November 21 in history — What Happened Today in History

The second round of the Ukrainian presidential election is held, giving rise to massive protests and controversy over the election's integrity.

Dominica is hit by the most destructive earthquake in its history. The northern half of the island sustains the most damage, especially the town of Portsmouth. In neighboring Guadeloupe, one person is killed.

The Paris Club agrees to write off 80% (up to $100 billion) of Iraq's external debt.

China Eastern Airlines Flight 5210 crashes after takeoff from Baotou Donghe Airport, killing 55.

NATO invites Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia to become members.

Arturo Guzmán Decena, founder of Los Zetas and high-member of the Gulf Cartel, is killed in a shoot-out with the Mexican Army and the police.

Finnish satanist Jarno Elg kills a 23-year-old man and performs a ritual-like cutting and eating of body parts in Hyvinkää, Finland.

Humberto Vidal explosion: Thirty-three people die when a Humberto Vidal shoe shop in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico explodes.

The Dayton Agreement is initialed at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio, ending three and a half years of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A major tornado strikes the Houston, Texas area during the afternoon. Over the next two days the largest tornado outbreak ever to occur in the US during November spawns over 100 tornadoes.

Bangkok Airways Flight 125 crashes on approach to Samui Airport, killing 38.

Aeroflot Flight 37577 crashes on approach to Sovetsky Airport, killing 32.

National Security Council member Oliver North and his secretary start to shred documents allegedly implicating them in the Iran–Contra affair.

United States Navy intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard is arrested for spying after being caught giving Israel classified information on Arab nations. He is subsequently sentenced to life in prison.

A deadly fire breaks out at the MGM Grand Hotel in Paradise, Nevada (now Bally's Las Vegas). Eighty-five people are killed and more than 650 are injured in the worst disaster in Nevada history.

The United States Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, is attacked by a mob and set on fire, killing four.

Minister of Internal Affairs Allan Highet announces that the national anthems of New Zealand shall be the traditional anthem "God Save the Queen" and "God Defend New Zealand".

The Birmingham pub bombings kill 21 people. The Birmingham Six are sentenced to life in prison for the crime but are later exonerated.

Voters in South Korea overwhelmingly approve a new constitution, giving legitimacy to Park Chung Hee and the Fourth Republic.

Indian troops, partly aided by Mukti Bahini (Bengali guerrillas), defeat the Pakistan army in the Battle of Garibpur.

Vietnam War: Operation Ivory Coast: A joint United States Air Force and Army team raids the Sơn Tây prisoner-of-war camp in an attempt to free American prisoners of war thought to be held there.

U.S. President Richard Nixon and Japanese Premier Eisaku Satō agree on the return of Okinawa to Japanese control in 1972. The U.S. retains rights to bases on the island, but these are to be nuclear-free.

The first permanent ARPANET link is established between UCLA and SRI.

Vietnam War: American General William Westmoreland tells news reporters: "I am absolutely certain that whereas in 1965 the enemy was winning, today he is certainly losing."

The Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge opens to traffic. At the time it is the world's longest bridge span.

Second Vatican Council: The third session of the Roman Catholic Church's ecumenical council closes.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army declares a unilateral ceasefire in the Sino-Indian War.

"La Ronde" opens in Honolulu, the first revolving restaurant in the United States.

Saúl Ñíguez, Spanish footballer

Wyatt Teller, American football player

Almaz Ayana, Ethiopian sprinter

Lewis Dunk, English footballer

Peni Terepo, New Zealand rugby league player

Dani King, English cyclist

Georgie Twigg, English field hockey player

Will Buckley, English footballer

Dárvin Chávez, Mexican footballer

Fabian Delph, English footballer

José Pirela, Venezuelan baseball player

Chris Singleton, American basketball player

Justin Tucker, American football player

John Egerton, American journalist and author (born 1935)

Fred Kavli, Norwegian-American businessman and philanthropist, founded The Kavli Foundation (born 1927)

Dimitri Mihalas, American astronomer and author (born 1939)

Vern Mikkelsen, American basketball player and coach (born 1928)

Bernard Parmegiani, French composer (born 1927)

Tôn Thất Đính, Vietnamese general (born 1926)

Maurice Vachon, Canadian-American wrestler (born 1929)

Emily Squires, American director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1941)

Austin Peralta, American pianist (born 1990)

Anne McCaffrey, American science fiction and fantasy author (born 1926)

Norris Church Mailer, American author (born 1949)

David Nolan, American activist and politician (born 1943)

Margaret Taylor-Burroughs, American painter and author, co-founded the DuSable Museum of African American History (born 1917)