Past year · United States
A year of democratic strain, mass vaccination, an Afghanistan exit and ambitious space missions
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Free printable 2021 calendars: the Year PDF fits all twelve months on one US Letter page, and the Monthly PDF gives each month its own page with holidays written in the day boxes. Both are landscape and print well on A4 with "fit to page".
2021 had 11 federal holidays plus Inauguration Day on January 20 for federal workers around Washington, DC. The list below also includes 30 widely observed religious, cultural and civic dates, the start of each season and the daylight saving time changes. Federal holidays are shaded red on the calendar.
Observed dates in 2021: Juneteenth fell on a Saturday, so the federal day off was Friday, June 18, 2021. Independence Day fell on a Sunday, so the federal day off was Monday, July 5, 2021. Christmas Day fell on a Saturday, so the federal day off was Friday, December 24, 2021. New Year's Day 2022 lands on a Saturday, so it was observed on Friday, December 31, 2021.
| Date | Holiday or observance | Type |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| 1 Fri | New Year's Day | Federal holiday |
| 18 Mon | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Federal holiday |
| 20 Wed | Inauguration Day Holiday for federal employees in the Washington, DC area only. | Federal holiday |
| February | ||
| 2 Tue | Groundhog Day | Observance |
| 12 Fri | Lunar New Year | Cultural |
| 14 Sun | Valentine's Day | Observance |
| 15 Mon | Presidents' Day The official federal name is Washington's Birthday. | Federal holiday |
| 16 Tue | Mardi Gras | Cultural |
| 17 Wed | Ash Wednesday | Religious |
| March | ||
| 14 Sun | Daylight Saving Time begins Clocks move forward one hour at 2:00 a.m. local time (except Arizona and Hawaii). | Clock change |
| 17 Wed | St. Patrick's Day | Observance |
| 20 Sat | March Equinox (Spring begins) At 5:37 a.m. ET. | Season |
| 28 Sun | Passover (first day) Begins at sundown on Saturday, March 27, 2021. | Religious |
| April | ||
| 1 Thu | April Fools' Day | Observance |
| 2 Fri | Good Friday | Religious |
| 4 Sun | Easter Sunday | Religious |
| 13 Tue | Ramadan begins Date follows the Umm al-Qura calculation. Many US communities rely on moon sighting, so the day observed can differ by one day. | Religious |
| 22 Thu | Earth Day | Observance |
| May | ||
| 5 Wed | Cinco de Mayo | Cultural |
| 9 Sun | Mother's Day | Observance |
| 13 Thu | Eid al-Fitr Date follows the Umm al-Qura calculation. Many US communities rely on moon sighting, so the day observed can differ by one day. | Religious |
| 31 Mon | Memorial Day | Federal holiday |
| June | ||
| 14 Mon | Flag Day | Observance |
| 18 Fri | Juneteenth (observed) Juneteenth fell on a Saturday, so federal employees had Friday, June 18, 2021 off. | Federal holiday |
| 19 Sat | Juneteenth · observed Jun 18 | Federal holiday |
| 20 Sun | Father's Day | Observance |
| 20 Sun | June Solstice (Summer begins) At 11:31 p.m. ET. | Season |
| July | ||
| 4 Sun | Independence Day · observed Jul 5 | Federal holiday |
| 5 Mon | Independence Day (observed) Independence Day fell on a Sunday, so federal employees had Monday, July 5, 2021 off. | Federal holiday |
| 20 Tue | Eid al-Adha Date follows the Umm al-Qura calculation. Many US communities rely on moon sighting, so the day observed can differ by one day. | Religious |
| September | ||
| 6 Mon | Labor Day | Federal holiday |
| 7 Tue | Rosh Hashanah Begins at sundown on Monday, September 6, 2021. | Religious |
| 11 Sat | Patriot Day | Observance |
| 12 Sun | National Grandparents Day | Observance |
| 16 Thu | Yom Kippur Begins at sundown on Wednesday, September 15, 2021. | Religious |
| 22 Wed | September Equinox (Fall begins) At 3:20 p.m. ET. | Season |
| October | ||
| 11 Mon | Columbus Day Many states and cities observe Indigenous Peoples' Day on this date. | Federal holiday |
| 31 Sun | Halloween | Observance |
| November | ||
| 7 Sun | Daylight Saving Time ends Clocks move back one hour at 2:00 a.m. local time. | Clock change |
| 11 Thu | Veterans Day | Federal holiday |
| 25 Thu | Thanksgiving Day | Federal holiday |
| 26 Fri | Black Friday | Observance |
| 29 Mon | Hanukkah (first day) Begins at sundown on Sunday, November 28, 2021. | Religious |
| December | ||
| 21 Tue | December Solstice (Winter begins) At 10:59 a.m. ET. | Season |
