Historical events on January 16

JANUARY 16, 27 BC

Gaius Octavianus was given the titles Augustus and Princeps by the Roman Senate when he became the first Roman emperor.

Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, also known as Octavian, was the founder of the Roman Empire. He reigned as the first Roman emperor Read More

JANUARY 16, 1883

The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, establishing the United States Civil Service, is enacted by the U.S. Congress.

The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act is a United States federal law passed by the 47th United States Congress and signed into Read More

JANUARY 16, 1942

TWA Flight 3 crashed into Potosi Mountain in Nevada, killing actress Carole Lombard and all of the other 21 people on board.

TWA Flight 3 was a twin-engine Douglas DC-3-382 propliner, registration NC1946, operated by Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA) as a scheduled domestic Read More

JANUARY 16, 1275

Eleanor of Provence received permission from her son King Edward I of England to expel Jews from the towns of Worcester, Marlborough, Cambridge and Gloucester.

Eleanor of Provence was a Provençal noblewoman who became Queen of England as the wife of King Henry III from 1236 until Read More

JANUARY 16, 2016

After gunmen took hostages the previous night at a restaurant in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, government commandos stormed the premises to bring the situation to an end.

Ouagadougou or Wagadugu is the capital city of Burkina Faso, and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic centre of the nation. It Read More

JANUARY 16, 1809

Peninsular War: French forces under Jean-de-Dieu Soult attacked the British amphibious evacuation under Sir John Moore at Corunna in Galicia, Spain.

The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying Read More

JANUARY 16, 2018

In Mrauk U, Myanmar, police fired into a crowd protesting the ban of an event to mark the anniversary of the end of the Kingdom of Mrauk U, resulting in seven deaths and twelve injuries.

Mrauk U is a town in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar. It is the capital of Mrauk-U Township, a subregion of the Mrauk-U District. (Image Credits)

JANUARY 16, 1905

Despite being blind in one eye, ice hockey player Frank McGee (pictured) set the record for most goals in a Stanley Cup game when he scored 14 against the Dawson City Nuggets.

Ice hockey is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to Read More

JANUARY 16, 1780

American Revolutionary War: The Royal Navy gained their first major naval victory over their European enemies in the war when they defeated a Spanish squadron in the Battle of Cape St. Vincent.

The American Revolutionary War, also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the Read More

JANUARY 16, 1920

The League of Nations, the first worldwide intergovernmental organization with a focus on peace and security, held its first council meeting in Paris.

The League of Nations was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on Read More

JANUARY 16, 1942

World War II: During the Battle of Bataan, U.S. Army sergeant Jose Calugas (pictured) organized a squad of volunteers to man an artillery position under heavy fire, an action that later earned him the Medal of Honor.

World War II or the Second World War was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all Read More

JANUARY 16, 1862

A pumping engine at a colliery in New Hartley, England, broke and fell down the shaft, trapping miners below and resulting in 204 deaths.

Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its energy content Read More

JANUARY 16, 1945

World War II: Adolf Hitler and his staff moved into the Führerbunker in Berlin, where he would eventually commit suicide.

World War II or the Second World War was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all Read More

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Historical events on January 16

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