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What happened in history on this day: December 16?
On December 16 in ...
- 1773 - In Boston Harbor, a group of 116 Massachusetts colonists disguised as Indians board three British tea ships and dump 342 chests of tea into the harbor, in protest of the British Parliament's Tea Act of 1773, greatly lowering the tea tax on the East India Company.
- 1811 - New Madrid, Missouri is the epicenter of a massive earthquake 7.2-8.1 magnitude, felt as far away as New York and Florida. Likely cause is overhead explosion of comet fragments, as the comet had been observed earlier.
- 1835 - Fire consumes over 600 buildings in New York City, New York.
- 1864 - Battle of Nashville ends after 4400 casualities.
- 1884 - Opening of World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Opened by touch of telegraphic key installed in White House, by President Chester Arthur. The exposition takes place on 245 acres of land, with main building covering 31 acres.
- 1890 - Negro Methodist Episcopal Church founded in Jackson, Tennessee.
- 1907 - The U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet of 28 warships is launched from Hampton Roads, Virginia, on an around-the-world voyage.
- 1908 - First credit union in US forms (Manchester, New Hampshire).
- 1909 - US pressure forces Nicaraguan President José Santos Zelaya from office.
- 1918 - Carter Glass becomes US Treasury Secretary.
- 1944 - (0530 hours) Adolf Hitler launches Operation Autumn Mist (Herbstnebel). A short (30 minutes) artillery burst commences prior to troop movement. A German force of 20-22 divisions attacks along a 60-mile front from Monschau to Echternach through the Ardennes, in a surprise attack on the West. 200,000 German tank and infantry troops take part in the offensive versus 83,000 along the American line.
- 1944 - US 2nd Infantry division occupies "Heartbreak Crossroads" Wahlerscheid.
- 1950 - US President Harry Truman proclaims state of emergency against "Communist imperialism".
- 1953 - First White House Press Conference (President Dwight Eisenhower and 161 reporters).
- 1953 - Charles E Yeager flies over 2,575 kph (1,650 mph) in Bell X-1A (first man to fly at nearly two and one-half times the speed of sound).
- 1960 - 134 die as United DC-8 and TWA Super Constellation collide over Staten Island, New York City, New York.
- 1964 - US performs nuclear test in the Pacific Ocean.
- 1965 - Gemini 6 returns to Earth.
- 1965 - Pioneer 6 launched into solar orbit.
- 1970 - New Jersey State Lottery begins sale of 50-cent tickets in a weekly lottery on a drawn 6-digit number.
- 1970 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.
- 1973 - American kidnapping victim Paul Getty III freed.
- 1974 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.
- 1976 - Andrew Young named Ambassador and Chief US Delegate to United Nations.
- 1976 - US government halts swine flu vaccination program following reports of paralysis.
- 1978 - Ronald Reagan denounces President Jimmy Carter's recognition of People's Republic of China.
- 1980 - US President-elect Ronald Reagan announces Alexander Haig as Secretary of State.
- 1983 - Riverside, California judge denies cerebral palsy victim Elizabeth Bouviato request to starve herself to death in a county hospital.
- 1985 - In New York City, Mafia bosses Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti are shot dead in front of Spark's Steak House, making hit organizer John Gotti the leader of the powerful Gambino organized crime family.
- 1988 - American political cult leader Lyndon LaRouche convicted of tax, mail fraud.
- 1996 - Sotheby's sells at auction Sam Bloomfield's USA 1907 Saint-Gaudens $20 gold coin, Ultra High Relief, Roman Numerals, Proof, for US$825,000.
- 1998 - U.S. President Bill Clinton orders American and British airstrikes on Iraq. UNSCOM withdraws all weapons inspectors from Iraq.
- 2008 - The U.S. Federal Reserve cuts the country's federal funds interest rate to a target range of zero to 0.25 percent, the lowest level on record in the United States for the rate.
