1571: Following the Ottoman conquest of Cyprus, Sultan Selim II issues a firman concerning the settlement of the island. The decree includes instructions relating to the inhabitants of Famagusta and their relocation outside the fortified city.
1571: The heads of Astorre Baglione, Lodovico Martinengo and Marcantonio Bragadin, following their public display for three days, are taken to Famagusta on 21 September.
1871: Meletios IV Metaxakis, who would serve as Bishop of Kition and later become Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, is born.
1893: The weekly newspaper Neon Ethnos begins publication in Larnaca. Kleovoulos N. Mesolongitis serves as its director and editor-in-chief.
1913: The newspaper Aion begins circulation as a daily in Paphos. Teacher and philologist Nikos Th. Antoniadis serves as its director and editor.
1953: Greek diplomat Alexis Kyrou, addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, raises the issue of the union of Cyprus with Greece. In his speech, he also refers favourably to the British as a people with a tradition of humanitarianism and philhellenism.
1956: EOKA fighters Stelios Mavrommatis, Andreas Panagides and Michalis Koutsouftas are executed by the British colonial authorities. The three are subsequently buried in the Imprisoned Graves in Nicosia.
1958: Michail Nicolaou, a fighter in the EOKA struggle, dies.
1981: The sports newspaper Athlitiko Vima begins circulation in Nicosia as a weekly publication.
2015: Former Defence Minister Costas Papacostas dies.
International Observances
International Day of Peace: Established by the United Nations in 1981, the day is observed annually on 21 September and promotes the ideals of peace among nations and peoples.
World Alzheimer’s Day: Observed every year on 21 September, the day seeks to raise public awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and encourage greater action and understanding around dementia.
European Cooperation Day: Marked annually on 21 September through events supported by the European Commission, highlighting cross-border and regional cooperation across Europe.
