1871 155 years ago Historical Events May 21 3 sources

French troops invade the Paris Commune and engage its residents in street fighting. By the close of "Bloody Week", some 20,000 communards have been killed and 38,000 arrested.

On May 21, in the year 1871, French troops invade the Paris Commune and engage its residents in street fighting. By the close of "Bloody Week", some 20,000 communards have been killed and 38,000 arrested. This event is recorded as a Historical Events event in the history of May 21, one of 476 recorded events on this date across all of history.

The Paris Commune was a French revolutionary government that seized power in Paris on 18 March 1871 and controlled parts of the city until 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard had defended Paris, and working class radicalism grew among its soldiers. Following the establishment of the French Third Republic in September 1870 and the complete defeat of the French Army by the Germans by March 1871, soldiers of the National Guard seized control of the city on 18 March. The Communards killed two French Army generals and refused to accept the authority of the Third Republic; instead, the radicals set about establishing their own independent government.

Key Facts

  • This event took place on May 21, 1871 (AD era).
  • It is categorised as a Historical Events event in recorded history.
  • Referenced in 3 Wikipedia articles.
  • The event is associated with a specific geographical location (see map below).
  • Wikipedia source last updated on 2 May 2026.

On This Date in History 476

Type Year Date Event
Notable Deaths 2025 May 21 Gerry Connolly, American politician, U
Historical Events 2024 May 21 The Greenfield tornado kills 5 and injures 35 across rural Iowa, United States
Historical Events 2024 May 21 A stabbing spree on the Green line of the Taichung MRT injures four people, including the perpetrator
Notable Deaths 2024 May 21 Jan A
Selected Events 2024 May 21 The Greenfield tornado, estimated to have produced winds in excess of 309 miles per hour (497 km/h), moved across Iowa
Notable Deaths 2020 May 21 Alan Merten, fifth President of George Mason University (born 1941)
Notable Deaths 2019 May 21 Rik Kuypers, Belgian film director (born 1925)
Notable Deaths 2019 May 21 Binyavanga Wainaina, Kenyan writer (born 1971)
Historical Events 2017 May 21 Ringling Bros
Notable Deaths 2016 May 21 Nick Menza, American drummer and songwriter (born 1964)
Notable Deaths 2015 May 21 Annarita Sidoti, Italian race walker (born 1969)
Notable Deaths 2015 May 21 Twinkle, English singer-songwriter (born 1948)
Notable Deaths 2015 May 21 Jassem Al-Kharafi, Kuwaiti businessman and politician, 8th Kuwaiti Speaker of the National Assembly (born 1940)
Notable Deaths 2015 May 21 Fred Gladding, American baseball player and coach (born 1936)
Notable Deaths 2015 May 21 Louis Johnson, American bass player and producer (born 1955)
Selected Events 2015 May 21 Islamic State militants entered the ancient city of Palmyra
Historical Events 2014 May 21 Random killings occurred on the Bannan Line of the Taipei MRT, killing four and injuring 24
Notable Deaths 2014 May 21 Tunku Annuar, Malaysian son of Badlishah of Kedah (born 1939)
Notable Deaths 2014 May 21 Johnny Gray, American baseball player (born 1926)
Notable Deaths 2014 May 21 Jaime Lusinchi, Venezuelan physician and politician, President of Venezuela (born 1924)
Notable Deaths 2014 May 21 Alireza Soleimani, Iranian wrestler (born 1956)
Selected Events 2014 May 21 A Taiwanese man carried out a stabbing spree on a Taipei Metro train, killing four people and injuring 24 others
Notable Deaths 2013 May 21 Count Christian of Rosenborg, member of the Danish royal family (born 1942)
Notable Deaths 2013 May 21 Frank Comstock, American trombonist, composer, and conductor (born 1922)
Notable Deaths 2013 May 21 Cot Deal, American baseball player and coach (born 1923)
Notable Deaths 2013 May 21 Leonard Marsh, American businessman, co-founded Snapple (born 1933)
Notable Deaths 2013 May 21 Bob Thompson, American pianist and composer (born 1924)
Notable Deaths 2013 May 21 Dominique Venner, French journalist and historian (born 1935)
Historical Events 2012 May 21 A bus accident near Himara, Albania kills 13 people and injures 21 others
Historical Events 2012 May 21 A suicide bombing kills more than 120 people in Sanaa, Yemen
Notable Deaths 2012 May 21 Eddie Blazonczyk, American singer-songwriter (born 1941)
Notable Deaths 2012 May 21 Otis Clark, American butler and preacher, survivor of the Tulsa race riot (born 1903)
Notable Deaths 2012 May 21 Constantine of Irinoupolis, Metropolitan of Irinoupolis and Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA (born 19
Notable Deaths 2012 May 21 Roman Dumbadze, Georgian commander (born 1964)
Notable Deaths 2012 May 21 Douglas Rodríguez, Cuban boxer (born 1950)
Notable Deaths 2012 May 21 Bill Stewart, American football player and coach (born 1952)
Notable Deaths 2012 May 21 Alan Thorne, Australian anthropologist and academic (born 1939)
Historical Events 2011 May 21 Radio broadcaster Harold Camping predicted that the world would end on this date
Historical Events 2010 May 21 JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, launches the solar-sail spacecraft IKAROS aboard an H-IIA rocket
Historical Events 2006 May 21 The Republic of Montenegro holds a referendum proposing independence from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro; 55%
Notable Deaths 2006 May 21 Spencer Clark, American race car driver (born 1987)
Notable Deaths 2006 May 21 Katherine Dunham, American dancer, choreographer, and author (born 1909)
Notable Deaths 2006 May 21 Cherd Songsri, Thai director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1931)
Notable Deaths 2006 May 21 Billy Walker, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1929)
Historical Events 2005 May 21 The tallest roller coaster in the world, Kingda Ka opens at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey
Notable Deaths 2005 May 21 Deborah Berger, American outsider artist (born 1956)
Notable Deaths 2005 May 21 Stephen Elliott, American actor (born 1918)
Notable Deaths 2005 May 21 Howard Morris, American actor and director (born 1919)
Selected Events 2005 May 21 The world's tallest roller coaster, Kingda Ka, opened at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, U
Historical Events 2003 May 21 The 6

This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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