Henry Fonda
b. 1905
American actor
On This Day · The 136th day of the year
May 16
May 16 carries 10 recorded events spanning between 1426 and 2014. Gov. Thado of Mohnyin becomes King of Ava.
Compiled & reviewed by Roman Tailor · Last reviewed July 13, 2026
What happened on May 16?
May 16 is the 136th day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 1426 and 2014. Famous people born on May 16 include Henry Fonda, IU (entertainer) and Amanda Carreras.
The shape of the day
This year marks the 600th anniversary of Mohnyin Thado — May 16 carries the weight of round numbers. Its center of gravity is the 20th century, and conflict is a recurring thread.
Taurus is the sign for May 16 — read more on the Taurus page, or see May's birthstone & birth flower.
Released on May 16
Movies, games, albums & shows2024
- Game Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
Release data from TMDB & IGDB.
Events
10 notable moments- 1426
Mohnyin Thado
Gov. Thado of Mohnyin becomes King of Ava.
- 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.
- 1832
Juan Godoy
Juan Godoy discovers the rich silver outcrops of Chañarcillo sparking the Chilean silver rush.
- 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 It will be repealed less than two years later.
- 1925
Claudio Monteverdi
The first modern performance of Claudio Monteverdi's opera Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria occurred in Paris.
- 1959
Tritons' Fountain
The Tritons' Fountain in Valletta, Malta is turned on for the first time.
- 1960
Theodore Maiman
Theodore Maiman operates the first optical laser (a ruby laser), at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California.
- 1961
Park Chung Hee
Park Chung Hee leads a coup d'état to overthrow the Second Republic of South Korea.
- 1975
Junko Tabei
Junko Tabei from Japan becomes the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
- 2014
Gikomba bombings
Twelve people are killed in two explosions in the Gikomba market area of Nairobi, Kenya.
Famous birthday twins
Born on May 16IU (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
- 1954Clemens Krauss
- 1953Django Reinhardt
- 1943Alfred Hoche
- 1830Joseph Fourier
- 290Emperor Wu of Jin
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
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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