September 16

2024 Calendar

September 16 is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 106 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events

Up to 1900

307 – Emperor Severus II is captured and imprisoned at Tres Tabernae.
1400 – Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales.
1620 – The Mayflower sets sail from Plymouth, England, for America.
1701 – James Francis Edward Stuart, referred to as the 'Old Pretender', becomes the Jacobite claimant to the thrones of Scotland and England.
1776 – American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Harlem Heights is fought.
1779 – American Revolutionary War: The French-American Siege of Savannah begins.
1795 – The first British occupation of the Cape Colony, South Africa, begins.
1810 – Grito de Dolores: Miguel Hidalgo begins Mexico's fight for independence from Spain.
1812 – The Fire of Moscow begins. Three quarters of the city are destroyed.
1859 – David Livingstone reaches Lake Malawi.
1893 – Settlers make a land run for prime land in the Cherokee Strip in Oklahoma.

1901 – 2000

1902 – Alagoas becomes a state of Brazil.
1908 – General Motors is founded.
1918 – On the British Monitor (a type of warship), a munitions explosion occurs while it is located in Dover Harbour, killing 77 people.
1919 – The American Legion is incorporated
1920 – Wall Street bombing: A bomb in a horse wagon explodes in front of the J. P. Morgan building in New York City, killing 38 people and injuring over 400.
1925 – HC Rotterdam, the biggest field hockey team in the Netherlands, is founded.
1928 – The Okeechobee hurricane in Florida kills 2500 people.
1939 – The Japanese-Soviet border conflict is settled.
1941 – The Shah of Iran is forced to resign by the United Kingdom and Soviet Union.
1943 – World War II: The Allied invasion of Italy concludes.
1945 – Japanese forces in Hong Kong surrender.
1947 – Typhoon Kathleen hits Saitama, Tokyo and the Tone River in Japan, killing at least 1,930 people.
1947 – The United Kingdom formally ends its state of war with Austria.
1955 – Juan Peron is removed from power in a coup in Argentina.
1955 – A Soviet Navy Zulu class submarine becomes the first submarine to launch a ballistic missile.
1959 – The first successful photocopier, the Xerox 914, is introduced in a demonstration in live television in New York City.
1961 – The remainder of Hurricane Debbie causes damage in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
1963 – Malaysia is formed by the Federation of Malaya, Singapore, British North Borneo (Sabah), and Sarawak. Singapore withdraws a short time later.
1966 – The Metropolitan Opera House opens in New York City.
1970 – King Hussein of Jordan declares military rule following the hijacking of four civilian airlineers by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
1971 – Typhoon Nancy makes landfall in Osaka, Japan, killing 173 people.
1975 – Papua New Guinea becomes independent from Australia.
1975 – Cape Verde, Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe join the UN.
1976 – Sharvash Karapetyan saves 20 people from a trolleybus that had fallen into a Yerevan reservoir.
1978 – An earthquake with a magnitude of over 7.5 hits Tabas in Iran, killing at least 25,000 people.
1980 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines join the UN.
1982 – Sabra and Shatila massacre in Lebanon.
1983 – Arnold Schwarzenegger becomes a US citizen.
1987 – The Monntreal Protocol for preservation of ozone layer against ozone depletion enters into force.
1990 – The railroad connecting China and Kazakhstan is completed.
1991 – The trial of the deposed Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega begins in the United States.
1992 – The pound sterling, the UK's currency, is forced out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism.
1995 – Greece ends its embargo on the Republic of Macedonia.
1998 – Meryl Streep receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

From 2001

2005 – Camorra organised crime boss Paolo Di Lauro is arrested in Naples, Italy.
2007 – An aircraft carrying 128 people crashes in Phuket, Thailand, killing 89 people.
2009 – Yukio Hatoyama becomes Prime Minister of Japan, after just under a year with Taro Aso in this position.
2013 – A gunman kills 12 people at the Navy Yard in Washington, DC.

