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This day in history

This day in history: 16 December

Events, births and deaths on this date, ordered by how many people look them up.

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Born on this day · Died on this day229 · 115

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Key facts

389 historical events, births and deaths are listed for 16 December.
Entries come from Wikipedia’s day pages and are ordered by page views.
2024: The Abundant Life Christian School shooting in Madison, Wisconsin, United States, takes place, resulting in the death of three people.

Holidays and observances

Christian feast day: Adelaide of Italy

Christian feast day: Blessed Marianna Fontanella

Christian feast day: Blessed Philip Siphong Onphitak

Christian feast day: December 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

Christian feast day: Haggai

Christian feast day: Ralph Adams Cram, Richard Upjohn and John La Farge (Episcopal Church (USA))

Day of Reconciliation, formerly celebrated as Day of the Vow by the Afrikaners (South Africa)

Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Kazakhstan from the Soviet Union in 1991.

National Day, celebrates the withdrawal of United Kingdom from Bahrain, making Bahrain an independent emirate in 1971.

National Sports Day (Thailand)

The beginning of the nine-day celebration beginning December 16 and ending December 24, celebrating the trials which Mary and Joseph endured before finding a place to stay where Jesus could be born (Hispanidad): The first day of Las Posadas

The beginning of the nine-day celebration beginning December 16 and ending December 24, celebrating the trials which Mary and Joseph endured before finding a place to stay where Jesus could be born (Hispanidad): The first day of the Simbang

Events

2024The Abundant Life Christian School shooting in Madison, Wisconsin, United States, takes place, resulting in the death of three people.

2022A landslide occurs at a camp at an organic farm near the town of Batang Kali in Selangor, Malaysia, trapping 92 people and killing 31.

2014Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan militants attack an Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing 150 people, 132 of them schoolchildren.

2013A bus falls from an elevated highway in Manila, capital of the Philippines, killing at least 18 people with 20 injured.

2011The Zhanaozen massacre occurs when violent protests by oil workers take place in Zhanaozen, Kazakhstan, resulting in security forces killing at least 14 and injuring 100 more.

1997Dennō Senshi Porygon: Over 600 kids in Japan suffer photosensitive epileptic seizures after watching an episode of the Pokémon anime.

1992Deportation of Hamas members: Israeli authorities began deporting hundreds of Palestinians suspected to be members of Hamas across the Lebanese border.

1989Romanian Revolution: Protests break out in Timișoara, Romania, in response to an attempt by the government to evict dissident Hungarian pastor László Tőkés.

1986The Jeltoqsan riots erupt in Alma-Ata, Kazakh SSR, in response to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's dismissal of ethnic Kazakh Dinmukhamed Kunaev, the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, and his replacement with Gennady Ko

1973Aeroflot Flight 2022 crashes in the Soviet Union's (now Russia) Volokolamsky District, killing all 51 aboard, including four Lithuanian doctors.

1972The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is enacted.

1971Bangladesh 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 Vijay Diwas in India respectively.

1971The United Kingdom recognizes Bahrain's independence, which is commemorated annually as Bahrain's National Day.

1968Second Vatican Council: Official revocation of the Edict of Expulsion of Jews from Spain.

1960A United Air Lines 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.

1951A Miami Airlines Curtiss C-46 Commando crashes in Elizabeth, New Jersey, killing all 58 aboard including dancer Doris Ruby.

1944World War II: The Battle of the Bulge begins with the surprise offensive of three German armies through the Ardennes forest.

1942The Holocaust: Schutzstaffel chief Heinrich Himmler orders that Roma candidates for extermination be deported to Auschwitz.

1920The Haiyuan earthquake of 8.5Mw rocks the Gansu province in China, killing an estimated 200,000.

1914World War I: Admiral Franz von Hipper commands a raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby.

1912First Balkan War: The Royal Hellenic Navy defeats the Ottoman Navy at the Battle of Elli.

1905In rugby union, the "Match of the Century" is played between Wales and New Zealand at Cardiff Arms Park.

1883Tonkin Campaign: French forces capture the Sơn Tây citadel.

1882Wales and England contest the first Home Nations (now Six Nations) rugby union match.

1880Outbreak of the First Boer War between the Boer South African Republic and the British Empire.

1864American Civil War: The Battle of Nashville ends as the Union Army of the Cumberland under General George H. Thomas routs and destroys the Confederate Army of Tennessee under General John Bell Hood, ending its effectiveness as a combat unit

1863American Civil War: Confederate President Jefferson Davis appoints General Joseph E. Johnston to replace General Braxton Bragg as commander of the Army of Tennessee.

1850The Charlotte Jane and the Randolph bring the first of the Canterbury Pilgrims to Lyttelton, New Zealand.

1838Great 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.

1826Benjamin W. Edwards rides into Mexican-controlled Nacogdoches, Texas, and declares himself ruler of the Republic of Fredonia.

