So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.

February 21st
- Christian Feast Day

- International Mother Language Day (UNESCO)

- Language Movement Day, celebrated by Bengali speaking people for gaining right of mother tongue. (Bangladesh)


February 21st
- 2007 - Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi resigns from office. His resignation is rejected by the President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano.

- 2004 - The first European political party organization, the European Greens, is established in Rome.

- 1995 - Steve Fossett lands in Leader, Saskatchewan, Canada becoming the first person to make a solo flight across the Pacific Ocean in a balloon.

- 1975 - Watergate scandal: Former United States Attorney General John N. Mitchell and former White House aides H. R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman are sentenced to prison.

- 1974 - The last Israeli soldiers leave the west bank of the Suez Canal pursuant to a truce with Egypt.

- 1973 - Over the Sinai Desert, Israeli fighter aircraft shoot down Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114 jet killing 108.

- 1972 - President Richard Nixon visits the People's Republic of China to normalize Sino-American relations.

- 1972 - The Soviet unmanned spaceship Luna 20 lands on the Moon.

- 1971 - The Convention on Psychotropic Substances is signed at Vienna.

- 1970 - Swissair Flight 330: A mid-air bomb explosion and subsequent crash kills 38 passengers and nine crew members near Zürich, Switzerland.

- 1965 - Malcolm X is assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City by members of the Nation of Islam.

- 1958 - The Peace symbol is designed and completed by Gerald Holtom, commissioned by Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, in protest against the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment.

- 1953 - Francis Crick and James D. Watson discover the structure of the DNA molecule.

- 1952 - The British government, under Winston Churchill, abolishes identity cards in the UK to "set the people free".

- 1952 - In Dhaka, East Pakistan (present Bangladesh) police open fire on a procession of students that was demanding the establishment of Bengali as the official language, killing four people and starting a country-wide protest which led to the recognition of Bengali as one of the national languages of Pakistan. The day is later declared as "International Mother Language Day" by UNESCO.

- 1948 - NASCAR is incorporated.

- 1947 - In New York City, Edwin Land demonstrates the first "instant camera", the Polaroid Land Camera, to a meeting of the Optical Society of America.

- 1945 - World War II: Japanese Kamikaze planes sink the escort carrier Bismarck Sea and damage the Saratoga.

- 1937 - Initial flight of the first successful flying car, Waldo Waterman's Arrowbile.

- 1937 - The League of Nations bans foreign national "volunteers" in the Spanish Civil War.

- 1925 - The New Yorker publishes its first issue.

- 1921 - Constituent Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Georgia adopts the country's first constitution.

- 1919 - Kurt Eisner, German socialist, is assassinated. His death results in the establishment of the Bavarian Soviet Republic and parliament and government fleeing Munich, Germany.

- 1918 - The last Carolina Parakeet dies in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo.

- 1916 - World War I: In France, the Battle of Verdun begins.

- 1913 - Ioannina is incorporated into the Greek state after the Balkan Wars.

- 1885 - The newly completed Washington Monument is dedicated.

- 1878 - The first telephone book is issued in New Haven, Connecticut.

- 1874 - The Oakland Daily Tribune publishes its first newspaper.

- 1862 - American Civil War: Battle of Valverde fought near Fort Craig in New Mexico Territory.

- 1848 - Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels publish the Communist Manifesto.

- 1842 - John Greenough is granted the first U.S. patent for the sewing machine.

- 1804 - The first self-propelling steam locomotive makes its outing at the Pen-y-Darren Ironworks in Wales.

- 1743 - The premiere of George Frideric Handel's oratorio, "Samson" takes place in London.

- 1613 - Mikhail I is elected unanimously as Tsar by a national assembly, beginning the Romanov dynasty of Imperial Russia.

- 1543 - Battle of Wayna Daga – A combined army of Ethiopian and Portuguese troops defeats a Muslim army led by Ahmed Gragn.

- 1440 - The Prussian Confederation is formed.

- 1245 - Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland, is granted resignation after having confessed to torture and forgery.

- 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria.


