This Day In History, February 21st.
Five Historical Events That Happened on February 21st.
In France's Rouen, the Joan of Arc trial got under way in 1431. During the Hundred Years' War, a young French peasant girl named Joan of Arc claimed to have received supernatural direction to aid the French army in its battle against the English. Afterwards, she was apprehended, prosecuted for heresy, and executed by being burned at the stake.
In London, "The Communist Manifesto" was published by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in 1848. The manifesto outlined communist ideals and urged a working-class revolution against the bourgeois oligarchy.
1916: In the Western Front of World War I, the Battle of Verdun got underway. One of the bloodiest battles in human history, the conflict lasted 303 days and cost over 700,000 lives.
Malcolm X, a civil rights activist, was murdered in New York City in 1965. Before leaving the group and promoting black nationalism and human rights, Malcolm X was a well-known leader in the Nation of Islam.
1972: The first American president to visit China since it became a communist state in 1949, US President Richard Nixon, started his historic trip there. The trip was viewed as a significant turning point in US-China relations and opened the door to more economic and political collaboration between the two nations.
This Day In History, February 21st, 1431: The trial of Joan of Arc began in Rouen, France.
The trial of Joan of Arc commenced on February 21, 1431, in Rouen, France. She was charged with being a witch, a heretic, and dressing inappropriately. She was interrogated and questioned extensively by the court during her trial, but she never wavered in her conviction that she was led by supernatural voices. On May 30, 1431, she was judged guilty despite her defense and given the death penalty by being burned at the stake. Since then, her trial and death have received harsh criticism for being unfair and politically motivated.
February 21st, 1848: Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels published "The Communist Manifesto" in London
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels released "The Communist Manifesto" in London on February 21, 1848. The document was a political booklet that outlined the fundamental ideas of communism, a system of government and economics in which the means of production are owned and managed by the entire society. The bourgeois ruling class, according to Marx and Engels, was abusing the labor of the working class for their own gain, and the Manifesto called for a revolution of the working class against them. The Manifesto continues to be a key work in political and economic theory and had a huge influence on the growth of socialist and communist groups all over the world.
1916: The Battle of Verdun began on the Western Front of World War I.
On the Western Front of World War I, the Battle of Verdun started on February 21, 1916. The conflict, which involved the German and French soldiers, lasted for 303 days and was finally resolved on December 18, 1916. The conflict was marked by fierce fighting, and both sides sustained significant losses. One of the bloodiest wars in human history, it is estimated that over 700,000 troops perished, were injured, or went missing throughout the conflict. The outcome of the Battle of Verdun, which is regarded as a turning point in World War I, significantly affected both the trajectory of the conflict and the history of Europe.
1965: Civil rights activist Malcolm X was assassinated in New York City.
Malcolm X, a civil rights activist, was killed in New York City on February 21, 1965. Malcolm X was a well-known figure in the Nation of Islam, a political and religious group that promoted segregation between black and white People. He later split off from the gang, though, and started supporting black nationalism and human rights. He was renowned for his stirring lectures, exhortations for black self-determination, and advocacy of white oppressor resistance. The murder of Malcolm X marked a turning point in the civil rights movement and led to several protests. His legacy has had and continues to have an impact on the fight for racial equality and justice in the United States.
1972: US President Richard Nixon began his historic visit to China, becoming the first American president to visit the country since it became communist in 1949.
US President Richard Nixon started his historic trip to China on February 21, 1972. Since the country's conversion to communism in 1949, this was the first occasion an American president had traveled to China. The trip was viewed as a significant turning point in US-China relations and paved the path for further economic and political cooperation between the two nations. Nixon visited with Chinese authorities during his tour, including Premier Zhou Enlai and Chairman Mao Zedong, and had discussions with them about a variety of topics, including trade, arms control, and regional security. The visit marked a turning point in American foreign policy toward China and contributed to easing tensions between the two superpowers, making it an important event in the history of the Cold War