cup Winner in History

45th Birthday 🇷🇸 Serbia

🎂

Nemanja Vidić

Немања Видић (Nemanja Vidić)

Born Oct 21, 1981

Serbian Football Legend, Manchester United Captain & Two-Time Premier League Player of the Season

36th Birthday 🇪🇸 Spain

🎂

Ricky Rubio

Ricard Rubio i Vives

Born Oct 21, 1990

Spanish Basketball Legend, 2019 FIBA World Cup MVP, Olympic Silver Medalist & NBA Playmaker

61st Death Anniversary 🇯🇵 Japan

🎂

Edogawa Ranpo

江戸川乱歩 (Hirai Tarō)

Passed Away Jul 28, 1965

Father of Japanese Detective Fiction, Master of Psychological Mystery & Founder of MWJ

44th Birthday 🇲🇾 Malaysia

🎂

Lee Chong Wei

Datuk Lee Chong Wei (李宗伟)

Born Oct 21, 1982

Malaysian Badminton Immortal, Triple Olympic Silver Medalist & World Record 349-Week World No. 1

83rd Birthday 🇵🇰 Pakistan

🎂

Tariq Ali

طارق علی (Tariq Ali)

Born Oct 21, 1943

British-Pakistani Public Intellectual, Historian, Novelist, Anti-War Activist & Editorial Board of NLR

77th Birthday 🇮🇱 Israel

🎂

Benjamin Netanyahu

בִּנְיָמִין נְתַנְיָהוּ (Binyamin Netanyahu)

Born Oct 21, 1949

9th Prime Minister of Israel (1996–1999, 2009–2021, 2022–present) & Sayeret Matkal Captain

23rd Death Anniversary 🇨🇺 Cuba

🎂

Celia Cruz

Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso

Passed Away Jul 16, 2003

Cuban-American Salsa Legend, "The Queen of Salsa" & Presidential Medal of the Arts Laureate

40th Death Anniversary 🇺🇸 United States

🎂

Ronald McNair

Dr. Ronald Erwin McNair

Passed Away Jan 28, 1986

American Physicist, Laser Pioneer, 5th-Degree Black Belt & Heroic NASA Challenger Astronaut

46th Birthday 🇺🇸 United States

🎂

Kim Kardashian

Kimberly Noel Kardashian

Born Oct 21, 1980

American Media Mogul, Reality Television Star, Billionaire Entrepreneur (SKIMS) & Justice Reform Advocate

45th Birthday 🇦🇷 Argentina

🎂

Martin Castrogiovanni

Martín Leandro Castrogiovanni

Born Oct 21, 1981

Argentine-Born Rugby Union Icon, Six Nations Legend, European Champion & Television Personality

42nd Birthday 🇻🇪 Venezuela

🎂

José Lobatón

José Manuel Lobatón Falcon

Born Oct 21, 1984

Venezuelan Major League Baseball Player, World Series Champion Catcher & Postseason Hero

36th Birthday 🇬🇳 Guinea

🎂

Bengali-Fodé Koita

Born Oct 21, 1990

Guinean International Footballer, Africa Cup of Nations Striker & Ligue 1 / Süper Lig Star

34th Birthday 🇦🇺 Australia

🎂

Bernard Tomic

Born Oct 21, 1992

Australian Professional Tennis Player, Four-Time ATP Tour Champion & Wimbledon Quarterfinalist

34th Birthday 🇦🇺 Australia

🎂

Natasha Bassett

Born Oct 21, 1992

Australian Screen Actress, Filmmaker & Star of Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis" (2022)

221st Death Anniversary 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🕯️

Horatio Nelson

Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte

Passed Away Oct 21, 1805

British Naval Flag Officer, Victor of Trafalgar & Supreme Master of Naval Strategy

3rd Death Anniversary 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🕯️

Sir Bobby Charlton

Sir Robert Charlton CBE

Passed Away Oct 21, 2023

English Football Legend, 1966 FIFA World Cup Winner, 1966 Ballon d'Or & Manchester United Icon

14th Death Anniversary 🇮🇳 India

🕯️

Yash Chopra

यश चोपड़ा (Yash Raj Chopra)

Passed Away Oct 21, 2012

Doyen of Indian Cinema, Founder of Yash Raj Films & Celebrated "King of Romance"

57th Death Anniversary 🇺🇸 United States

🕯️

Jack Kerouac

Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac

Passed Away Oct 21, 1969

American Novelist, Poet, Cultural Icon & Preeminent Voice of the "Beat Generation"

