May 16

May 16 in recent years

2024 (Thursday)

2023 (Tuesday)

2022 (Monday)

2021 (Sunday)

2020 (Saturday)

2019 (Thursday)

2018 (Wednesday)

2017 (Tuesday)

2016 (Monday)

2015 (Saturday)

May 16 is the 136th day of the year (137th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 229 days remain until the end of the year.

Events

• 1204 - Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire.
• 1527 - The Florentines drive out the Medici for a second time and Florence re-establishes itself as a republic.
• 1532 - Sir Thomas More resigns as Lord Chancellor of England.
• 1568 - Mary Queen of Scots flees to England.
• 1770 - 14-year old Marie Antoinette marries 15-year-old Louis-Auguste who later becomes king of France.
• 1771 - The Battle of Alamance, a pre-American Revolutionary War battle between local militia and a group of rebels called "The Regulators", occurs in present-day Alamance County, North Carolina.
• 1777 - Lachlan McIntosh and Button Gwinnett shoot each other during a duel near Savannah, Georgia. Gwinnett, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, dies three days later.
• 1811 - Peninsular War - The allies Spain, Portugal and Britain, defeat the French at the Battle of Albuera.
• 1815 - The Governor of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie, officially names the town of Blackheath in the upper Blue Mountains.
• 1822 - Greek War of Independence: The Turks capture the Greek town of Souli.
• 1836 - Edgar Allan Poe marries his 13-year-old cousin Virginia.
• 1843 - The first major wagon train heading for the Pacific Northwest sets out on the Oregon Trail with one thousand pioneers from Elm Grove, Missouri.
• 1866 - The U.S. Congress eliminates the half dime coin and replaces it with the five cent piece, or nickel.
• 1866 - Charles Elmer Hires invents root beer.
• 1868 - President Andrew Johnson is acquitted in his impeachment trial by one vote in the United States Senate.
• 1874 - A flood on the Mill River in Massachusetts destroys much of four villages and kills 139 people.
• 1877 - May 16, 1877 political crisis in France.
• 1910 - The United States Congress authorizes the creation of the United States Bureau of Mines.
• 1914 - The first ever Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final is played. Brooklyn Field Club defeats Brooklyn Celtic 2-1.
• 1918 - The Sedition Act of 1918 is passed by the U.S. Congress, making criticism of the government an imprisonable offense.
• 1919 - A naval Curtiss aircraft NC-4 commanded by Albert Cushing Read leaves Trepassey, Newfoundland, for Lisbon via the Azores on the first transatlantic flight.
• 1920 - In Rome, Pope Benedict XV canonizes Joan of Arc as a saint.
• 1929 - In Hollywood, California, the first Academy Awards are handed out.
• 1943 - Holocaust: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising ends.
• 1948 - Chaim Weizmann is elected the first President of Israel.
• 1951 - The first regularly scheduled transatlantic flights begin between John F Kennedy International Airport in New York City and Heathrow Airport in London, operated by El Al Israel Airlines.
• 1960 - Nikita Khrushchev demands an apology from U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower for U-2 spy plane flights over the Soviet Union thus ending a Big Four summit in Paris.
• 1960 - Theodore Maiman operates the first optical laser, at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California.
• 1965 - The Campbell Soup Company introduces SpaghettiOs under its Franco-American brand.
• 1966 - The Communist Party of China issues the 'May 16 Notice', marking the beginning of the Cultural Revolution.
• 1969 - Venera program: Venera 5, a Soviet spaceprobe, lands on Venus.
• 1974 - Josip Broz Tito is re-elected president of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. This time he is elected for life.
• 1975 - India annexes Sikkim after the mountain state holds a referendum in which the popular vote was in favour of merging with India.
• 1975 - Junko Tabei becomes the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
• 1983 - Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement rebels against the Sudanese government.
• 1986 - The Seville Statement on Violence is adopted by an international meeting of scientists, convened by the Spanish National Commission for UNESCO, in Seville, Spain.
• 1988 - A report by United States' Surgeon General C. Everett Koop states that the addictive properties of nicotine are similar to those of heroin and cocaine.
• 1992 - STS-49: Space Shuttle Endeavour lands safely after a successful maiden voyage.
• 2003 - In Casablanca, Morocco, 33 civilians are killed and more than 100 people are injured in the Casablanca terrorist attacks.
• 2004 - The Day of Mourning at Bykivnia forest, just outside of Kiev, Ukraine. Here during 1930s and early 1940s communist bolsheviks executed over 100,000 Ukrainian civilians.
• 2005 - Kuwait permits women's suffrage in a 35-23 National Assembly vote.
• 2006 - A large earthquake (7.4 on the Richter scale) occurs near New Zealand.
• 2007 - Alex Salmond is elected First Minister of Scotland. He is the first Scottish National Party leader to be elected as First Minister after winning a historic victory at the Scottish general election on the 3rd May.

