On this day: April 21
Ring Collapse Stops 1939 Boxing Match in Mid-Round
A scheduled April 21, 1939, boxing bout ended abruptly when the ring’s platform gave way during the fight, forcing officials to stop the match and clear the arena; contemporary reports described panic but no fatal injuries.
Ring Collapse Halts 1939 Boxing Match Mid-Round
During an April 21, 1939, bout, a professional boxing ring partially collapsed, stopping the fight in the middle of a round and prompting an emergency response and an improvised restart; reports from the time describe confusion and concern but no fatal injuries.
New York’s 1904 Bellevue drill: origins of the modern fire drill
On April 21, 1904, Bellevue Hospital in New York City staged what contemporaries and later historians describe as the first organized modern fire drill, introducing systematic alarm, evacuation and staff roles that informed later public safety practices.
USS Nautilus: The First Nuclear-Powered Submarine Enters Service
The USS Nautilus (SSN-571), the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine, was launched and later commissioned in the early 1950s, inaugurating a new era in undersea naval operations by vastly extending submerged endurance and strategic reach.
How Bellevue’s 1904 Hospital Drill Helped Shape Modern Fire Drills
On April 21 in the early 1900s, a large-scale emergency drill at New York’s Bellevue Hospital tested coordinated evacuation, alarm procedures and crowd control—an event often cited as an early model for institutional fire drills.
Launch of the First Nuclear-Powered Submarine, USS Nautilus
On April 21, 1954, the U.S. Navy launched USS Nautilus (SSN-571), the world’s first operational nuclear-powered submarine, marking a major advance in naval propulsion and Cold War maritime strategy.
First Regular Television News Broadcast Debuts, April 21, 1948
On April 21, 1948, the United States saw the debut of what is widely recognized as the first regular television news broadcast, marking a shift from radio and newsreels to scheduled TV news programming.