Famous Events For December 16 – Today In History

What Happened on December 16 in World History?

Early Centuries – December 16 Historic Events – Before 1700

1. December 16, 0755 – Rebellion against Chancellor Yang Guozong at Fanyang by An Lushan. This is the commencement of the Shi Rebellion during the Chinese Tang Dynasty
2. December 16, 0822 – appointment of Marinus I as Catholic Pope replacing John VIII
3. December 16, 1392 – During Nanboku-cho, King Go-Kameyama, renounces the crown in favor of his opponent petitioner Go-Komatsu
4. December 16, 1431 – Crowning of King Henry VI of England as king of France
5. December 16, 1494 – Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese sailor, was the first European to navigate along the East Coast of Africa and named it Natal

6. December 16, 1538 – King Francois I reintroduced the pursuit of Protestants
7. December 16, 1575 – An earthquake of magnitude strikesValdivia
8. December 16, 1577 – Polish king Istvan Bathory captures Danzig
9. December 16, 1598 – The Korean navy conclusively defeats the Japanese during the Battle of Noryang Point
10. December 16, 1617 – establishment of regions Rio de la Plata (Argentina)/Guaira (Paraguay) by Spanish viceroy Hernando Arias de Saavedra
11. December 16, 1631 – blow up of Mount Vesuvius in Italy causes devastation of 6villages and loss of 4000 people
12. December 16, 1653 – appointment of Parliamentarian and General Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland
13. December 16, 1659 – call for free parliamentary voting in Scotland by
14. December 16, 1689 – Enacting of Bill of Rights defining the restrictions of powers of kings and regular voting by the English Parliament

18th Century – What Happened on December 16 – The 1700s

15. December 16, 1707 – documented the last blow-up of Mount Fuji in Japan
16. December 16, 1740 – Silezie captures Prussian Libya
17. December 16, 1761 – The Prussian fortress of Kolobrzeg was seized by the Russian army under the command of Pyotr Rumyantsev, after four months of blockade
18. December 16, 1767 – first performance of “Alceste” by Van Ritter von Glucks
19. December 16, 1773 – shiploads of tea were thrown into Boston harbor by the demonstrators of Sons of Liberty in protest against the Tea Act levied by British
20. December 16, 1775 – copyright granted to Englishman Richard Arkwright for inventing the carding machine for cotton mills
21. December 16, 1777 – Virginia state approves the Articles of Confederation in the US

19th Century – December 16 This Day That Year – The 1800s

22. December 16, 1811 – major destruction caused when an earthquake strikes New Madrid, Missouri
23. December 16, 1817 – execution of organizers of Molukkas demonstration in Ambon
24. December 16, 1824 – inauguration of Great North Holland Canal
25. December 16, 1826 – self-declaration of Benjamin W. Edwards as ruler of the Republic of Fredonia after he journeys into Nacogdoches, Texas under the Mexican rule

26. December 16, 1835 – Inferno destroys 600 buildings in NYC
27. December 16, 1838 – Voortrekkers defeat Zulu in South Africa (Great Trek) during the Battle of Blood River
28. December 16, 1850 – First trip of the Canterbury Pilgrims to Lyttelton, New Zealand through ships Charlotte-Jane and the Randolph
29. December 16, 1857 – Earthquake hits Naples, Italy
30. December 16, 1858 – Schokland Island evacuated by the Dutch
31. December 16, 1862 – Constitution of Nepal approved
32. December 16, 1863 – appointment of Joseph E. Johnston as chief of the Confederate Army of Tennessee in place of Braxton Bragg
33. December 16, 1864 – the culmination of War of Nashville but there were 4400 deaths
34. December 16, 1877 – the debut of the 3rd Concerto by Anton Bruckner in D Scale
35. December 16, 1880 – Transvaal proclaimed by itself as the Republic of South Africa
36. December 16, 1880 – commence of war between the British Empire and Boer South African Republic known as the First Boer War
37. December 16, 1883 – seizure of the fortress in Hanoi by the French – Tonkin Campaign
38. December 16, 1884 – Great Britain accepts the Congo Free State of King Leopold II
39. December 16, 1886 – conflict over “Doleantie” at Dutch Reformed Church
40. December 16, 1890 – establishment of Negro Methodist Episcopal Church in Jackson, TN
41. December 16, 1892 – beginning of the 1st Sheffield Shield cricket play, SA Vs NSW
42. December 16, 1893 – debut performance of concert No.9, “New World Symphony” by Anton Dvorak at Carnegie Hall, New York
43. December 16, 1897 – display of the 1st submarine fitted with an internal combustion engine
44. December 16, 1899 – Englishmen Alfred Edwards and Herbert establish the Italian football club A.C. Milan as Milan Football and Cricket Club

