Today in US history on March 21: Broadway icon Ziegfeld born, Truman loyalty order, Olympic boycott

Today in US history, March 21 brings together a striking mix of culture, conflict, and change, from the birth of Broadway showman Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. in 1867 to pivotal Cold War decisions like Harry S. Truman’s 1947 loyalty order and Jimmy Carter’s 1980 Olympic boycott announcement. The date also marks major moments in war strategy, such as Dwight D. Eisenhower delaying a World War II invasion, alongside cultural milestones like the premiere of Rebecca, capturing how a single day can reflect the breadth of America’s historical journey.

Birth of a showman: Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.

Legendary impresario Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., best known for creating the iconic Ziegfeld Follies, was born on March 21, 1867 (possibly 1869, as per Library of Congress), in Chicago, Illinois.


Ziegfeld’s early success came through managing Eugen Sandow, a European strongman whose performances captivated American audiences. After bringing Sandow to the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893, Ziegfeld helped turn him into a national sensation, launching a career that would shape modern entertainment and physical culture.

War and military decisions

During World War II, U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower postponed the invasion of southern France in 1944, choosing to prioritize operations following the Normandy landings.

In 1971, amid growing unrest during the Vietnam War, two US platoons reportedly refused orders to advance.

Cold War-era developments

In 1947, President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9835, mandating that all federal employees demonstrate “complete and unswerving loyalty to the United States,” quoted by the onthisday website.

Later, in 1980, President Jimmy Carter announced that the United States would boycott the Moscow Summer Olympics in protest against Soviet intervention in Afghanistan.

In 1984, tensions between superpowers were again evident when a Soviet submarine collided with the USS Kitty Hawk off the coast of Japan.

Cultural and cinematic milestone

In 1940, Rebecca, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine, premiered in Miami, Florida. The film went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1941.

Other events on March 21

A devastating fire in 1788 destroyed 856 buildings in New Orleans, reshaping the city’s early development. In 1913, severe flooding in Ohio claimed around 400 lives, marking one of the deadliest natural disasters in the region’s history.

In 1925, Tennessee Governor Austin Peay signed the Butler Act, making it illegal to teach the theory of evolution in public schools, an act later repealed in 1967 and central to debates over science and education.

In 1965, the United States launched Ranger 9, the final mission in a series of unmanned lunar explorations that provided critical data ahead of future moon landings.