Births

• 1490 - Duke Albert of Prussia (d. 1568)
• 1578 - Everard Digby, English conspirator (d. 1606)
• 1611 - Pope Innocent XI (d. 1689)
• 1710 - William Talbot, 1st Earl Talbot, English politician (d. 1782)
• 1718 - Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Italian mathematician (d. 1799)
• 1763 - Louis Nicolas Vauquelin, French pharmacist (d. 1829)
• 1788 - Friedrich Rückert, German Poet, Translator and Orientalist (d. 1866)
• 1801 - William H. Seward, United States Secretary of State, bought Alaska at 2 ¢/acre (d. 1872)
• 1821 - Pafnuty Chebyshev, Russian mathematician (d. 1894)
• 1824 - Levi P. Morton, United States Vice President under Benjamin Harrison (d.1920)
• 1827 - Pierre Cuypers, Dutch architect (d. 1921)
• 1831 - David E. Hughes, American musician (d. 1900)
• 1845 - Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov, Russian microbiologist, Nobel laureate (d. 1916)
• 1860 - Herman Webster Mudgett, American Serial Killer (d. 1896)
• 1891 - Richard Tauber, Austrian tenor (d. 1948)
• 1898 - Tamara de Lempicka, Polish-born painter (d. 1980)
• 1898 - Kenji Mizoguchi, Japanese film director (d. 1956)
• 1905 - Henry Fonda, American actor (d. 1982)
• 1906 - Alfred Pellan, French Canadian painter (d. 1988)
• 1906 - Arturo Uslar Pietri, Venezuelan writer (d. 2001)
• 1906 - Margret Rey, author and illustrator (d. 1996)
• 1909 - Margaret Sullavan, American actress (d. 1960)
• 1910 - Olga Berggolts, Russian poet (d. 1975)
• 1910 - Aleksandr Ivanovich Laktionov, Russian painter (d. 1972)
• 1912 - Studs Terkel, American writer
• 1913 - Woody Herman, American musician and band leader (d. 1987)
• 1914 - Edward T. Hall, American anthropologist and author
• 1916 - Adriana Caselotti, American actress (d. 1997)
• 1917 - Juan Rulfo, Mexican novelist (d. 1986)
• 1917 - James C. Murray, American politician (d. 1999)
• 1917 - George Gaynes, American actor
• 1918 - Wilf Mannion, English former footballer (d. 2000)
• 1919 - Liberace, American pianist (d. 1987)
• 1919 - Ramon Margalef, Spanish scientist (d. 2004)
• 1920 - Martine Carol, French actress (d. 1967)
• 1921 - Harry Carey, Jr., American actor
• 1923 - Merton Miller, American economist, Nobel laureate (d. 2000)
• 1925 - Bobbejaan Schoepen, Belgian entertainer
• 1926 - Ronald Podrow, British peace activist (d. 2004)
• 1927 - Nílton Santos, Brazilian footballer
• 1928 - Billy Martin, American baseball player and coach (d. 1989)
• 1929 - John Conyers, American politician
• 1929 - Claude Morin, French Canadian politician
• 1929 - Adrienne Rich, American writer
• 1930 - Betty Carter, American jazz singer (d. 1998)
• 1930 - Friedrich Gulda, Austrian pianist (d. 2000)
• 1931 - Jack Dodson, American actor (d. 1994)
• 1931 - Denise Filiatrault, French Canadian actress and director
• 1931 - Natwar Singh, Indian politician
• 1931 - Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., American politician
• 1931 - Hana Brady, Killed during Holocaust
• 1935 - James Bolam, English actor
• 1936 - Roy Hudd, English radio and television actor
• 1936 - Karl Lehmann, German Catholic cardinal
• 1937 - Yvonne Craig, American actress
• 1944 - Billy Cobham, American virtuoso drummer
• 1944 - Danny Trejo, American actor
• 1945 - Nicky Chinn, English songwriter (Sweet, Suzi Quatro)
• 1945 - Alan Flusser, American clothing designer
• 1946 - Robert Fripp, English guitarist (King Crimson)
• 1946 - Roger Earl, English rock drummer (Savoy Brown, Foghat)
