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On this dayOctober 16

Through history65 events, 258 births and 135 deaths in Wikipedia's lists for the date

Today

A hundred years before

The front pages of October 16, 1926

What 41 American newspapers printed that day, as the Library of Congress keeps them.

MEDIA
The front page of The Montgomery advertiser, Montgomery, Ala., October 16, 1926The Montgomery advertiserMontgomery, Ala.Read it, zoom in, mark it →
32 more front pages that day

All 41 front pages at the Library of Congress ↗From Chronicling America. Public domain: in the Library's words, newspapers published in the United States more than 95 years ago are in the public domain in their entirety.

What happened

On October 16

The anniversaries Wikipedia's editors chose for the date, oldest first.

REFERENCE
  1. 1384642 years ago

    Jadwiga was officially crowned as "King of Poland" instead of "Queen" to reflect the fact that she was a sovereign in her own right. · Jadwiga of Poland · List of Polish monarchs

  2. 1793233 years ago

    War of the First Coalition: The two-day Battle of Wattignies concluded with Jean-Baptiste Jourdan leading French forces to victory over Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

    Photo: Ruedi33aCC BY-SA 4.0
  3. 1813213 years ago

    The Sixth Coalition attacked French forces led by Napoleon in the Battle of Leipzig, the largest conflict in the Napoleonic Wars, with over 500,000 troops involved. · War of the Sixth Coalition · First French Empire

    Photo: Ruedi33aCC BY-SA 4.0
  4. 1834192 years ago

    Most of the Palace of Westminster in London was destroyed in a fire caused by the burning of wooden tally sticks. · Burning of Parliament

    Photo: ThatsTheBossCC0
  5. 1841185 years ago

    The Church of Scotland established Queen's College in Kingston, Ontario, in Canada. · Queen's University at Kingston

  6. 1875151 years ago

    Brigham Young University was founded in Provo, Utah, United States.

  7. 1905121 years ago

    Authorities of the British Raj partitioned the Bengal Presidency, separating the largely Muslim eastern areas from the largely Hindu western areas. · Partition of Bengal (1905)

    Photo: Edinburgh Geographical Institute; J. G. Bartholomew and Sons.Public domain
  8. 1916110 years ago

    Margaret Sanger (pictured) established the United States' first family planning clinic in Brooklyn, New York.

    Photo: Los Angeles Times, restored by Adam CuerdenCC BY 4.0
  9. 1923103 years ago

    Roy and Walt Disney founded the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in Hollywood, which eventually grew to become one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world. · Roy O. Disney · The Walt Disney Company

  10. 1926100 years ago

    Háry János (poster pictured), a Hungarian folk opera by Zoltán Kodály, was premiered at the Royal Hungarian Opera House in Budapest. · Hungarian State Opera House

  11. 194383 years ago

    The Holocaust: The Gestapo conducted a raid on the Roman Ghetto, capturing 1,259 members of the Jewish community, most of whom were sent to Auschwitz. · Roman Ghetto

    Photo: Bernhard WalterPublic domain
  12. 194482 years ago

    A four-day air battle over Taiwan ended with a decisive American victory, destroying hundreds of Japanese aircraft and military facilities. · Formosa Air Battle

    Photo: US Navy EmployeePublic domain
  13. 195076 years ago

    The first novel of the The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, was published in the United Kingdom.

  14. 196462 years ago

    With the success of Project 596, China became the world's fifth nuclear power. · Project 596

    Photo: 《人民画报》Public domain
  15. 197353 years ago

    The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize would be jointly awarded to Henry Kissinger and Lê Đức Thọ, sparking international controversy.

  16. 199135 years ago

    A man drove his vehicle through the window of a Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, and opened fire, killing 23 people before fatally shooting himself. · Luby's shooting

  17. 201313 years ago

    In Laos's deadliest air accident, Lao Airlines Flight 301 crashed into the Mekong River, resulting in the deaths of all 49 people aboard.

    Photo: Blue Stahli LuânCC BY 2.0
  18. 20179 years ago

    The Maltese journalist and anti-corruption activist Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed in a car bomb attack in Bidnija.

All 65 events Wikipedia lists for October 16, by year

Reading the list…

Born

On October 16

The best-known first, counted by the Wikipedia languages with an article on each.

