What's so special about June 21? Frankly, a lot...

June 21 is the longest day of the year. But that's not all, there are so many events happening all over the World and so many have happened in the past. Take a look.

Longest day of the year - June solstice
The June solstice is the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the Winter Solstice the Southern Hemisphere. The date varies between June 20 and June 22. This year it falls on June 21. Technically, it means the Sun reaches its highest point in its path as seen from the Earth and the tilt of the Earth's axis is most inclined towards the sun. In simpler terms, the day is much longer than normal. The event has been celebrated for centuries across the globe by pagans who visit Stonehenge to watch the sun rise among the stones. The celebration is often accompanied with bonfires, dancing and general merriment.

International Yoga Day - Every year

The United Nations General Assembly adopted an India-led resolution declaring June 21 as 'International Day of Yoga'. The resolution was adopted under the agenda of 'Global Health and Foreign Policy,' in the General Assembly which recognised that Yoga provides a holistic approach to health and well-being and that the benefits of practising Yoga would be beneficial for the health of the world population.

World Music Day - Every Year

The World Music Day, also known as Fete de la Musique or Make Music Day, is an annual event celebrated on 21 June across the globe. Kick started in 1982 in France, it was popular as Fete de la Musique (meaning festival of music in French) by then French Minister of Culture Jack Lang. On the World Music Day, musicians across the globe hold free concerts in parks, museums, and even train stations. The idea of the event is to promote peace and in the process make quality music available to all.

This Day in History
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix published in 2003

Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix. Pic/AFP

The fifth Harry Potter book, 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,' was published by J.K. Rowling in 2003. Amazon.com shipped out more than one million copies on this day making the day the largest distribution day of a single item in e-commerce history. The book set sales records around the world with an estimated 5 million copies were sold on this very day in 2003.

P.V Narsimha Rao was sworn in as the ninth Prime Minister of India- 1991

Pamulaparti Venkata Narasimha Rao, popularly known as P.V Narsimha Rao was born to a humble Telegu Karanam family. Rao was an active freedom fighter in his youth and later joined full time politics as a member of the Indian National Congress. In 1991, Rao almost retired from politics, but it was the assassination of Congress President Rajiv Gandhi which made him return. The Congress won the largest number of seats in the 1991 elections and Rao became the ninth Prime Minister of India. P.V Narsimha Rao was the first person outside of the Nehru-Gandhi family to serve as Prime Minister of India for five consecutive years.

Famous people born on this day
Benazir Bhutto - 1953

Pic/AFP

The first democratically elected female leader of a Muslim country, Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto was born on this day in 1953. The daughter of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) founder and Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Bhutto took over as chairperson of the PPP in 1982. After her two stints as prime minister and amid charges of corruption, Bhutto spent several years in exile in London. She returned to Pakistan with plans to participate in the 2008 general election, but was killed during an attack at a PPP rally in late 2007.

Prince William - 1982

The elder son of The Prince of Wales and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, Prince William celebrates his birthday on June 21. The title The Duke of Cambridge was conferred on him by The Queen on 29 April 2011, following his marriage to long-time sweetheart Catherine Middleton. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have two kids - George Alexander Louis, born in 2013 and they recently welcomes their second child, princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.

Chris Pratt - 1979

Christopher Michael Pratt or Chris Pratt is an American film and television actor. Pratt played major supporting roles in several television series, including Everwood (2002), The O.C. (2003), and Parks and Recreation (2009), and notable film roles in Moneyball (2011), The Five-Year Engagement (2012), Zero Dark Thirty (2012), and Delivery Man (2013), voiced the lead, Emmet Brickowoski, in The Lego Movie (2014), and starred as Peter Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). In 2015, he headlined the sci-fi thriller Jurassic World (2015). He is married to Anna Faris and has one child, Jack Pratt.

Edward Snowden - 1983

Edward Snowden, an American computer professional and a former contractor for the CIA, leaked details of extensive internet and phone surveillance by American intelligence to the media. His disclosures have fueled debates over mass surveillance, government secrecy, and the balance between national security and information privacy. Snowden is a subject of controversy, and has been variously called a hero, a whistleblower, a dissident, a patriot, and a traitor.

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