20th Century – Important Events On This Day December 16 – The 1900s

45. December 16, 1900 – Cape Colony seized by the Boer army under the command of General Kritzinger
46. December 16, 1900 – to address and settle labor disagreements, a National Civic Federation is established in the US
47. December 16, 1901 – the chief of the army Kritzinger of Boer apprehended
48. December 16, 1903 – appointment of women marshals for the first time in the Majestic Theater, NYC
49. December 16, 1903 – Guests to the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel permitted for the first time
50. December 16, 1905 – 1st publication of “Variety” depicting all stages of show business
51. December 16, 1907 – the first person to sing on the radio was Eugene H Farrar (Bkln Navy Yard NY)
52. December 16, 1907 – President Theodore Roosevelt orders its “Great White Fleet” to visit the international ports around the world to make its existence felt as a superpower
53. December 16, 1908 – establishment of the 1st credit union in the US (Manchester NH)
54. December 16, 1909 – conventional rebellion and the compulsion from US forces Nicaraguan President Jose Santos to vacate the office
55. December 16, 1912 – issue of the 1st US postage stamp with the image of an aircraft, 20-cent post parcel

56. December 16, 1912 – battle between Austria-Hungary with Serbia
57. December 16, 1912 – The Royal Hellenic Navy defeats the Ottoman Navy at the Battle of Eli – the First Balkan War
58. December 16, 1913 – The movie career of Charlie Chaplin commenced at Keystone at $150 per week
59. December 16, 1914 – Attack in Artois by the French (Petain)
60. December 16, 1914 – The English harbors of Hartlepool and Scarborough were destroyed by bombs from German warships – World War I
61. December 16, 1918 – Carl Morris was defeated by Jack Dempsey in 14 seconds
62. December 16, 1918 – Germans move out of Finland; Kyiv in Ukraine handed over to rebel forces and vacate Estonia as the Bolshevik army marches in
63. December 16, 1920 – earthquake of 8.5 strength strikes Gansu province in China, and an estimated 200,000 lost their life
64. December 16, 1921 – The Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA) appealed for a combined effort to destroy by setting fire to passes on Dingaan’s Day
65. December 16, 1921 – The confirmation of the Anglo-Iris Agreement, entered into between the British Parliament and Sinn Fein
66. December 16, 1922 – Establishment of Mutual Association of Eastern Colored Baseball Clubs
67. December 16, 1922 – In a cricket match against South Australia, NSW were all out for 786
68. December 16, 1923 – the reigning champions, Canton Bulldogs won the championship (11-0-1) at the National Football League Championship
69. December 16, 1924 – the first show of “Vortex” by Noel Cowards in London
70. December 16, 1924 – Hiram Bingham steps down as Governor of Connecticut after one day in office, the shortest day for any Governor of Connecticut. He is voted as a Republican to serve in the US Senate.
71. December 16, 1925 – establishment of Alpha Phi Omega national service association at Lafayette College
72. December 16, 1926 – first performance of “Le Pauvre Matelot” by Darius Milhaudas in Paris
73. December 16, 1926 – appointment of Kenesaw Mountain Landis as baseball commissioner for 7 years
74. December 16, 1926 – commencement of radio broadcasts by WOW-AM in Omaha NE
75. December 16, 1927 – Don Bradman plays his first appearance in the 1st class cricket for NSW Vs South Australia
76. December 16, 1928 – Providence Steam Roller achieved 8-1-2 to win the first past the post-championship at the National Football League Championship

