1513
513 years ago
UK story
War of the League of Cambrai: English and Imperial forces defeated French cavalry, forcing them to retreat.
On this day: 16 August
151 things happened on 16 August, from AD 79 to 2026. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
In the UK 11
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
1652
374 years ago
UK story
Battle of Plymouth: Inconclusive naval action between the fleets of Michiel de Ruyter and George Ayscue in the First Anglo-Dutch War.
1777
249 years ago
UK story
American Revolutionary War: American forces routed British and German troops at the Battle of Bennington in Walloomsac, New York.
1780
246 years ago
UK story
American Revolutionary War: Battle of Camden: The British defeat the Americans near Camden, South Carolina.
1812
214 years ago
UK story
War of 1812: American General William Hull surrenders Fort Detroit without a fight to the British Army.
1858
168 years ago
UK story
U.S. President James Buchanan inaugurates the new transatlantic telegraph cable by exchanging greetings with Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. However, a weak signal forces a shutdown of the service in a few weeks.
1913
113 years ago
UK story
Completion of the Royal Navy battlecruiser HMS Queen Mary.
1920
106 years ago
UK story
In the United Kingdom, the Blind Persons Act received royal assent.
1923
103 years ago
UK story
The United Kingdom gives the name "Ross Dependency" to part of its claimed Antarctic territory and makes the Governor-General of the Dominion of New Zealand its administrator.
1930
96 years ago
UK story
The first British Empire Games are opened in Hamilton, Ontario, by the Governor General of Canada, the Viscount Willingdon.
1962
64 years ago
UK story
The English rock band the Beatles fired their drummer Pete Best, replacing him with Ringo Starr (pictured).
Around the world 39
AD 942
1,084 years ago
Start of the four-day Battle of al-Mada'in, between the Hamdanids of Mosul and the Baridis of Basra over control of the Abbasid capital, Baghdad.
AD 963
1,063 years ago
Nikephoros II Phokas is crowned emperor of the Byzantine Empire, swearing to protect the two sons of the previous emperor Romanos II, who are already crowned co-emperors.
AD 965
1,061 years ago
Nikephoros II Phokas captures the city of Tarsus, finalising the Byzantine conquest of Cilicia.
1328
698 years ago
The House of Gonzaga seizes power in the Duchy of Mantua, and will rule until 1708.
1550
476 years ago
Rabbi Moses Isserles issues his ruling in the Bragadin-Giustiniani dispute, one of the earliest instances of a copyright suit over any book.
1570
456 years ago
The Principality of Transylvania is established after John II Zápolya renounces his claim as King of Hungary in the Treaty of Speyer.
1685
341 years ago
Great Turkish War: An imperial coalition army under Charles of Lorraine defeats the Ottoman army that had been besieging Esztergom.
1717
309 years ago
Austro-Turkish War (1716–1718): An imperial coalition army under Prince Eugene of Savoy defeats an Ottoman army under Haji Halil Pasha, leading to the surrender of the Ottoman garrison of Belgrade a few days later.
1792
234 years ago
Maximilien Robespierre presents the petition of the Commune of Paris to the Legislative Assembly, which demanded the formation of a revolutionary tribunal.
1793
233 years ago
French Revolution: A levée en masse is decreed by the National Convention.
1844
182 years ago
Governor-general of the Philippines Narciso Claveria signs a decree to reform the country's calendar by skipping Tuesday, December 31, as a solution to anomalies that had existed since Ferdinand Magellan's arrival in 1521.
1859
167 years ago
The Grand Duchy of Tuscany formally deposes the exiled House of Lorraine.
1863
163 years ago
The Dominican Restoration War begins when Gregorio Luperón raises the Dominican flag in Santo Domingo after Spain had recolonized the country.
1870
156 years ago
Franco-Prussian War: The Battle of Mars-la-Tour is fought, resulting in a Prussian victory.
1876
150 years ago
Richard Wagner's Siegfried, the penultimate opera in his Ring cycle, is premiered at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus.
1891
135 years ago
San Sebastian Church (pictured), an all-iron church in Manila, was officially consecrated.
1896
130 years ago
A group including George Carmack and Skookum Jim Mason discovered gold near Dawson City, Canada, setting off the Klondike Gold Rush.
1900
126 years ago
Second Boer War: A 10,000-strong column of soldiers led by Lord Kitchener broke a 13-day siege of a small garrison.
