On This Day — December 16

🕰️ Notable Events on December 16

• 2014 — Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan militants attacked an Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing 145 people, mostly schoolchildren. Wikipedia ↗
• 2013 — A bus falls from an elevated highway in the Philippines capital Manila killing at least 18 people with 20 injured. Wikipedia ↗
• 1991 — Kazakhstan declares independence from the Soviet Union. Wikipedia ↗
• 1989 — Romanian Revolution: Protests break out in Timișoara, Romania, in response to an attempt by the government to evict dissident Hungarian pastor László Tőkés. Wikipedia ↗
• 1989 — U.S. Appeals Court Judge Robert Smith Vance is assassinated by a mail bomb sent by Walter Leroy Moody, Jr. Wikipedia ↗
• 1985 — Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti are shot dead on the orders of John Gotti, who assumes leadership of New York's Gambino crime family. Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Libya joins four other OPEC nations in raising crude oil prices, which has an immediate, dramatic effect on the United States. Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — Cleveland, Ohio becomes the first major American city to default on its financial obligations since the Great Depression. Wikipedia ↗
• 1971 — Bangladesh Liberation War and Indo-Pakistani War of 1971: The surrender of the Pakistan Army brings an end to both conflicts. This is commemorated annually as Victory Day in Bangladesh, and as Vijay Diwas in India. Wikipedia ↗
• 1971 — The United Kingdom recognizes Bahrain's independence, which is commemorated annually as Bahrain's National Day. Wikipedia ↗
• 1968 — Second Vatican Council: Official revocation of the Edict of Expulsion of Jews from Spain. Wikipedia ↗
• 1965 — Vietnam War: General William Westmoreland sends U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara a request for 243,000 more men by the end of 1966. Wikipedia ↗
• 1960 — A United Airlines Douglas DC-8 and a TWA Lockheed Super Constellation collide over Staten Island, New York and crash, killing all 128 people aboard both aircraft and six more on the ground. Wikipedia ↗
• 1950 — Korean War: U.S. President Harry S. Truman declares a state of emergency, after Chinese troops enter the fight in support of communist North Korea. Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — William Shockley, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain build the first practical point-contact transistor. Wikipedia ↗
• 1944 — World War II: The Battle of the Bulge begins with the surprise offensive of three German armies through the Ardennes forest. Wikipedia ↗
• 1942 — The Holocaust: Schutzstaffel chief Heinrich Himmler orders that Roma candidates for extermination be deported to Auschwitz. Wikipedia ↗
• 1941 — World War II: Japanese forces occupy Miri, Sarawak. Wikipedia ↗
• 1938 — Adolf Hitler institutes the Cross of Honour of the German Mother. Wikipedia ↗
• 1937 — Theodore Cole and Ralph Roe attempt to escape from the American federal prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay; neither is ever seen again. Wikipedia ↗
• 1930 — Bank robber Herman Lamm and members of his crew are killed by a 200-strong posse, following a botched bank robbery, in Clinton, Indiana. Wikipedia ↗
• 1922 — President of Poland Gabriel Narutowicz is assassinated by Eligiusz Niewiadomski at the Zachęta Gallery in Warsaw. Wikipedia ↗
• 1920 — The Haiyuan earthquake, magnitude 8.5, rocks the Gansu province in China, killing an estimated 200,000. Wikipedia ↗
• 1918 — Vincas Mickevičius-Kapsukas declares the formation of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic; it is dissolved in 1919. Wikipedia ↗
• 1914 — World War I: Admiral Franz von Hipper commands a raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby. Wikipedia ↗
• 1912 — First Balkan War: The Royal Hellenic Navy defeats the Ottoman Navy at the Battle of Elli. Wikipedia ↗
• 1907 — The American Great White Fleet begins its circumnavigation of the world. Wikipedia ↗
• 1903 — Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel in Bombay first opens its doors to guests. Wikipedia ↗
• 1883 — Tonkin Campaign: French forces capture the Sơn Tây citadel. Wikipedia ↗
• 1880 — Outbreak of the First Boer War between the Boer South African Republic and the British Empire. Wikipedia ↗
• 1864 — American Civil War: Battle of Nashville: Major General George Thomas's Union forces defeat Lieutenant General John Bell Hood's Confederate Army of Tennessee. Wikipedia ↗
• 1863 — American Civil War: Joseph E. Johnston replaces Braxton Bragg as commander of the Confederate Army of Tennessee. Wikipedia ↗
• 1850 — The Charlotte Jane and the Randolph bring the first of the Canterbury Pilgrims to Lyttelton, New Zealand. Wikipedia ↗
• 1838 — Great Trek: Battle of Blood River: Voortrekkers led by Andries Pretorius and Sarel Cilliers defeat Zulu impis, led by Dambuza (Nzobo) and Ndlela kaSompisi in what is today KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.[1] Wikipedia ↗
• 1826 — Benjamin W. Edwards rides into Mexican-controlled Nacogdoches, Texas, and declares himself ruler of the Republic of Fredonia. Wikipedia ↗
• 1811 — The first two in a series of four severe earthquakes occur in the vicinity of New Madrid, Missouri. Wikipedia ↗
• 1773 — American Revolution: Boston Tea Party: Members of the Sons of Liberty disguised as Mohawk Indians dump hundreds of crates of tea into Boston harbor as a protest against the Tea Act. Wikipedia ↗
• 1761 — Seven Years' War: After a four-month siege, the Russians under Pyotr Rumyantsev take the Prussian fortress of Kołobrzeg. Wikipedia ↗
• 1689 — Convention Parliament: The Declaration of Right is embodied in the Bill of Rights. Wikipedia ↗
• 1653 — English Interregnum: The Protectorate: Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland. Wikipedia ↗
• 1598 — Seven-Year War: Battle of Noryang: The final battle of the Seven-Year War is fought between the China and the Korean allied forces and Japanese navies, resulting in a decisive allied forces victory. Wikipedia ↗
• 1575 — An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 8.5 strikes Valdivia, Chile. Wikipedia ↗
• 1497 — Vasco da Gama passes the Great Fish River, where Bartolomeu Dias had previously turned back to Portugal. Wikipedia ↗
• 1431 — Hundred Years' War: Henry VI of England is crowned King of France at Notre Dame in Paris. Wikipedia ↗
• 755 — An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Yanjing, initiating the An Lushan Rebellion during the Tang dynasty of China. Wikipedia ↗
• 714 — Pepin of Herstal, mayor of the Merovingian palace, dies at Jupille (modern Belgium). He is succeeded by his infant grandson Theudoald while his wife Plectrude holds actual power in the Frankish Kingdom. Wikipedia ↗

