February 16
Encyclopedia : F : FE : FEB : February 16
|
is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 318 days remaining (319 in leap years).
Events
- 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau was dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols.
- 1279 - Afonso III of Portugal dies. His son Denis succeeds the Portuguese throne.
- 1568 - The entire population of the Netherlands - three million people - was sentenced to death by the Roman Catholic Church for heresy; see Eighty Years' War.
- 1742 - Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington, becomes British Prime Minister.
- 1804 - First Barbary War: Stephen Decatur leads a raid to burn the pirate-held frigate USS Philadelphia.
- 1838 - Weenen Massacre: Hundreds of Voortrekkers along the Blaukraans River, Natal were killed by Zulus.
- 1852 - Studebaker Brothers wagon company, precursor of the automobile manufacturer, is established.
- 1857 - The National Deaf Mute College (later renamed Gallaudet University) is established in Washington, DC, becoming the first school for the advanced education of the deaf.
- 1859 - The French Government passes a law to set the A-note above middle C to a frequency of 435 Hz, in an attempt to standardize the pitch.
- 1862 - American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant captures Fort Donelson, Tennessee.
- 1866 - Spencer Compton Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington becomes the British Secretary of State for War
- 1868 - In New York City the Jolly Corks organization is renamed the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE).
- 1883 - Ladies Home Journal is published for the first time.
- 1899 - President Félix Faure of France dies in office.
- 1918 - Lithuania declares its independence from both Russia and Germany.
- 1923 - Howard Carter unseals the burial chamber of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.
- 1934 - Austrian Civil War ends with the defeat of the Social Democrats and the Republican Schutzbund
- 1934 - Commission of Government sworn in as form of direct rule for the Dominion of Newfoundland.
- 1936 - Elections bring the Popular Front to power in Spain.
- 1937 - Wallace H. Carothers receives a patent for nylon.
- 1940 - Altmark Incident: The German tanker Altmark, with 299 British prisoners, is boarded in neutral Norwegian waters by sailors from the British destroyer HMS Cossack and the prisoners set free, a breach of Norwegian neutrality at the beginning of World War II.
- 1943 - World War II: USSR reconquers Kharkov.
- 1945 - World War II: American forces land on Corregidor island in the Philippines.
- 1945 - American forces recapture the Bataan Peninsula.
- 1959 - Fidel Castro becomes Premier of Cuba after President Fulgencio Batista was overthrown on January 1.
- 1961 - Explorer 9 launched. (See Explorer program)
- 1968 - In Haleyville, Alabama the first 9-1-1 emergency telephone system goes into service.
- 1972 - NBA basketball player Wilt Chamberlain scores 30,000th point.
- 1978 - The first computer bulletin board system is created (CBBS in Chicago, Illinois).
- 1983 - The Ash Wednesday bushfires in Victoria and South Australia claim the lives of 71 people in Australia's worst ever fires.
- 1986 - The Soviet liner Mikhail Lermontov runs aground in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand.
- 1987 - The trial of John Demjanjuk, accused of being a Nazi guard dubbed "Ivan the Terrible" in Treblinka extermination camp, starts in Jerusalem.
- 1991 - Gulf War: U.S. and U.K. war planes bomb the suburbs of Baghdad, injuring at least 11 civilians and killing three others.
- 1998 - China Airlines Flight 676 crashed into a residential area near by Chiang Kai-shek International Airport, killing 202 people, included all 196 on board and six on the ground.
- 1999 - In Uzbekistan a bomb explodes and gunfire is heard at the government headquarters in an apparent assassination attempt against President Islam Karimov.
- 1999 - Across Europe, Kurdish rebels take over embassies and hold hostages after Turkey arrested one of their rebel leaders, Abdullah Öcalan.
- 2005 - The Kyoto Protocol comes into force, following its ratification by Russia.
- 2005 - The National Hockey League cancels the entire 2004-2005 regular season and playoffs, becoming the first major sports league in North America to do so over a labour dispute.
