Today
Wednesday January 21 2026
- Day of the year
- 21/ 365
- Week
- 42,026
- Days left
- 3446%
- Moon
- 9%Waxing crescent
Today is Wednesday, January 21, 2026. It is day 21 of 2026, a year of 365 days: 344 remain, and 6% of the year has gone. Under ISO 8601 this date falls in week 4.
What's celebrated on this date
No United Nations international day falls on this date.
Coming up
- January 24International Day of Education
- January 27International Holocaust Remembrance Day
- February 2World Wetlands Day
Saints and name days
Saints whose feast falls on this date, most widely known first.
- Agnes of RomeChristian martyr
- Maximus the ConfessorChristian monk, theologian, scholar and saint (c. 580 - 662)
- Maximus the GreekGreek monk and scholar
- Saint PubliusFirst Maltese acknowledged saint
- FructuosusHispanic Christian bishop and saint (died 259)
Sources : Wikidata (P841) · CC0 1.0
Astronomy
New York
- Sunrise
- 07:15
- Sunset
- 17:00
- Length of day
- 9h 46m+2 min vs yesterday
- Solar noon
- 12:07
Times shown for America/New_York
Season
Winter
began on December 21, 2025
Next season
Spring — 58 days, March 20, 2026 (March equinox)
Public holidays — United States
Not a public holiday in the United States.
Next public holiday : Washington's Birthday — February 16, 2026
National holidays only. Regions, provinces and Länder add their own.
Moon
Waxing crescent
Illumination : 9%
Moon age : 2.9 days
- Next full moon
- February 1, 2026
- Next new moon
- February 17, 2026
Astrology
Today's zodiac sign
Aquarius
until February 19, 2026 — Pisces
Zodiac dates are an astrological convention, not the Sun's actual position among the constellations. The astronomy above is measured; this is not.
On this day in history
1525
The Swiss Anabaptist Movement is founded when Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and about a dozen others baptize each other in the home of Manz's mother in Zürich, breaking a thousand-year tradition of church-state union. Wikipedia
1535
Following the Affair of the Placards, the French king leads an anti-Protestant procession through Paris. Wikipedia
1793
After being found guilty of treason by the French National Convention, Louis XVI of France is executed by guillotine. Wikipedia
1911
The first Monte Carlo Rally takes place. Wikipedia
1954
The first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, is launched in Groton, Connecticut by Mamie Eisenhower, the First Lady of the United States. Wikipedia
1968
A B-52 bomber crashes near Thule Air Base, contaminating the area after its nuclear payload ruptures. One of the four bombs remains unaccounted for after the cleanup operation is complete. Wikipedia
Show more (4)
1968
Vietnam War, Battle of Khe Sanh: One of the most publicized and controversial battles of the war begins. Wikipedia
1976
Commercial service of Concorde begins with the London-Bahrain and Paris-Rio routes. Wikipedia
2000
Ecuador: After the Ecuadorian Congress is seized by indigenous organizations, Col. Lucio Gutiérrez, Carlos Solorzano and Antonio Vargas depose President Jamil Mahuad. Gutierrez is later replaced by Gen. Carlos Mendoza, who resigns and allows Vice-President Gustavo Noboa to succeed Mahuad. Wikipedia
2017
Over 400 cities across America and 160+ countries worldwide participate in a large-scale women's march, including in Portland, on Donald Trump's first full day as President of the United States. Wikipedia
Sources : Wikipedia (en) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Data imported on 2026-08-26
Births and deaths
Born on this day January 21
- 1338Charles V of France (died 1380)
- 1824Stonewall Jackson, American general (died 1863)
- 1848Henri Duparc, French soldier and composer (died 1933)
- 1895Cristóbal Balenciaga, Spanish fashion designer, founded Balenciaga (died 1972)
- 1905Christian Dior, French fashion designer, founded Christian Dior S.A. (died 1957)
- 1912Konrad Emil Bloch, German-American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2000)
- 1951Eric Holder, American lawyer, judge, and politician, 82nd United States Attorney Generalturns 75 years
- 1953Paul Allen, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Microsoft (died 2018)
Died on this day January 21
- 1118Pope Paschal II (born 1050)aged 68 years
- 1527Juan de Grijalva, Spanish explorer (born 1489)aged 37 years
- 1789Baron d'Holbach, French-German philosopher and author (born 1723)aged 66 years
- 1793Louis XVI of France (born 1754)aged 39 years
- 1814Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, French botanist and author (born 1737)aged 77 years
- 1872Franz Grillparzer, Austrian playwright and poet (born 1791)aged 81 years
- 1901Elisha Gray, American engineer, co-founded Western Electric (born 1835)aged 66 years
- 1926Camillo Golgi, Italian physician and pathologist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1843)aged 83 years
Sources : Wikipedia (en) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Data imported on 2026-08-26
The day in words
In New York the sun rises at 07:15 and sets at 17:00, giving 9h 46m of daylight — 2 minutes more than yesterday. It has been winter since December 21, 2025; spring opens in 58 days, on March 20, 2026 (March equinox).
The moon is a waxing crescent, 9% illuminated. The next full moon falls on February 1, 2026 and the next new moon on February 17, 2026.
The saints' calendar attaches January 21 to Agnes of Rome, Maximus the Confessor and Maximus the Greek.
No United Nations international day falls on January 21. The next one on the calendar is International Day of Education, on January 24.
It is not a public holiday in the United States.
On this day in history: The Swiss Anabaptist Movement is founded when Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and about a dozen others baptize each other in the home of Manz's mother in Zürich, breaking a thousand-year tradition of church-state union (1525); Following the Affair of the Placards, the French king leads an anti-Protestant procession through Paris (1535). English Wikipedia records 10 events for this date.
Charles V of France was born on January 21, 1338; Pope Paschal II died on January 21, 1118.
338 days remain until Christmas and 345 until New Year's Day.
In astrology — kept separate from the measured astronomy above, deliberately — January 21 falls under the sign of Aquarius.
Calendar
By the numbers
- 6%
- of the year elapsed
- 338
- until Christmas
- 345
- until New Year
- 769
- until the next 29 February
2026 — Common year (365 days)
Work with dates
Sources
Every block on this page names where its data comes from. Nothing here is generated when the source is silent.
- United Nations — International Days— What's celebrated today
- Wikidata (P841)— Saints and name days · CC0 1.0
- Wikipedia (en)— On this day in history · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Data imported on 2026-08-26