Home › Almanac › On This Day
On This Day in History — May 16
‹ May 15The AlmanacMay 17 ›
Highlights of May 16
- 2014 — At least 12 people were killed and 70 others injured when two bombs exploded in a market in Nairobi, Kenya. Read more
- 1977 — The first Chuck E. Cheese location, the first family restaurant to integrate food, animated entertainment (example pictured), and an indoor arcade, opened in San Jose, California. Read more
- 1975 — Based on the results of a referendum held about one month earlier, the Kingdom of Sikkim (flag pictured) abolished its monarchy and was annexed to become the 22nd state of India. Read more
- 1975 — Japanese climber Junko Tabei (pictured) became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Read more
- 1968 — A gas explosion in Ronan Point (collapse pictured) causes a corner of the building to collapse, leading to a loss of public confidence in high-rise residential buildings. Read more
- 1961 — Led by Park Chung Hee, the Military Revolution Committee carried out a bloodless coup against the government of Yun Po-sun in Seoul, ending the Second Republic of Korea. Read more
- 1960 — American physicist Theodore Maiman operated the first working laser at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu. Read more
- 1959 — The Tritons' Fountain in Valletta, one of Malta's most important Modernist landmarks, was turned on for the first time. Read more
- 1958 — The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, a supersonic interceptor aircraft, set a world flight airspeed record of 1,404.012 mph (2,259.538 km/h). Read more
- 1943 — Second World War: The Royal Air Force's "Dambusters" squadron embarked on an attack on German dams using bouncing bombs designed by Barnes Wallis. Read more
- 1929 — The first Academy Awards ceremony was held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Read more
- 1925 — The first modern performance of Claudio Monteverdi's opera Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria occurred in Paris. Read more
- 1918 — The Sedition Act was passed in the United States, forbidding Americans from using "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language" about the government, flag, or armed forces during the ongoing World War I. Read more
- 1881 — John Richard Clark Hall, a barrister who would go on to write a widely used Anglo-Saxon dictionary and translation of Beowulf, was admitted to Gray's Inn. Read more
- 1866 — The United States Congress authorized the minting of the Shield nickel (example pictured), the country's first five-cent piece to be made of a copper–nickel alloy. Read more
- 1832 — Prospector Juan Godoy discovered a silver outcrop in Chañarcillo, sparking the Chilean silver rush. Read more
- 1812 — The Conference of Dresden began, an attempt by Napoleon to secure support for his planned invasion of Russia. Read more
- 1811 — Peninsular War: Allied British, Spanish, and Portuguese forces clashed with French troops at the Battle of Albuera fought south of Badajoz, Spain. Read more
- 1777 — Button Gwinnett, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, is wounded in a duel with Continental Army officer Lachlan McIntosh, dying of his injuries several days later. Read more
- 1605 — After a scuffle in which one cardinal had several bones broken, a papal conclave convened in Rome elected Camillo Borghese as Pope Paul V. Read more
- 1426 — Mohnyin Thado captured Sagaing to become the king of Ava, in present-day Myanmar. Read more
Events
- 2025 — A catastrophic EF3 tornado kills five people and causes over $1 billion in damages in St. Louis, MO. Read more
- 2025 — A devastating EF4 tornado kills nineteen people in Southeast Kentucky, hitting the towns of Somerset and London. Read more
- 2014 — Twelve people are killed in two explosions in the Gikomba market area of Nairobi, Kenya. Read more
- 2011 — STS-134 (ISS assembly flight ULF6), launched from the Kennedy Space Center on the 25th and final flight for Space Shuttle Endeavour. Read more
- 2005 — Kuwait permits women's suffrage in a 35–23 National Assembly vote. Read more
- 2003 — In Morocco, 33 civilians are killed and more than 100 people are injured in the Casablanca terrorist attacks. Read more
- 1997 — Mobutu Sese Seko, the President of Zaire, flees the country. Read more