1913
113 years ago
Tōhoku Imperial University of Japan (modern day Tohoku University) becomes the first university in Japan to admit female students.
1914
112 years ago
German admiral Wilhelm Souchon hands over the two warships under his command to the Ottomans and becomes commander of the Turkish navy, leading later to the entry of the Ottoman Empire in World War I.
1916
110 years ago
The Migratory Bird Treaty between Canada and the United States is signed.
1918
108 years ago
The Battle of Lake Baikal is fought between the Czechoslovak Legion and the Red Army.
1920
106 years ago
The congress of the Communist Party of Bukhara opens. The congress would call for armed revolution.
1930
96 years ago
The first color sound cartoon, Fiddlesticks, is released by Ub Iwerks.
1944
82 years ago
First flight of a jet with forward-swept wings, the Junkers Ju 287.
1945
81 years ago
The Stanley Internment Camp in Hong Kong was liberated following the announcement of the surrender of Japan in World War II.
1945
81 years ago
The National Representatives' Congress, the precursor of the current National Assembly of Vietnam, convenes in Sơn Dương.
1946
80 years ago
The All Hyderabad Trade Union Congress is founded in Secunderabad.
1954
72 years ago
The first issue of Sports Illustrated is published.
1960
66 years ago
Cyprus gains its independence from the United Kingdom.
1960
66 years ago
Joseph Kittinger parachutes from a balloon over New Mexico, United States, at 102,800 feet (31,300 m), setting three records that held until 2012: High-altitude jump, free fall, and highest speed by a human without an aircraft.
1964
62 years ago
Vietnam War: A coup d'état replaces Dương Văn Minh with General Nguyễn Khánh as President of South Vietnam. A new constitution is established with aid from the U.S. Embassy.
1972
54 years ago
In an unsuccessful coup d'état attempt, the Royal Moroccan Air Force fires upon Hassan II of Morocco's plane while he is traveling back to Rabat.
1975
51 years ago
Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam symbolically hands over land to the Gurindji people after the eight-year Wave Hill walk-off, a landmark event in the history of Indigenous land rights in Australia, commemorated in a 1991 song by Paul Kelly and an annual celebration.
1986
40 years ago
Typhoon Wayne formed over the South China Sea, going on to become one of the longest-lived tropical cyclones in the north-western Pacific, lasting 21 days.
1989
37 years ago
A solar particle event affects computers at the Toronto Stock Exchange, forcing a halt to trading.
2008
18 years ago
The Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago is topped off at 1,389 feet (423 m), at the time becoming the world's highest residence above ground-level.
2009
17 years ago
At the World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Usain Bolt ran the 100 metres in 9.58 seconds, breaking his own record set a year earlier.
2020
6 years ago
The August Complex fire in California burns more than one million acres of land.
Quick quiz
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
-
In which year did this happen: “The English rock band the Beatles fired their drummer Pete Best, replacing him”?
- 1920
- 1888
- 1962
Show the answer
C: 1962. 1962 — that’s 64 years ago. Find it on the page
-
In which year did this happen: “American Revolutionary War: American forces routed British and German troops”?
- 1777
- 1888
- 1930
Show the answer
A: 1777. 1777 — that’s 249 years ago. Find it on the page
-
Which of these happened first?
- U.S. President James Buchanan inaugurates the new transatlantic telegraph
- American Revolutionary War: American forces routed British and German troops
- The English rock band the Beatles fired their drummer Pete Best, replacing him
Show the answer
B: American Revolutionary War: American forces routed British and German troops. 1858: U.S. President James Buchanan inaugurates the new transatlantic telegraph · 1777: American Revolutionary War: American forces routed British and German troops · 1962: The English rock band the Beatles fired their drummer Pete Best, replacing him Find it on the page
-
“U.S. President James Buchanan inaugurates the new transatlantic telegraph” happened in 1858. How many years ago was that?
- 168 years
- 178 years
- 158 years
Show the answer
A: 168 years. 2026 − 1858 = 168. Find it on the page
Born on this day 38
Famous people whose birthday is 16 August.