REFERENCE
  1. 1854Oscar WildeIrish playwright, novelist, and poet (died 1900)224 languagesPhoto: Napoleon Sarony / Adam CuerdenPublic domain
  2. 1927Günter GrassGerman novelist, poet, playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2015)137 languagesPhoto: Marcel Antonisse / AnefoCC0
  3. 1886David Ben-GurionPolish-Israeli soldier and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Israel (died 1973)134 languagesPhoto: Fritz CohenPublic domain
  1. 1888Eugene O'Neill, American playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1953)107
  2. 1908Enver Hoxha, Albanian general and politician, Prime Minister of Albania (died 1985)104
  3. 1997Naomi Osaka, Japanese tennis player82
  4. 1983Loreen, Swedish singer77
  5. 1918Louis Althusser, Algerian-French philosopher and academic (died 1990)76
  6. 1925Angela Lansbury, English-American actress, singer, and producer (died 2022)75
  7. 1841Itō Hirobumi, Japanese lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Japan (died 1909)73
  8. 1890Michael Collins, Irish general and politician, 2nd Irish Minister for Finance (died 1922)72
  9. 1948Hema Malini, Indian actress, director, producer, and politician70
  10. 1958Tim Robbins, American actor, director, and screenwriter70
  11. 1854Karl Kautsky, Czech-German journalist, philosopher, and theologian (died 1938)69
  12. 1997Charles Leclerc, Monégasque racing driver69
  13. 1863Austen Chamberlain, English businessman and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1937)68
  14. 1977John Mayer, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer61
  15. 1430James II of Scotland (died 1460)60
  16. 1962Flea, Australian-American bass player, songwriter, and actor57
  17. 1986Inna, Romanian singer57
  18. 1827Arnold Böcklin, Swiss painter (died 1901)56
  19. 1929Fernanda Montenegro, Brazilian actress56
  20. 1758Noah Webster, American lexicographer (died 1843)54
  21. 1938Nico, German singer-songwriter, model, and actress (died 1988)54
Everyone else born on October 16: 234 more, by year

Reading the list…

Died

On October 16

The best-known first, counted by the Wikipedia languages with an article on each.

REFERENCE
  1. 1793Marie AntoinetteAustrian-born queen consort of Louis XVI of France (born 1755)134 languagesPhoto: Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le BrunPublic domain
  2. 1959George MarshallAmerican general and politician, 3rd United States Secretary of Defense, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1880)105 languagesPhoto: author on the file pagePublic domain
  3. 2023Martti Ahtisaariformer President of Finland and Nobel Prize laureate (born 1937)103 languagesPhoto: Markku NiskanenCC BY 4.0
  1. 1946Nuremberg trial executions of the Main Trial:89
  2. 1591Gregory XIV, pope of the Catholic Church (born 1535)80
  3. 1981Moshe Dayan, Israeli general and politician, 5th Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel (born 1915)79
  4. 1946Nuremberg trial executions of the Main Trial:75
  5. 1946Nuremberg trial executions of the Main Trial:74
  6. 2024Yahya Sinwar, leader of Hamas (born 1962)73
  7. 2007Deborah Kerr, Scottish actress (born 1921)71
  8. 1946Nuremberg trial executions of the Main Trial:69
  9. 2024Liam Payne, English singer-songwriter from One Direction (born 1993)68
  10. 1946Nuremberg trial executions of the Main Trial:66
  11. 1946Nuremberg trial executions of the Main Trial:63
  12. 1951Liaquat Ali Khan, Indian-Pakistani lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Pakistan (born 1895)62
  13. 1956Jules Rimet, French businessman (born 1873)62
  14. 1946Nuremberg trial executions of the Main Trial:61
  15. 1962Gaston Bachelard, French poet and philosopher (born 1884)61
  16. 1992Shirley Booth, American actress and singer (born 1898)61
  17. 1553Lucas Cranach the Elder, German painter and engraver (born 1472)60
  18. 1791Grigory Potemkin, Russian general and politician (born 1739)59
  19. 1946Nuremberg trial executions of the Main Trial:59
  20. 1946Nuremberg trial executions of the Main Trial:57
  21. 2017Daphne Caruana Galizia, Maltese journalist and blogger (born 1964)54
Everyone else died on October 16: 111 more, by year

Reading the list…

Observed

On October 16

Holidays, feast days and observances, as Wikipedia lists them for the date.

REFERENCE

Christian feast day

Events, births, deaths and observances are Wikipedia's On this day for October 16, in its editors' words (CC BY-SA 4.0); the counts of languages are Wikidata's (CC0). Dates are the UTC day, as Wikipedia keeps them. Discover brings one of these at a time.