February 21: The 1st Romanov Tsar, the 1st Locomotive and WWI's Battle of Verdun

On This Day in History February 21, 2021 Historical Events 1173  Pope Alexander III canonizes Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury 1613  Michael Romanov, son of Patriarch of Moscow, elected first Russian Tsar of the house of Romanov 1804  1st locomotive, Richard Trevithick's, runs for the 1st time, along the tramway of the Penydarren Ironworks in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales 1916  World War I: Battle of Verdun begins with a German offensive, leads to an estimated 1 million casualties and becomes the longest battle of the entire war (9 months) 1922  Britain declares Egypt a sovereign state 1972  Richard Nixon becomes the first US President to visit China, normalizing relations between the countries in a meeting with Chinese leader Mao Zedong in Beijing More Historical Events Famous Birthdays Alan Rickman (1946 - 2016) Elliot Page 34th Birthday Jennifer Love Hewitt 42nd Birthday Nina Simone (1933 - 2003) More Famous Birthdays Famous Deaths Frederick Banting (1891 - 1941) Julius II (1443 - 1513) More Famous Deaths Weekly Quiz for February 17 - 23 Who was the 1st US President to visit China? What was the name of the Russian royal house that ruled 1613-1917? Who printed the 1st Bible in 1455? Take the Quiz You Might Like Take Our Weekly Quiz You received this email because you opted in at our website, OnThisDay.com Update Your Preferences | Unsubscribe © 2021 OnThisDay.com 2 Acacia Place, Tauranga 3110, New Zealand