Historical timeline for February 21

In the prelude to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine Russian President Vladimir Putin declares the Luhansk People's Republic and Donetsk People's Republic as independent from Ukraine, and moves troops into the region. The action is condemned by the United Nations.

At least 17 people are killed and 119 injured following several bombings in the Indian city of Hyderabad.

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

Aldrich Ames is arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for selling national secrets to the Soviet Union in Arlington County, Virginia.

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.

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

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

The Soviet uncrewed spaceship Luna 20 lands on the Moon.

United States President Richard Nixon visits China to normalize Sino-American relations.

The Convention on Psychotropic Substances is signed at Vienna.

The CND symbol, aka peace symbol, commissioned by the Direct Action Committee in protest against the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, is designed and completed by Gerald Holtom.

The Bengali language movement protests occur at the University of Dhaka in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).

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

NASCAR is incorporated.

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

World War II: the Brazilian Expeditionary Force defeat the German forces in the Battle of Monte Castello on the Italian front.

World War II: During the Battle of Iwo Jima, Japanese kamikaze planes sink the escort carrier USS Bismarck Sea and damage the USS Saratoga.

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

In the first battle of the Warlord Rebellion in northeastern Shandong against the Nationalist government of China, a 24,000-strong rebel force led by Zhang Zongchang was defeated at Zhifu by 7,000 NRA troops.

The New Yorker publishes its first issue.