- 2008 - Florida police announce that Ottis Toole was the killer of 6-year-old Adam Walsh in Hollywood in 1981. Toole had confessed to hundreds of murders, but police determined that most were untrue. The murder lead father John Walsh to create the TV show America's Most Wanted, and lead to advances in police searches for missing kids, such as faces on milk cartons, fingerprinting programs, increased security at schools and stores, and national legislation to create a national database and toll-free phone number.
Births on December 16
- 1857 - Birth of Edward Emerson Barnard in Tennessee, USA; astronomer (Jupiter's 5th satellite).
- 1892 - Birth of Cameron Prud'Homme in Auburn, California, USA; actor (Rainmaker).
- 1901 - Birth of Margaret Mead in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; anthropologist (Coming of Age in Samoa).
- 1903 - Birth of Hardie Albright in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; actress (Silver Streak, Scarlet Letter).
- 1920 - Birth of George Schaefer in Wallingford, Connecticut, USA; director (almost 100 television productions).
- 1926 - Birth of James McCracken in Gary, Indiana, USA; dramatic tenor (Rodolfo - La Bohéme).
- 1937 - Birth of Jim Glaser in Spalding, Nebraska, USA; singer (Tompall and the Glaser Brothers - "Getting to Me Again").
- 1937 - Birth of Joyce Bulifant in Newport News, Virginia, USA; actress (Marie - Mary Tyler Moore Show, Match Game).
- 1938 - Birth of Michael Greer in Durham, North Carolina, USA; actor (Bobby Gentry Show).
- 1941 - Birth of Lesley Stahl in Lynn, Massachusetts, USA; White House correspondent (CBS-TV, 60 Minutes).
- 1949 - Birth of Billy Gibbons in Houston, Texas, USA; jazz guitarist (Moving Sidewalks, ZZ Top).
- 1959 - Birth of Alison La Placa in New Jersey, USA; actress (Duet, Catherine - John Larroquette Show, Tom, Jackie Thomas Show).
- 1962 - Birth of Melanie Smith in Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA; actress (Emily - As the World Turns, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine).
- 1963 - Birth of Benjamin Bratt in California, USA; actor (Detective Reynaldo Curtis - Law and Order, The Cleaner, E-Ring).
- 1963 - Birth of Cathy Johnston-Forbes in High Point, North Carolina, USA; LPGA golfer (1990 du Maurier).
- 1964 - Birth of Billy Ripken in Havre de Grace, Maryland, USA; second baseman (Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers).
- 1964 - Birth of Evelyn Conley in San Francisco, California, USA; WPVA volleyball player (US Open-7th-1989).
- 1965 - Birth of Chris Jones in Utica, New York, USA; outfielder (New York Mets).
- 1965 - Birth of Cynthia Lynne White in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Miss Oklahoma-America (1991-top 10).
- 1965 - Birth of Page Dunlap in Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA; LPGA golfer (1994 Atlanta Women's-8th).
- 1965 - Birth of Romallis Ellis in Washington DC; lightweight boxer (Olympics-bronze-1988).
- 1971 - Birth of Catherine "Cathy" Symon in Washington DC, USA; rower (Olympics-1996).
- 1971 - Birth of Kristen Kane in Jacksonville, Florida, USA; diver (Olympics-1996).
- 1971 - Birth of Michael S McCary [Boss] in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; rapper (Boyz II Men).
- 1979 - Birth of Nicole Werra; Miss Wisconsin Teen USA (1996).
Deaths on December 16
- 1980 - Harland "Colonel" Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, dies at age 90 (born 1890).
- 1987 - Albert P Morano, American politician (Representative-Republican-Connecticut, 1951-59), dies at age 79.
- 2005 - Death of John Spencer at age 58 in Los Angeles, California, USA; actor (The West Wing TV show).
- 2007 - Death of Dan Fogelberg at age 56 of prostate cancer at his home in Maine, USA; singer, songwriter ("Leader of the Band", "Same Old Lang Syne").
- 2009 - Death of Roy E. Disney; American businessman (Walt Disney Company) (born 1930).
- 2014 - Death of Ernie Terrell, American boxer (born 1939).
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