- 1991 — Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom addresses a joint session of the United States Congress. She is the first British monarch to address the U.S. Congress. Read more
- 1988 — A report by the Surgeon General of the United States C. Everett Koop states that the addictive properties of nicotine are similar to those of heroin and cocaine. Read more
- 1975 — Junko Tabei from Japan becomes the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Read more
- 1974 — Josip Broz Tito is elected president for life of Yugoslavia. Read more
- 1972 — An Antonov An-24 crashes into a kindergarten building in Svetlogorsk, killing 35. Read more
- 1969 — Venera program: Venera 5, a Soviet space probe, lands on Venus. Read more
- 1966 — The Chinese Communist Party issues the "May 16 Notice", marking the beginning of the Cultural Revolution. Read more
- 1961 — Park Chung Hee leads a coup d'état to overthrow the Second Republic of South Korea. Read more
- 1960 — Theodore Maiman operates the first optical laser (a ruby laser), at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California. Read more
- 1959 — The Tritons' Fountain in Valletta, Malta is turned on for the first time. Read more
- 1954 — Beginning of the Kengir uprising in the Gulag. Read more
- 1951 — The first regularly scheduled transatlantic flights begin between Idlewild Airport (now John F Kennedy International Airport) in New York City and Heathrow Airport in London, operated by El Al Israel Airlines. Read more
- 1945 — Beginning of the Levant Crisis between Britain and France in Syria. The latter try to quell nationalist protests but backs down after threat of military action by the British. Read more
- 1943 — The Holocaust: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising ends. Read more
- 1943 — Operation Chastise is undertaken by RAF Bomber Command with specially equipped Avro Lancasters to destroy the Mohne, Sorpe, and Eder dams in the Ruhr valley. Read more
- 1929 — In Hollywood, the first Academy Awards ceremony takes place. Read more
- 1925 — The first modern performance of Claudio Monteverdi's opera Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria occurred in Paris. Read more
- 1920 — In Rome, Pope Benedict XV canonizes Joan of Arc. Read more
- 1919 — A naval Curtiss NC-4 aircraft commanded by Albert Cushing Read leaves Trepassey, Newfoundland, for Lisbon via the Azores on the first transatlantic flight. Read more
- 1918 — The Sedition Act of 1918 is passed by the U.S. Congress, making criticism of the government during wartime an imprisonable offense. It will be repealed less than two years later. Read more
- 1918 — The victory military parade by the Finnish White Guard is held in Helsinki celebrating their decisive victory in the Finnish Civil War. The day also begin to be celebrated on the Defence Forces Flag Day before it is moved in 1942 to the June 4th. Read more
- 1916 — The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the French Third Republic sign the secret wartime Sykes-Picot Agreement partitioning former Ottoman territories such as Iraq and Syria. Read more
- 1891 — The International Electrotechnical Exhibition opens in Frankfurt, Germany, featuring the world's first long-distance transmission of high-power, three-phase electric current (the most common form today). Read more
- 1888 — Nikola Tesla delivers a lecture describing the equipment which will allow efficient generation and use of alternating currents to transmit electric power over long distances. Read more
- 1877 — The 16 May 1877 crisis occurs in France, ending with the dissolution of the National Assembly 22 June and affirming the interpretation of the Constitution of 1875 as a parliamentary rather than presidential system. The elections held in October 1877 led to the defeat of the royalists as a formal political movement in France. Read more
- 1874 — A flood on the Mill River in Massachusetts destroys much of four villages and kills 139 people. Read more
- 1868 — The United States Senate fails to convict President Andrew Johnson by one vote. Read more
- 1866 — The United States Congress establishes the nickel. Read more
- 1863 — American Civil War: During the Vicksburg campaign, the decisive Union victory by Ulysses S. Grant at the Battle of Champion Hill drives the Confederate army under John C. Pemberton back towards Vicksburg, Mississippi. Read more