77. December 16, 1929 – Chic Blackhawks played their 1st play against Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Stadium and won, 3-1
78. December 16, 1930 – Golfer Boddy Jones was the first to achieve the James E. Sullivan Award (best US amateur athlete)
79. December 16, 1931 – SPD party in Germany forms an anti-Nazi organization against fascism
80. December 16, 1933 – The long-distance tour skating, Elfstedentocht, won by Abe de Vries & Sipke Castelein
81. December 16, 1936 – the first show of the play, “Brother Rat” by John Monks and Fred Finklehoff in New York City
82. December 16, 1937 – Theodore Cole and Ralph Roe flee from the American federal Prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay but are never found again
83. December 16, 1938 – creation of honor and civil order of distinction by Adolf Hitler, Cross of Honor of the German Mother
84. December 16, 1939 – Bradman achieves 251 runs in a cricket match, SA vs NSW, in 271 minutes, 38 fours, 2 sixes
85. December 16, 1940 – British conduct air raids on Mannheim
86. December 16, 1940 – Joe Louis defeats AI McCoy in 6 for heavyweight boxing championship in Chicago
87. December 16, 1941 – Japanese army seize Sarawak
88. December 16, 1942 – War declared by Hitler against partisans in Russia and Balkan
89. December 16, 1943 – train accident involving “Tamiami Champion” (New York to Florida) claiming 73 lives and wounding 200
90. December 16, 1944 – Battle of the Bulge – retaliation by Nazi German forces against friendly nations attack in Ardennes province of Belgium
91. December 16, 1944 – German ballistic missile, V-2, destroys Antwerp bioscope killing 638
92. December 16, 1944 – 2nd US Army division siege “Heartbreak Crossroads” Washlerscheid
93. December 16, 1945 – Cleveland Rams defeat Washington Redskins, 15-14, the last play before shifting to Los Angeles at the National Football League Championship, Cleveland Stadium
94. December 16, 1946 – Establishment of the French fashion house Christian Dior by fashion designer Christian Dior and his supporter Marcel Boussac
95. December 16, 1946 – Chicago Bears select Bob Fenimore from the University of Oklahoma A&M from the 1947 NFL Draft

96. December 16, 1946 – Thailand becomes a member of the United Nations
97. December 16, 1948 – premiere of “Lend an Ear” at the National Theatre NYC to give 460 shows
98. December 16, 1949 – Establishment of Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget, later changed to SAAB in Sweden
99. December 16, 1950 – last show of the play “Let’s Make an Opera” at John Golden Theater, NYC after 5 shows
100. December 16, 1950 – of state of emergency by US President Harry Truman against the “Communist colonization”.
101. December 16, 1950 – stepping down of child celebrity Shirley Temple from movies at 22
102. December 16, 1951 – debut performance, in black and white, of “Dragnet” by NBC
103. December 16, 1953 – President Eisenhower calls his 1st White House Press Conference, 161 reporters attend
104. December 16, 1953 – Charles E Yeager achieves a speed of more than 2595 kph in Bell XIA aircraft
105. December 16, 1956 – last show of “Fanny” at Majestic Theater NYC after 888 shows
106. December 16, 1957 – nomination of Sir Feroz Khan Noon as Prime Minister of Pakistan in place of Ismail Chundrigar
107. December 16, 1958 – The inferno in Bogota takes the toll of 82
108. December 16, 1958 – Raymond Kopa Real Madrid’s midfielder achieves the award, of Ballon d’Or, as a football player in Europe to German winner Helmut Rahn and French forward Just Fontaine
109. December 16, 1959 – 48 people lost their lives in the snow falling in Lowarai Pass West Pakistan
110. December 16, 1960 – premiere of “Wildcat” at Alvin NYC for 172 presentations
111. December 16, 1960 – Two aircrafts TWA 266 and United 826 crash against each other killing 134 over Staten Island
112. December 16, 1961 – last show of “Evening with Yves Montand” at John Golden Theatre after 55 presentations
113. December 16, 1962 – A seasonal NFL touchdown best achieved by NY Giant YA Championship at 33 with 6 touchdowns Vs Dallas (41-31)
114. December 16, 1962 – Nepal becomes a Constitutional Hindu Monarchy by approving its constitution
115. December 16, 1962 – premiere of “Lawrence of Arabia” guided by David Lean and featuring Peter O’Toole in the United States
116. December 16, 1964 – atomic test by the US at the Pacific Ocean
117. December 16, 1965 – Safe landing of Gemini 6 on earth
118. December 16, 1965 – Spacecraft Pioneer 6 sent into solar orbit
119. December 16, 1965 – Crowning of Taufa’ahau Tupou IV as King of Tonga
120. December 16, 1966 – announcement of the musical “Everywhere It’s Christmas by The Beatles in the UK

