Birthdays
Reverdy Johnson
Turns 65 on this date
Dabney Herndon Maury
Turns 39 on this date
Andrew Parker
Turns 56 on this date
Mosby Monroe Parsons
Turns 39 on this date
Mary Virginia Wade
Turns 18 on this date
Events
| Lawmaking/Litigating | In Montgomery, Alabama, the special session session of the Confederate States Congress ends | 05/21/1861 |
| Religion/Philosophy | The Presbyterian General Assembly is meeting in Philadelphia and its decisions will split the Church |
05/16/1861 to 06/01/1861 |
| Battles/Soldiers | Union soldiers publish their own newspaper in the field | 05/21/1861 |
Documents
| Newspaper | Cleveland (OH) Herald, “What Is Meant By ‘Armed Neutrality,’” May 21, 1861 | 05/21/1861 |