- 1842 — The first major wagon train heading for the Pacific Northwest sets out on the Oregon Trail from Elm Grove, Missouri, with 100 pioneers. Read more
- 1834 — The Battle of Asseiceira is fought; it was the final and decisive engagement of the Liberal Wars in Portugal. Read more
- 1832 — Juan Godoy discovers the rich silver outcrops of Chañarcillo sparking the Chilean silver rush. Read more
- 1822 — Greek War of Independence: The Turks capture the Greek town of Souli. Read more
- 1812 — Imperial Russia signs the Treaty of Bucharest, ending the Russo-Turkish War. The Ottoman Empire cedes Bessarabia to Russia. Read more
- 1811 — Peninsular War: The allies Spain, Portugal and United Kingdom fight an inconclusive battle against the French at the Albuera. It is, in proportion to the numbers involved, the bloodiest battle of the war. Read more
- 1777 — Continental Army officer Lachlan McIntosh fatally wounds Button Gwinnett, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, in a duel in Savannah, Georgia. Read more
- 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. Read more
- 1770 — The 14-year-old Marie Antoinette marries 15-year-old Louis-Auguste, Dauphin de France, who later becomes king of France. Read more
- 1739 — The Battle of Vasai concludes as the Marathas defeat the Portuguese army. Read more
- 1584 — Santiago de Vera becomes sixth governor-general of the Spanish colony of the Philippines. Read more
- 1568 — Mary, Queen of Scots, flees to England. Read more
- 1532 — Sir Thomas More resigns as Lord Chancellor of England. Read more
- 1527 — The Florentines drive out the Medici for a second time and Florence re-establishes itself as a republic. Read more
- 1426 — Gov. Thado of Mohnyin becomes King of Ava. Read more
- 1364 — Hundred Years' War: Bertrand du Guesclin and a French army defeat the Anglo-Navarrese army of Charles the Bad at Cocherel. Read more
- 1204 — Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. Read more
- 1003 — Patrician John II Crescentius, who has seized control of Rome, selects Pope John XVII as the new pope. Read more
- 999 — Rebel Turkish warlord Mahmud of Ghazni defeats Samanid Emir Mansur II in battle at Merv. Read more
- 946 — Emperor Suzaku abdicates the throne in favor of his brother Murakami who becomes the 62nd emperor of Japan. Read more
Born on May 16
- 2002 — Ryan Gravenberch, Dutch footballer Read more
- 2000 — Luis García Jr., Dominican-American baseball player Read more
- 1996 — Louisa Chirico, American tennis player Read more
- 1995 — Elizabeth Ralston, Australian footballer Read more
- 1994 — Kathinka von Deichmann, Liechtenstein tennis player Read more
- 1993 — Johannes Thingnes Bø, Norwegian biathlete Read more
- 1993 — Karol Mets, Estonian footballer Read more
- 1993 — IU, Korean singer-songwriter and actress Read more
- 1992 — Jeff Skinner, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
- 1992 — Kirstin Maldonado, American singer and songwriter Read more
- 1991 — Grigor Dimitrov, Bulgarian tennis player Read more
- 1991 — Joey Graceffa, American internet celebrity Read more
- 1991 — Ashley Wagner, American figure skater Read more
- 1990 — Amanda Carreras, Gibraltarian tennis player Read more
- 1990 — Thomas Brodie-Sangster, English actor Read more
- 1990 — Darko Šarović, Serbian sprinter Read more
- 1990 — Omar Strong, American basketball player Read more
- 1989 — Behati Prinsloo, Namibian model Read more
- 1988 — Jesús Castillo, Mexican footballer Read more
- 1988 — Martynas Gecevičius, Lithuanian basketball player Read more
- 1988 — Jaak Põldma, Estonian tennis player Read more
- 1987 — Tom Onslow-Cole, English race car driver Read more
- 1986 — Megan Fox, American actress Read more
- 1986 — Andy Keogh, Irish footballer Read more
- 1986 — Shamcey Supsup, Filipino model and architect Read more
- 1985 — Anja Mittag, German footballer Read more
- 1985 — Rodrigo Peters Marques, Brazilian footballer Read more
- 1985 — Corey Perry, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
- 1984 — Darío Cvitanich, Argentinian footballer Read more
- 1984 — Tomáš Fleischmann, Czech ice hockey player Read more
- 1984 — Jensen Lewis, American baseball player Read more
- 1984 — Rick Rypien, Canadian ice hockey player (died 2011) Read more
- 1983 — Daniel Kerr, Australian footballer Read more
- 1983 — Kyle Wellwood, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
- 1982 — Melissa Altro, Canadian actress Read more
