On This Day for 4/21 - Queen Elizabeth II is born, the French elections are held, and more

Don't miss an issue of On This Day! Simply add [customerservice@eb.com]( to your address book. On This Day April 21 Discover the Fastest Route to Britannica - [EB.com]( Born This Day [Britain's Queen Elizabeth II]( [Elizabeth II]( Born this day in 1926 was Queen [Elizabeth II]( of the [United Kingdom]( who ascended the throne in 1952 at age 25 and is known to favour simplicity in court life and to take a serious, informed interest in government business. Who else was born today? Find out with the newest version of [our best-selling software! >>]( On This Day [Jacques Chirac, 2007.]( 2002: French elections held French President [Jacques Chirac]( faced a reelection challenge on this day in 2002 from extremist [Jean-Marie Le Pen]( in the first round of presidential voting but two weeks later handily defeated him to win a second term. Explore more key moments in history for just $39.95 [Learn more >>]( [Sign up now]( for our monthly newsletter, showcasing articles hand-picked by our editors! More Events On This Day 2016: American musician [Prince]( created groundbreaking music that fused [funk]( [rhythm and blues]( [rock and roll]( and pop and was one of the biggest stars of the 1980s and '90s—died from an accidental overdose of [fentanyl]( a powerful opioid. 1990: [Illustration of a dress designed by Erté, 1930s.]( artist and fashion designer [Erté]( major figure in [Art Deco]( who created spectacular costumes and set designs for French music-hall revues—died in Paris. 1918: [Manfred, Freiherr (baron) von Richthofen.]( Freiherr (baron) von Richthofen]( Germany's top flying ace in [World War I]( was shot down and killed during a battle near [Amiens]( France. 1838: [John Muir]( naturalist and writer [John Muir]( as an advocate of U.S. forest conservation, was largely responsible for the establishment of both [Sequoia National Park]( and [Yosemite National Park]( in California—was born in Scotland. 1836: [Antonio López de Santa Anna, daguerreotype by F.W. Seiders.]( [Sam Houston]( led 800 Texans to victory over a Mexican army of 1,500 under General [Antonio López de Santa Anna]( in the Battle of San Jacinto, ensuring the Texans' [independence from Mexico](. 1830: [James Starley's “penny-farthing” bicycle, 1883.]( Starley]( an inventor and the father of the [bicycle]( industry, was born in Albourne, Sussex, England. 1800: [Jean-Baptiste Kléber, engraving by G. Fiesinger after a drawing by J. Guérin.]( forces under General [Jean-Baptiste Kléber]( recaptured Cairo and initiated the brief French occupation of Egypt. 1782: [Friedrich Froebel]( Froebel]( German educational reformer and the founder of [kindergarten]( was born in Oberweissbach, Thuringia. 1526: [Babur inspecting a garden, 16th century; in the British Library.…]( the ruler of [Kabul]( led Mughal forces in victory against Sultan [Ibrāhīm Lodī]( establishing the [Mughal dynasty]( in India. A Great Gift Idea from The Britannica Store [1768 Encyclopaedia Britannica Replica Set]( The handsome three-volume reproduction is so beautifully executed that it's almost indistinguishable from the 1768 original, right down to the natural age spots and watermarks on the pages. A must-have for collectors of history or vintage books, the set lends an unmistakable air of prestige to any home or office. [Get yours today]( Our Best-Selling Software! the world's most trusted and authoritative information for [only $39.95](. Britannica on Facebook a fan]( on Facebook and get updated Britannica content in your news feed! Britannica on Twitter @Britannica]( and enjoy daily tweets relating to the news stories of the day! [Home]( [Advocacy for Animals]( [Newsletters]( [Feedback]( [Help]( Please note that if you do not open or click on any On This Day email during any consecutive 30-day period, we reserve the right to remove your address from the active mailing list. This policy does not apply to RSS feeds. Share: Was this message forwarded to you? [Click here]( and we'll start sending you the On This Day newsletters. This message has been sent to {EMAIL}. To unsubscribe [click here](. To unsubscribe by postal mail, send your request to: Encyclopaedia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle St. - Suite 200 Chicago, IL 60654 US ATTN: Customer Service - On This Day © 2018 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. [Privacy Policy]( — [Help](