1811The first two in a series of four severe earthquakes occur in the vicinity of New Madrid, Missouri.

1782British East India Company: Muharram Rebellion: Hada and Mada Miah lead the first anti-British uprising in the subcontinent against Robert Lindsay and his contingents in Sylhet Shahi Eidgah.

1777Virginia becomes the first state to ratify the Articles of Confederation.

1773American 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.

1761Seven Years' War: After a four-month siege, the Russians under Pyotr Rumyantsev take the Prussian fortress of Kołobrzeg.

1707The most recent eruption of Mount Fuji.

1689Convention Parliament: The Declaration of Right is embodied in the Bill of Rights.

1653English Interregnum: The Protectorate: Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland.

1598Seven-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.

1575An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 8.5Mw strikes Valdivia, Chile.

Born on this day

2001Kai Cenat, American streamer

1998Mira Antonitsch, Austrian tennis player

1998Zhou Jieqiong, Chinese singer and actress

1997Zara Larsson, Swedish singer and songwriter

1996Henry Thornton, Australian cricketer

1996Sergio Reguilón, Spanish footballer

1996Wilfred Ndidi, Nigerian footballer

1994José Rodríguez, Spanish footballer

1994Nicola Murru, Italian footballer

1994Nigel Hayes, American basketball player

1993Jyoti Amge, Indian actress

1993Stephan James, Canadian actor

1992Anamul Haque, Bangladeshi cricketer

1992Tom Rogic, Australian footballer

1991Craig Goodwin, Australian footballer

1991David Johnson, American football player

1988Alexey Shved, Russian basketball player

1988Anna Popplewell, English actress

1988Mats Hummels, German footballer

1986Alcides Escobar, Venezuelan baseball player

1986Pärt Uusberg, Estonian actor, composer, and conductor.

1985Amanda Setton, American actress

1985James Nash, English race car driver

1985Stanislav Manolev, Bulgarian footballer

1984Theo James, English actor

1983Frankie Ballard, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

1983Joey Dorsey, American basketball player

1983Kelenna Azubuike, Nigerian-American basketball player

1982Anna Sedokova, Ukrainian singer, actress and television presenter

1982Antrel Rolle, American football player

1982Stanislav Šesták, Slovak footballer

1981Gareth Williams, Scottish footballer

1981Krysten Ritter, American actress, musician, and model

1981Reanna Solomon, Nauruan weightlifter (died 2022)

1980Danish Kaneria, Pakistani cricketer

1979Brodie Lee, American wrestler (died 2020)

1979Daniel Narcisse, French handball player

1979Jessie Ward, American wrestler and producer

1979Mihai Trăistariu, Romanian singer-songwriter

1979Trevor Immelman, South African golfer

Died on this day

2025Lusanda Dumke, South African professional rugby union player who played as a flanker (born 1996)

2024Dick Van Arsdale, American basketball player (born 1943)

2024Tulsi Gowda, Indian environmentalist (born 1937/1938)

2023Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait (born 1937)

2017Keely Smith, American singer and actress (born 1928)

2015George Earl Ortman, American painter and sculptor (born 1926)

2015Lizmark, Mexican wrestler (born 1950)

2015Peter Dickinson, Rhodesian-English author and poet (born 1927)

2014Martin Brasier, English paleontologist, biologist, and academic (born 1947)

2014Tahira Qazi, Pakistani educationist and principal of Army Public School Peshawar who was killed in the Peshawar school attack.

2014Tim Cochran, American mathematician and academic (born 1955)

2013James Flint, English commander (born 1913)

2013Marta Russell, American journalist, author, and activist (born 1951)

2013Ray Price, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1926)

2012Elwood V. Jensen, American biologist and academic (born 1920)

2012Jake Adam York, American poet and academic (born 1972)

2011Nicol Williamson, Scottish actor (born 1938)

2011Robert Easton, American actor and screenwriter (born 1930)

2010Ayinde Barrister, Nigerian fuji musician (born 1948)

2010Melvin E. Biddle, American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (born 1923)

2009Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, South African physician and politician, 22nd South African Minister of Health (born 1940)

2009Roy E. Disney, American businessman (born 1930)

2009Yegor Gaidar, Russian economist and politician, Prime Minister of Russia (born 1956)

2007Dan Fogelberg, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1951)

2006Don Jardine, Canadian wrestler and trainer (born 1940)

2006Pnina Salzman, Israeli pianist and educator (born 1922)

2006Stanford J. Shaw, American historian and academic (born 1930)

2006Taliep Petersen, South African singer-songwriter and director (born 1950)

2005Ed Hansen, American director and screenwriter (born 1937)

2005John Spencer, American actor (born 1946)

Quote of the day

“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”

Marcus Aurelius

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From Wikipedia’s on-this-day pages for this language, updated once a day and ordered by how often each article is read.

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