|
What happened in history on this day: August 16?
On August 16 in ...
- 1257 - King Henry III of England commands the public to accept a new 20-pence gold coin, about 3 grams of pure gold.
- 1419 - Death of Wenceslas in Prague (born in Nürnberg, Germany); German King, King of Bohemia and King of the Romans.
- 1626 - Danish forces and allies are soundly defeated at Lutter-am-Barenberg near Wolfenbüttel, by an army of the Catholic League under Czech leader Wallenstein.
- 1743 - Earliest boxing code of rules formulated in England (Jack Broughton).
- 1777 - Americans defeat British in Battle of Bennington, Vermont.
- 1780 - British decisively defeat Americans in Battle of Camden, South Carolina.
- 1790 - Death of David A. Brearley in Trenton, New Jersey, USA; signed the U.S Constitution on behalf of New Jersey, chief justice of New Jersey (1779-89), first federal district judge for the US District Court for New Jersey.
- 1812 - (to August 18) Battle of Smolensk, 50,000 troops of Napoleon's Grand Army versus 60,000 Russians. Much of the city is set ablaze, as the Russian troops withdraw.
- 1812 - US General William Hull surrenders Detroit and Michigan territory to a smaller force under British Major General Isaac Brock and Shawnee allies.
- 1819 - Manchester Massacre; English police charge unemployed demonstrators.
- 1843 - Opening of Kursaal casino in Homburg. Operators François and Louis Blanc run roulette with one zero instead of two, and also with improved players' odds at trente-et-quarante.
- 1860 - Birth of Jules Laforgue in Uruguay; French poet (Les Complaintes).
- 1861 - US President Abraham Lincoln prohibits USA states from trading with Confederate states.
- 1862 - Birth of Amos Alonzo Stagg; football pioneer, inventor (tackling dummy).
- 1863 - Birth of Gabriel Pierné in Metz, France; composer (Edith).
- 1863 - Emancipation Proclamation signed.
- 1868 - Birth of Bernard MacFadden; publisher (Physical Culture, True Romances).
- 1870 - Fred Goldsmith demonstrates that curve ball thrown in baseball isn't an optical illusion.
- 1884 - Birth of Hugo Gernsback; sci-fi writer (1960 Hugo).
- 1890 - Alexander Clark, journalist/lawyer, is named US minister to Liberia.
- 1892 - Birth of Harold Foster; cartoonist (created Prince Valiant).
- 1894 - Birth of George Meany in New York City, New York, USA; labor leader (headed AFL-CIO).
- 1895 - Birth of Lucien Littlefield in San Antonio, Texas, USA; actor (Mr Beasley - Blondie).
- 1898 - Roller coaster patented.
- 1899 - Birth of Glenn Strange in Weed, New Mexico, USA; actor (Sam the Bartender - Gunsmoke).
- 1902 - Birth of Georgette Heyer in England; novelist (Friday's Child).
- 1904 - Birth of Wendell Stanley; biochemist, first to crystallize a virus (Nobel Prize 1946).
- 1906 - Birth of Franz Josef II; prince of Liechtenstein (1938-).
- 1910 - Birth of Mae Clarke in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; actress (Frankenstein, Nana, Parole Girl).
- 1913 - Birth of Menachem Begin; Israeli Prime Minister (1977-83, Nobel Prize 1978).
- 1914 - Birth of Tullio Pandolfini in Italy; water polo (Olympic-gold-1948).
- 1915 - Birth of Al Hibbler in Tyro, Mississippi, USA; singer (Duke Ellington Orchestra, solo - "Unchained Melody", "He", "After the Lights go Down Low").
- 1917 - Birth of Roque Cordero in Panama; composer (Sonata Breve).
- 1920 - Norman Lockyer, editor of NATURE, discoverer of helium in Sun, dies.
- 1920 - Ray Chapman, of the Cleveland Indians, is hit in the head by New York Yankees' Carl Mays' pitch.
- 1921 - Regent Alexander becomes King of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes on the death of his father.
