September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 101 days remain until the end of the year.

• 454 – Western Roman Emperor Valentinian III murders his general Flavius Aetius on instigation of eunuch Heraclius and senator Petronius Maximus.^[1]
• 455 – Emperor Avitus enters Italy with a Gallic army and consolidates his power.^[2]
• 1170 – Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland: The Kingdom of Dublin falls to Anglo-Norman invaders.^[3]
• 1217 – Livonian Crusade: The Estonian leader Lembitu and Livonian leader Caupo of Turaida are killed in the Battle of St. Matthew's Day.^[4]
• 1435 – The Treaty of Arras is promulgated, causing Burgundy to switch sides in the Hundred Years' War.^[5]

• 1745 – A British government army led by Sir John Cope is defeated in less than 15 minutes by the Jacobite forces of Prince Charles Edward Stuart.^[6]
• 1776 – Part of New York City is burned shortly after being occupied by British forces.^[7]
• 1780 – American Revolutionary War: Benedict Arnold gives the British the plans to West Point.
• 1792 – French Revolution: The National Convention abolishes the monarchy.
• 1809 – British Secretary of War Lord Castlereagh and Foreign Secretary George Canning meet in a duel on Putney Heath, with Castlereagh wounding Canning in the thigh.^[8]
• 1814 – War of 1812: British forces abandon their unsuccessful siege of Fort Erie.^[9]
• 1843 – The crew of schooner Ancud, led by John Williams Wilson, takes possession of the Strait of Magellan on behalf of the Chilean government.^[10][11]
• 1860 – Second Opium War: An Anglo-French force defeats Chinese troops at the Battle of Palikao.
• 1862 – Taiping Rebellion: The Ever Victorious Army defeats Taiping forces at the Battle of Cixi.^[12][13]
• 1896 – Anglo-Egyptian conquest of Sudan: British forces under the command of Horatio Kitchener take Dongola.
• 1898 – Empress Dowager Cixi seizes power and ends the Hundred Days' Reform in China.

• 1921 – A storage silo in Oppau, Germany, explodes, killing 500–600 people.^[14]
• 1933 – Salvador Lutteroth establishes Mexican professional wrestling.
• 1934 – A large typhoon hits western Honshū, Japan, killing more than 3,000 people.
• 1937 – J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit is published for the first time.^[15] (September 22 is celebrated by some fans as Hobbit Day, however.)
• 1938 – The Great Hurricane of 1938 makes landfall on Long Island in New York. The death toll is estimated at 500–700 people.
• 1939 – Romanian prime minister Armand Călinescu is assassinated by the Iron Guard.
• 1942 – The Holocaust in Ukraine: On the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, Nazis send over 1,000 Jews of Pidhaitsi to Bełżec extermination camp.
• 1942 – The Holocaust in Ukraine: In Dunaivtsi, Ukraine, Nazis murder 2,588 Jews.
• 1942 – The Holocaust in Poland: At the end of Yom Kippur, Germans order Jews to permanently move from Konstantynów to Biała Podlaska.
• 1942 – The Boeing B-29 Superfortress makes its maiden flight.
• 1953 – Lieutenant No Kum-sok, a North Korean pilot, defects to South Korea with his jet fighter.
• 1957 – Pamir, a four-masted barque, was shipwrecked and sank off the Azores during Hurricane Carrie.^[16]
• 1964 – Malta gains independence from the United Kingdom, but remains in the Commonwealth.
• 1964 – The North American XB-70 Valkyrie, the world's fastest bomber, makes its maiden flight from Palmdale, California.
• 1965 – The Gambia, Maldives and Singapore are admitted as members of the United Nations.
• 1969 – Mexicana de Aviación Flight 801, a Boeing 727-100 passenger plane, crashes during a landing attempt in Mexico City, killing 27 of the 118 occupants.^[17]
• 1971 – Bahrain, Bhutan and Qatar join the United Nations.
• 1972 – Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos begins authoritarian rule by declaring martial law.
• 1976 – Orlando Letelier is assassinated in Washington, D.C., at the order of Augusto Pinochet.
• 1976 – Seychelles joins the United Nations.
• 1977 – Malév Flight 203 crashes near Urziceni, killing 29 people.^[18]
• 1981 – Belize is granted full independence from the United Kingdom.
• 1981 – Sandra Day O'Connor is unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate as the first female Supreme Court justice.
