This Day In History, October 21st.
Five Historical Events That Happened on October 21st
After a three-month siege, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés captures the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (modern-day Mexico City).
In Boston Harbor, the US Navy frigate USS Constitution, also known as "Old Ironsides," is launched.
The Battle of Trafalgar was fought off the coast of Spain in 1805 between the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom and the combined fleets of France and Spain. Admiral Horatio Nelson led the British to a resounding victory, but Nelson was killed in the action.
The Battle of Aachen started in 1944, when American soldiers launched an attack on the German city of Aachen, the first major German city to be seized by the Allies.
The meter was redefined in 1983 as the distance traveled by light in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second, replacing its prior definition based on a physical prototype. Today, this new definition is still in use.
1520: The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (modern-day Mexico City) was captured by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés after a three-month siege.
Tenochtitlan's collapse was a key event in the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. Cortés and his men were able to penetrate the city's walls and capture the Aztec emperor, Moctezuma II, after a lengthy and terrible siege. This incident eventually resulted to the Aztec civilization's demise and the creation of Spanish colonial power in Mexico.
1797: The US Navy frigate USS Constitution, also known as "Old Ironsides," was launched in Boston Harbor.
The USS Constitution was launched on October 21, 1797, and is a historic ship. The frigate was one of six authorized for construction by the US Congress as part of an effort to strengthen the country's navy. The ship was dubbed "Old Ironsides" because to its strong build, which allowed her to survive intense cannon fire during the War of 1812. The USS Constitution is still in service today, and it is the world's oldest commissioned warship.
1805: The Battle of Trafalgar was fought off the coast of Spain between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of France and Spain. The British, led by Admiral Horatio Nelson, won a decisive victory, but Nelson was fatally wounded in the battle.
The Battle of Trafalgar was fought on October 21, 1805, between the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom and the combined fleets of France and Spain. The combat took place off the coast of Cape Trafalgar in southwestern Spain, and the British won decisively. Admiral Horatio Nelson's British force was able to break through the enemy line and inflict significant damage on the French and Spanish ships. Nelson, on the other hand, was mortally wounded during the conflict and died shortly afterwards. The fight is regarded as one of the most significant naval conflicts in history, establishing British control over the seas for decades to come.
1944: During World War II, the Battle of Aachen began as American troops launched an assault on the German city of Aachen, the first major German city to be captured by the Allies.
The combat of Aachen was a key combat in World War II that began on October 21, 1944. The fight was part of a broader Allied strategy to infiltrate Germany and eventually destroy the Axis forces. The Americans began an assault on Aachen, Germany, which was highly fortified and resisted by the German army. The fight was lengthy and arduous, with severe fatalities on both sides. However, American forces were eventually able to capture the city on October 21, becoming the Allies' first major German city captured during the war.
1983: The meter was redefined as the distance that light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second, replacing its previous definition based on a physical prototype. This new definition is still in use today.
The General Conference on Weights and Measures redefined the meter on October 21, 1983, as the distance that light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second. The former definition, which was based on a physical prototype known as the International Prototype of the Meter, was superseded by this new definition. The new definition of the meter is based on the speed of light, which is a basic constant of nature, and it has been approved by the International System of Units (SI) as the official definition of the meter. This new metric system provides for more exact measurements and has been widely accepted in scientific and technical applications.