| 24 Fri | Christmas Day (observed) Christmas Day fell on a Saturday, so federal employees had Friday, December 24, 2021 off. | Federal holiday |
| 24 Fri | Christmas Eve | Observance |
| 25 Sat | Christmas Day · observed Dec 24 | Federal holiday |
| 26 Sun | Kwanzaa begins | Cultural |
| 31 Fri | New Year's Day (observed) New Year's Day 2022 fell on a Saturday, so federal employees had Friday, December 31, 2021 off. | Federal holiday |
| 31 Fri | New Year's Eve | Observance |
History
The year opened with an attack on the US Capitol as Congress met to count electoral votes. Lawmakers returned that night and confirmed Joe Biden's victory; he was inaugurated on January 20 with Kamala Harris as the first woman, Black American and Asian American vice president. Congress passed the American Rescue Plan in March and a bipartisan infrastructure law in November. It also made Juneteenth a federal holiday, the first addition to the federal calendar since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established in 1983.
COVID-19 vaccines became widely available to US adults by April and sharply reduced the risk of severe illness for vaccinated people. The Delta variant then drove a summer and autumn wave, followed late in the year by the more transmissible Omicron variant. Schools, employers and governments argued over masks and vaccine requirements while deaths continued, especially among older adults and communities with lower vaccination rates.
The United States completed its military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August after the Taliban rapidly captured the country. A chaotic evacuation moved more than 123,000 people from Kabul, but an Islamic State attack killed Afghan civilians and 13 US service members. In science, NASA's Perseverance rover landed on Mars and deployed the Ingenuity helicopter, which made the first powered flight on another planet. On Christmas Day, the James Webb Space Telescope began its journey toward a distant solar orbit.
Supporters of President Trump breached the Capitol as Congress met to certify the 2020 election. Lawmakers evacuated, police fought attackers, and the joint session resumed that night after the building was secured.
Read the full storyBiden was inaugurated as the 46th president at a heavily secured Capitol. Harris became the first woman, first Black American and first Asian American to serve as vice president.
Perseverance survived atmospheric entry and a sky-crane descent to Jezero Crater. The rover began searching for signs of ancient habitable environments and caching rock samples for possible return to Earth.
Read the full storyPresident Biden signed a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief law providing direct payments, expanded child tax credits, unemployment support, vaccine funding and aid to state and local governments.
Every state and territory had made people age 16 or older eligible for COVID-19 vaccination by April 19. Availability expanded during the spring even as uptake varied significantly by age and community.
President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act after overwhelming congressional approval. The law designated June 19, commemorating the end of slavery in Texas, as the twelfth federal holiday.
Read the full storyThe Summer Olympics opened one year late under strict COVID-19 rules and largely without spectators. The United States led the final medal table with 113 total medals and 39 golds.
The last US military aircraft departed Kabul, ending the evacuation and nearly twenty years of American military operations. More than 123,000 people had been flown out since mid-August.
Read the full storyTexas Senate Bill 8 prohibited most abortions after detection of embryonic cardiac activity and used private civil lawsuits for enforcement. The Supreme Court initially declined to block the law on procedural grounds.
A crowd surge during Travis Scott's performance at Houston's Astroworld Festival compressed concertgoers near the stage. Ten people ages 9 to 27 died from compression asphyxia, and hundreds reported injuries.
President Biden signed a law authorizing major spending on transportation, broadband, water systems, energy and environmental cleanup. Nineteen Republican senators and thirteen House Republicans supported final passage.
An Ariane 5 rocket launched the NASA-led observatory from French Guiana. Webb began a month-long journey toward the Sun–Earth L2 region and a complex sequence of deployments.