• 1984 – Brunei joins the United Nations.
• 1991 – Armenia gains independence from the Soviet Union.
• 1993 – Russian president Boris Yeltsin triggers a constitutional crisis when he suspends parliament and scraps the constitution.
• 1993 – A Transair Georgian Airlines Tu-134 is shot down by a missile in the Black Sea near Sokhumi, Georgia.^[19]
• 1996 – The Defense of Marriage Act is passed by the United States Congress.
• 1997 – St. Olaf's Church, a stone church from the 16th century in Tyrvää, Finland, is burnt down by a burglar.^[20]
• 1999 – The 7.7-magnitude Chi-Chi earthquake strikes central Taiwan, killing 2,400 people.
• 2001 – America: A Tribute to Heroes is broadcast by over 35 network and cable channels, raising over $200 million for the victims of the September 11 attacks.
• 2001 – Ross Parker is murdered in Peterborough, England, by a gang of ten British Pakistani youths.
• 2003 – The Galileo spacecraft is terminated by sending it into Jupiter's atmosphere.
• 2012 – Three Egyptian militants open fire on a group of Israeli soldiers in a southern Israel cross-border attack.^[21]
• 2013 – Al-Shabaab Islamic militants attack the Westgate shopping mall in Kenya, killing at least 67 people.
• 2015 – Adventist Health System agreed to pay $118.7 million to settle allegations of fraud. It was the largest a hospital network has ever paid.^[22]
• 2018 – LGBT rights activist Zak Kostopoulos is beaten to death on a busy street in Athens.^[23]
• 2019 – A 5.6 M_w earthquake shakes the Albanian port of Durrës. Forty-nine people are injured in the capital, Tirana.^[24]

• 580 – Pope Vitalian (died 672)
• 953 – Abu Ishaq Ibrahim, Buyid prince
• 1051 – Bertha of Savoy (died 1087)
• 1371 – Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg (died 1440)
• 1407 – Leonello d'Este, Marquis of Ferrara, Italian noble (died 1450)
• 1411 – Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York, English politician, Lord Protector of England (died 1460)
• 1415 – Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor (died 1493)
• 1428 – Jingtai Emperor of China (died 1457)
• 1433 – Guillaume Fichet, French scholar and academic (died 1480)
• 1452 – Girolamo Savonarola, Italian priest and philosopher (died 1498)
• 1457 – Hedwig Jagiellon, Duchess of Bavaria, Polish princess (died 1502)
• 1552 – Barbara Longhi, Italian painter (died 1638)
• 1559 – Cigoli, Italian painter and architect (died 1613)

• 1629 – Philip Howard, English cardinal (died 1694)
• 1640 – Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, younger son of Louis XIII of France and his wife (died 1701)
• 1645 – Louis Jolliet, Canadian explorer (died 1700)
• 1706 – Polyxena of Hesse-Rotenburg (died 1735)
• 1758 – Christopher Gore, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 8th Governor of Massachusetts (died 1827)
• 1760 – Ivan Dmitriev, Russian poet and politician, Minister of Justice for Imperial Russia (died 1837)
• 1761 – Antoine Barnave, French politician and orator (died 1793)^[25]
• 1776 – John Fitchett, English poet (died 1838)
• 1819 – Princess Louise Marie Thérčse of Artois (died 1864)
• 1840 – Murad V, Ottoman sultan (died 1904)
• 1842 – Abdul Hamid II, 34th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (died 1918)
• 1846 – Mihály Kolossa, Hungarian-Slovene author and poet (died 1906)
• 1849 – Maurice Barrymore, American actor (died 1905)
• 1851 – Fanny Searls, American biologist (died 1939)^[26]
• 1853 – Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, Dutch physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1926)
• 1859 – Francesc Maciŕ, Catalan colonel and politician, 122nd President of Catalonia (died 1933)
• 1862 – James E. Talmage, English-American religious leader and author (died 1933)
• 1863 – John Bunny, American actor (died 1915)
• 1866 – Charles Nicolle, French-Tunisian microbiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1936)
• 1866 – H. G. Wells, English novelist, historian, and critic (died 1946)
• 1867 – Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe, English politician, 4th Governor-General of New Zealand (died 1958)
