Date·Lore

On This Day · The 47th day of the year

February 16

February 16 carries 10 recorded events spanning between 1804 and 2013. First Barbary War: Stephen Decatur leads a raid to burn the pirate-held frigate USS Philadelphia.

♒ZodiacAquarius ◈BirthstoneAmethyst ❀Birth flowerViolet

Compiled & reviewed by · Last reviewed July 13, 2026

What happened on February 16?

February 16 is the 47th day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 1804 and 2013. Famous people born on February 16 include Margot Frank, Jayaatu Khan Tugh Temür and Joseph Victor von Scheffel.

The shape of the day

As calendar dates go, February 16 keeps a short memory — its record stays close to the present. Most of the weight falls in the 20th century, where conflict is a recurring thread.

Aquarius is the sign for February 16 — read more on the Aquarius page, or see February's birthstone & birth flower.

Released on February 16

Movies, games, albums & shows

2024

  • Movie Salitan

2023

  • Game Theatrhythm Final Bar Line
  • Game Loretta
  • Game Wild Hearts
  • Game Dust & Neon

2022

  • Game The King of Fighters XV
  • Game Treasure of Nadia

Release data from TMDB & IGDB.

Events

10 notable moments
  1. 1804

    First Barbary War

    First Barbary War: Stephen Decatur leads a raid to burn the pirate-held frigate USS Philadelphia.

  2. 1862

    American Civil War

    American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant captures Fort Donelson, Tennessee.

  3. 1899

    Iceland

    Iceland's first football club, Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, is founded.

  4. 1900

    Southern Cross Expedition

    The Southern Cross expedition led by Carsten Borchgrevink achieves a new Farthest South of 78° 50'S, making the first landing at the Great Ice Barrier.

  5. 1918

    Council of Lithuania

    The Council of Lithuania unanimously adopts the Act of Independence, declaring Lithuania an independent state.

  6. 1940

    World War II

    World War II: Altmark incident: The German tanker Altmark is boarded by sailors from the British destroyer HMS Cossack. A total of 299 British prisoners are freed.

  7. 1959

    Fidel Castro

    Fidel Castro becomes Premier of Cuba after dictator Fulgencio Batista was overthrown on January 1.

  8. 1983

    Ash Wednesday bushfires

    The Ash Wednesday bushfires in Victoria and South Australia kill 75.

  9. 1984

    Iran

    Iran launches Operation Dawn 5, a major offensive during the Iran–Iraq War targeting the Basra–Baghdad highway, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides.

  10. 2013

    February 2013 Quetta bombing

    A bomb blast at a market in Hazara Town, Quetta, Pakistan kills more than 80 people and injures 190 others.

Famous birthday twins

Born on February 16

Margot Frank

b. 1926

German-Dutch holocaust victim

Jayaatu Khan Tugh Temür

b. 1304

Chinese emperor

Joseph Victor von Scheffel

b. 1826

German poet and author

Kim Jong Il

b. 1941

North Korean commander and politician, 2nd Supreme Leader of North Korea

Pierre Bouguer

b. 1698

French mathematician, geophysicist, and astronomer

John McEnroe

b. 1959

American tennis player and sportscaster

Sergio Canales

b. 1991

Spanish footballer

Octave Mirbeau

b. 1848

French journalist, novelist, and playwright

Deaths

  • 2016Boutros Boutros-Ghali
  • 1980Erich Hückel
  • 1917Octave Mirbeau
  • 1907Giosuè Carducci
  • 1391John V Palaiologos
  • 1247Henry Raspe

Holidays & observances

  • —Christian feast day: Abda of Edessa
  • —Christian feast day: Elias and companions
  • —Christian feast day: Juliana of Nicomedia (Catholic Church)
  • —Christian feast day: Onesimus
  • —Christian feast day: Charles Todd Quintard (Episcopal Church (USA))
  • —Christian feast day: February 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • —Day of the Shining Star (Kim Jong Il's birthday) (North Korea)
  • —Restoration of Lithuania's Statehood Day, celebrate the independence of Lithuania from Russia and Germany in 1918 (Lithuania)

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.

About the author

Roman Tailor compiles and reviews every date on DateLore. He's the writer and editor behind the site's editorial essays and the day-by-day almanac. Corrections and questions are welcome — read more about DateLore or get in touch.

Born on this day?

Make your birthday card.

Drop in your birth year and we'll work out your exact age, the day of the week you were born, your Chinese zodiac, your generation, and the countdown to your next candle.