Ludwig van Beethoven
b. 1770
composer
On This Day · The 350th day of the year
December 16
December 16 carries 10 recorded events spanning between 1707 and 1997. The most recent eruption of Mount Fuji.
Compiled & reviewed by Roman Tailor · Last reviewed July 13, 2026
What happened on December 16?
December 16 is the 350th day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 1707 and 1997. Famous people born on December 16 include Ludwig van Beethoven, Leopold I of Belgium and Léon Walras.
The shape of the day
December 16's record stretches 290 years, from 1707 to 1997. Its center of gravity is the 20th century, and conflict is a recurring thread.
Sagittarius is the sign for December 16 — read more on the Sagittarius page, or see December's birthstone & birth flower.
Released on December 16
Movies, games, albums & shows2025
- Game Pioner
- Movie The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants
2022
- Game The Block
2021
- Game The Gunk
Release data from TMDB & IGDB.
Events
10 notable moments- 1707
Hōei eruption
The most recent eruption of Mount Fuji.
- 1761
Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War: After a four-month siege, the Russians under Pyotr Rumyantsev take the Prussian fortress of Kołobrzeg.
- 1773
American Revolution
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.
- 1811
1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes
The first two in a series of four severe earthquakes occur in the vicinity of New Madrid, Missouri.
- 1914
World War I
World War I: Admiral Franz von Hipper commands a raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby.
- 1920
1920 Haiyuan earthquake
The Haiyuan earthquake of 8.5Mw rocks the Gansu province in China, killing an estimated 200,000.
- 1942
The Holocaust
The Holocaust: Schutzstaffel chief Heinrich Himmler orders that Roma candidates for extermination be deported to Auschwitz.
- 1944
World War II
World War II: The Battle of the Bulge begins with the surprise offensive of three German armies through the Ardennes forest.
- 1971
Bahrain
The United Kingdom recognizes Bahrain's independence, which is commemorated annually as Bahrain's National Day.
- 1997
Dennō Senshi Porygon
Dennō Senshi Porygon: Over 600 kids in Japan suffer photosensitive epileptic seizures after watching an episode of the Pokémon anime.
Famous birthday twins
Born on December 16Leopold I of Belgium
b. 1790
King of the Belgians from 1831 to 1865
Léon Walras
b. 1834
French-Swiss economist and theorist
Bill Hicks
b. 1961
American comedian and musician
Jane Austen
b. 1775
English novelist
Arthur C. Clarke
b. 1917
English science fiction writer
Heike Drechsler
b. 1964
German sprinter and long jumper
Johann Wilhelm Ritter
b. 1776
German chemist, physicist, and philosopher
Deaths
- 1922Gabriel Narutowicz
- 1859Wilhelm Grimm
- 1774François Quesnay
- 1598Yi Sun-sin
- 705Wu Zetian
Holidays & observances
- —Christian feast day: Adelaide of Italy
- —Christian feast day: Haggai
- —Christian feast day: Blessed Marianna Fontanella
- —Christian feast day: Blessed Philip Siphong Onphitak
- —Christian feast day: Ralph Adams Cram, Richard Upjohn and John La Farge (Episcopal Church (USA))
- —Christian feast day: December 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- —Day of Reconciliation, formerly celebrated as Day of the Vow by the Afrikaners (South Africa)
- —Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Kazakhstan from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Historical facts, event summaries, and biographical lines above are adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. DateLore adds curation, structure, and original editorial commentary. DateLore is not affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation.
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