• 1867 – Henry L. Stimson, American colonel, lawyer, and politician, 46th United States Secretary of State (died 1950)
• 1872 – Henry Tingle Wilde, English chief officer on the RMS Titanic (died 1912)
• 1873 – Papa Jack Laine, American drummer and bandleader (died 1966)
• 1874 – Gustav Holst, English composer and educator (died 1934)
• 1878 – Peter McWilliam, Scottish-English footballer and manager (died 1951)
• 1882 – Geevarghese Ivanios, Indian metropolitan (died 1953)
• 1884 – Dénes Kőnig, Hungarian mathematician and theorist (died 1944)
• 1890 – Max Immelmann, German lieutenant and pilot (died 1916)
• 1890 – Charles William Train, English sergeant, Victoria Cross recipient (died 1965)
• 1893 – Erna Scheffler, German lawyer and justice of the Federal Constitutional Court (died 1983)^[27]
• 1894 – Anton Piëch, Austrian lawyer and businessman (died 1952)
• 1898 – Frances Mary Albrier, American civil rights activist (died 1987)^[28]
• 1899 – Frederick Coutts, Scottish 8th General of The Salvation Army (died 1986)

• 1902 – Luis Cernuda, Spanish poet and critic (died 1963)
• 1902 – Allen Lane, English publisher, founded Penguin Books (died 1970)
• 1902 – Howie Morenz, Canadian ice hockey player (died 1937)
• 1903 – Preston Tucker, American engineer and businessman, designed the Tucker Sedan (died 1956)
• 1904 – Hans Hartung, German-French painter (died 1989)
• 1905 – Robert Lebel, Canadian businessman and politician (died 1999)
• 1906 – Henry Beachell, American biologist and botanist (died 2006)
• 1909 – Kwame Nkrumah, Ghanaian educator and politician, 1st President of Ghana (died 1972)
• 1910 – Meinrad Schütter, Swiss composer (died 2006)
• 1912 – Chuck Jones, American animator, producer, and screenwriter (died 2002)^[29]
• 1912 – György Sándor, Hungarian pianist and composer (died 2005)
• 1916 – Françoise Giroud, Swiss-French journalist and politician, French Minister of Culture (died 2003)
• 1917 – Phyllis Nicolson, English mathematician and academic (died 1968)
• 1918 – John Gofman, American physicist, chemist, and biologist (died 2007)
• 1918 – Karl Slover, American actor (died 2011)
• 1918 – Juan José Arreola, Mexican writer and academic (died 2001)
• 1919 – Mario Bunge, Argentinian-Canadian physicist and philosopher (died 2020)
• 1919 – Herman Fowlkes, Jr., American trumpet player and educator (died 1993)
• 1919 – Fazlur Rahman Malik, Pakistani philosopher and scholar (died 1988)
• 1920 – Kenneth McAlpine, British race car driver (died 2023)
• 1921 – John McHale, American baseball player and manager (died 2008)
• 1923 – Fred Hunt, British jazz pianist (died 1986)^[30]
• 1924 – Hermann Buhl, Austrian mountaineer (died 1957)
• 1926 – Don Dunstan, Fijian-Australian lawyer and politician, 35th Premier of South Australia (died 1999)
• 1926 – Donald A. Glaser, American physicist and neurobiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2013)
• 1926 – Fereydoon Moshiri, Iranian poet and critic (died 2000)
• 1929 – Sándor Kocsis, Hungarian footballer and manager (died 1979)
• 1929 – Edgar Valter, Estonian author and illustrator (died 2006)
• 1929 – Bernard Williams, English-Italian philosopher and academic (died 2003)
• 1930 – John Morgan, Welsh-Canadian actor and screenwriter (died 2004)
• 1930 – Bob Stokoe, English footballer and manager (died 2004)
• 1931 – Larry Hagman, American actor, director, and producer (died 2012)^[29]
• 1932 – Shirley Conran, English journalist and author (died 2024)
• 1932 – Marjorie Fletcher, English Director of the Women's Royal Naval Service (died 2008)
• 1932 – Don Preston, American keyboard player and composer
• 1933 – Allan Jeans, Australian footballer and coach (died 2011)
• 1933 – Dick Simon, American race car driver
• 1934 – Leonard Cohen, Canadian singer-songwriter and poet (died 2016)^[29]
• 1934 – María Rubio, Mexican actress (died 2018)
• 1935 – Jimmy Armfield, English footballer and manager (died 2018)
• 1935 – Henry Gibson, American actor (died 2009)
• 1936 – Ian Albery, English manager and producer
