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What happened in history on this day: January 16?
On January 16 in ...
- 1776 - Continental Congress approves enlistment of free blacks.
- 1777 - Vermont declares independence from New York.
- 1864 - Heavy fighting takes place near Dandridge, Tennessee.
- 1865 - Drunken sailor attacks munitions at Fort Fisher, North Carolina, 40 die.
- 1865 - USA Army General William Sherman issues Field Order #15 (land for blacks).
- 1868 - Refrigerator rail car patented by William Davis, a fish dealer in Detroit, Michigan, USA.
- 1883 - Pendleton Act creates basis of US Civil Service system.
- 1887 - Cliff House, San Francisco, damaged when schooner Parallel's powder cargo explodes.
- 1908 - Pinnacles National Monument is established in California.
- 1917 - The German minister, Arthur Zimmermann, sends a telegram through the German ambassador in Washington to the German ambassador in Mexico offering Mexico an alliance against the United States. He proposes that Mexico will be assisted in retaking Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. The telegram is intercepted and decoded by British intelligence and given to President Woodrow Wilson.
- 1919 - The 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, prohibiting the "manufacture, sale, or transportation" of alcohol, is ratified by required three-quarters of the states.
- 1920 - US 18th Amendment, prohibition, becomes the law of the land - one year after ratification; it is repealed in 1933.
- 1936 - Screen Actors Guild incorporates with King Vidor as president.
- 1939 - Comic strip Superman debuts in the USA.
- 1941 - US vice admiral Bellinger warns of an assault on Pearl Harbor.
- 1941 - War Department forms first Army Air Corps squadron for black cadets.
- 1942 - William Knudsen becomes first civilian appointed a General in US army.
- 1943 - -60 degrees F (-51 degrees C), Island Park Dam, Idaho (state record).
- 1943 - First US air raid on Ambon.
- 1945 - Carl Karcher opens his first restaurant, Carl's Drive-In Barbeque in Los Angeles, California.
- 1945 - US 1st and 3rd army meet at Houffalise.
- 1951 - World's largest gas pipeline opens (Brownsville, Texas, to 134th Street, New York City, New York).
- 1954 - South Pacific closes at Majestic Theater in New York City, New York after 1928 performances.
- 1964 - Hello, Dolly! starring Carol Channing, opens at Saint James Theater in New York City, New York for 2,844 performances.
- 1969 - US President signs executive order establishing the Meritorious Service Medal.
- 1978 - 5th American Music Awards: Stevie Wonder, Fleetwood Mac and Conway Twitty.
- 1989 - (to January 18) Race riots occur in Overtown, Miami, Florida.
- 1991 - U.S. serial killer Aileen Wuornos confesses to the murders of six men.
- 1994 - In Pennsylvania, a magnitude 4.6 earthquake occurs. Felt throughout southeastern Pennsylvania and as far as Baltimore, Maryland and New York City. Also felt at Toronto, Canada.
- 1995 - UPN (Universal-Parmount Network) begins telecasting.
- 1997 - Microsoft ships Microsoft Office 97 application suite for Windows. It includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Outlook. Standard version price is US$499; upgrade price is US$209. Professional version price is US$599; upgrade price is US$309.
- 1998 - NASA announces that John Glenn, age 76, will return to space when the Space Shuttle Discovery blasts off in October.
- 2000 - In Sacramento, California, a commercial truck carrying evaporated milk is driven into the State Capitol building, killing the driver.
- 2001 - US President Bill Clinton awards former US President Theodore Roosevelt a posthumous Medal of Honor for his service during the Spanish-American War. Eleven of Roosevelt's descendants accept the honor on his behalf.
- 2002 - A student shoots six people at the Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Virginia, killing three.
- 2002 - U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft announces that American Taliban member John Walker Lindh will be tried in the United States.
- 2006 - NASA launches the New Horizons spacecraft from Florida, on a mission to rendezvous Pluto and its Moon Charon.
- 2007 - In Scottsdale, Arizona, the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction is held, over six days. A 1967 silver Corvette coupe, the last Sting Ray built, sells for US$600,000.
- 2008 - In Boston, Massachusetts, USA, Oracle Corp announces it will acquire BEA Systems for US$8.5 billion in cash.
- 2009 - Bank of America is rescued by the U.S. government with a US$20 billion bailout and a guarantee for almost $100 billion of potential losses on toxic assets.
- 2009 - The US government issues a ban on import of ancient coins of China earlier than 907, without provenances.
Births on January 16
- 1878 - Birth of Harry [Henry Dewitt] Carey in Bronx, New York, USA; actor (Informer, Aces Wild, Border Cafe, Air Force).
- 1887 - Birth of John Hamilton in Pennsylvania, USA; actor (Perry White - Superman).
- 1890 - Birth of Lloyd Bacon in San Jose, California, USA; actor (Charlie Chaplin).