February 21st
- 1989 - Scout Taylor-Compton, American actress

- 1989 - Josh Walker, English footballer

- 1989 - Corbin Bleu, American actor and singer

- 1989 - Kristin Herrera, American actress

- 1988 - Matthias de Zordo, German javelin thrower

- 1987 - Ellen Page, Canadian actress

- 1987 - Enrique David Mateo, Brazilian footballer

- 1987 - Ashley Greene, American model and actress

- 1986 - Charlotte Church, Welsh singer

- 1986 - Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este

- 1985 - Jarrod Atkinson, Australian rules footballer

- 1985 - Bob Burton, American speedcuber

- 1985 - Georgios Samaras, Greek footballer

- 1985 - Jamaal Westerman, Canadian football player

- 1985 - Simon Cusden, English cricketer

- 1984 - Andrew Ellis, New Zealand All Black rugby union player

- 1984 - David Odonkor, German footballer

- 1984 - Marco Paoloni, Italian footballer

- 1984 - Karina, Japanese model and actress

- 1983 - Braylon Edwards, American football player

- 1983 - Franklin Gutiérrez, Venezuelan baseball player

- 1983 - Mélanie Laurent, French actress and director

- 1982 - Bernhard Auinger, Austrian racing driver

- 1982 - Chantal Claret, American musician

- 1981 - Jun Kaname, Japanese actor

- 1980 - Brad Fast, Canadian ice hockey player

- 1980 - Jim Vandermeer, Canadian ice hockey player

- 1980 - Parthiva Sureshwaren, Indian racing driver

- 1980 - Tiziano Ferro, Italian singer

- 1980 - Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, 5th king of Bhutan

- 1979 - Pascal Chimbonda, French footballer

- 1979 - Carly "Carlito" Colón, Puerto Rican professional wrestler

- 1979 - Lonnie Ford, American football player

- 1979 - Jennifer Love Hewitt, American actress

- 1978 - Park Eun-hye, South Korean actress

- 1978 - Kim Ha Neul, South Korean actress

- 1978 - Nicole Parker, American actress

- 1977 - Steve Francis, American basketball player

- 1977 - Chad Hutchinson, baseball and football player

- 1977 - Owen King, American writer and journalist

- 1977 - Kevin Rose, American television host and Internet entrepreneur

- 1976 - Ryan Smyth, Canadian hockey player

- 1976 - Michael McIntyre English Comedian

- 1974 - Iván Campo, Spanish footballer

- 1974 - Roberto Heras, Spanish cyclist

- 1973 - Heri Joensen, Faroese musician

- 1973 - Justin Sane, American punk musician

- 1973 - Bowie Tsang, Taiwanese singer and TV host

- 1973 - Jacob M. Appel, American bioethicist

- 1972 - Seo Taiji, Korean musician

- 1971 - Randy Blythe, American musician

- 1970 - Michael Slater, Australian cricketer

- 1970 - Fat Pat, American rapper (Screwed Up Click) (d. 1998)

- 1969 - James Dean Bradfield, Welsh musician

- 1969 - Corey Harris, American musician

- 1969 - Aunjanue Ellis, American actress

- 1969 - Tony Meola, American footballer

- 1969 - Eric Wilson, American musician

- 1967 - Leroy Burrell, American runner

- 1964 - Mark E. Kelly and Scott J. Kelly, American astronauts

- 1964 - Jane Tomlinson, British cancer campaigner (d. 2007)

- 1964 - Huw Higginson, British actor

- 1963 - William Baldwin, American actor

- 1962 - Vanessa Feltz, British television presenter

- 1962 - Chuck Palahniuk, American writer

- 1962 - David Foster Wallace, American writer (d. 2008)

- 1961 - Christopher Atkins, American actor

- 1961 - Martha Hackett, American actress

- 1961 - Bertha Faye, American wrestler (d. 2001)

- 1960 - Laurent Petitguillaume, French radio and television host

- 1960 - Steve Wynn, American singer

- 1959 - José María Cano, Spanish musician

- 1959 - Emmett McAuliffe, American radio show host and lawyer

- 1958 - Jake Burns, Irish singer

- 1958 - Mary Chapin Carpenter, American singer

- 1958 - Jack Coleman, American actor

- 1958 - Alan Trammell, baseball player and manager

- 1955 - Sir Steven Fayburgh, British diplomat

- 1955 - Kelsey Grammer, American actor

- 1954 - Mike Pickering, English disc jockey and musician

- 1954 - Ivo Van Damme, Belgian athlete (d. 1976)

- 1953 - Christine Ebersole, American actress

- 1953 - William Petersen, American actor

- 1952 - Jean Jacques Burnel, British musician

- 1951 - Wolfgang Frank, German footballer

- 1951 - Vince Welnick, American musician (The Grateful Dead) (d. 2006)

- 1949 - Jerry Harrison, American musician

- 1949 - Ronnie Hellström, Swedish footballer

- 1947 - Johnny Echols, American musician

- 1947 - Olympia Snowe, American politician

- 1947 - Victor Sokolov, Russian journalist (d. 2006)