- 1982 — Łukasz Kubot, Polish tennis player Read more
- 1981 — Ricardo Costa, Portuguese footballer Read more
- 1980 — Nuria Llagostera Vives, Spanish tennis player Read more
- 1979 — Michael Oberlechner, Austrian politician Read more
- 1978 — Scott Nicholls, English motorcycle racer Read more
Died on May 16
- 2025 — Domingos Maubere, East Timorese Catholic priest and activist (born 1952) Read more
- 2024 — Dabney Coleman, American actor (born 1932) Read more
- 2024 — Eddie Gossage, American public speaker and businessman (born 1958) Read more
- 2023 — Norm Green, American long-distance runner (born 1932) Read more
- 2021 — Bruno Covas, Brazilian lawyer, politician (born 1980) Read more
- 2019 — Piet Blauw, Dutch politician (born 1937) Read more
- 2019 — Bob Hawke, Australian politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Australia (born 1929) Read more
- 2019 — I. M. Pei, Chinese-American architect (born 1917) Read more
- 2015 — Prashant Bhargava, American director and producer (born 1973) Read more
- 2015 — Moshe Levinger, Israeli rabbi and author (born 1935) Read more
- 2015 — Flora MacNeil, Scottish Gaelic singer (born 1928) Read more
- 2014 — Chris Duckworth, Zimbabwean-South African cricketer (born 1933) Read more
- 2014 — Vito Favero, Italian cyclist (born 1932) Read more
- 2014 — Bud Hollowell, American baseball player and manager (born 1943) Read more
- 2014 — Clyde Snow, American anthropologist and author (born 1928) Read more
- 2013 — Angelo Errichetti, American politician (born 1928) Read more
- 2013 — Bryan Illerbrun, Canadian football player (born 1957) Read more
- 2013 — Frankie Librán, Puerto Rican-American baseball player (born 1948) Read more
- 2013 — Heinrich Rohrer, Swiss physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1933) Read more
- 2013 — Paul Shane, British actor and comedian (born 1940) Read more
- 2013 — Dick Trickle, American race car driver (born 1941) Read more
- 2013 — Bernard Waber, American author and illustrator (born 1921) Read more
- 2012 — Patricia Aakhus, American author and academic (born 1952) Read more
- 2012 — James Abdnor, American soldier and politician (born 1923) Read more
- 2012 — Chuck Brown, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1936) Read more
- 2012 — Ernie Chan, Filipino-American illustrator (born 1940) Read more
- 2012 — Kevin Hickey, American baseball player (born 1956) Read more
- 2011 — Ralph Barker, English author (born 1917) Read more
- 2011 — Bob Davis, Australian footballer and coach (born 1928) Read more
- 2011 — Edward Hardwicke, English actor (born 1932) Read more
- 2011 — Kiyoshi Kodama, Japanese actor (born 1934) Read more
- 2010 — Ronnie James Dio, American singer-songwriter and producer (born 1942) Read more
- 2010 — Hank Jones, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (born 1918) Read more
- 2008 — Robert Mondavi, American winemaker, co-founded the Opus One Winery (born 1913) Read more
- 2005 — Andrew Goodpaster, American general (born 1915) Read more
- 2003 — Mark McCormack, American lawyer and sports agent, founded IMG (born 1930) Read more
- 2002 — Alec Campbell, Australian soldier (born 1899) Read more
- 1997 — Elbridge Durbrow, American diplomat (born 1903) Read more
- 1996 — Jeremy Michael Boorda, American admiral (born 1939) Read more
- 1994 — Alain Cuny, French actor (born 1908) Read more
Holidays & observances
Christian feast day:
Aaron (Coptic Church); Christian feast day:
Abda and Abdjesus, and companions:
Abdas of Susa; Christian feast day:
Andrew Bobola; Christian feast day:
Brendan the Navigator (Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Communion, Eastern Orthodox Church); Christian feast day:
Caroline Chisholm (Church of England); Christian feast day:
Gemma Galgani (Passionists Calendar); Christian feast day:
Germerius; Christian feast day:
Honoratus of Amiens; Christian feast day:
Peregrine of Auxerre; Christian feast day:
Possidius; Christian feast day:
Simon Stock; Christian feast day:
Ubald (see Saint Ubaldo Day); Christian feast day:
May 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Martyrs of Sudan (Episcopal Church (USA)); Mass Graves Day (Iraq); National Day, declared by Salva Kiir (South Sudan); Teachers' Day (Malaysia)
Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “May 16”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.