- 1909 - Birth of Ethel Merman AKA Ethel Zimmerman in Astoria, New York, USA; Tony-winning singer/actress (Hollywood Palace TV show, Toast of the Town TV show, Shower of Stars TV show, Batman, Tarzan, and The Love Boat) (dies 1984).
- 1917 - Birth of Buddy Lester in Chicago, Illinois, USA; actor (Nick - The Phil Silvers Show).
- 1919 - Birth of Bob Boucher in Kent, Ohio, USA; orchestra leader (Music on Ice).
- 1920 - Birth of Elliot Reid in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, New Dick Van Dyke Show, Disneyland, radio's Suspense).
- 1929 - Birth of Francesco Scavullo in Staten Island, New York, USA; celebrity photographer.
- 1930 - Birth of Norman Podhoretz in Brooklyn, New York, USA; author/editor (New York Post).
- 1935 - Birth of A J Foyt in Houston, Texas, USA; auto race driver (Indy 500 1961, 1964, 1967, 1977).
- 1937 - Birth of Bob Bogle in Portland, Oregon, USA; rock bassist/guitarist (The Ventures - Batman theme).
- 1938 - Birth of Michael Pataki in Youngstown, Ohio, USA; actor (Get Christie Love).
- 1942 - Birth of Bill Francis in Mobile, Alabama, USA; rocker (Dr Hook).
- 1944 - Birth of Jim Stafford in Eloise, Florida, USA; singer ("Spiders and Snakes", "My Girl Bill").
- 1944 - Birth of Ronnie Milsap in Robbinsville, North Carolina, USA; country singer ("Any Day Now", "Legend in My Time").
- 1946 - Birth of Michael L Coats in Sacramento, California, USA; Captain US Navy/astronaut (STS 41-D, 29, 39).
- 1947 - Birth of Dr. Laura Schlessinger in Brooklyn, New York, USA; TV/radio host/author (Go take on the day).
- 1948 - Birth of John Carpenter in Carthage, New York, USA; director (Halloween, The Thing).
- 1950 - Birth of Debbie Allen in Houston, Texas, USA; dancer/actress (3 Girls 3, Lydia - Fame).
- 1952 - Birth of Lloyd Blaine Hammond Junior in Savannah, Georgia, USA; Major US Air Force/astronaut (STS 39, 64).
- 1952 - Birth of Roberta Baskin in New York, USA; correspondent (48 Hours).
- 1955 - Birth of Jerry M Linenger in Mount Clemens, Michigan, USA; PhD/Commander US Navy/astronaut (STS 81/84).
- 1966 - Birth of Anthony Washington in Glasgow, Montana, USA; discus thrower (Olympics-4th-1996).
- 1966 - Birth of Jack McDowell in Van Nuys, California, USA; pitcher (New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians).
- 1967 - Birth of Jeff Branson in Waynesboro, Michigan, USA; infielder (Cincinnati Reds).
- 1969 - Birth of Roy Jones in Pensacola, Florida, USA; light-middleweight boxer (Olympics-silver-1988).
- 1970 - Birth of Ron Villone in Englewood, New Jersey, USA; pitcher (San Diego Padres).
- 1971 - Birth of Scott Williams in Orange, California, USA; field hockey defender (Olympics-1996).
- 1972 - Birth of Desiree Leipham in Spokane, Washington, USA; WPVA volleyball player (Nationals-17th-1995).
- 1973 - Birth of Josie Davis in Los Angeles, California, USA; actress (Sarah - Charles in Charge).
Deaths on January 16
- 1942 - Barbara Lynn [Ozen], US singer ("You'll Lose a Good Thing"), dies.
- 1957 - Death of Arturo Toscanini of natural causes at age 89 in New York City, New York, USA; classical conductor (NBC Symphony Orchestra on radio and TV from 1937 to 1954).
- 1967 - Robert J Van De Graaff, US nuclear physicist, dies at age 65.
- 1973 - Death of Clara Ward at age 48 after a series of strokes in Los Angeles, California, USA; composer, arranger, lyricist, singer (Ward Singers, Ward Trio, The Famous Ward Singers, Consecrated Family Gospel Singers, "How I Got Over" song, "Packin' Up" song).
- 1979 - Ted Cassidy of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, actor (Lurch - Addams Family), dies at age 46 (born 1932).
- 1987 - Earl Wilson, Broadway columnist (Midnight Earl), dies in Yonkers at age 79.
- 1993 - Glenn Corbett, US actor (Shenandoah, Chisum, Midway), dies at age 63.
- 1997 - Ennis Cosby, the 29-year-old only son of actor Bill Cosby, is killed by a gunman while changing a flat tire in Los Angeles, California.
- 1997 - Jim Kensil, NFL president (New York Jets), dies of heart failure at age 66.
- 2002 - Death of Michael Bilandic, Mayor of Chicago (born 1923).
- 2017 - Death of Eugene Cernan, American astronaut (born 1934).
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