Births

Up to 1850

16 – Drusilla, daughter of Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder (d. 38)
1098 – Hildegard of Bingen, German writer, composer, and saint (d. 1179)
1387 – King Henry V of England (d. 1422)
1494 – Francesco Mauriloco, Italian polymath (d. 1575)
1507 – Jiajing Emperor, Emperor of China (d. 1567)
1615 – Heinrich Bach, German organist and composer (d. 1692)
1666 – Antoine Parent, French mathematician (d. 1716)
1678 – Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke, English statesman and philosopher (d. 1751)
1688 – John Gay, English writer (d. 1732)
1716 – Angelo Maria Amorevoli, Italian Baroque tenor (d. 1798)
1725 – Nicolas Demarest, French geologist (d. 1815)
1736 – Carter Braxton, American founding father (d. 1797)
1745 – Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov, Russian field marshal (d. 1813)
1777 – Nathan Mayer Rothschild, English banker and financier (d. 1813)
1782 – Daoguang Emperor, Emperor of China (d. 1850)
1812 – Robert Fortune, Scottish gardener, scientist and explorer (d. 1880)
1823 – Mihailo Obrenovic III, Prince of Serbia (d. 1868)
1825 – Simeon Bavier, Swiss diplomat, engineer and politician (d. 1896)
1830 – Patrick Francis Moran, Irish-Australian cardinal (d. 1911)
1837 – King Peter V of Portugal (d. 1861)
1842 – Alessandro Fortis, Prime Minister of Italy (d. 1909)
1844 – Paul Taffanel, French flautist and conductor (d. 1908)

1851 – 1900

1851 – Emilia Pardo Bazan, Galician-Spanish writer (d. 1912)
1853 – Albrecht Kossel, German doctor, won the 1910 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1917)
1858 – Andrew Bonar Law, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1923)
1859 – Yuan Shikai, Chinese military leader and politician (d. 1916)
1866 – Georg Voigt, German politician (d. 1927)
1867 – Vantila Bratianu, Romanian politician (d. 1930)
1870 – John Pius Boland, Irish jurist, politician and tennis player (d. 1958)
1875 – James C. Penney, founder of American department store J.C. Penney (d. 1971)
1877 – Jacob Schick, American-Canadian inventor and businessman (d. 1937)
1878 – Herwarth Walden, German writer, publisher and composer (d. 1941)
1886 – Demetre Chiparis, Romanian sculptor (d. 1947)
1886 – Jean Arp, German-French sculptor, painter and writer (d. 1966)
1887 – Nadia Boulanger, French composer and pianist (d. 1979)
1888 – Frans Eemil Sillanpaa, Finnish writer (d. 1964)
1888 – W. O. Bentley, British racing driver and entrepreneur (d. 1971)
1891 – Stephanie von Hohenlohe, Austrian-born German spy (d. 1972)
1891 – Karl Dönitz, German naval leader (d. 1980)
1893 – Alexander Korda, Hungarian movie director (d. 1956)
1893 – Albert Szent-Györgyi de Nagyrápolt, Hungarian scientist, won the 1937 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1986)
1898 – H. A. Rey, American author and illustrator (d. 1977)
1899 – Hans Swarowsky, Austrian conductor (d. 1975)

1901 – 1950

1901 – Ugo Frigerio, Italian athlete (d. 1968)
1903 – Joe Venuti, Italian-American jazz violinist (d. 1978)
1903 – Gwen Bristow, American writer and journalist (d. 1980)
1905 – Vladimir Holan, Czech poet (d. 1980)
1909 – Marshall Carter, American general, Director of the NSA (d. 1993)
1912 – Gyorgy Sarosi, Hungarian footballer (d. 1993)
1913 – Felicien Marceau, French journalist and writer (d. 2012)
1916 – Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw, 1st Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis (d. 1978)
1917 – Alexander Schmorell, German Resistance activist (d. 1943)
1919 – Lawrence Dobkin, American actor (d. 2002)
1920 – J. J. C. Smart, British-Australian philosopher (d. 2012)
1920 – Staryl C. Austin, American air force general (d. 2015)
1921 – Jon Hendricks, American jazz songwriter and singer
1922 – Guy Hamilton, English movie director (d. 2016)
1922 – Janis Paige, American actress
1923 – Lee Kuan Yew, Prime Minister of Singapore and statesman (d. 2015)
1924 – Lauren Bacall, American actress (d. 2014)
1924 – Hank Peters, American baseball executive (d. 2015)
1925 – Charlie Byrd, American jazz guitarist (d. 1999)
1925 – Charles Haughey, Prime Minister of Ireland (d. 2006)
1925 – B. B. King, American blues musician (d. 2015)
1926 – Robert H. Schuller, American televangelist (d. 2015)
1927 – Peter Falk, American actor (d. 2011)
1927 – Sadako Ogata, Japanese academic, diplomat ad writer
1928 – Rex Trailer, American television presenter, actor and singer (d. 2013)
1929 – Stan Stephens, American politician, 20th Governor of Montana
1930 – Anne Francis, American actress (d. 2011)
1930 – Jerry Parr, American secret service agent (d. 2015)
1934 – Ronnie Drew, Irish singer (The Dubliners) (d. 2008)
1935 – Jules Bass, American Stop-motion animator
1935 – Billy Boy Arnold, American blues musician and songwriter
1937 – Pavel Bobek, Czech singer (d. 2013)
1942 – Bernie Calvert, British musician
1943 – Oskar Lafontaine, German politician
1943 – James Alan McPherson, American writer (d. 2016)
1944 – B. J. Ward, American actress and singer
1945 – Alexander Rutskoy, Russian politician
1946 – Mike Reynolds, Australian politician
1946 – Camilo Sesto, Spanish singer-songwriter
1947 – Russ Abbot, British comedian
1948 – Rosemary Casals, American tennis player
1948 – Julia Donaldson, English writer
1948 – Kenney Jones, English musician
1949 – Ed Begley, Jr., American actor
1949 – Chrisye, Indonesian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2007)
1950 – Loyd Grossman, American television presenter and food critic
1950 – Loyola de Palacio, Spanish politician (d. 2006)

