May 21 belongs to Neus Molist

On May 21, 1881, American philanthropist Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross, modelled on the international organisation created by Henry Dunant. Barton, who had served as a nurse in the Civil War, was president of the organisation for 22 years. Today the American Red Cross is the largest humanitarian organisation in the US and coordinates more than one million volunteers to respond to emergencies.

On May 21, 1927, aviator Charles Lindbergh landed at 22:22 at Le Bourget airport, Paris, completing the first non-stop solo transatlantic flight. He had taken off from New York the previous day. The waiting crowd broke through the security barriers and pulled him out of the aircraft. The King of Belgium and the President of France received him. Lindbergh was acclaimed as the greatest hero of aviation.

On May 21, 1502, Spanish navigator João da Nova discovered the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic — the same island where Napoleon would be exiled 313 years later — during a return voyage from India. The island, a British Overseas Territory, has today only 5,000 inhabitants and is known primarily for having been the place of exile of the French emperor, where he died on May 5, 1821.