On This Day, May 21: Democratic Party holds first national convention in Baltimore
On this date in history:
In 1832, the first Democratic Party national convention convened in Baltimore.
In 1856, Lawrence, Kan., was burned by pro-slavery forces.
In 1881, Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross.
In 1924, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb kidnapped and killed Bobby Franks, 13, of Chicago, in a "thrill killing" that was often called "the crime of the century." They were given life sentences. Loeb was killed in prison; Leopold was paroled after serving 33 years.
In 1927, Charles Lindbergh landed the Spirit of St. Louis in Paris, completing the first non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic in 33 1/2 hours.
In 1932, five years to the day after Charles Lindbergh ended his historic flight, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic from Newfoundland, Canada, to Ireland. She completed her flight in 13 1/2 hours.
In 1960, the first of what would become a series of earthquakes that lasted through early June rattled just south of Santiago, Chile. The so-called Valdivia earthquake the next day was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded with a magnitude of between 9.4 and 9.6 on the richter scale. Up to 7,000 people died in the temblors.
In 1988, Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev, in an effort to consolidate power, sacked the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan after bloody nationalist demonstrations over the disputed region of Nagorno Karabakh.
In 1991, former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated while campaigning.
In 2003, an earthquake near Algiers, Algeria, killed more than 2,200 people and injured another 10,000.
In 2019, Jokha Alharthi became the first Arabic writer to win the Man Booker International Prize for her novel Celestial Bodies.
In 2020, actor Lori Loughlin and husband fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in connection with a college admissions cheating scandal. They each served jail time.
In 2025, the Trump administration formally accepted a luxury Boeing 747-8 jet valued at $400 million from Qatar to be converted for use as Air Force One.
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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 12:00 AM.