1951 – 1975

1951 – Andy Irvine, Scottish rugby player
1952 – Fatos Nano, Albanian politician
1952 – Mickey Rourke, American actor
1953 – Kurt Fuller, American actor
1953 – Jerry Pate, American golfer
1953 – Manuel Pellegrini, Chilean footballer and coach
1953 – Mark Malloch Brown, British politician
1954 – Sanjoy Bandopadhyay, Indian sitarist and composer
1954 – Colin Newman, British singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer
1955 – Janet Ellis, British television presenter
1956 – David Copperfield, American magician
1957 – Norman Lamb, English politician
1957 – Pierre Moscovici, French politician
1958 – Jennifer Tilly, American actress
1958 – Neville Southall, Welsh footballer
1958 – Orel Hershiser, American baseball player and coach
1960 – Ean Evans, American musician (Lynyrd Skynyrd) (d. 2009)
1960 – Danny John-Jules, English actor
1961 – Bilinda Butcher, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
1964 – Molly Shannon, American actress
1965 – Karl-Heinz Riedle, German footballer
1966 – John Bel Edwards, American attorney and politician
1968 – Rafael Alkorta, Spanish footballer
1968 – Marc Anthony, American musician
1971 – Amy Poehler, American actress, comedienne and writer
1972 – Liz Bonnin, Irish television presenter
1972 – Sprent Dabwido, Nauruan politician, former President of Nauru
1973 – Alexander Vinokourov, Kazakhstani cyclist
1974 – Mario Haas, Austrian footballer
1974 – Loona, Dutch singer
1975 – Adel Chedli, Tunisian footballer

From 1976

1976 – Tina Barrett, British singer (S Club)
1976 – Greg Buckner, American basketball player
1978 – Ebrahim Mirzapour, Iranian footballer
1978 – Carolina Dieckmann, Brazilian actress
1979 – Keisuke Tsuboi, Japanese footballer
1979 – Flo Rida, American rapper
1979 – Fanny, French singer
1980 – Patrik Stefan, Czech ice hockey player
1981 – Alexis Bledel, American actress
1983 – Kirsty Coventry, Zimbabwean swimmer
1983 – Brandon Moss, American baseball player
1984 – Katie Melua, Georgian-British singer
1984 – Sabrina Bryan, American actress and singer
1986 – Ian Harding, British actor
1987 – Kyle Lafferty, Northern Irish footballer
1987 – Burry Stander, South African cyclist (d. 2013)
1987 – Daren Kagasoff, American actor
1988 – Teddy Geiger, American singer-songwriter, guitarist and actor
1988 – Sarah Steele, American actress
1989 – José Salomon Rondon, Venezuelan footballer
1992 – Nick Jonas, American singer and guitarist (The Jonas Brothers)
1992 – Jake Roche, English actor and singer
2005 – Princess Jalilah bint Ali of Jordan

