Friday, August 21, 2026 is a Friday. It is day 233 of 2026 (63.8% through the year), ISO week 34, in Q3.
Calendar Specifications
Today, August 21, 2026, marks day 233 of the year, with the moon in its First Quarter phase and the zodiac sign being Leo. On this day, the Eastern Orthodox Church commemorates Abraham of Smolensk, while Bernard of Alzira, Cyriaca, Euprepius of Verona, and Maximilian of Antioch are also celebrated. Historically, August 21 has been a significant date, with events such as the 2015 Thalys train attack, where passengers subdued an attacker attempting a mass shooting, and the 2013 Syrian civil war attack on Ghouta, Damascus, which killed at least 281 people. In recent years, August 21 has also seen notable events in the world of gaming, with the release of BioShock in 2007, which became a critical success and demonstrated the potential of video games as...
Today, August 21, 2026, marks day 233 of the year, with the moon in its First Quarter phase and the zodiac sign being Leo.
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Historical Milestones
Passengers on a Thalys train from Amsterdam to Paris confronted and subdued an attacker who attempted a mass shooting.
Thalys →Syrian civil war: Areas controlled by the Syrian opposition in Ghouta, Damascus, were attacked by rockets (launcher pictured) containing sarin, killing at least 281 people.
Syrian civil war →BioShock was released in North America, becoming a critical success and a demonstration of video games as an art form.
BioShock →A limnic eruption of Lake Nyos in Cameroon released a cloud of carbon dioxide, suffocating 1,746 people and 3,500 livestock.
Limnic eruption →Six people were killed during an escape attempt and riot at San Quentin State Prison in California; the subsequent trial of six inmates was the longest in state history at the time.
San Quentin Six →South Vietnamese special forces loyal to Ngô Đình Nhu, the brother of President Ngô Đình Diệm, raided and vandalised Buddhist pagodas (one pictured) across the country, arresting thousands and leaving hundreds dead.
Army of the Republic of Vietnam Special Forces →American physicist Harry Daghlian accidentally dropped a tungsten carbide brick onto a plutonium bomb core, exposing himself to neutron radiation and later becoming the first Manhattan Project fatality due to a criticality accide...
Harry Daghlian →World War II: A combined Canadian–Polish force captured the town of Falaise, France, in the final offensive of the Battle of Normandy.
World War II →World War II: The Imperial Japanese Army lost the Battle of the Tenaru, the first of its three major land offensives during the Guadalcanal campaign.
World War II →Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa (pictured) was stolen from the Louvre by museum employee Vincenzo Peruggia and was not recovered until two years later.
Leonardo da Vinci →Calculate business days and elapsed calendar time between this date and any other.
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Questions & Answers
Friday, August 21, 2026 falls on a Friday.
34 days ago (1 month, 3 days ago). It is day 233 of 2026 with 132 days remaining in the year.
In Roman numerals, Friday, August 21, 2026 is written as XXI.VIII.MMXXVI (Day.Month.Year format).
The moon phase for this date is First Quarter (approx. 58% illuminated). The astrological sun sign is Leo.