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August 21

FEATURED BIOGRAPHY

Count Basie

American musician

FEATURED EVENT

1911

Mona Lisa stolen

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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.]

1991:Latvia declared its independence from the Soviet Union. [Take our quiz about European history.]

1987:The romantic drama Dirty Dancing, starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, was released in American theatres, and it became a huge—and enduring—hit. [How much do you know about movies?]

Aerial view of Lake Nyos after the 1986 disaster

1986:A massive release of carbon dioxide from Cameroon's Lake Nyos—a freshwater lake located in a volcanic caldera—killed more than 1,700 people and thousands of animals.

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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

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