🎂 Notable Births on December 16

• 1998 — Mira Antonitsch, Austrian tennis player Wikipedia ↗
• 1997 — Zara Larsson, Swedish singer and songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1994 — Elliot Lee, English footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1994 — Nicola Murru, Italian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1994 — José Rodríguez Martínez, Spanish footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1992 — Ulrikke Eikeri, Norwegian tennis player Wikipedia ↗
• 1992 — Anamul Haque, Bangladeshi cricketer Wikipedia ↗
• 1992 — Moe Miura, Japanese model, actress, and singer (9nine) Wikipedia ↗
• 1992 — Pietro Perdichizzi, Belgian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1992 — Tom Rogic, Australian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1989 — Mirei Kiritani, Japanese model, actress, and journalist Wikipedia ↗
• 1988 — Mats Hummels, German footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1988 — Anna Popplewell, English actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1987 — Mame Biram Diouf, Senegalese footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1987 — Beau Dowler, Australian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1987 — Hallee Hirsh, American actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Alcides Escobar, Venezuelan baseball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Zoltán Kovács, Hungarian footballer (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
• 1986 — Pärt Uusberg, Estonian actor, composer, and conductor Wikipedia ↗
• 1985 — Stanislav Manolev, Bulgarian footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1985 — James Nash, English race car driver Wikipedia ↗
• 1984 — Theo James, English actor Wikipedia ↗
• 1983 — Kelenna Azubuike, American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1983 — Frankie Ballard, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Anna Sedokova, Ukrainian singer, actress and television presenter Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Stanislav Šesták, Slovak footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1982 — Antrel Rolle, American football player Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Krysten Ritter, American actress, musician, and model Wikipedia ↗
• 1981 — Gareth Williams, Scottish footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1980 — Danish Kaneria, Pakistani cricketer Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Luke Harper, American wrestler Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Trevor Immelman, South African golfer Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Mihai Trăistariu, Romanian singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1979 — Jessie Ward, American wrestler and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — John Morris, Canadian curler and firefighter Wikipedia ↗
• 1978 — Gunter Van Handenhoven, Belgian footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1977 — Éric Bélanger, Canadian ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
• 1977 — Sylvain Distin, French footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1976 — Jen Golbeck, American computer scientist and academic Wikipedia ↗
• 1975 — Valentin Bădoi, Romanian footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1975 — Kaba Diawara, French-Guinean footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1975 — Benjamin Kowalewicz, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1975 — Paul Maynard, English politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1973 — Themba Mnguni, South African footballer Wikipedia ↗
• 1973 — Jason Molina, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
• 1973 — Scott Storch, American songwriter and producer, founded Storch Music Company Wikipedia ↗
• 1972 — Charles Gipson, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1972 — Paul Leyden, Australian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1972 — Travis Morrison, American singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1971 — Seyhan Kurt, French-Turkish poet and sociologist Wikipedia ↗
• 1971 — Michael McCary, American R&B singer Wikipedia ↗
• 1970 — Valerie Chow, Canadian-Hong Kong actress and publicist Wikipedia ↗
• 1969 — Simon Grayson, English footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1969 — Adam Riess, American astrophysicist, astronomer, and academic Nobel Prize laureate Wikipedia ↗
