January 21, 1968

1968Artur Dmitriev, Russian ice skater^[†]

Artur Valeryevich Dmitriev is a Russian former pair skater who competed internationally for the Soviet Union, the Unified Team, and Russia. He is a two-time Olympic champion, having won gold with Natalia Mishkutionok in 1992 and with Oksana Kazakova in 1998. He and Mishkutionok also won Olympic silver in 1994. Dmitriev is the only male pair skater to win the Olympics with two different partners.

1968Dmitry Fomin, Russian volleyball player^[†]

Dmitry Fomin or Dmitri Fomine is a Russian former volleyball player. He was part of the Soviet Union men's national volleyball team that won the bronze medal at the 1990 FIVB World Championship in Brazil. He was part of the Unified Team at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and the Russian team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

1968Sébastien Lifshitz, French director^[†]

Sébastien Lifshitz is a French screenwriter and director. He teaches at La Fémis, a school that focuses on the subject of image and sound. He studied at the École du Louvre, and has a bachelor's degree from the University of Paris in history of art.

1968Steven Marshall, Australian politician, 46th Premier of South Australia^[†]

Steven Spence Marshall is a former Australian politician who served as the 46th premier of South Australia between 2018 and 2022. He was a member of the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia in the South Australian House of Assembly from 2010 until 2024, representing the electorate of Dunstan.

1968Charlotte Ross, American actress^[†]

Charlotte Ross is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Eve Donovan on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives from 1987 to 1991, and as Detective Connie McDowell on the ABC police procedural drama series NYPD Blue from 2001 to 2004.

1968Ilya Smirin, Israeli chess Grandmaster^[†]

Ilya Smirin is a Belarusian-Israeli chess player. He was awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE in 1990. Champion of Israel in 1992, 2002 and 2023.

1968Vietnam War, Battle of Khe Sanh: One of the most publicized and controversial battles of the war begins.^[†]

The Vietnam War was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam and their allies. North Vietnam was supported by the Soviet Union and China, while South Vietnam was supported by the United States and other anti-communist nations. The conflict was the second of the Indochina wars and a proxy war of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and US. The Vietnam War was one of the postcolonial wars of national liberation, a theater in the Cold War, and a civil war, with civil warfare a defining feature from the outset. Direct US military involvement escalated from 1965 until its withdrawal in 1973. The fighting spilled into the Laotian and Cambodian Civil Wars, which ended with all three countries becoming communist in 1975.

1968A B-52 bomber crashes near Thule Air Base, contaminating the area after its nuclear payload ruptures. One of the four bombs remains unaccounted for after the cleanup operation is complete.^[†]

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) since 1955 and was flown by NASA from 1959 to 2007. The bomber can carry up to 70,000 pounds (32,000 kg) of weapons and has a typical combat range of around 8,800 miles (14,200 km) without aerial refueling.