121. December 16, 1966 – announcement by Jimi Hendrix Experience about the release of its musical, “Hey Joe” in the UK
122. December 16, 1967 – In an NBA match, Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia 76ers achieved 68 points Vs Chicago
123. December 16, 1967 – premiere of “Playtime” a French movie guided by Jacques Tati, featuring himself
124. December 16, 1968 – TV Transmission channel 34 in Find du Lac WI commences transmission
125. December 16, 1968 – The order of Expulsion of Jews from Spain was withdrawn officially at the Second Vatican Council
126. December 16, 1969 – The premiere of the movie featuring Barbra Streisand, “Hello Dolly”
127. December 16, 1969 – Capital punishment in Britain was withdrawn by the British House of Commons, with 343-185
128. December 16, 1969 – advertisements with the slogan, “War is Over! If You Want it, Happy Christmas from John & Yoko” are seen
129. December 16, 1970 – Atomic Test by the US at Nevada
130. December 16, 1970 – A movie based on the theme of the novel by Enrich Segal, entitled, “Love Story” guided by Arthur Hiller and featuring Ryan O’Neal and Ali McGraw announced
131. December 16, 1971 – Vijay Diwas (Victory Day) accepted all over the world after the Indian army captures Decca and 93,000 West Pakistani army surrender forming Bangladesh
132. December 16, 1971 – Don McLean’s announcement of the minute edition of “American Pie”
133. December 16, 1972 – The constitution of Bangladesh comes into effect
134. December 16, 1972 – Miami Dolphins achieve the distinction of becoming the 1st unbeaten NFL team (14-0-0)
135. December 16, 1973 – O.J. Simpson achieves the distinction as 1st NFLer to score a 2000-yard rush in the season
136. December 16, 1974 – Atomic test by the US at Nevada Test Site
137. December 16, 1974 – Atomic test by USSR at Eastern Kazakh, Semipalitinsk USSR
138. December 16, 1975 – first programming of “One Day at a Time” on CBS TV
139. December 16, 1975 – 80% of White Sox sold to Bill Veeck from John Allyn
140. December 16, 1976 – appointment of Andrew Yong as Ambassador & Chief US Delegate to the UN
141. December 16, 1976 – commencement of the trial for $ 10 million by Charlie Finley against Bowie Kuhn
142. December 16, 1976 – discontinuance of the swine flu immunization program following complaints of paralysis
143. December 16, 1976 – an oil tanker of Liberia marooned at Nantucket with 180,000 barrels of oil poured into the sea
144. December 16, 1978 – the acknowledgment by President Jimmy Carter of the People’s Republic of China condemned by Ronald Reagan
145. December 16, 1978 – nonpayment of loans by Cleveland, Ohio cities to the extent of $14,000,000 to local banks – first two states in the after-Depression period
146. December 16, 1979 – USA defeats Italy in the 68th Davis Cup in San Francisco (5-0)
147. December 16, 1979 – last formal spell for QB Roger Staubach with the Dallas Cowboys
148. December 16, 1979 – Land bombs planted by PIRA at Dungannon, County Tyrone, and near Forkill, County Armagh kill 4 British soldiers at the former location and 1 soldier at the latter