• 1936 – Dickey Lee, American pop-country singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1936 – Yury Luzhkov, Russian soldier and politician, 2nd Mayor of Moscow (died 2019)
• 1936 – Diane Rehm, American journalist and radio host^[29]
• 1937 – John D'Amico, Canadian ice hockey player and referee (died 2005)
• 1938 – Doug Moe, American basketball player and coach (died 2026)
• 1938 – Olu Falae, Nigerian politician and government official
• 1939 – Agnivesh, Indian philosopher, academic, and politician (died 2020)
• 1940 – Ron Fenton, English footballer, coach, and manager (died 2013)
• 1940 – Hermann Knoflacher, Austrian engineer and academic
• 1940 – Bill Kurtis, American journalist and producer^[29]
• 1941 – Jack Brisco, American wrestler and manager (died 2010)
• 1941 – R. James Woolsey, Jr., American scholar and diplomat, 16th Director of Central Intelligence
• 1942 – Sam McDowell, American baseball player
• 1943 – David Hood, American session bassist and trombone player
• 1943 – Jerry Bruckheimer, American film and television producer^[31]
• 1944 – Steve Beshear, American lawyer and politician, 61st Governor of Kentucky
• 1944 – Marcus Binney, English historian and author
• 1944 – Fannie Flagg, American actress, comedian, and author^[31]
• 1944 – Hamilton Jordan, American politician, 8th White House Chief of Staff (died 2008)
• 1944 – Bobby Tench, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2024)
• 1945 – Richard Childress, American race car driver and businessman
• 1945 – Shaw Clifton, Northern Irish 18th General of The Salvation Army (died 2023)
• 1945 – Kay Ryan, American poet and educator
• 1946 – Rose Garrard, English sculptor and author
• 1946 – Moritz Leuenberger, Swiss lawyer and politician, 87th President of the Swiss Confederation
• 1946 – Mart Siimann, Estonian psychologist and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Estonia
• 1947 – Don Felder, American musician and songwriter^[31]
• 1947 – Keith Harris, English ventriloquist and singer (died 2015)
• 1947 – Rupert Hine, English musician, songwriter, and record producer (died 2020)
• 1947 – Stephen King, American author and screenwriter^[31]
• 1947 – Ed Nimmervoll, Austrian-Australian journalist, historian, and author (died 2014)
• 1947 – Marsha Norman, American playwright and author
• 1948 – Jack Dromey, English union leader and politician (died 2022)
• 1948 – Mitsuo Momota, Japanese wrestler
• 1948 – John B. O'Reilly Jr., American politician (died 2025)^[32]
• 1949 – Henry Butler, American pianist and photographer (died 2018)
• 1949 – Artis Gilmore, American basketball player and radio host
• 1949 – Odilo Scherer, Brazilian cardinal
• 1950 – Charles Clarke, English economist and politician, Secretary of State for Education
• 1950 – Bill Murray, American actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter^[31]
• 1951 – Bruce Arena, American soccer player and manager
• 1951 – Aslan Maskhadov, Chechen general and politician, 3rd President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (died 2005)
• 1952 – Dave Gregory, English guitarist and keyboard player
• 1952 – John Taylor, Baron Taylor of Warwick, English lawyer and politician
• 1953 – Arie Luyendyk, Dutch race car driver and sportscaster^[29]
• 1953 – Reinhard Marx, German cardinal
• 1954 – Shinzo Abe, Japanese lawyer and politician, 90th Prime Minister of Japan (died 2022)^[33]
• 1954 – Julia Grant, British transgender activist (died 2019)^[34]
• 1954 – Thomas S. Ray, American ecologist and academic
• 1954 – Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, English rock drummer (died 2015)
• 1955 – Richard Hieb, American engineer and astronaut
• 1955 – Israel Katz, Israeli politician^[35]
• 1955 – Mika Kaurismäki, Finnish director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1956 – Jack Givens, American basketball player and sportscaster
• 1956 – Marta Kauffman, American screenwriter and producer
• 1956 – Ricky Morton, American wrestler
• 1957 – Ethan Coen, American director, producer, and screenwriter^[31]
• 1957 – Mark Levin, American lawyer, radio host, and author