Deaths

Up to 1900

96 – Domitian, Roman Emperor (b. 51)
307 – Flavius Valerius Severus, Roman Emperor
655 – Pope Martin I
1087 – Severus II, Roman Emperor
1100 – Bernold of Constance, German chronicler and writer (b. 1054)
1345 – John IV, Duke of Brittany (b. 1295)
1380 – King Charles V of France (b. 1338)
1394 – Avignon Pope Clement VII (b. 1342)
1498 – Tomas de Torquemada, Spanish grand inquisitor (b. 1420)
1589 – Michael Baius, Flemish theologian (b. 1513)
1701 – James II of England and VII of Scotland (b. 1633)
1736 – Gabriel Fahrenheit, physicist (b. 1686)
1782 – Farinelli, Italian singer (b. 1705)
1792 – Quang Trung, Emperor of Vietnam (b. 1753)
1803 – Nicolas Baudin, French explorer, cartographer and naturalist (b. 1754)
1819 – John Jeffries, American physician, balloonist and meteorologist (b. 1744)
1824 – King Louis XVIII of France (b. 1755)
1843 – Ezekiel Hart, Canadian businessman and politician (b. 1770)
1845 – Thomas Davis, Irish nationalist and writer (b. 1814)
1887 – Sakoigawa Namiemon, Japanese sumo wrestler (b. 1841)
1911 – Edward Whymper, English mountain climber (b. 1840)
1925 – Alexander Friedmann, Russian mathematician and cosmologist (b. 1888)
1925 – Leo Fall, Austrian composer (b. 1873)
1932 – Ronald Ross, British doctor, won the 1902 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1857)
1931 – Omar Mukhtar, resistance leader in Italian Libya
1936 – Jean-Baptiste Charcot, French scientist (b. 1867)
1940 – Charles Cochrane-Baillie, 2nd Baron Lamington, British politician, 8th Governor of Queensland, Australia (b. 1860)
1944 – Gustav Bauer, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1870)
1946 – James Hopwood Jeans, English physicist, astronomer and mathematician (b. 1877)

From 1951

1957 – Qi Baishi, Chinese painter (b. 1864)
1965 – Ahn Eak-tai, Korean composer and conductor (b. 1906)
1965 – Fred Quimby, American animation producer (b. 1886)
1977 – Marc Bolan, English musician (b. 1947)
1977 – Maria Callas, Greek-American soprano (b. 1923)
1980 – Jean Piaget, Swiss psychologist (b. 1896)
1984 – Louis Reard, French engineer and fashion designer (b. 1897)
1987 – Christopher Soames, Baron Soames, British politician (b. 1920)
1987 – Howard Moss, American poet, playwright and critic (b. 1922)
1991 – Olga Spessivtseva, Russian ballerina (b. 1895)
1992 – Millicent Fenwick, American politician and writer (b. 1910)
1993 – Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Australian poet and activist (b. 1920)
1996 – Gene Nelson, American actor, director and screenwriter (b. 1920)
2000 – Georgiy Gongadze, Georgian-Ukrainian journalist (b. 1969)
2002 – James Gregory, American actor (b. 1911)
2003 – Sheb Wooley, American actor and singer (b. 1921)
2004 – Izora Armstead, American singer (The Weather Girls) (b. 1942)
2005 – Gordon Gould, American inventor (b. 1920)
2006 – Floyd Curry, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1925)
2006 – Fouad el-Mohandes, Egyptian actor (b. 1924)
2007 – Robert Jordan, American writer (b. 1948)
2009 – Mary Travers, American singer (b. 1936)
2012 – Princess Ragnhild of Norway, Norwegian royal, sister of Harald V of Norway (b. 1930)
2012 – John Ingle, American actor (b. 1928)
2013 – Kim Hamilton, American actress (b. 1932)
2013 – Patsy Swayze, American dancer and choreographer (b. 1927)
2014 – Buster Jones, American actor and television presenter (b. 1943)
2014 – Alf Ivar Samuelsen, Norwegian politician (b. 1942)
2015 – Guy Béart, French singer-songwriter (b. 1930)
2015 – Ton van de Ven, Dutch industrial designer (b. 1944)
2015 – David Ashby, British motorcycle racer (b. 1949)
2016 – Edward Albee, American playwright (b. 1928)
2016 – Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, 10th President of Italy (b. 1920)
2016 – Gabriele Amorth, Italian priest and exorcist (b. 1925)
2016 – Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro, former President of Cape Verde (b. 1944)

Observances

Independence Day in Mexico and Papua New Guinea
Malaysia Day
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone layer
National Heroes' Day (Saint Kitts and Nevis)
Statehood Day (Alagoas, a state of Brazil)