1. On February 21, 1862, Confederate forces under General Albert Sidney Johnston attacked Union troops under General Ulysses S. Grant in the Battle of Fort Donelson. The battle resulted in a Union victory and was a significant turning point in the Civil War.
2. Kentucky native William (Billy) A. Birdwell became the first person to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge on February 21, 1885. He survived the jump and was sentenced to 30 days in prison for disorderly conduct.
3. In 1913, Kentucky Governor James B. McCreary signed a bill making the bluegrass the official state flower of Kentucky on February 21, 1913.
4. On February 21, 1964, civil rights leader Malcolm X spoke at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. His speech, titled "The Ballot or the Bullet," addressed the need for African Americans to use their voting power to affect change.
5. Kentucky-born writer and activist bell hooks (Gloria Jean Watkins) was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky on February 21, 1952. She is known for her work on feminism, race, and class, and has authored over 30 books.