• 1957 – Sidney Moncrief, American basketball player and coach
• 1957 – Kevin Rudd, Australian politician and diplomat, 26th Prime Minister of Australia
• 1958 – Rick Mahorn, American basketball player and coach
• 1958 – Simon Mayo, English radio host
• 1959 – Crin Antonescu, Romanian educator and politician, former interim president of Romania
• 1959 – Andrzej Buncol, Polish footballer
• 1959 – Dave Coulier, American actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter^[31]
• 1959 – Danny Cox, English-American baseball player and coach
• 1959 – Corinne Drewery, English singer-songwriter and fashion designer
• 1960 – David James Elliott, Canadian-American actor and director^[31]
• 1960 – Masoumeh Ebtekar, Iranian journalist, politician and scientist, first woman Vice President of Iran
• 1960 – Kelley Eskridge, American author and screenwriter
• 1960 – Musalia Mudavadi, Kenyan politician and Former Deputy Prime Minister
• 1960 – Graham Southern, English art dealer and gallery owner
• 1960 – Maurizio Cattelan, Italian sculptor
• 1961 – Billy Collins, Jr., American boxer (died 1984)
• 1961 – Dan Borislow, American businessman and inventor (died 2014)
• 1961 – Serena Scott Thomas, English actress and producer^[31]
• 1961 – Nancy Travis, American actress and producer^[31]
• 1962 – Rob Morrow, American actor^[31]
• 1963 – Curtly Ambrose, Antiguan cricketer and bass player
• 1963 – Cecil Fielder, American baseball player and manager
• 1963 – Angus Macfadyen, Scottish actor and screenwriter^[31]
• 1963 – Mamoru Samuragochi, Japanese composer
• 1963 – Trevor Steven, English footballer
• 1963 – David J. Wales, British academic and educator
• 1964 – Jorge Drexler, Uruguayan singer-songwriter
• 1964 – Lester Quitzau, Canadian guitarist
• 1965 – Frédéric Beigbeder, French author and critic
• 1965 – Cheryl Hines, American actress^[31]
• 1965 – Johanna Vuoksenmaa, Finnish director and screenwriter
• 1966 – Kerrin Lee-Gartner, Canadian skier and journalist
• 1967 – Faith Hill, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress^[31]
• 1967 – Suman Pokhrel, Nepali poet, lyricist and playwright
• 1967 – Tyler Stewart, Canadian drummer^[31]
• 1968 – Kevin Buzzard, British mathematician
• 1968 – David Jude Jolicoeur, American rapper, songwriter, and producer (died 2023)^[31]
• 1968 – Ricki Lake, American actress, producer, and talk show host^[31]
• 1969 – Anne Burrell, American chef and television host (died 2025)^[29]
• 1969 – Jason Christiansen, American baseball player
• 1969 – Curtis Leschyshyn, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
• 1969 – Billy Porter, American actor and singer^[31]
• 1970 – Rob Benedict, American actor, screenwriter, and musician^[31]
• 1970 – Melissa Ferrick, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1970 – Samantha Power, Irish-American journalist, academic, and diplomat, 28th United States Ambassador to the United Nations
• 1971 – John Crawley, English cricketer and academic
• 1971 – James Lesure, Americana actor^[31]
• 1971 – Alfonso Ribeiro, American actor, director, and comedian^[31]
• 1971 – Luke Wilson, American actor, director, and screenwriter^[31]
• 1972 – Olivia Bonamy, French actress
• 1972 – Liam Gallagher, English singer-songwriter^[29]
• 1972 – Jon Kitna, American football player and coach
• 1973 – Vanessa Grigoriadis, American journalist and author
• 1973 – Virginia Ruano Pascual, Spanish tennis player
• 1973 – Oswaldo Sánchez, Mexican footballer
• 1974 – Özgür Özel, Turkish pharmacist and politician^[36]
• 1974 – Katharine Merry, English former sprinter^[37]
• 1974 – Bryce Drew, American basketball player and coach
• 1974 – Andy Todd, English footballer and manager
• 1975 – Doug Davis, American baseball player
• 1975 – Craig Thompson, American graphic novelist^[38]
• 1976 – Jonas Bjerre, Danish singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1976 – Poul Hübertz, Danish footballer and manager
• 1977 – Kārlis Lācis, Latvian pianist and composer
• 1977 – Andre Pärn, Estonian basketball player
• 1977 – Kohei Sato, Japanese wrestler
• 1977 – Brian Tallet, American baseball player