• 1947 - Bill Smitrovich, American actor
• 1948 - Katia Dandoulaki, Greek actress
• 1948 - Judy Finnegan, English TV presenter (Richard & Judy)
• 1950 - J. Georg Bednorz, German physicist, Nobel laureate
• 1950 - Ray Condo, Canadian rockabilly musician
• 1951 - Christian Lacroix, French fashion designer
• 1951 - Jonathan Richman, American proto-punk icon
• 1952 - James Herndon, American media psychologist
• 1953 - Pierce Brosnan, Irish actor
• 1954 - Dafydd Williams, Canadian physician and astronaut
• 1955 - Olga Korbut, Russian gymnast
• 1955 - Jack Morris, American baseball player
• 1955 - Hazel O'Connor, English singer
• 1955 - Debra Winger, American actress
• 1959 - Mare Winningham, American actress
• 1961 - Kevin McDonald, Canadian comedian and actor
• 1961 - Charles Wright, American professional wrestler
• 1963 - Jon Coffelt, American artist
• 1963 - Mercedes Echerer, Austrian actress and politician
• 1964 - John Salley, American basketball player
• 1964 - Boyd Tinsley, American violinist (Dave Matthews Band)
• 1964 - Edit Berces, Hungarian marathon runner
• 1965 - Krist Novoselic, American bassist (Nirvana)
• 1966 - Janet Jackson, American singer
• 1966 - Scott Reeves, American actor and singer
• 1966 - Thurman Thomas, American football player
• 1968 - Ralph Tresvant, American singer (New Edition)
• 1968 - Chingmy Yau, Hong Kong actress
• 1969 - David Boreanaz, American actor
• 1969 - Tucker Carlson, American television commentator
• 1969 - Tracey Gold, American actress
• 1969 - Steve Lewis, American athlete
• 1970 - Gabriela Sabatini, Argentine tennis player
• 1970 - Danielle Spencer, Australian singer and actress
• 1971 - Rachel Goswell, English singer and songwriter (Slowdive, Mojave 3)
• 1972 - Khary Payton, American actor
• 1973 - Special Ed, American rapper
• 1973 - Tori Spelling, American actress
• 1973 - Jason Acuña, American television personality
• 1974 - Laura Pausini, Italian pop singer
• 1974 - Sonny Sandoval, American singer (P.O.D.)
• 1975 - Tony Kakko, Finnish singer (Sonata Arctica)
• 1975 - Tonéx, American singer
• 1977 - Dolcenera, Italian singer
• 1977 - Jean-Sébastien Giguère, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1978 - David Ford, English singer/songwriter
• 1978 - Lionel Scaloni, Argentine footballer
• 1979 - McKenzie Lee, English pornographic actress
• 1980 - Mikel Alonso, Spanish footballer
• 1980 - Michael Ryan, American ice hockey player
• 1980 - Melanie Lofton, American Journalist
• 1981 - Jim Sturgess, English actor
• 1982 - Joo Ji Hoon, Korean actor and model
• 1982 - Łukasz Kubot, Polish tennis player
• 1982 - Hanna Mariën, Belgian athlete
• 1983 - Nancy Ajram, Lebanese singer
• 1983 - Mince Fratelli, Scottish Drummer (The Fratellis)
• 1983 - Kyle Wellwood, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1984 - Mickie Knuckles, American female professional wrestler
• 1984 - Jensen Lewis, American baseball player
• 1985 - Stanislav Ianevski, Bulgarian actor
• 1985 - Anja Mittag, German footballer
• 1985 - Corey Perry, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1985 - Okura Tadayoshi, Japanese singer (Kanjani8)
• 1986 - Megan Fox, American actress
• 1986 - Andy Keogh, Irish footballer (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
• 1990 - Manda Sue Forren, American cheerleader national champion
• 1995 _ Uriel Garcia, The Next Mexican President
• 1998 - Ariel Waller, Canadian child actress