149. December 16, 1979 – The crude oil prices were revised upwards by Libya along with four other OPEC countries had a histrionic effect on the United States
150. December 16, 1979 – the first show of the movie, “An American Christmas Carol” guided by Eric Till, featuring Henry Winker in the US
151. December 16, 1980 – appointment of appointment of Alexander Haig Jr. as the 59th Secretary of State by President-elect Ronald Regan
152. December 16, 1981 – fall of Dutch Van Agt’s 2nd term head of the government
153. December 16, 1982 – Announcement by The Federal Reserve about the fall in the operating capacity of factories to 67.8%
154. December 16, 1983 – announcement about the closure of The Who by the Spokesperson
155. December 16, 1983 – an extension of the term of Yogi Berra as Yankee manager for the 2nd term
156. December 16, 1983 – The request of palsy victim Elizabeth Bouviato to die by starvation in a country hospital was not permitted by the Judge, in Riverside, California
157. December 16, 1985 – shifting of Challenger to Vandenberg AFB for matching with STS 51L mission
158. December 16, 1985 – Gangster John Gotti takes responsibility for the Gambino crime family in New York after the killing of Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti
159. December 16, 1985 – the first show of the movie, “The Color Purple” on the theme of the story by Alice Walker, guided by Stephen Spielberg featuring Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover in New York
160. December 16, 1986 – Racial trouble, entitled Zheltoksan, was the early signals during the ruling of Gorbachev, in Kazakhstan against the Communist party
161. December 16, 1987 – nomination of Roh Tae Woo as president of South Korea
162. December 16, 1988 – imprisonment for cult leader and politician Lyndon LaRouche on charges of tax evasion, mail fraud, etc
163. December 16, 1989 – first test cricket at Bellerive Oval, Hobart started
164. December 16, 1989 – Geoff Marsh scores 355* for WA Vs South Australia
165. December 16, 1989 – demonstration in Timisoara, against the government’s proposal to expel rebel Hungarian preacher Laszlo Tokes
166. December 16, 1990 – nomination of Jean-Bertrand Aristide as President of Haiti
167. December 16, 1990 – shortwave radio broadcasts from KUSW, Salt Lake City Utah
168. December 16, 1991 – Clemente Nunez, aged 16, was the first pitcher for Florida Marlins
169. December 16, 1991 – The UN withdraws its earlier decision that Zionism is racism by 111-25, and 13 abstaining votes
170. December 16, 1991 – freedom for the Republic of Kazakhstan
171. December 16, 1993 – premiere of “Red Shoes” at Gershwin Theater, NYC to give 5 presentations
172. December 16, 1993 – dismissal of Shannen Doherty (Brenda) from the TV series Beverly Hills 90210
173. December 16, 1994 – The singer, and songwriter, Davy Jones (The Monkees) was convicted of driving with impaired vision (DWI)
174. December 16, 1995 – the name “Euro” was officially accepted
175. December 16, 1997 –The Labrador retriever owned by US President Bill Clinton was named “Buddy”
176. December 16, 1998 – The US and the UK combined bomb targets in Iraq – Operation Desert Fox

21st Century – December 16 This Day In History – The 2000s

177. December 16, 2009 – The chairperson of the US Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, was chosen as Time’s Person of the Year for saving the world financial system from the Great Recession
178. December 16, 2012 – hurricane Evan kills 4 people in Fiji
179. December 16, 2012 – Corinthians won the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup by winning Chelsea, 1-0
180. December 16, 2012 – national and international community express their displeasure against the gang rape of a woman on a bus in India resulting in the death of the victim
181. December 16, 2013 – in a bus accident in Manila, Philippines, 21 lost their life and 20 were wounded when the bus fell from a raised highway

182. December 16, 2013 – Jameis Winston, Florida State (QB) achieved the 79th Heisman Trophy Award
183. December 16, 2014 – 145 people were killed in an Army Public School, in Pakistan when Tehrik-i-Taliban terrorists attacked them
184. December 16, 2015 – upward revision of interest rates by 0.25% from the 2006 rates by the US Federal Reserve
185. December 16, 2016 – A Red Alert for 5 days in Beijing and 21 other Chinese cities was announced due to bad climate contamination classified as a “meteorological disaster”
186. December 16, 2016 – The prize for the informer about the Islamic State leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was increased to $25 million by the US State Department
187. December 16, 2018 – in a big fire and detonation accident in an inn in Sapporo, Japan, 42 people sustained wounds
188. December 16, 2018 – Swearing in on Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, two months after he was dismissed by President Sirisena

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