• 1978 – Paulo Costanzo, Canadian actor, director, and producer^[31]
• 1978 – Luke Godden, Australian footballer
• 1978 – Doug Howlett, New Zealand rugby player
• 1979 – James Allan, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1979 – Richard Dunne, Irish footballer
• 1979 – Chris Gayle, Jamaican cricketer
• 1979 – Julian Gray, English footballer
• 1979 – Monika Merl, German runner
• 1980 – Nyree Kindred, Welsh swimmer
• 1980 – Tomas Scheckter, South African race car driver
• 1980 – Autumn Reeser, American actress^[31]
• 1980 – Kareena Kapoor, Indian actress
• 1981 – Nicole Richie, American actress, fashion designer, and author^[31]
• 1981 – Sarah Whatmore, English singer-songwriter^[39]
• 1982 – Eduardo Azevedo, Brazilian race car driver
• 1982 – Dominic Perrottet, Australian politician, 46th Premier of New South Wales^[40]
• 1982 – Christos Tapoutos, Greek basketball player
• 1982 – Rowan Vine, English footballer
• 1983 – Ndiss Kaba Badji, Senegalese athlete
• 1983 – Fernando Cavenaghi, Argentine footballer
• 1983 – Francesco Dracone, Italian race car driver
• 1983 – Scott Evans, American actor^[29]
• 1983 – Anna Favella, Italian actress
• 1983 – Maggie Grace, American actress^[31]
• 1983 – Cristian Hidalgo, Spanish footballer
• 1983 – Greg Jennings, American football player
• 1983 – Joseph Mazzello, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter^[31]
• 1983 – Anna Meares, Australian track cyclist
• 1983 – Reggie Nelson, American football player
• 1983 – Rafael Marques Pinto, Brazilian footballer
• 1984 – Dwayne Bowe, American football player^[41]
• 1984 – Jason Citron, American businessman, co-founded Discord^[42]
• 1984 – Ahna O'Reilly, American actress^[31]
• 1984 – Ben Wildman-Tobriner, American swimmer
• 1984 – Wale, American rapper^[31]
• 1985 – Justin Durant, American football player
• 1986 – Faris Badwan, English singer-songwriter
• 1986 – Lindsey Stirling, American violinist and composer
• 1987 – Jimmy Clausen, American football player
• 1987 – Anthony Don, Australian rugby league player
• 1987 – Marcelo Estigarribia, Paraguayan footballer
• 1987 – Ryan Guzman, American actor and model^[31]
• 1987 – Murilo Maccari, Brazilian footballer
• 1987 – Ashley Paris, American basketball player
• 1987 – Courtney Paris, American basketball player
• 1987 – Michał Pazdan, Polish footballer
• 1987 – Ivelisse Vélez, Puerto Rican wrestler
• 1988 – Doug Baldwin, American football player
• 1988 – Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Pakistani politician
• 1989 – Jason Derulo, American singer-songwriter^[29]
• 1989 – Sandor Earl, Australian rugby league player
• 1989 – Manny Harris, American basketball player^[43]
• 1989 – Emma Watkins, Australian singer and actress
• 1990 – Al-Farouq Aminu, American basketball player
• 1990 – Danny Batth, English footballer
• 1990 – Rob Cross, English darts player
• 1990 – Ivan Dorschner, American-Filipino model and actor
• 1990 – Sam Kasiano, New Zealand rugby league player
• 1990 – Allison Scagliotti, American actress and musician^[31]
• 1990 – Christian Serratos, American actress^[29]
• 1991 – Anastassia Kovalenko, Estonian motorcycle racer
• 1991 – Carlos Martínez, Dominican baseball player^[44]
• 1992 – Kim Jong-dae, South Korean singer-songwriter
• 1992 – Rodrigo Godínez, Mexican footballer
• 1992 – Devyn Marble, American basketball player^[45]
• 1993 – Kirsty Gilmour, Scottish badminton player^[46]
• 1993 – Kwon Mina, South Korean singer and actress
• 1993 – Ante Rebić, Croatian footballer
• 1994 – Devin Williams, American baseball player^[47]
• 1995 – Bruno Caboclo, Brazilian basketball player^[48]
• 1998 – Máscara de Bronce, Mexican wrestler
• 1998 – Yainer Díaz, Dominican baseball player^[49]
• 1999 – Wang Junkai, Chinese singer^[50]
• 1999 – Alexander Isak, Eritrean-Swedish professional footballer
• 2006 – Alisha Palmowski, British female racing driver ^[51]

• 19 BC – Virgil, Roman poet (born 70 BC)
• 454 – Flavius Aetius, Roman general and politician (born 396)
• 687 – Pope Conon (born 630)
• 1026 – Otto-William, Count of Burgundy