- 1946 - Tyne Daly, American actress

- 1946 - Anthony Daniels, British actor

- 1946 - Alan Rickman, English actor

- 1946 - Bob Ryan, Boston sports columnist

- 1946 - Vito Rizzuto, Sicilian-born alleged Mafia boss

- 1945 - D'Anna Fortunato, American mezzo-soprano

- 1945 - Walter Momper, German politician

- 1945 - Paul Newton, British musician

- 1943 - David Geffen, American record producer

- 1942 - Margarethe von Trotta, German actress and film director

- 1941 - James Wong, Hong Kong composer (d. 2004)

- 1940 - Peter Gethin, British racing driver

- 1940 - John Lewis, American politician and civil rights activist

- 1937 - King Harald V of Norway

- 1937 - Gary Lockwood, American actor

- 1936 - Barbara Jordan, American politician (d. 1996)

- 1935 - Mark McManus, Scottish actor (d. 1994)

- 1935 - Jean Pelletier, French Canadian political operative

- 1934 - Rue McClanahan, American actress (d. 2010)

- 1933 - Nina Simone, American singer (d. 2003)

- 1929 - Roberto "Chespirito" Gómez Bolaños, Mexican actor

- 1929 - James Beck, English actor (d. 1973)

- 1927 - Erma Bombeck, American humorist (d. 1996)

- 1927 - Hubert de Givenchy, French fashion designer

- 1927 - Pierre Mercure, French-Canadian musician and composer (d. 1966)

- 1925 - Sam Peckinpah, American director (d. 1984)

- 1924 - Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister of Zimbabwe 1980-1987; President of Zimbabwe 1987-present

- 1921 - John Rawls, American philosopher (d. 2002)

- 1917 - Lucille Bremer, American actress (d. 1996)

- 1915 - Ann Sheridan, American actress (d. 1967)

- 1914 - Ilmari Juutilainen, Finnish fighter pilot (d. 1999)

- 1913 - Roger Laurent, Belgian racing driver (d. 1997)

- 1910 - Douglas Bader, British pilot (d. 1982)

- 1910 - Carmine Galante, Italian-born gangster (d. 1979)

- 1910 - Eddie Waring, British sports commentator (d. 1986)

- 1909 - Hans Erni, Swiss painter

- 1907 - W. H. Auden, English poet (d. 1973)

- 1903 - Anaïs Nin, French diarist (d. 1977)

- 1903 - Raymond Queneau, French poet and novelist (d. 1976)

- 1903 - Fairfax M. Cone, American advertising executive (d. 1977)

- 1900 - Madeleine Renaud, French theater actress (d. 1994)

- 1895 - Carl Peter Henrik Dam Danish biochemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1976)

- 1893 - Celia Lovsky, Russian-born actress (d. 1979)

- 1893 - Andrés Segovia, Spanish guitarist (d. 1987)

- 1888 - Clemence Dane, British novelist and playwright (d. 1965)

- 1885 - Sacha Guitry, Russian dramatist (d. 1957)

- 1880 - Waldemar Bonsels, German writer (d. 1952)

- 1878 - The Mother, Indian spiritual leader (d. 1973)

- 1876 - Pyotr Konchalovsky, Russian painter (d. 1956)

- 1875 - Jeanne Calment, French supercentenarian and longest-lived human on record (d. 1997)

- 1867 - Otto Hermann Kahn, German millionaire (d. 1934)

- 1865 - John Haden Badley, English school founder (d. 1967)

- 1860 - Karel Mat?j ?apek-Chod, Czech journalist (d. 1927)

- 1860 - Goscombe John, Welsh sculptor (d. 1952)

- 1844 - Charles-Marie Widor, French composer (d. 1937)

- 1836 - Léo Delibes, French composer (d. 1891)

- 1821 - Charles Scribner, American publisher (d. 1871)

- 1817 - Jose Zorrilla y Moral, Spanish dramatist (d. 1893)

- 1801 - John Henry Newman, English Catholic cardinal (d. 1890)

- 1794 - Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, Mexican president (d. 1876)

- 1791 - Carl Czerny, Austrian composer (d. 1857)

- 1783 - Princess Catharina of Württemberg, Queen consort of Westphalia (d. 1835)

- 1728 - Tsar Peter III of Russia, husband of Catherine the Great (d. 1762)

- 1723 - Louis-Pierre Anquetil, French historian (d. 1808)

- 1721 - John McKinly, American physician (d. 1796)

- 1705 - Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke, British naval officer (d. 1781)

- 1703 - Shah Waliullah, Islamic Scholar and Reformer (d. 1762)

- 1675 - Franz Xaver Josef von Unertl, Bavarian politician (d. 1750)

- 1556 - Sethus Calvisius, German calendar reformer (d. 1615)

- 1484 - Elector Joachim I of Brandenburg (d. 1535)

