What Happened on December 16?
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events
births
deaths
holidays
EVENTS ON DECEMBER 16
Explore the most important historical events that happened on December 16, featuring key moments that shaped the world.
1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes
Year:
1811
The first two in a series of four severe earthquakes occur in the vicinity of New Madrid, Missouri.
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East India Company
Year:
1782
British East India Company: Muharram Rebellion: Hada and Mada Miah lead the first anti-British uprising in the subcontinent against Robert Lindsay and his contingents in Sylhet Shahi Eidgah.
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Articles of Confederation
Year:
1777
Virginia becomes the first state to ratify the Articles of Confederation.
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Great Trek
Year:
1838
Great Trek: Battle of Blood River: Voortrekkers led by Andries Pretorius and Sarel Cilliers defeat Zulu impis, led by Dambuza (Nzobo) and Ndlela kaSompisi in what is today KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
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American Civil War
Year:
1863
American Civil War: Confederate President Jefferson Davis appoints General Joseph E. Johnston to replace General Braxton Bragg as commander of the Army of Tennessee.
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Wales national rugby union team
Year:
1882
Wales and England contest the first Home Nations (now Six Nations) rugby union match.
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First Boer War
Year:
1880
Outbreak of the First Boer War between the Boer South African Republic and the British Empire.
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Battle of Nashville
Year:
1864
American Civil War: The Battle of Nashville ends as the Union Army of the Cumberland under General George H. Thomas routs and destroys the Confederate Army of Tennessee under General John Bell Hood, ending its effectiveness as a combat unit.
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BIRTHS ON DECEMBER 16
Discover famous people and historical figures born on December 16, including leaders, artists, scientists, and cultural icons.
Sam Most
Year of birth:
1930
Sam Most, American flute player and saxophonist (died 2013)
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Lin Zhao
Year of birth:
1932
Lin Zhao, Chinese dissident and Christian executed during the Cultural Revolution (died 1968)
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Bill Young (Florida politician)
Year of birth:
1930
Bill Young, American sergeant and politician (died 2013)
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Nicholas Courtney
Year of birth:
1929
Nicholas Courtney, Egyptian-English actor (died 2011)
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Terry Carter
Year of birth:
1928
Terry Carter, American actor, director, and producer (died 2024)
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Grace Alele-Williams
Year of birth:
1932
Grace Alele-Williams, Nigerian mathematician and academic (died 2022)
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Morris Dees
Year of birth:
1936
Morris Dees, American lawyer and activist, co-founded the Southern Poverty Law Center
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Frank Deford
Year of birth:
1938
Frank Deford, American journalist and author (died 2017)
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DEATHS ON DECEMBER 16
Look back at notable individuals who passed away on December 16, and learn about their lasting influences on history.
Frank Eugene
Year of death:
1936
Frank Eugene, American-German photographer and educator (born 1865)
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Thelma Todd
Year of death:
1935
Thelma Todd, American actress and comedian (born 1905)
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Billy Hamilton (baseball, born 1866)
Year of death:
1940
Billy Hamilton, American baseball player and manager (born 1866)
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Eugène Dubois
Year of death:
1940
Eugène Dubois, Dutch paleoanthropologist (born 1858)
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Betsie ten Boom
Year of death:
1944
Betsie ten Boom, Dutch Holocaust victim (born 1885)
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Elinor Wylie
Year of death:
1928
Elinor Wylie, American poet and author (born 1885)
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Gabriel Narutowicz
Year of death:
1922
Gabriel Narutowicz, Lithuanian–Polish engineer and politician, 1st President of the Republic of Poland (born 1865)
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Pavel Tretyakov
Year of death:
1898
Pavel Tretyakov, Russian businessman and art collector (born 1832)
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HOLIDAYS ON DECEMBER 16
See which holidays, observances, and special celebrations take place on December 16 around the world.
National day
National Day, celebrates the withdrawal of United Kingdom from Bahrain, making Bahrain an independent emirate in 1971.
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Las Posadas
The beginning of the nine-day celebration beginning December 16 and ending December 24, celebrating the trials which Mary and Joseph endured before finding a place to stay where Jesus could be born (Hispanidad): The first day of Las Posadas (Mexico, Latin America)
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Simbang Gabi
The beginning of the nine-day celebration beginning December 16 and ending December 24, celebrating the trials which Mary and Joseph endured before finding a place to stay where Jesus could be born (Hispanidad): The first day of the Simbang Gabi novena of masses (Philippines)
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Victory Day (Bangladesh)
Victory Day observances, celebration of the Indo-Bangla allied victory over Pakistan armed forces and the Liberation of Bangladesh. (Bangladesh and India[a])
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Adelaide of Italy
Christian feast day: Adelaide of Italy
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Independence Day (Kazakhstan)
Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Kazakhstan from the Soviet Union in 1991.
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Haggai
Christian feast day: Haggai
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Ralph Adams Cram
Christian feast day: Ralph Adams Cram, Richard Upjohn and John La Farge (Episcopal Church (USA))
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