16th January In History

January 16 is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 349 days remain until the end of the year (350 in leap years).

So, What happened on 16th January in history

What happened today in history (16 January): Space Shuttle Columbia, First Corvette New York, Operation Desert Storm, Bird Flu Pandemic and many more

It may not mean much to you right now, but by the end of this article, you will learn that January 16 holds a significant place in history.

From the establishment of Roman Empire and launching of space shuttle Columbia to the Bird Flu Pandemic many important events took place on 16th January.

Dive in to know what happened on this day (Jan. 16) in sports, politics and art, along with famous birthdays and deaths in world history.

Ancient Events

In 27 BC – Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus is granted the title Augustus by the Roman Senate, marking the beginning of the Roman Empire
In 550 – Gothic War: The Ostrogoths, under King Totila, conquer Rome after a long siege, by bribing the Isaurian garrison.
In 1120 – Crusades: The Council of Nablus is held, establishing the earliest surviving written laws of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.
In 1556 – Philip II becomes King of Spain
In 1572 – Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk is tried and found guilty of treason for his part in the Ridolfi plot to restore Catholicism in England.

Relatively New Events On This Day

In 1707 – The Scottish Parliament ratifies the Act of Union, paving the way for the creation of Great Britain.
In 1757 – Forces of the Maratha Empire defeat a 5,000-strong army of the Durrani Empire in the Battle of Narela.
In 1780 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Cape St. Vincent.
In 1786 – Virginia enacts the Statute for Religious Freedom authored by Thomas Jefferson.
In 1945 – World War II: Adolf Hitler moves into his underground bunker, the so-called Führerbunker.
In 1969 – Space Race: Soviet spacecraft Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 perform the first-ever docking of manned spacecraft in orbit, the first-ever transfer of crew from one space vehicle to another, and the only time such a transfer was accomplished with a space walk.
In 2002 – War in Afghanistan: The UN Security Council unanimously establishes an arms embargo and the freezing of assets of Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda, and the remaining members of the Taliban.
In 2003 – The Space Shuttle Columbia takes off for mission STS-107 which would be its final one. Columbia disintegrated 16 days later on re-entry.

Sports Events On This Day

In 1883 Quebec Rugby Football Union forms.
In 1931 Australian cricket batting prodigy Don Bradman scores 223 v West Indies in 3rd Test in Brisbane; most runs scored by a player in a Test match in Australia in one day
In 1933 Cricket’s Bodyline Tour: Australian batsman Bert Oldfield’s skull fractured by delivery bowled by Englishman Harold Larwood during the third test in Adelaide

Water Sort Puzzle – Brain Game

Art and Culture Events – What Happened on 16th January

In 1938 1st jazz concert held at Carnegie Hall, performed by Benny Goodman and his band
In 1981 John Lennon’s single “Woman” is posthumously released in the UK

Notable Deaths On 16th January

Sr No	Death Year	Personality
1	2009	John Mortimer, English lawyer, author
2	1986	Herbert W. Armstrong, American evangelist, author, publisher
3	1979	Ted Cassidy, American actor
4	1957	Arturo Toscanini, Italian conductor
5	1917	George Dewey, American Admiral

Famous Birthdays On 16th January

Sr No	Birth Year	Personality
1	1974	Kate Moss, English model
2	1959	Sade Adu, Nigerian/English singer-songwriter, producer
3	1948	John Carpenter, American director
4	1933	Susan Sontag, American author
5	1932	Dian Fossey, American zoologist