• 1217 – Lembitu, Estonian king and military leader
• 1217 – Caupo of Turaida
• 1235 – Andrew II of Hungary (born 1175)
• 1256 – William of Kilkenny, Lord Chancellor of England
• 1327 – Edward II of England (born 1284)^[52]
• 1397 – Richard FitzAlan, 11th Earl of Arundel, English admiral (born 1346)
• 1558 – Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (born 1500)^[53]
• 1576 – Gerolamo Cardano, Italian mathematician, physician, and astrologer (born 1501)
• 1586 – Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle, French cardinal and diplomat (born 1517)

• 1629 – Jan Pieterszoon Coen, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (born 1587)
• 1637 – William V, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (born 1602)
• 1643 – Emperor Hong Taiji of China (born 1592)
• 1709 – Ivan Mazepa, Ukrainian statesman, Hetman of Zaporizhian Host (born 1639)
• 1719 – Johann Heinrich Acker, German historian and academic (born 1647)
• 1743 – Jai Singh II, Indian king (born 1688)
• 1748 – John Balguy, English philosopher and author (born 1686)
• 1796 – François Séverin Marceau-Desgraviers, French general (born 1769)
• 1798 – George Read, American lawyer and politician, 3rd Governor of Delaware (born 1733)
• 1812 – Emanuel Schikaneder, German actor and playwright (born 1751)
• 1832 – Walter Scott, Scottish novelist, playwright, and poet (born 1771)
• 1860 – Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher and author (born 1788)
• 1874 – Jean-Baptiste Élie de Beaumont, French geologist and engineer (born 1798)
• 1880 – Manuel Montt, Chilean scholar and politician, 6th President of Chile (born 1809)

• 1904 – Chief Joseph, American tribal leader (born 1840)
• 1905 – Nikolay Benardos, Ukrainian inventor (born 1842)
• 1906 – Samuel Arnold, American conspirator (born 1838)
• 1926 – Léon Charles Thévenin, French engineer (born 1857)
• 1933 – Kenji Miyazawa, Japanese author and poet (born 1896)
• 1937 – Osgood Perkins (actor, born 1892), American actor (born 1892)
• 1938 – Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić, Croatian author and poet (born 1874)
• 1939 – Armand Călinescu, Romanian economist and politician, 39th Prime Minister of Romania (born 1893)
• 1942 – John Symes, English cricketer (born 1879)
• 1944 – Alexander Koshetz, Ukrainian choral conductor, arranger, composer (born 1875)
• 1944 – Artur Phleps, Romanian general (born 1881)
• 1947 – Harry Carey, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1878)
• 1953 – Necmettin Sadak, Turkish publisher and politician, 10th Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs (born 1890)
• 1954 – Mikimoto Kōkichi, Japanese businessman (born 1858)
• 1956 – Bill Struth, Scottish footballer and manager (born 1875)
• 1957 – Haakon VII of Norway (born 1872)
• 1958 – Peter Whitehead, English racing driver (born 1914)
• 1962 – Bo Carter, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1892)
• 1963 – Paulino Masip, Spanish author, playwright, and screenwriter (born 1899)
• 1964 – Josef Müller, Croatian entomologist (born 1880)
• 1966 – Paul Reynaud, French lawyer and politician, 118th Prime Minister of France (born 1878)
• 1971 – Bernardo Houssay, Argentinian physiologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1887)
• 1972 – Henry de Montherlant, French essayist, novelist, and dramatist (born 1896)
• 1974 – Walter Brennan, American actor (born 1894)
• 1974 – Jacqueline Susann, American author and actress (born 1918)
• 1975 – Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu, Turkish painter and poet (born 1911)
• 1976 – Benjamin Graham, British-American economist, professor, and investor (born 1894)^[54]
• 1976 – Orlando Letelier, Chilean economist and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Chile (born 1932)
• 1982 – Ivan Bagramyan, Russian general (born 1897)
• 1983 – Birgit Tengroth, Swedish actor (born 1915)
• 1983 – Xavier Zubiri, Basque philosopher (born 1898)
• 1985 – Gu Long, Chinese author and screenwriter (born 1937)
• 1987 – Jaco Pastorius, American bass player, composer, and producer (born 1951)
