✦ DateLore

On This Day · The 136th day of the year

May 16

A look at May 16 through the almanac — historic events, famous birthdays including Henry Fonda and IU (entertainer), and the day's notable deaths and observances.

♉ZodiacTaurus ◈BirthstoneEmerald ❀Birth flowerLily of the Valley
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Events

10 notable moments
  1. 2014

    Gikomba bombings

    Twelve people are killed in two explosions in the Gikomba market area of Nairobi, Kenya.

    2014 IED explosions in
  2. 1975

    Junko Tabei

    Junko Tabei from Japan becomes the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

    Japanese mountain climber (1939–2016)
  3. 1961

    Park Chung Hee

    Park Chung Hee leads a coup d'état to overthrow the Second Republic of South Korea.

    President of South Korea
  4. 1960

    Theodore Maiman

    Theodore Maiman operates the first optical laser (a ruby laser), at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California.

    American physicist (1927–2007)
  5. 1959

    Tritons' Fountain

    The Tritons' Fountain in Valletta, Malta is turned on for the first time.

    Public fountain, Floriana, Malta
  6. 1925

    Claudio Monteverdi

    The first modern performance of Claudio Monteverdi's opera Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria occurred in Paris.

    Italian composer (1567–1643)
  7. 1918

    Sedition Act of 1918

    The Sedition Act of 1918 is passed by the U.S. Congress, making criticism of the government during wartime an imprisonable offense. It will be repealed less than two years later.

    Amendment to the 1917
  8. 1832

    Juan Godoy

    Juan Godoy discovers the rich silver outcrops of Chañarcillo sparking the Chilean silver rush.

    Chilean miner (1800–1842)
  9. 1811

    Peninsular War

    Peninsular War: The allies Spain, Portugal and United Kingdom fight an inconclusive battle against the French at the Albuera. It is, in proportion to the numbers involved, the bloodiest battle of the war.

    1807–1814 war against Napoleon
  10. 1426

    Mohnyin Thado

    Gov. Thado of Mohnyin becomes King of Ava.

    King of Ava (1426–1439),
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Famous birthday twins

Born on May 16

Henry Fonda

b. 1905

American actor

IU (entertainer)

b. 1993

Korean singer-songwriter and actress

Amanda Carreras

b. 1990

Gibraltarian tennis player

Karl Lehmann

b. 1936

German cardinal

Yuri Shevchuk

b. 1957

Russian singer-songwriter and guitarist

Mario Monicelli

b. 1915

Italian director and screenwriter

Kenji Mizoguchi

b. 1898

Japanese director and screenwriter

Friedrich Rückert

b. 1788

German poet and translator

Deaths

  • 2019I. M. Pei, Chinese-American architect
  • 1954Clemens Krauss, Austrian conductor and manager
  • 1953Django Reinhardt, Belgian guitarist and composer
  • 1943Alfred Hoche, German psychiatrist and academic
  • 1830Joseph Fourier, French mathematician and physicist
  • 290Emperor Wu of Jin, Chinese emperor

Holidays & observances

  • —Christian feast day: Aaron (Coptic Church)
  • —Christian feast day: Abda and Abdjesus, and companions: Abdas of Susa
  • —Christian feast day: Andrew Bobola
  • —Christian feast day: Brendan the Navigator (Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Communion, Eastern Orthodox Church)
  • —Christian feast day: Caroline Chisholm (Church of England)
  • —Christian feast day: Gemma Galgani (Passionists Calendar)
  • —Christian feast day: Germerius
  • —Christian feast day: Honoratus of Amiens

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