On This Day — 16 December

2024

The Abundant Life Christian School shooting in Madison, Wisconsin, United States, takes place, resulting in the death of three people.

Abundant Life Christian School shooting

2022

A landslide occurs at a camp at an organic farm near the town of Batang Kali in Selangor, Malaysia, trapping 92 people and killing 31.

2022 Batang Kali landslide

2014

Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan militants attack an Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing 150 people, 132 of them schoolchildren.

Pakistani Taliban

2013

A bus falls from an elevated highway in Manila, capital of the Philippines, killing at least 18 people with 20 injured.

2013 Metro Manila Skyway bus accident

2011

The Zhanaozen massacre occurs when violent protests by oil workers take place in Zhanaozen, Kazakhstan, resulting in security forces killing at least 14 and injuring 100 more.

Zhanaozen massacre

1997

Dennō Senshi Porygon: Over 600 kids in Japan suffer photosensitive epileptic seizures after watching an episode of the Pokémon anime.

Dennō Senshi Porygon

1992

Deportation of Hamas members: Israeli authorities began deporting hundreds of Palestinians suspected to be members of Hamas across the Lebanese border.

1992 deportation of Hamas members

1989

Romanian Revolution: Protests break out in Timișoara, Romania, in response to an attempt by the government to evict dissident Hungarian pastor László Tőkés.

Romanian revolution

1986

The Jeltoqsan riots erupt in Alma-Ata, Kazakh SSR, in response to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's dismissal of ethnic Kazakh Dinmukhamed Kunaev, the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, and his replacement with Gennady Kolbin, an ethnic Russian from the Russian SFSR.

Jeltoqsan

1973

Aeroflot Flight 2022 crashes in the Soviet Union's (now Russia) Volokolamsky District, killing all 51 aboard, including four Lithuanian doctors.

Aeroflot Flight 2022

1972

The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is enacted.

Constitution of Bangladesh

1971

Bangladesh Liberation War and Indo-Pakistani War of 1971: The surrender of the Pakistan Army brings an end to both conflicts. This is commemorated annually as Victory Day in Bangladesh and Vijay Diwas in India respectively.

Bangladesh Liberation War

1971

The United Kingdom recognizes Bahrain's independence, which is commemorated annually as Bahrain's National Day.

Bahrain

1968

Second Vatican Council: Official revocation of the Edict of Expulsion of Jews from Spain.

Second Vatican Council

1960

A United Air Lines Douglas DC-8 and a TWA Lockheed Super Constellation collide over Staten Island, New York and crash, killing all 128 people aboard both aircraft and six more on the ground.

United Airlines

1951

A Miami Airlines Curtiss C-46 Commando crashes in Elizabeth, New Jersey, killing all 58 aboard including dancer Doris Ruby.

Curtiss C-46 Commando

1944

World War II: The Battle of the Bulge begins with the surprise offensive of three German armies through the Ardennes forest.

World War II

1942

The Holocaust: Schutzstaffel chief Heinrich Himmler orders that Roma candidates for extermination be deported to Auschwitz.

The Holocaust

1920

The Haiyuan earthquake of 8.5Mw  rocks the Gansu province in China, killing an estimated 200,000.

1920 Haiyuan earthquake

1914

World War I: Admiral Franz von Hipper commands a raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby.

World War I

1912

First Balkan War: The Royal Hellenic Navy defeats the Ottoman Navy at the Battle of Elli.

First Balkan War

1905

In rugby union, the "Match of the Century" is played between Wales and New Zealand at Cardiff Arms Park.

Rugby union

1883

Tonkin Campaign: French forces capture the Sơn Tây citadel.

Tonkin campaign

1882

Wales and England contest the first Home Nations (now Six Nations) rugby union match.

Wales national rugby union team

1880

Outbreak of the First Boer War between the Boer South African Republic and the British Empire.

First Boer War

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.

Battle of Nashville

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.

American Civil War

1850

The Charlotte Jane and the Randolph bring the first of the Canterbury Pilgrims to Lyttelton, New Zealand.

Charlotte Jane

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.

Great Trek

1826

Benjamin W. Edwards rides into Mexican-controlled Nacogdoches, Texas, and declares himself ruler of the Republic of Fredonia.

Benjamin W. Edwards

1811

The first two in a series of four severe earthquakes occur in the vicinity of New Madrid, Missouri.

1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes

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.

East India Company

1777

Virginia becomes the first state to ratify the Articles of Confederation.

Articles of Confederation

1773

American Revolution: Boston Tea Party: Members of the Sons of Liberty disguised as Mohawk Indians dump hundreds of crates of tea into Boston harbor as a protest against the Tea Act.

American Revolution

1761

Seven Years' War: After a four-month siege, the Russians under Pyotr Rumyantsev take the Prussian fortress of Kołobrzeg.

Seven Years' War

1707

The most recent eruption of Mount Fuji.

Hōei eruption

1689

Convention Parliament: The Declaration of Right is embodied in the Bill of Rights.

Convention Parliament (1689)

1653

English Interregnum: The Protectorate: Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland.

Interregnum (England)

1598

Seven-Year War: Battle of Noryang: The final battle of the Seven-Year War is fought between the China and the Korean allied forces and Japanese navies, resulting in a decisive allied forces victory.

Imjin War

1575

An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 8.5Mw  strikes Valdivia, Chile.

1575 Valdivia earthquake

1497

Vasco da Gama passes the Great Fish River at the southern tip of Africa, where Bartolomeu Dias had previously turned back to Portugal.

Vasco da Gama

1431

Hundred Years' War: Henry VI of England is crowned King of France at Notre Dame in Paris.

Hundred Years' War

755

An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Yanjing, initiating the An Lushan Rebellion during the Tang dynasty of China.

An Lushan

714

Pepin of Herstal, mayor of the Merovingian palace, dies at Jupille (modern Belgium). He is succeeded by his infant grandson Theudoald, while his widow Plectrude holds actual power in the Frankish Kingdom.

Pepin of Herstal

533

The Digest, the great collection of all Roman jurists' law, is issued together with a new official law textbook for legal schools, The Institutes.

Digest (Roman law)