• 1969 — Michelle Smith, Irish swimmer Wikipedia ↗
• 1969 — Dmitri Tymoczko, American composer and theorist Wikipedia ↗
• 1969 — Craig White, English cricketer and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1968 — Wendy Doolan, Australian golfer Wikipedia ↗
• 1968 — Lalah Hathaway, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1968 — Greg Kovacs, Canadian bodybuilder (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
• 1967 — Donovan Bailey, Canadian sprinter and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
• 1967 — Indrek Kaseorg, Estonian decathlete Wikipedia ↗
• 1967 — Miranda Otto, Australian actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1966 — Paul McGinley, Irish golfer Wikipedia ↗
• 1966 — Clifford Robinson, American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
• 1966 — Dennis Wise, English footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1965 — Chris Jones, American baseball player and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1965 — Melanie Sloan, American lawyer and activist Wikipedia ↗
• 1964 — Heike Drechsler, German sprinter and long jumper Wikipedia ↗
• 1964 — John Kirwan, New Zealand rugby player and coach Wikipedia ↗
• 1964 — Georgie Parker, Australian actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1964 — Billy Ripken, American baseball player and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
• 1963 — Benjamin Bratt, American actor and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1963 — Cathy Johnston-Forbes, American golfer Wikipedia ↗
• 1963 — James Mangold, American director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1962 — Maruschka Detmers, Dutch-French actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1962 — William Perry, American football player and wrestler Wikipedia ↗
• 1961 — André Andersen, Russian-Danish keyboard player, songwriter, and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1961 — Shane Black, American actor, director, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1961 — Bill Hicks, American comedian and musician (d. 1994) Wikipedia ↗
• 1961 — LaChanze, American actress, singer, and dancer Wikipedia ↗
• 1961 — Jon Tenney, American actor and director Wikipedia ↗
• 1960 — Pat Van Den Hauwe, Belgian footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1959 — Alexander Lebedev, Russian businessman and politician Wikipedia ↗
• 1959 — Steve Mattsson, American author and illustrator Wikipedia ↗
• 1958 — Bart Oates, American football player and lawyer Wikipedia ↗
• 1957 — H. D. Kumaraswamy, Indian social worker and politician, 18th Chief Minister of Karnataka Wikipedia ↗
• 1957 — Antonio Vega, Spanish singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2009) Wikipedia ↗
• 1956 — Lizzy Mercier Descloux, French musician, singer-songwriter, composer, actress, writer and painter (d. 2004) Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — Xander Berkeley, American actor and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — Carol Browner, American lawyer and environmentalist, 8th Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este Wikipedia ↗
• 1955 — Chiharu Matsuyama, Japanese singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1953 — Rebecca Forstadt, American voice actress and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Joel Garner, Barbadian cricketer and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1952 — Francesco Graziani, Italian footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — Sally Emerson, English author and poet Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — Mike Flanagan, American baseball player, coach, and sportscaster (d. 2011) Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — Robben Ford, American guitarist and songwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — Mark Heard, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 1992) Wikipedia ↗
• 1951 — Aykut Barka, Turkish scientist (d. 2002) Wikipedia ↗
• 1950 — Claudia Cohen, American journalist (d. 2007) Wikipedia ↗
• 1950 — Roy Schuiten, Dutch cyclist and manager (d. 2006) Wikipedia ↗
• 1949 — Billy Gibbons, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1949 — Heather Hallett, English lawyer and judge Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — Ben Cross, English actor Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — Vincent Matthews, American sprinter Wikipedia ↗
