On This Day: August 21
Tornado Talk Summary
On August 21, 1883, at least three significant tornadoes struck the Upper Midwest; one of these came to be known as the Rochester tornado. This summary focuses on remembering those who suffered in this terrible disaster and how the Mayo Clinic was born from the wreckage of Rochester. Read our detailed summary here!
Ruins of Rochester Harvester Works. Image via Minnesota Historical Society.
SIGTOR Spotlight
Highlighting a Tornado Before 1950
from Significant Tornadoes by Thomas Grazulis!
August 21, 1888: An F2 tornado moved east-northeast from 6 miles SW of Wilmington, passing one mile south of the city. One man was killed at Hares Corner. Approximately 40 buildings were damaged/destroyed including five homes.
Twister From The 2000s
An EF1 tornado tracked for 2.5 miles from near Brockway in Jefferson County, PA through Brockport in Elk County, PA. Numerous trees were toppled, and several homes sustained minor damage. For more information click here.
Weather Rewind
There is more weather phenomenon than just tornadoes?
On This Day in OTHER weather history!
A 6.88″ in diameter hailstone fell in Dante SD on August 21, 2007. This set a record for the largest hailstone in South Dakota at the time. The record held until July 23, 2010 when an 8″ hailstone fell at Vivian, SD. Source, NWS Sioux Falls.
Pieces of the Past
A Look Back Through The Ages! On This Day In History!
Historical Event
In 2017, Destroyer USS John S McCain collided with an oil tanker near Singapore leaving 10 missing and 5 injured. Check out more historical events at onthisday.com!
Famous Birthday
Kenny Rogers, American country singer known for his raspy voice and hits like “The Gambler” was born on this day in 1938 in Houston, TX. He died in 2020. Source: Britannica.
Film and TV
On this day in 2020, Actress Lori Loughlin was sentenced to two months in prison along with her husband for her role in US college admissions bribery scandal. Get more daily history at onthisday.com!
Music Trivia
In 1961, Patsy Cline recorded the classic Willie Nelson song, ‘Crazy’. Cline was still on crutches after going through a car windshield in a head-on collision two months earlier and had difficulty reaching the high notes of the song at first due to her broken ribs. ‘Crazy’ spent 21 weeks on the chart and eventually became one of her signature tunes. Get into the groove with more music trivia at thisdayinmusic.com!