- 1958 Madonna — American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and director Read more about Madonna on Wikipedia
- 1816 Octavia Taylor — daughter of Zachary Taylor (died 1820) Read more about Octavia Taylor on Wikipedia
- 1888 T. E. Lawrence — British colonel, diplomat, writer and archaeologist (died 1935) UK Read more about T. E. Lawrence on Wikipedia
- 1954 James Cameron — Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter Read more about James Cameron on Wikipedia
- 1920 Charles Bukowski — German-American poet, novelist, and short story writer (died 1994) Read more about Charles Bukowski on Wikipedia
- 1913 Menachem Begin — Belarusian-Israeli politician, Prime Minister of Israel, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1992) Read more about Menachem Begin on Wikipedia
- 1821 Arthur Cayley — English mathematician and academic (died 1895) UK Read more about Arthur Cayley on Wikipedia
- 1845 Gabriel Lippmann — Luxembourger-French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1921) Read more about Gabriel Lippmann on Wikipedia
- 1832 Wilhelm Wundt — German physician, psychologist, and physiologist (died 1920) Read more about Wilhelm Wundt on Wikipedia
- 1934 Diana Wynne Jones — English author (died 2011) UK Read more about Diana Wynne Jones on Wikipedia
- 1815 John Bosco — Italian priest and educator (died 1888) Read more about John Bosco on Wikipedia
- 1982 Joleon Lescott — English footballer UK Read more about Joleon Lescott on Wikipedia
- 1911 E. F. Schumacher — German economist and statistician (died 1977) UK Read more about E. F. Schumacher on Wikipedia
- 1645 Jean de La Bruyère — French philosopher and author (died 1696) Read more about Jean de La Bruyère on Wikipedia
- 1954 George Galloway — Scottish-English politician and broadcaster UK Read more about George Galloway on Wikipedia
- 1902 Georgette Heyer — English author (died 1974) UK Read more about Georgette Heyer on Wikipedia
- 1951 Umaru Musa Yar'Adua — Nigerian businessman and politician, 13th President of Nigeria (died 2010) Read more about Umaru Musa Yar'Adua on Wikipedia
- 1962 Steve Carell — American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter Read more about Steve Carell on Wikipedia
- 2001 Jannik Sinner — Italian tennis player Read more about Jannik Sinner on Wikipedia
- 1944 Kevin Ayers — English singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2013) UK Read more about Kevin Ayers on Wikipedia
- 1958 Angela Bassett — American actress Read more about Angela Bassett on Wikipedia
- 1912 Ted Drake — English footballer and manager (died 1995) UK Read more about Ted Drake on Wikipedia
- 1904 Wendell Meredith Stanley — American biochemist and virologist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1971) Read more about Wendell Meredith Stanley on Wikipedia
- 1936 Alan Hodgkinson — English footballer and coach (died 2015) UK Read more about Alan Hodgkinson on Wikipedia
- 1958 Anne L'Huillier — French physicist Read more about Anne L'Huillier on Wikipedia
- 1864 Elsie Inglis — Scottish surgeon and suffragette (died 1917) UK Read more about Elsie Inglis on Wikipedia
- 1934 Angela Buxton — British tennis player (died 2020) UK Read more about Angela Buxton on Wikipedia
- 1945 Nigel Terry — British stage and film actor (died 2015) UK Read more about Nigel Terry on Wikipedia
- 1355 Philippa — 5th Countess of Ulster (died 1382) UK Read more about Philippa on Wikipedia
- 1960 Timothy Hutton — American actor, producer and director Read more about Timothy Hutton on Wikipedia
- 1970 Manisha Koirala — Nepalese actress in Indian films Read more about Manisha Koirala on Wikipedia
- 1934 John Standing — English actor UK Read more about John Standing on Wikipedia
- 1989 Moussa Sissoko — French footballer Read more about Moussa Sissoko on Wikipedia
- 1967 Ulrika Jonsson — Swedish journalist, actress, and author UK Read more about Ulrika Jonsson on Wikipedia
- 1975 Taika Waititi — New Zealand director, screenwriter and actor Read more about Taika Waititi on Wikipedia
- 1929 Bill Evans — American pianist and composer (died 1980) Read more about Bill Evans on Wikipedia
- 1933 Julie Newmar — American actress Read more about Julie Newmar on Wikipedia
- 1934 Pierre Richard — French actor, director, and screenwriter Read more about Pierre Richard on Wikipedia
Remembering 22
Well-known people who died on 16 August.