• 1947 — Martyn Poliakoff, English chemist and academic Wikipedia ↗
• 1946 — Benny Andersson, Swedish singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1946 — Charles Dennis, Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1946 — Trevor Pinnock, English harpsichord player and conductor Wikipedia ↗
• 1946 — Tom Stern, American cinematographer Wikipedia ↗
• 1945 — Patti Deutsch, American actress and comedian (d. 2017) Wikipedia ↗
• 1945 — Tony Hicks, English singer and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
• 1944 — Jeff Kanew, American director and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1944 — Don Meyer, American basketball player and coach (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
• 1943 — Steven Bochco, American screenwriter and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1942 — Donald Carcieri, American educator and politician, 73rd Governor of Rhode Island Wikipedia ↗
• 1941 — Lesley Stahl, American journalist and actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1941 — Roger Neil Wheeler, English general Wikipedia ↗
• 1939 — Philip Langridge, English tenor (d. 2010) Wikipedia ↗
• 1939 — Gordon Miller, English high jumper Wikipedia ↗
• 1938 — Frank Deford, American journalist and author Wikipedia ↗
• 1938 — Liv Ullmann, Norwegian actress, director, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
• 1937 — Joyce Bulifant, American actress Wikipedia ↗
• 1937 — Edward Ruscha, American painter and photographer Wikipedia ↗
• 1936 — Morris Dees, American lawyer and activist, co-founded the Southern Poverty Law Center Wikipedia ↗
• 1932 — Quentin Blake, English author and illustrator Wikipedia ↗
• 1932 — Grace Alele-Williams, Nigerian mathematician and academic Wikipedia ↗
• 1930 — Bill Brittain, American author (d. 2011) Wikipedia ↗
• 1930 — Sam Most, American flute player and saxophonist (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
• 1930 — Bill Young, American sergeant and politician (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
• 1929 — Nicholas Courtney, Egyptian-English actor (d. 2011) Wikipedia ↗
• 1928 — Terry Carter, American actor, director, and producer Wikipedia ↗
• 1928 — Philip K. Dick, American philosopher and author (d. 1982) Wikipedia ↗
• 1927 — Peter Dickinson, Rhodesian-English author and poet (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
• 1927 — Randall Garrett, American author and poet (d. 1987) Wikipedia ↗
• 1926 — James McCracken, American tenor and actor (d. 1988) Wikipedia ↗
• 1926 — A. N. R. Robinson, Trinidadian lawyer and politician, 3rd President of Trinidad and Tobago (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
• 1926 — Jeffrey Stone, American actor and screenwriter (d. 2012) Wikipedia ↗
• 1924 — Nicolas Sidjakov, Latvian-American illustrator (d. 1993) Wikipedia ↗
• 1923 — Menahem Pressler, German-American pianist (Beaux Arts Trio) Wikipedia ↗
• 1923 — Ernst Florian Winter, Austrian-American historian and political scientist (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
• 1922 — Cy Leslie, American record producer, founded Pickwick Records (d. 2008) Wikipedia ↗
• 1921 — Eulalio González, Mexican singer-songwriter, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2003) Wikipedia ↗
• 1920 — Frederick Rotimi Williams, Nigerian lawyer and politician (d. 2005) Wikipedia ↗
• 1917 — Nabi Bux Khan Baloch, Pakistani author and scholar (d. 2011) Wikipedia ↗
• 1917 — Pete T. Cenarrusa, American soldier, pilot, and politician, Secretary of State of Idaho (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
• 1917 — Arthur C. Clarke, British science fiction writer (d. 2008) Wikipedia ↗
• 1917 — Ruth Johnson Colvin, American author and educator, founded ProLiteracy Worldwide Wikipedia ↗
• 1913 — George Ignatieff, Russian-Canadian scholar and diplomat, 8th Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations (d. 1989) Wikipedia ↗
• 1910 — Freddie Brown, Peruvian-English cricketer and sportscaster (d. 1991) Wikipedia ↗
• 1908 — Remedios Varo, Spanish-Mexican surrealist painter & anarchist (d. 1963) Wikipedia ↗
• 1907 — Barbara Kent, Canadian-born American film actress (d. 2011) Wikipedia ↗

📅 National Days on December 16 (Calendar.cx)

Also observed on December 16

🏛️ Public Holidays

Also in: Day of Reconciliation (ZA) · Victory Day (BD) · বিজয় দিবস (BD)