• 1989 – Rajini Thiranagama, Sri Lankan physician and academic (born 1954)
• 1990 – Takis Kanellopoulos, Greek director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1933)
• 1991 – Gordon Bashford, English engineer (born 1916)
• 1992 – Tarachand Barjatya, Indian film producer, founded Rajshri Productions (born 1914)
• 1995 – Rudy Perpich, American dentist and politician, 34th Governor of Minnesota (born 1928)
• 1998 – Florence Griffith Joyner, American sprinter (born 1959)
• 2000 – Jacques Flynn, Canadian lawyer and politician, 35th Canadian Minister of Justice (born 1915)
• 2000 – Leonid Rogozov, Russian physician and surgeon (born 1934)
• 2002 – Robert L. Forward, American physicist and science fiction author (born 1932)^[55]
• 2006 – Tasos Athanasiadis, Greek author (born 1913)
• 2007 – Hallgeir Brenden, Norwegian skier (born 1929)
• 2007 – Alice Ghostley, American actress (born 1923)
• 2009 – Robert Ginty, American actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1948)
• 2011 – Jun Henmi, Japanese author and poet (born 1939)
• 2012 – José Curbelo, Cuban-American pianist and manager (born 1917)
• 2012 – Yehuda Elkana, Israeli historian and philosopher (born 1934)
• 2012 – Sven Hassel, Danish-German soldier and author (born 1917)
• 2012 – Bill King, English commander, sailor, and author (born 1910)
• 2012 – Tom Umphlett, American baseball player and manager (born 1930)
• 2013 – Kofi Awoonor, Ghanaian author, poet, and diplomat (born 1935)
• 2013 – Michel Brault, Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1928)
• 2013 – Harl H. Haas, Jr., American lawyer, jurist, and politician (born 1932)
• 2013 – Walter Wallmann, German lawyer and politician, Minister-President of Hesse (born 1932)
• 2013 – Ko Wierenga, Dutch lawyer and politician (born 1933)
• 2014 – Michael Harari, Israeli intelligence officer (born 1927)
• 2014 – Caldwell Jones, American basketball player and coach (born 1950)
• 2014 – Sheldon Patinkin, American director and playwright (born 1935)
• 2015 – Yoram Gross, Polish-Australian director and producer (born 1926)
• 2015 – Ray Warleigh, Australian-English saxophonist and flute player (born 1938)
• 2015 – Richard Williamson, American footballer and coach (born 1941)
• 2018 – Trần Đại Quang, President of Vietnam (born 1956)
• 2018 – Vitaliy Masol, Ukrainian Former Prime Minister (born 1928)^[56]
• 2020 – Arthur Ashkin, American scientist and Nobel laureate (born 1922)^[57]
• 2021 – Willie Garson, American actor (born 1964)^[58]
• 2022 – Raju Srivastav, Indian comedian, actor and politician (born 1963)^[59]
• 2023 – Walewska Oliveira, Brazilian volleyball player and Olympic champion (born 1979)^[60]
• 2024 – Raquel Blandón, Guatemalan lawyer and activist, First Lady of Guatemala (born 1943)^[61]
• 2024 – Benny Golson, American saxophonist and composer (born 1929)^[62]
• 2024 – Eddie Low, New Zealand country singer and musician (born 1943)^[63]
• 2024 – Mercury Morris, American football player (born 1947)^[64]

• Autumnal equinox observances in the Northern Hemisphere, vernal equinox observances in the Southern Hemisphere (see September 22):
  • Spring Day (Argentina)
• Christian feast day:
  • Cadoc^[65]
  • Ephigenia of Ethiopia
  • Laurent-Joseph-Marius Imbert (one of the Korean Martyrs)^[65]
  • Matthew the Evangelist (Western Church)^[65]
  • Maura of Troyes^[65]
  • Nativity of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Church, Julian calendar)
  • September 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Arbor Day (Brazil)
• Commemoration of the Declaration of Martial Law (Philippines)
• Customs Service Day (Poland)
• Founder's Day and National Volunteer Day (Ghana)
• Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Armenia from the Soviet Union in 1991.
• Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Belize from the United Kingdom in 1981.
• Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Malta from the United Kingdom in 1964.
• International Day of Peace (International)^[66]
• Student's Day (Bolivia)
• Victory over the Golden Horde in the Battle of Kulikovo (Russia)