- 1977 Elvis Presley — American singer and actor (born 1935) Read more about Elvis Presley on Wikipedia
- AD 79 Empress Ma — Chinese Han dynasty consort (born 40) Read more about Empress Ma on Wikipedia
- 2018 Aretha Franklin — American singer-songwriter (born 1942) Read more about Aretha Franklin on Wikipedia
- 1886 Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa — Indian mystic and philosopher (born 1836) Read more about Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa on Wikipedia
- 2003 Idi Amin — Ugandan field marshal and politician, 3rd President of Uganda (born 1928) Read more about Idi Amin on Wikipedia
- 1949 Margaret Mitchell — American journalist and author (born 1900) Read more about Margaret Mitchell on Wikipedia
- 2018 Atal Bihari Vajpayee — Indian poet and 12th Prime Minister of India (born 1924) Read more about Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Wikipedia
- 1678 Andrew Marvell — English poet and author (born 1621) UK Read more about Andrew Marvell on Wikipedia
- 1661 Thomas Fuller — English historian and author (born 1608) UK Read more about Thomas Fuller on Wikipedia
- 1899 Robert Bunsen — German chemist and academic (born 1811) Read more about Robert Bunsen on Wikipedia
- 1705 Jacob Bernoulli — Swiss mathematician and theorist (born 1654) Read more about Jacob Bernoulli on Wikipedia
- 1948 Babe Ruth — American baseball player and coach (born 1895) Read more about Babe Ruth on Wikipedia
- 1993 Stewart Granger — English-American actor (born 1913) UK Read more about Stewart Granger on Wikipedia
- 1957 Irving Langmuir — American chemist and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1881) Read more about Irving Langmuir on Wikipedia
- 2019 Peter Fonda — American actor, director, and screenwriter. (born 1940) Read more about Peter Fonda on Wikipedia
- 2026 Hayden Panettiere — American actress and singer (born 1989) Read more about Hayden Panettiere on Wikipedia
- 1956 Bela Lugosi — Hungarian-American actor (born 1882) Read more about Bela Lugosi on Wikipedia
- 1027 George I of Georgia UK Read more about George I of Georgia on Wikipedia
- 2015 Anna Kashfi — British actress (born 1934) UK Read more about Anna Kashfi on Wikipedia
- 2019 Richard Williams — Canadian-British animator (born 1933) UK Read more about Richard Williams on Wikipedia
- 2021 Sean Lock — English comedian and actor (born 1963) UK Read more about Sean Lock on Wikipedia
- 1733 Matthew Tindal — English philosopher and author (born 1657) UK Read more about Matthew Tindal on Wikipedia
Special days 13
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 16 August somewhere in the world.
- Children's Day (Paraguay) Read more about Children's Day on Wikipedia
- Gozan no Okuribi (Kyoto, Japan) Read more about Gozan no Okuribi on Wikipedia
- The first day of the Independence Days, celebrates the independence of Gabon from France in 1960. Read more about Public holidays in Gabon on Wikipedia
- Xicolatada (Palau-de-Cerdagne, France) Read more about Xicolatada on Wikipedia
- Bennington Battle Day (Vermont, United States) Read more about Bennington Battle Day on Wikipedia
- Restoration Day (Dominican Republic) Read more about Public holidays in the Dominican Republic on Wikipedia
- National Airborne Day (United States) Read more about National Airborne Day on Wikipedia
- Christian saints’ and feast days: Armel (Armagillus), Stephen I of Hungary, Roch, Translation of the Acheiropoietos icon from Edessa to Constantinople. (Eastern Orthodox Church), Ana Petra Pérez Florido, August 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics).
For older readers 28 Show stories about war, disasters, crime and other difficult history
Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.
