All times in UTC ·
Dashed edge = started before, or continues beyond, this day
Events on Friday 21 July 2023 6
1926 – 2023Tony Bennett (1926-2023)Died 21 July 2023, aged 96American singer whose career ran from the 1950s to duets with Lady Gaga, and who never abandoned the standards for passing fashion.
2023100th BirthdayCelebrated his 100th birthday, still active in research at Caltech. Described research as 'a wonderful way of life.'
2023Barbenheimer weekendBarbie and Oppenheimer open same dayBarbie and Oppenheimer both released on July 21, 2023, creating the "Barbenheimer" cultural phenomenon. Together they grossed over $2.4 billion worldwide, reviving cinema after the post-COVID slump.
2023Barbie#1 film of 2023 — $1.44bn worldwideDirected by Greta Gerwig, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. After a series of events in Barbieland, Barbie and Ken travel to the real world.
2023Barbie is released and passes a billion dollarsGreta Gerwig becomes the first solo woman director to do soBarbie opened on 21 July 2023 and went on to gross more than $1.4 billion, making Greta Gerwig the first woman to direct a billion-dollar film solo.
2023OppenheimerOscar Best Picture 2023 — $952m worldwideDirected by Christopher Nolan, starring Cillian Murphy. The story of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the development of the atomic bomb during World War II.