53rd Death Anniversary 🇦🇷 Argentina

🕯️

Nasif Estéfano

Nasif Moisés Estéfano

Passed Away Oct 21, 1973

Argentine Formula One Driver, Turismo Carretera Champion & "El Califa" of South American Racing

13th Death Anniversary 🇻🇪 Venezuela

🕯️

Oscar Yanes

Oscar Armando Yanes González

Passed Away Oct 21, 2013

Celebrated Venezuelan Journalist, Chronicler, Author & Pioneer of Television Journalism

74th Death Anniversary 🇿🇦 South Africa

🕯️

Hans Merensky

Passed Away Oct 21, 1952

South African Geologist, Prospector, Philanthropist & Discoverer of the Bushveld Platinum Complex

12th Death Anniversary 🇦🇺 Australia

🕯️

Gough Whitlam

Edward Gough Whitlam AC QC

Passed Away Oct 21, 2014

21st Prime Minister of Australia (1972–1975), Reformist Statesman & Architect of Modern Australia

3rd Death Anniversary 🇦🇺 Australia

🕯️

Bill Hayden

William George Hayden AC

Passed Away Oct 21, 2023

21st Governor-General of Australia (1989–1996), Leader of the Labor Party & Foreign Minister

42nd Death Anniversary 🇫🇷 France

🕯️

François Truffaut

François Roland Truffaut

Passed Away Oct 21, 1984

French Film Director, Screenwriter, Leader of the French New Wave & Auteur of "The 400 Blows"

57th Death Anniversary 🇵🇱 Poland

🕯️

Wacław Sierpiński

Wacław Franciszek Sierpiński

Passed Away Oct 21, 1969

Renowned Polish Mathematician, Pioneer of Set Theory, Topology & Number Theory

191st Death Anniversary 🇮🇳 India

🕯️

Muthuswami Dikshitar

முத்துஸ்வாமி தீக்ஷிதர் (Muddusvāmī Dīkṣitar)

Passed Away Oct 21, 1835

Carnatic Classical Musical Trinity Composer, Poet, Sanskrit Polymath & Veena Virtuoso

36th Death Anniversary 🇮🇳 India

🕯️

Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar

শ্রী প্রভাত রঞ্জন সরকার (Shrii Shrii Anandamurti)

Passed Away Oct 21, 1990

Philosopher, Social Reformer, Founder of Ananda Marga, Author of PROUT & Composer of Prabhat Samgiita

12th Death Anniversary 🇺🇸 United States

🕯️

Ben Bradlee

Benjamin Crowninshield Bradlee

Passed Away Oct 21, 2014

Legendary Executive Editor of The Washington Post, Watergate Champion & Presidential Medal of Freedom Laureate

40th Death Anniversary 🇦🇺 Australia

🕯️

Lionel Murphy

Lionel Keith Murphy QC

Passed Away Oct 21, 1986

22nd Attorney-General of Australia, High Court Justice, Creator of the Family Court & Legal Aid Pioneer

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Wishes & Quotes for Today

One-click copy greetings, messages, and inspirational quotes.

All Categories

Greeting

Babbling Day Wishes, Messages, Quotes & Tributes

Celebrated on October 21, Babbling Day honors the joyful and critical milestone of infant babbling. Developmental cognitive science shows that repetitive syllab...

Greeting

American Frog Day Wishes, Messages, Quotes & Tributes

Observed on October 21, American Frog Day mobilizes wildlife advocates and herpetologists to champion amphibian conservation. Because frogs absorb water and oxy...

Greeting

Count Your Buttons Day Wishes, Messages, Quotes & Tributes

Celebrated on October 21, Count Your Buttons Day is a delightfully mindful observance that invites people to notice the unnoticed—the intricate fasteners holdin...

Greeting

Garbanzo Bean Day Wishes, Messages, Quotes & Tributes

Observed globally on October 21, Garbanzo Bean Day celebrates the chickpea (Cicer arietinum), one of the earliest cultivated crops in agricultural history. Pack...

Greeting

Celebration of the Mind Day Wishes, Messages, Quotes & Tributes

Coordinated globally by the Gathering 4 Gardner Foundation on Martin Gardner's birthday (October 21), Celebration of the Mind brings mathematicians, magicians,...

Greeting

International Day of the Nacho Wishes, Messages, Quotes & Tributes

Celebrated annually on October 21, International Day of the Nacho honors the iconic Tex-Mex snack invented in 1943 by maître d' Ignacio 'Nacho' Anaya at the Vic...

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