- 1924 - Birth of Fess Parker in Fort Worth, Texas, USA; actor (Davy Crockett, Old Yeller, Daniel Boone).
- 1928 - Birth of Eydie Gormé in Bronx, New York, USA; singer (The Tonight Show, Bossa Nova).
- 1928 - Birth of Ann Blyth in Mount Kisko, New York, USA; actress (Kismet, Mildred Pierce).
- 1930 - Birth of Frank Gifford in California, USA; NFL halfback (New York Giants), sportscaster (ABC's Monday Night Football).
- 1930 - Birth of Robert Culp in Berkley, California, USA; actor (I Spy, Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice, Greatest Americn Hero, Everybody Loves Raymond).
- 1930 - Birth of Ted Hughes in England; poet laureate (1984-).
- 1930 - Birth of Tony Trabert; tennis pro (1955 Wimbledon).
- 1931 - Birth of Betsy Von Fürstenberg in Germany; stage actress (Gingerbread Lady).
- 1933 - Birth of Julie Newmar; actress (Batman).
- 1933 - Birth of Stuart A "Smokey" Roosa in Durango, Colorado, USA; Colonel US Air Force/astronaut (Apollo 14).
- 1934 - Birth of John Standing in London, England; actor (Edward - Lime Street).
- 1934 - US explorer William Beebe descends 3,028 feet (1922 m) in Bathysphere.
- 1935 - Birth of Julie Newmar in Hollywood, California, USA; actress (Catwoman - Batman, Living Doll).
- 1936 - Games of the XI Olympiad close in Berlin.
- 1936 - Birth of Anita Gillette in Baltimore, Maryland, USA; actress (Quincy M.E., Marathon, Moonstruck, Normal Ohio).
- 1936 - Birth of Gary Clarke in Los Angeles, California, USA; actor (Hondo, The Virginian, Michael Shayne).
- 1938 - Birth of András Balczó in Hungary; pentathlete (Olympic-gold-1972).
- 1938 - Birth of Ketty Lester in Hope, Arkansas, USA; actress (Hester - Little House on the Prairie).
- 1939 - Captain Bertrand of the French Signals Intelligence gives to a British Secret Service Liaison officer a Polish-built copy of the German Enigma coding machine, and much related material.
- 1939 - Baron von Weizsaecker, State Secretary in the German Foreign Office, tells Sir Nevile Henderson, British Ambassador to Berlin, that Russia would give negligible help to Poland, and would join in sharing the spoils.
- 1939 - Birth of Carol Shelly in London, England; actress (Gwendolyn Pidgeon - The Odd Couple, One Life to Live, Another World).
- 1939 - Birth of Valeri V Ryumin; cosmonaut (Soyuz 25, 32).
- 1939 - World's first undersea post office opened, in the Bahamas.
- 1943 - Sicily is conquered by Allied forces.
- 1945 - Birth of Kevin Ayers in England; progressive rocker ("Joy of a Toy").
- 1945 - Birth of Robert Balaban in Chicago, Illinois, USA; actor (Absence of Malice, Altered States, Seinfeld).
- 1945 - Birth of Suzanne Farrell in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; dancer (Don Quioxote).
- 1946 - Birth of Lesley Ann Warren in New York City, New York, USA; actress (Cinderella, Mission Impossible, In Plain Sight). (Cinderella, Mission Impossible).
- 1947 - Birth of John Howard (US); speed record (152.284 mph at Bonneville Flats, Utah).
- 1948 - Death of George Herman "Babe" Ruth of throat cancer at age 53 in New York City; baseball player (Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, record 714 home runs).
- 1948 - The Israeli pound becomes the legal tender of the new country.
- 1949 - Birth of Scott Asheton; drummer (Iggy Pop And The Stooges, "Raw Power" album (1973)).
- 1950 - Birth of Joey Spampinato; bassist (NRBQ).
- 1952 - Birth of Gianna Rolandi in New York City, New York, USA; soprano (Der Rosenkavalier).
