Tukuk-OS📅 May 16
21 events · 12 births · 12 deaths
Advertisement
What happened on May 16? Below are the notable events chosen by Wikipedia’s editors for this date, followed by celebrated births, deaths and the observances recognised around the world.
Events
- 2014 — At least 12 people were killed and 70 others injured when two bombs exploded in a market in Nairobi, Kenya.
- 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.
- 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.
- 1975 — Japanese climber Junko Tabei (pictured) became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
- 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.
- 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.
- 1960 — American physicist Theodore Maiman operated the first working laser at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu.
- 1959 — The Tritons' Fountain in Valletta, one of Malta's most important Modernist landmarks, was turned on for the first time.
- 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).
Lockheed F-104 StarfighterInterceptor aircraftList of flight airspeed records
- 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.
- 1929 — The first Academy Awards ceremony was held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California.
- 1925 — The first modern performance of Claudio Monteverdi's opera Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria occurred in Paris.
- 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.
Sedition Act of 1918Federal government of the United StatesFlag of the United States
- 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.
- 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.
- 1832 — Prospector Juan Godoy discovered a silver outcrop in Chañarcillo, sparking the Chilean silver rush.
- 1812 — The Conference of Dresden began, an attempt by Napoleon to secure support for his planned invasion of Russia.
Conference of Dresden (1812)NapoleonFrench invasion of Russia
- 1811 — Peninsular War: Allied British, Spanish, and Portuguese forces clashed with French troops at the Battle of Albuera fought south of Badajoz, Spain.
- 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.
Button GwinnettUnited States Declaration of IndependenceGwinnett–McIntosh duel
- 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.
- 1426 — Mohnyin Thado captured Sagaing to become the king of Ava, in present-day Myanmar.
Births
- 2002 — Ryan Gravenberch, Dutch footballer
- 2000 — Luis García Jr., Dominican-American baseball player
- 1996 — Louisa Chirico, American tennis player
- 1995 — Elizabeth Ralston, Australian footballer
- 1994 — Kathinka von Deichmann, Liechtenstein tennis player
- 1993 — Johannes Thingnes Bø, Norwegian biathlete
- 1993 — Karol Mets, Estonian footballer
- 1993 — IU, Korean singer-songwriter and actress
- 1992 — Jeff Skinner, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1992 — Kirstin Maldonado, American singer and songwriter
- 1991 — Grigor Dimitrov, Bulgarian tennis player
- 1991 — Joey Graceffa, American internet celebrity
Deaths
- 2025 — Domingos Maubere, East Timorese Catholic priest and activist (born 1952)
- 2024 — Dabney Coleman, American actor (born 1932)
- 2024 — Eddie Gossage, American public speaker and businessman (born 1958)
- 2023 — Norm Green, American long-distance runner (born 1932)
- 2021 — Bruno Covas, Brazilian lawyer, politician (born 1980)
- 2019 — Piet Blauw, Dutch politician (born 1937)
- 2019 — Bob Hawke, Australian politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Australia (born 1929)
- 2019 — I. M. Pei, Chinese-American architect (born 1917)
- 2015 — Prashant Bhargava, American director and producer (born 1973)
- 2015 — Moshe Levinger, Israeli rabbi and author (born 1935)
- 2015 — Flora MacNeil, Scottish Gaelic singer (born 1928)
- 2014 — Chris Duckworth, Zimbabwean-South African cricketer (born 1933)
Observances & holidays
- 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)
Advertisement
Advertisement