What Day Is July 21? Hemingway's Birthday and First Steps on the Moon
July 21 is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years). With 163 days remaining, it marks Hemingway's birthday (1899) and the technical moment of humanity's first Moon walk.
About July 21
July 21 is the 202nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (203rd in leap years). There are 163 days remaining until the end of the year. It holds two events worth marking separately.
The Significance of July 21
Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois. He developed his stripped-down prose in Paris during the 1920s, writing The Sun Also Rises (1926) and A Farewell to Arms (1929) while cutting every sentence to its load-bearing minimum. He called this the “iceberg theory”: seven-eighths of the meaning is below the surface. The Nobel Committee awarded him the Prize in Literature in 1954, noting his “mastery of the art of modern narration.” At 02:56 UTC on July 21, 1969 — after the landing module touched down on July 20 — Neil Armstrong descended the ladder and took the first step on the lunar surface, delivering the sentence that most of the world had stayed up to hear.
Get this day by email
We'll remind you of July 21 every year.
On This Day in History
- 1899Ernest Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Illinois. His minimalist, declarative prose style — the 'iceberg theory' — influenced writers across the 20th century and earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.
- 1969At 02:56 UTC on July 21, Neil Armstrong descended Apollo 11's ladder and set foot on the Moon's surface — technically occurring on July 21, though the landing itself was July 20.
Baby Names for This Day
July 21 falls under Cancer. Names connected to storytelling, restraint, and the sea:
- ErnestBoy
'Serious, resolute' — both Hemingway's first name and his reputation as a writer.
- SantiagoBoy
The old fisherman of The Old Man and the Sea — Hemingway's most enduring character.
- JakeBoy
Jake Barnes, the narrator of The Sun Also Rises — laconic and observant.
- HadleyGirl
Hadley Richardson, Hemingway's first wife, who accompanied him through his Paris years.
- BrettUnisex
Lady Brett Ashley from The Sun Also Rises — Hemingway's most memorable female character.
- NeilBoy
Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon at 02:56 UTC on this date in 1969.
Frequently Asked Questions
What day is July 21?add
July 21 is Ernest Hemingway's birthday (1899) and the technical date when Neil Armstrong first set foot on the Moon (02:56 UTC, 1969). It is Belgium's National Day since 1831.
What number day of the year is July 21?add
July 21 is the 202nd day of the year, or the 203rd in leap years, with 163 days remaining.
What sign is July 21?add
July 21 falls under the sign of Cancer.