Births
- 1032 - Emperor Yingzong of China (d. 1067)
- 1222 - Nichiren, Japanese founder of Nichiren Buddhism (d. 1282)
- 1497 - Philipp Melanchthon, German humanist and reformer (d. 1560)
- 1519 - Gaspard de Coligny, French Huguenot leader (d. 1572)
- 1543 - Kano Eitoku, Japanese painter (d. 1590)
- 1620 - Friedrich Wilhelm I of Brandenburg, Duke of Prussia (d. 1688)
- 1643 - John Sharp, English Archbishop of York (d. 1714)
- 1710 - King Louis XV of France (d. 1774)
- 1727 - Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin, Austrian scientist (d. 1817)
- 1761 - Charles Pichegru, French general (d. 1804)
- 1802 - Phineas Parkhurst Quimby, 19th Century Philosopher (d. 1866)
- 1804 - Karl Theodor Ernst von Siebold, German physiologist (d. 1885)
- 1821 - Heinrich Barth, German explorer
- 1822 - Sir Francis Galton, English explorer and biologist (d. 1911)
- 1824 - Peter Kozler, Slovenian cartographer and geographer (d. 1879)
- 1826 - Julia Grant, First Lady of the United States (d. 1902)
- 1826 - Joseph Victor von Scheffel, German poet (d. 1886)
- 1831 - Nikolai Leskov, Russian writer (d. 1895)
- 1834 - Ernst Haeckel, German zoologist and philosopher (d. 1919)
- 1838 - Henry Adams, American historian and novelist (d. 1918)
- 1847 - Philipp Scharwenka, Polish-German composer (d. 1917)
- 1856 - Rudolph Karstadt, German entrepreneur (d. 1944)
- 1866 - Vyacheslav Ivanov, a Russian poet (d. 1949)
- 1876 - George Macaulay Trevelyan, English historian (d. 1962)
- 1884 - Robert J. Flaherty, American filmmaker (d. 1951)
- 1886 - Van Wyck Brooks, American historian and critic (d. 1963)
- 1898 - Katharine Cornell, American actress (d. 1974)
- 1901 - Vincent Coleman, American actor (d. 1971)
- 1901 - Chester Morris, American film actor (d. 1970)
- 1903 - Edgar Bergen, American ventriloquist (d. 1978)
- 1904 - George F. Kennan, American historian, diplomat and political policy-maker (d. 2005)
- 1909 - Hugh Beaumont, American actor (d. 1982)
- 1909 - Jeffrey Lynn, American actor (d. 1995)
- 1915 - Jim O'Hora, American college football coach (d. 2005)
- 1921 - Araucaria, British crossword compiler
- 1921 - Vera-Ellen, American actress (d. 1981)
- 1926 - John Schlesinger, English film director (d. 2003)
- 1927 - June Brown, British actress
- 1927 - Tom Kennedy, American game show host
- 1929 - Gerhard Hanappi, Austrian footballer (d. 1980)
- 1931 - Otis Blackwell, American songwriter and singer (d. 2002)
- 1932 - Harry Goz, American actor (d. 2003)
- 1932 - Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, President of Sierra Leone
- 1935 - Sonny Bono, singer, music producer, television producer, and U.S. Congressman (d. 1998)
- 1936 - Jill Kinmont, American skier
- 1937 - Yuri Manin, Russian mathematician
- 1938 - John Corigliano, American composer
- 1938 - Barry Primus, American actor
- 1941 - Kim Jong-il, North Korean leader
- 1944 - Richard Ford, American novelist
- 1945 - Jeremy Bulloch, English actor
- 1945 - Frank Welker, American voice actor
- 1950 - Peter Hain, British politician
- 1951 - William Katt, American actor
- 1953 - Lanny McDonald, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1953 - Roberta Williams, computer game designer
- 1954 - Michael Holding, West Indian fast bowler cricket
- 1954 - Iain Banks, Scottish author
- 1955 - Margaux Hemingway, American actress and model (d. 1996)
- 1957 - LeVar Burton, American actor
- 1957 - James Ingram, American singer
- 1958 - Ice-T, American rapper, songwriter, and actor
- 1958 - Lisa Loring, American actress
- 1959 - John McEnroe, American tennis player
- 1960 - Pete Willis, English guitarist (Def Leppard)
- 1961 - Andy Taylor, English musician (Duran Duran)
- 1963 - Dave Lombardo, Cuban drummer (Slayer)
- 1964 - Bebeto, Brazilian footballer