Read the full storyGold dots on the calendar above mark these dates. Articles are researched from primary and authoritative sources listed on each page.
At a glance
Quick facts about 2021 — from key dates and calendar statistics to major events and achievements.
Important dates in 2021
Metal Ox
Notable winners and milestones in 2021
How many of each weekday 2021 had.
How many of each weekday 2021 had. A common year has 52 of every weekday plus one extra—the weekday it starts on; a leap year gets two extras.
Sky calendar
All times are US Eastern Time, calculated with standard astronomical algorithms (Meeus). Dates can differ by a day in other time zones.
Saturday, March 20, 2021
5:37 a.m. ET
Sunday, June 20, 2021
11:31 p.m. ET
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
3:20 p.m. ET
Tuesday, December 21, 2021
10:59 a.m. ET
Sunday, March 14, 2021. Clocks move forward one hour at 2:00 a.m. local time (except Arizona and Hawaii).
Clock changeSunday, November 7, 2021. Clocks move back one hour at 2:00 a.m. local time.
| Month | New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13 12:00 a.m. | 20 4:01 p.m. | 28 2:16 p.m. | 6 4:37 a.m. |
| February | 11 2:05 p.m. | 19 1:47 p.m. | 27 3:17 a.m. | 4 12:37 p.m. |
| March | 13 5:21 a.m. | 21 10:40 a.m. | 28 2:47 p.m. | 5 8:30 p.m. |
| April | 11 10:30 p.m. | 20 2:59 a.m. | 26 11:31 p.m. | 4 6:02 a.m. |
| May | 11 2:59 p.m. | 19 3:12 p.m. | 26 7:13 a.m. | 3 3:50 p.m. |
| June | 10 6:52 a.m. | 17 11:53 p.m. | 24 2:39 p.m. | 2 3:23 a.m. |
| July | 9 9:16 p.m. | 17 6:10 a.m. | 23 10:36 p.m. | 1 5:10 p.m. 31 9:16 a.m. |
| August | 8 9:50 a.m. | 15 11:20 a.m. | 22 8:01 a.m. | 30 3:13 a.m. |
| September | 6 8:51 p.m. | 13 4:39 p.m. | 20 7:54 p.m. | 28 9:57 p.m. |
| October | 6 7:05 a.m. | 12 11:25 p.m. | 20 10:56 a.m. | 28 4:04 p.m. |
| November | 4 5:14 p.m. | 11 7:45 a.m. | 19 3:57 a.m. | 27 7:26 a.m. |
| December | 4 2:43 a.m. | 10 8:35 p.m. | 18 11:35 p.m. | 26 9:23 p.m. |
Reuse your calendar
Every year that starts on a Friday and is a common (non-leap) year has exactly the same dates and weekdays as 2021. That means a printed 2021 calendar works again in 2027, 2038, 2049.Holidays tied to the moon, such as Easter, will still move.
Why calendars repeatFAQ
2021 started on a Friday (January 1, 2021) and ended on a Friday (December 31, 2021). It had 365 days, 52 ISO weeks and 249 working days once federal holidays are excluded.
No. 2021 was a common year with 365 days, so February had 28 days. The nearest leap years were 2020 and 2024. See leap years explained.
1999, 2010, 2027, 2038, 2049 share the exact same calendar as 2021: they start on a Friday and are common years. A 2021 calendar can be reused in 2027, 2038, 2049. Use the same calendar year finder for any other year.
Thanksgiving Day 2021 was on Thursday, November 25, 2021. Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday in November, so it can fall between November 22 and November 28. Read more about Thanksgiving.
Easter Sunday 2021 was on Sunday, April 4, 2021, with Good Friday on Friday, April 2, 2021. Western Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25. See how the date of Easter is calculated.
2021 is the Year of the Metal Ox, which began with Lunar New Year on Friday, February 12, 2021. Anyone born between January 1 and February 11, 2021 belongs to the previous zodiac year, the Metal Rat.
Donald Trump served until January 20, 2021, when Joe Biden (Democratic) was inaugurated as the 46th president, with Kamala Harris as vice president.
There were 11 federal holidays in 2021, plus Inauguration Day for federal workers in the Washington, DC area. When a holiday lands on a Saturday, federal employees get the Friday before off; a Sunday holiday moves to Monday. See how federal holidays work.