What Day Is August 21? Hawaii Becomes the 50th State
August 21 is the 233rd day of the year. In 1959, Hawaii was admitted as the 50th U.S. state. In 1911, Vincenzo Peruggia stole the Mona Lisa from the Louvre; the theft is often cited as the event that made the painting famous.
About August 21
August 21 is the 233rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (234th in a leap year). There are 132 days remaining until the end of the year.
The significance of August 21
On the morning of Monday, August 21, 1911, visitors at the Louvre found four empty hooks where the Mona Lisa had hung. Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian handyman who had helped install the painting’s protective glass case, had hidden in a closet the night before and walked out with the canvas under his coat. For two years the painting was listed as missing. In 1913 Peruggia tried to sell it to an art dealer in Florence and was caught. Art historians often argue that the theft, more than the painting itself, created the Mona Lisa’s modern celebrity status. In 1959, Hawaii became the 50th U.S. state when Eisenhower signed the proclamation. Japanese-Americans made up the largest ethnic group in Hawaii; their statehood carried particular weight given the forced relocation of Japanese-Americans during World War II just fourteen years earlier.
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On This Day in History
- 1911Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian handyman who had worked at the Louvre, hid overnight in a storage closet and walked out with the Mona Lisa the next morning. The painting was missing until December 1913.
- 1959President Eisenhower signed the proclamation admitting Hawaii as the 50th U.S. state. The 50-star flag became official on July 4, 1960.
Baby Names for This Day
August 21 is the feast of St. Pius X and the anniversary of Hawaiian statehood. Names connected to this date:
- PiusBoy
Pope Pius X (1835-1914), canonized in 1954, died on August 20, 1914; his feast is August 21.
- KaiUnisex
Hawaiian for 'sea'; a name that evokes the Pacific islands that became the 50th state.
- LeilaniGirl
Hawaiian for 'heavenly flower'; one of the most traditional and recognizable Hawaiian names.
- LeonardoBoy
Leonardo da Vinci, who painted the Mona Lisa; after Peruggia stole it in 1911, the world finally paid attention.
- AlohaGirl
Hawaiian for hello, goodbye, and love; the single word that defines Hawaiian culture.
- MonaGirl
From Italian 'Madonna'; since 1911, the theft that made Mona Lisa the world's most recognized portrait.
Frequently Asked Questions
What day is August 21?add
August 21 is the day Hawaii became the 50th U.S. state (1959) and the day the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre (1911). The feast of St. Pius X. The 233rd day of the year.
What number day of the year is August 21?add
August 21 is the 233rd day of the year, or the 234th in a leap year, with 132 days remaining.
What zodiac sign is August 21?add
August 21 is Leo, which runs from July 23 to August 22.