- 1819 Around 15 people were killed and 400 to 700 others injured when cavalry charged into a crowd demanding the reform of parliamentary representation in Manchester, England. Read more about Cavalry on Wikipedia
- 1946 Widespread riots between Hindus and Muslims took place in Calcutta following the All-India Muslim League's call for an independent Pakistan. Read more about Direct Action Day on Wikipedia
- 1837 Daaga and two other African soldiers in the British Army's 1st West India Regiment were executed for their role in the St. Joseph Mutiny in Trinidad. Read more about Daaga on Wikipedia
- 1942 The Holocaust: During the deportation of Jews from Slovakia, President Jozef Tiso gave a speech describing Jews as "parasites" and "the eternal enemy". Read more about The Holocaust on Wikipedia
- 1977 American singer and actor Elvis Presley (pictured), often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", was found dead in his home in Memphis, Tennessee. Read more about Elvis Presley on Wikipedia
- 1929 A long-running dispute between Muslims and Jews over access to the Western Wall in Jerusalem escalated into a week-long period of violent riots throughout Palestine. Read more about Western Wall on Wikipedia
- 1841 U.S. President John Tyler vetoes a bill which called for the re-establishment of the Second Bank of the United States. Enraged Whig Party members riot outside the White House in the most violent demonstration on White House grounds in U.S. history. Read more about President of the United States on Wikipedia
- 1920 Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians was hit by a pitch and died the following day, becoming the only Major League Baseball player to die directly as a result of injuries sustained during a game. Read more about Ray Chapman on Wikipedia
- 1906 An earthquake registering approximately 8.2 Mw struck Valparaíso, Chile, killing 3,882 people. Read more about 1906 Valparaíso earthquake on Wikipedia
- 1920 The Battle of Radzymin, one of the bloodiest and most intense battles of the Polish–Soviet War, concluded with a Polish victory. Read more about Battle of Radzymin (1920) on Wikipedia
- 2015 Suicide bombers assassinated Pakistani politician Shuja Khanzada and killed at least 21 others at his home in Attock District. Read more about Assassination of Shuja Khanzada on Wikipedia
- 1942 World War II: US Navy L-class blimp L-8 drifts in from the Pacific and eventually crashes in Daly City, California. The two-man crew cannot be found. Read more about United States Navy on Wikipedia
- 1 BC Wang Mang consolidates his power in China and is declared marshal of state. Emperor Ai of Han, who died the previous day, had no heirs. Read more about Wang Mang on Wikipedia
- 1966 Vietnam War: The House Un-American Activities Committee begins investigations of Americans who have aided the Viet Cong. The committee intends to introduce legislation making these activities illegal. Anti-war demonstrators disrupt the meeting and 50 people are arrested. Read more about House Un-American Activities Committee on Wikipedia
- 1986 A Sudan Airways Fokker F27 Friendship is shot down near Malakal in present day South Sudan, killing 60. Read more about Sudan Airways on Wikipedia
- 2015 Trigana Air Flight 267, an ATR 42, crashes in Oksibil, Bintang Mountains Regency, killing all 54 people on board. Read more about Trigana Air Flight 267 on Wikipedia
- 2005 West Caribbean Airways Flight 708, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, crashes in Machiques, Venezuela, killing all 160 people on board. Read more about West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 on Wikipedia
- 1987 Northwest Airlines Flight 255, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, crashes after takeoff in Detroit, Michigan, killing 154 of the 155 on board, plus two people on the ground. Read more about Northwest Airlines Flight 255 on Wikipedia
- 2012 South African police fatally shoot 34 miners and wound 78 more during an industrial dispute at Marikana near Rustenburg. Read more about South African Police Service on Wikipedia
- 1869 Battle of Acosta Ñu: A Paraguayan battalion largely made up of children is massacred by the Brazilian Army during the Paraguayan War. Read more about Battle of Acosta Ñu on Wikipedia
- 2010 AIRES Flight 8250 crashes at Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport in San Andrés, San Andrés y Providencia, Colombia, killing two people. Read more about AIRES Flight 8250 on Wikipedia
- 1991 Indian Airlines Flight 257, a Boeing 737-200, crashes during approach to Imphal Airport, killing all 69 people on board. Read more about Indian Airlines Flight 257 on Wikipedia
- 2013 The ferry St. Thomas Aquinas collides with a cargo ship and sinks at Cebu, Philippines, killing 61 people with 59 others missing. Read more about MV St. Thomas Aquinas on Wikipedia
- 1927 The Dole Air Race begins from Oakland, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii, during which six out of the eight participating planes crash or disappear. Read more about Dole Air Race on Wikipedia
- 1943 World War II: 317 Greek civilians are murdered by soldiers of the German 1st Mountain Division in the village of Kommeno, Greece. Read more about Massacre of Kommeno on Wikipedia
- 2015 More than 96 people are killed and hundreds injured following a series of air-raids by the Syrian Arab Air Force on the rebel-held market town of Douma. Read more about Douma massacre (2015) on Wikipedia
- 1933 Christie Pits riot takes place in Toronto, Ontario. Read more about Christie Pits riot on Wikipedia
- — Christian feast day: Diomedes of Tarsus Read more about Diomedes of Tarsus on Wikipedia
Where these facts come from
Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “August 16” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.