Things That Happened on These Days of Palindromes Past Enter your number to get our free mobile app A palindrome, according to Webster’s Dictionary, is “a word, verse, or sentence (such as "Able was I ere I saw Elba") or a number (such as 1881) that reads the same backward or forward”. Today – 1/21/21 – is the last national palindrome day for 1,000 years! The next palindrome will take place on Jan. 21, 3021. To celebrate this momentous day, let’s take a look back at the historical events that happened in palindromes past. 10/02/2001 On this day in palindromes past, two exciting events happened in both the sports and entertainment industries. Sammy Sosa, who was a right fielder for the Chicago Cubs at the time, made history as the first major leaguer to score a total of 60 home runs in three seasons.