- 1952 - Birth of Reginald Veljohnson; actor (Carl Winslow - Family Matters, Die Hard).
- 1953 - Birth of Catlin O'Heaney in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, USA; actress (Snow White - Charmings).
- 1953 - Birth of James Taylor; rocker (Kool and The Gang - "Joanna").
- 1953 - Birth of Kathie Lee Gifford in Paris, Florida, USA; hostess (Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, Today).
- 1953 - Birth of Nick Leyva; baseball manager (Philadelphia Phillies 1988-91).
- 1954 - Birth of James Cameron in Ontario, Canada; director (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Dark Angel).
- 1954 - Time Incorporated publishes the first issue of Sports Illustrated.
- 1955 - Fiat Motors orders first private atomic reactor.
- 1956 - Adlai E Stevenson nominated as Democratic US presidential candidate.
- 1957 - Birth of Tim Farriss; guitarist (INXS - "Kiss the Dirt").
- 1958 - Birth of Jonathan Prince in Beverly Hills, Pennsylvania, USA; actor (Danny - "Alice").
- 1958 - Birth of Angela Bassett; actress (ER), host (Independent Lens).
- 1958 - Birth of Madonna (Ciccone) in Bay City, Michigan, USA; singer/actress ("Like a Virgin").
- 1959 - Birth of Laura Innes; actress (ER).
- 1959 - USSR introduces installment buying.
- 1960 - Birth of Timothy Hutton; actor (Turk 182, Ordinary People, Leverage, Kidnapped).
- 1960 - Britain grants independence to crown colony of Cyprus.
- 1960 - Joseph Kittinger parachutes from balloon at 31,330m (84,700 feet).
- 1960 - Republic of the Congo forms.
- 1963 - Birth of Steve Carell; actor (The Office).
- 1963 - Independence is restored to Dominican Republic.
- 1964 - Birth of Jimmy Arias in Buffalo, New York, USA; tennis player (US Davis Cup team).
- 1965 - AFL awards its first expansion franchise (Miami Dolphins).
- 1972 - Birth of Emily Robison; country singer (The Dixie Chicks).
- 1972 - Birth of George Stroumboulopoulos in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; TV host (The Hour).
- 1975 - Birth of George Stults; actor (Seventh Heaven).
- 1975 - The CBS TV network begins airing the The Dick Cavett Show 60-minute discussion/variety TV show in the USA.
- 1976 - Saint Louis Cardinals beat San Diego Chargers 20-10 in Tokyo (NFL expo).
- 1976 - In Mindanao, Philippines, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake occurs. A tsunami generated in the Moro Gulf kills 5,000 to 8,000 people.
- 1977 - Death of Elvis Presley at age 42 of heart ailment at Graceland, in Memphis, Tennesee, USA; singer/actor ("Don't Be Cruel", "Hound Dog").
- 1977 - New York Yankees blow 9-4 lead in 9th but beat Chicago 11-10 in bottom of 9th.
- 1979 - Death of John Diefenbaker, Canadian Prime Minister (born 1895).
- 1981 - Highest score in World Cup soccer match (New Zealand-13, Fiji-0).
- 1982 - Birth of Cam Gigandet; actor (The O.C.).
- 1984 - John De Lorean is acquitted of all eight charges of possessing and distributing cocaine.
- 1984 - Largest harness racing purse (US$2,161,000 - Nihilator wins US$1,080,500).
- 1984 - NASA launches Ampte.
- 1986 - Birth of Shawn Pyfrom; actor (Desperate Housewives).
- 1986 - Madonna's "True Blue" album goes #1 for five weeks and her single "Papa Don't Preach," goes #1 for two weeks.
- 1987 - Northwest Airlines Flight 255 (a McDonnell Douglas MD-82) crashes on takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, Michigan, killing 155 people on-board. Second worst airline disaster in US history.
- 1987 - New York Mets beat Chicago Cubs, 23-9.
- 1988 - Jailed South African nationalist Nelson Mandela struck with tuberculosis.