- 1964 - Christopher Eccleston, English actor
- 1967 - John Valentin, baseball player
- 1967 - Keith Gretzky, former hockey player; brother of Wayne Gretzky
- 1968 - Warren Ellis, British comic book writer
- 1970 - D.J. Wallis, American fitness competitor
- 1972 - Jerome Bettis, American football player
- 1972 - Taylor Hawkins, American musician (Foo Fighters)
- 1973 - Cathy Freeman, Australian athlete
- 1975 - Nanase Aikawa, Japanese singer
- 1976 - Kyo, Japanese singer (Dir en grey)
- 1977 - Ian Clarke, Irish computer programmer
- 1977 - Ahman Green, American football player
- 1979 - Valentino Rossi, Italian motorcycle racer
- 1980 - Ashley Lelie, American football player
- 1982 - Lupe Fiasco, American rapper
- 1985 - Haley Giraldo, American reality series star
Deaths
- 1247 - Heinrich Raspe, Landgrave of Thuringia (b. 1204)
- 1279 - King Afonso III of Portugal (b. 1210)
- 1391 - John V Palaeologus, Byzantine Emperor (b. 1332)
- 1531 - Johannes Stöffler, German mathematician and astronomer (b. 1452)
- 1560 - Jean du Bellay, French Catholic cardinal and diplomat
- 1710 - Esprit Fléchier, French writer and Bishop of Nîmes (b. 1632)
- 1721 - James Craggs the Younger, English politician (b. 1686)
- 1754 - Richard Mead, English physician (b. 1673)
- 1866 - Phineas Parkhurst Quimby, 19th Century Philosopher (b. 1802)
- 1898 - Thomas Bracken, New Zealand poet (b. 1843)
- 1899 - Félix Faure, President of France (b. 1841)
- 1907 - Giosue Carducci, Italian writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1835)
- 1912 - St. Nikolai of Japan, Eastern Orthodox priest (b. 1836)
- 1917 - Octave Mirbeau, French writer (b. 1848)
- 1919 - Vera Kholodnaya, Russian film star (b. 1893)
- 1928 - Eddie Foy, American singer and dancer (b. 1856)
- 1932 - Ferdinand Buisson, French pacifist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1841)
- 1967 - Antonio Moreno, Spanish-born actor (b. 1887)
- 1974 - John Garand, Canadian rifle engineer and manufacturer (b. 1888)
- 1975 - Morgan Taylor, American athlete (b. 1903)
- 1977 - Carlos Pellicer, Mexican poet (b. 1897)
- 1978 - E. Roland Harriman, American financier (b. 1895)
- 1980 - Erich Hückel, German physicist (b. 1895)
- 1990 - Keith Haring, American artist (b. 1958)
- 1992 - Angela Carter, English writer (b. 1940)
- 1992 - Jânio Quadros, Brazilian politician (b. 1917)
- 1992 - Herman Wold, Swedish statistician (b. 1908)
- 1996 - Roger Bowen, American actor (b. 1932)
- 1996 - Edmund G. Brown, Governor of California (b. 1905)
- 1996 - Brownie McGhee, American singer (b. 1915)
- 1997 - Chien-Shiung Wu, Chinese-American Physicist (b. 1912)
- 1999 - Michael Larson, Press Your Luck Big-winning contestant
- 2000 - Marceline Day, American actress (b. 1908)
- 2000 - Karsten Solheim, Norwegian-born engineer and inventor (b. 1911)
- 2001 - Bob Buhl, baseball player (b. 1928)
- 2001 - William Masters, American gynecologist and sexologist (b. 1915)
- 2002 - Walter Winterbottom, England football manager (b. 1913)
- 2003 - Eleanor "Sis" Daley, wife of Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley (b. 1907)
- 2004 - Shirley Strickland, Australian athlete (b. 1925)
- 2004 - Doris Troy, American singer (b. 1937)
- 2005 - Nicole DeHuff, American actress (pneumonia) (b. 1975)
- 2006 - Johnny Grunge, American professional wrestler (b. 1966)
- 2006 - Ernie Stautner, German-born American football player (b. 1925)
Holidays and observances
- Lithuania - Independence Day (1918)
- Kyoto Protocol Day (2005)
Liturgical feasts
- Saints Daniel, Samuel and Elias
- Saint Jeremias
- Remembrance of Lambertus
- Saint Juliana
- Saint Lucilla
External links
February 15 - February 17 - January 16 - March 16 -- listing of all days
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.
