What happened on November 21st?

NATO's historic expansion

2002 NATO Extends Membership Invitations to Eastern European Nations

On November 21, 2002, at a historic summit in Prague, NATO formally invited Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia to join the alliance. This expansion marked a significant shift in European security, as former Eastern Bloc countries moved closer to Western influence, strengthening NATO’s presence and reshaping the geopolitical landscape in the post-Cold War era.

The NATO summit meets in Prague in 2002.

🗞️Today’s Headlines

Everything important that’s ever happened on November 21:

2017  Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe resigned as Parliament moved forward with impeachment proceedings, ending his nearly 40-year rule.

2000 The United Farm Workers (UFW) called off its long-standing boycott of California table grapes, concluding years of protest against the industry.

1995  The Dayton Accords were signed, marking a peace agreement between Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia and bringing an end to the Bosnian War.

1964  The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge connecting Staten Island and Brooklyn opened to traffic and became the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time.

1931  Boris Karloff’s portrayal of the monster in Frankenstein debuted in US theaters, establishing a landmark in horror cinema.

1922  Rebecca Ann Felton of Georgia was sworn into the US Senate and became the first woman to serve in the Senate.

1920  The Irish Republican Army targeted British intelligence agents in Dublin, sparking immediate reprisals later that afternoon.

1878 The Second Anglo-Afghan War began as Lord Lytton, British India’s viceroy, launched an invasion of Afghanistan.

1806  Napoleon issued the Berlin Decree, proclaiming the Continental System and imposing a blockade against British goods across Europe.

1783  Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent, Marquis d'Arlandes, made history with the first manned hot-air balloon flight over Paris.

1620 The signing of the Mayflower Compact established a governing framework for the Pilgrims' new colony in Plymouth.

🎂 Today’s Birthdays

On November 21, we’re singing to:

Voltaire (1694) ─ French philosopher and author known for his wit and advocacy for freedom of speech, religion, and separation of church and state.

Goldie Hawn (1945) ─ American actress and producer celebrated for her comedic talent and long-standing influence in Hollywood.

Björk (1965) ─ Icelandic musician and artist whose avant-garde style and powerful voice have made her a global icon.

 🪦Who Died Today?

On November 21, we’re saying goodbye to:

Franz Joseph (1916) ─ Emperor of Austria-Hungary known for his lengthy reign during a time of immense political and social change in Europe.

C.V. Raman (1970) ─ Indian physicist whose groundbreaking work in light scattering earned him the Nobel Prize and advanced the field of physics.

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