Deaths

• 583 - Saint Brendan, Irish navigator (b. 484)
• 1265 - Saint Simon Stock, English saint (b. 1165)
• 1569 - Dirk Willems, Anabaptist Martyr
• 1620 - William Adams, English navigator (b. 1564)
• 1657 - Andrzej Bobola, Polish Jesuit missionary (b. 1591)
• 1667 - Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton, English statesman (b. 1607)
• 1669 - Pietro da Cortona, Italian architect (b. 1596)
• 1691 - Jacob Leisler, American colonist (b. 1640)
• 1703 - Charles Perrault, French author (b. 1628)
• 1778 - Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness, English diplomat (b. 1718)
• 1782 - Daniel Solander, Swedish botanist (b. 1736)
• 1790 - Philip Yorke, 2nd Earl of Hardwicke, English politician (b. 1720)
• 1830 - Joseph Fourier, French scientist (b. 1768)
• 1891 - Ion Brătianu, Romanian statesman (b. 1821)
• 1913 - Louis Perrier, member of the Swiss Federal Council (b. 1849)
• 1920 - Levi P. Morton, United States Vice President under Benjamin Harrision (b. 1824)
• 1926 - Mehmed VI, last Ottoman Sultan (b. 1861)
• 1943 - Alfred Hoche, German psychiatrist (b. 1865)
• 1944 - George Ade, American author (b. 1866)
• 1947 - Frederick Hopkins, English biochemist, Nobel laureate (b. 1861)
• 1953 - Django Reinhardt, Belgian musician (b. 1910)
• 1954 - Clemens Krauss, Austrian conductor (b. 1893)
• 1955 - James Agee, American writer (b. 1909)
• 1956 - H. B. Reese, American founder of Reese's (b. 1876)
• 1957 - Eliot Ness, American federal agent (b. 1903)
• 1959 - Elisha Scott, Northern Irish footballer (b. 1894)
• 1961 - George A. Malcolm, American jurist & educator (b. 1881)
• 1969 - Robert R., first confirmed death from AIDS in North America (b. 1954)
• 1979 - A. Philip Randolph, American civil rights activist and labor union leader (b. 1889)
• 1981 - Ernie Freeman, American pianist and arranger (b. 1922)
• 1984 - Andy Kaufman, American comedian (b. 1949)
• 1984 - Irwin Shaw, American author (b. 1913)
• 1985 - Margaret Hamilton, American actress (b. 1902)
• 1988 - Charles Keeping, English illustrator (b. 1924)
• 1990 - Sammy Davis, Jr., American entertainer (b. 1925)
• 1990 - Jim Henson, American puppeteer (b. 1936)
• 1992 - Chalino Sanchez, Mexican musician (b, 1960)
• 1993 - Marv Johnson, American R&B and soul singer (b. 1938)
• 1994 - Jack Dodson, American actor (b. 1931)
• 1996 - Jeremy Michael Boorda, American admiral (b. 1939)
• 1997 - Elbridge Durbrow, American diplomat (b. 1903)
• 2000 - Bodacious the Bull Famous rodeo bull (b. 1988)
• 2001 - Brian Pendleton, English musician (The Pretty Things) (b. 1944)
• 2002 - Alec Campbell, the last surviving ANZAC (b. 1899)
• 2002 - Big Dick Dudley, American professional wrestler (b. 1968)
• 2003 - Mark McCormack, American businessman (b. 1930)

Holidays and observances

• Teachers' Day in Malaysia.
• Middlesex Day.

Feast days of saints in the Christian Church:

• Aaron, in the Coptic Church
• Abda and Abdjesus and companions including:
  • Aba of Kaskhar
• Saint Brendan the Navigator - also in the Irish Calendar.
• Saint Germerius
• Saint Honoré of Amiens
• Saint Andrew Bobola
• Saint Ubaldus (see Saint Ubaldo Day)
• Saint Peregrine of Auxerre

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada

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