On This Day for August 21 - French defeated at the Battle of Vimeiro, Count Basie is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. August 21 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Count Basie READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1808 French defeated at the Battle of Vimeiro READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2017: For the first time in nearly 40 years, the continental United States experienced a total solar eclipse, which was viewed from Oregon to South Carolina. [Test your knowledge of astronomy.] 2005: American electronic engineer Robert Moog—who invented the Moog electronic music synthesizer, which revolutionized rock , electronica, pop, and experimental music in the late 1960s and early '70s—died at age 71. [Take our quiz about inventions and inventors.] 1942: The animated film Bambi had its theatrical release in the United States, and it became a classic in the Disney canon, noted for its lush hand-drawn animation and sensitive affective narrative. [ Take our Disney quiz.] 1911: Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre, Paris, by three Italian handymen; it was not recovered until 1913, and the media sensation helped make the Mona Lisa arguably the most famous painting in the world. [Who was the subject of the Mona Lisa?] 1858: The famous debates in Illinois between Abraham Lincoln, Republican Party nominee for the U.S. Senate, and incumbent Senator Stephen A. Douglas of the Democratic Party began. [How much do you know about Abraham Lincoln?] 1991: Latvia declared its independence from the Soviet Union. SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1936 Wilt Chamberlain American basketball player 1765 William IV king of Great Britain 1973 Sergey Brin American entrepreneur 1986 Usain Bolt Jamaican athlete 1930 Princess Margaret British royal 1938 Kenny Rogers American singer-songwriter SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY   Advertisement   FOLLOW: To unsubscribe from Britannica e-mails, click here. Encyclopædia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 United States © 2020 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Privacy Policy • Help