- 1989 - Amanda Blake, American actress (Gunsmoke), dies at age 60 (born 1929).
- 1989 - Roger Kingdom of USA sets the 110m hurdle record (12.92) in Zurich, Switzerland.
- 1990 - Iraq orders 4000 Britons and 2500 Americans in Kuwait to Iraq.
- 1991 - Shamu the Whale dies at age 16, from respiratory failure.
- 1991 - Stuart Karl, CEO (Karl Home Video), dies at age 38 of skin cancer.
- 1998 - Silk-Miller police murders: Australian police officers are murdered in Moorabbin, Victoria.
- 2002 - The Major League Players' Association announces a voting result of 57-0 to set an August 30 strike date.
- 2002 - At the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, in Monterey, California, the 29th Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races are held, over three days. Corvette is the honored marque. Over sixty historic Corvettes are on display and participate in racing, including: Corvette SR-2, Corvette SS, 1959 Sting Ray, CERV-I, Daytona-winning Corvette C5-R, Mako Shark, Aerovette, Grand Sport, 1953 Corvette #2 (EX-122), and plenty of early race Corvettes.
- 2003 - The 2003 Okanagan Mountain Park Fire spreads quickly on the outskirts of Kelowna, British Columbia, threatening to engulf the largest town in B.C.'s interior.
- 2003 - Death of Idi Amin, Ugandan dictator (born 1924).
- 2004 - Severe flooding occurs in the village of Boscastle in Cornwall, England.
- 2005 - West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 crashes into a mountain in Venezuela, killing 152 passengers.
- 2005 - The XX World Youth Day begins in Cologne, Germany.
- 2006 - Home plate umpire Bruce Froemming is honored during an on-field ceremony at Fenway Park for working his 5000th major league game of his 36-year career, second only to Bill Klem who arbitrated 5,374 games from 1905-40.
- 2006 - Death of Alfredo Stroessner, President of Paraguay (born 1912).
- 2007 - The Crandall Canyon Mine in Emery County, Utah, collapses a second time, killing three rescue workers and injuring six more.
- 2007 - José Padilla is convicted in the USA of conspiracy to murder individuals overseas, conspiracy to materially aid terrorists, and materially aiding terrorists in fact. Padilla had first been arrested in May 2002.
- 2008 - At the Beijing Olympics, Jamaica's Usain Bolt wins the men's 100 metres in world record time of 9.69 seconds. American Michael Phelps equals Mark Spitz's 36-year record of winning seven golds in one Olympic games, winning the 100m butterfly. Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry, wins the women's 200 backstroke, in a world record time. Britain's Rebecca Adlington also breaks a world record to take gold in the women's 800 freestyle.
- 2008 - Russia signs a French-brokered peace plan with Georgia, ending their nine-day-old conflict.
- 2009 - In Brno, Czech Republic, round 11 of the FIM MotoGP Championship is won by Valentino Rossi.
- 2009 - At the Athletics World Championships in Berlin, Germany, Usain Bolt of Jamaica sets a new world record in the 100m dash with a time of 9.58 seconds.
- 2010 - A Boeing 737 jetliner with 131 passengers aboard crashes on landing and breaks into three pieces at a Colombian airport on San Andres Island, killing only one person. The plane may have been hit by lightning just before crashing.
- 2011 - Death of Andrej Bajuk, 3rd Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia (born 1943).
- 2012 - Liechtenstein Post AG, at the LIBA 2012 Stamp Exhibition, produces a postage stamp in record time of 57 minutes and 50 seconds, verified by Guiness World Records.
- 2023 - Death of Jerry Moss at age 88 at home in Los Angeles, California; music executive (co-founded A&M Records).
|
|
vvv advertisement vvv
^^^ advertisement ^^^
You can pick a particular day to view that day's events in history.
Bookmark this URL: http://kpolsson.com/thisday/ and revisit each day.
(this URL will automatically re-direct to the file containing the current day's events)
Or, visit my Timelines of History page.
|