Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/August 16
This is a list of selected August 16 anniversaries that appear in the "On this day" section of the Main Page. To suggest a new item, in most cases, you can be bold and edit this page. Please read the selected anniversaries guidelines before making your edit. However, if your addition might be controversial or on a day that is or will soon be on the Main Page, please post your suggestion on the talk page instead.
Please note that the events listed on the Main Page are chosen based more on relative article quality and to maintain a mix of topics, not based solely on how important or significant their subjects are. Only four to five events are posted at a time and thus not everything that is "most important and significant" can be listed. In addition, an event is generally not posted this year if it is also the subject of the scheduled featured article or picture of the day.
To report an error when this appears on the Main Page, see Main Page errors. Please remember that this list defers to the supporting articles, so it is best to achieve consensus and make any necessary changes there first.
Images
Use only ONE image at a time
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John Stark -
Ringo Starr -
Skookum Jim Mason -
Joseph Kittinger -
Joseph Kittinger making his record-breaking jump
Ineligible
| Blurb | Reason |
|---|---|
| Children's Day in Paraguay | refimprove |
| 1812 – War of 1812: American General William Hull surrendered Fort Detroit without a fight to a combined British–Native American force. | refimprove section |
| 1927 – Eight aircraft began the Dole Air Race from Oakland, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii, but only two successfully completed the flight. | refimprove |
| 1960 – Joseph Kittinger parachuted from a balloon over New Mexico at 102,800 feet (31,300 m), setting records for high-altitude jump, free-fall height, and fastest speed by a human without an aircraft. | refimprove section |
| 1987 – Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashed after takeoff in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., leaving a sole survivor. | expansion |
| 2008 – Trump International Hotel and Tower, which hosted the world's highest residence above ground-level, topped off its construction. | Already featured on April 28 |
| 2009 – Y. E. Yang won the 2009 PGA Championship to become the first Asian-born golfer to win a men's major golf championship. | refimprove section |
Eligible
- 1777 – American Revolutionary War: American forces routed British and German troops at the Battle of Bennington in Walloomsac, New York.
- 1819 – In Manchester, England, around 15 people were killed and 400 to 700 others injured when cavalry charged into a crowd who were demanding the reform of parliamentary representation.
- 1863 – After Spain had annexed the Dominican Republic, rebels raised the Dominican flag in Santiago de los Caballeros to begin the War of Restoration.
- 1891 – San Sebastian Church in Manila, the only all-steel church in Asia, was officially consecrated.
- 1900 – Second Boer War: A 10,000-strong column of soldiers led by Lord Kitchener broke a 13-day siege of a small garrison.
- 1906 – An earthquake registering approximately 8.2 Mw hit Valparaíso, Chile, killing 3,882 people.
- 1920 – Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians was hit by a pitch and died the following day, becoming the only Major League Baseball player to die directly as a result of injuries sustained during a game.
- 1929 – A long-running dispute between Muslims and Jews over access to the Western Wall in Jerusalem escalated into a week-long period of violent riots throughout Palestine.
- 1962 – The Beatles fired drummer Pete Best and replaced him with Ringo Starr.
- 2009 – At the World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Usain Bolt ran the 100 metres in 9.58 seconds, breaking his own record set a year earlier.
- 2015 – Suicide bombers assassinated Pakistani politician Shuja Khanzada and killed at least 21 others at his home.
- Born/died this day: Marianos Argyros |d|963 | John II of Trebizond |d|1297 | Ramakrishna |d|1886 | George Meany |b|1894 | Georgette Heyer |b|1902 | Mal Waldron |b|1925 | Angela Bassett |b|1958| Madonna |b|1958 | Tara Teng |b|1988 | Abu Nidal |d|2002
Notes
- Battle of Fort Dearborn appears on August 15, so Siege of Detroit should not appear in the same year
- Abbey Road appears on August 8, so Ringo Starr should not appear in the same year
- 1513 – War of the League of Cambrai: English and Imperial forces defeated French cavalry, forcing them to retreat.
- 1896 – A group including George Carmack and Skookum Jim Mason discovered gold near Dawson City, Canada, setting off the Klondike Gold Rush.
- 1920 – The Battle of Radzymin, one of the bloodiest and most intense battles of the Polish–Soviet War, concluded with a Polish victory.
- 1946 – Widespread riots between Hindus and Muslims took place in Calcutta as a result of the All-India Muslim League's call for an independent Pakistan.
- 1977 – American singer and actor Elvis Presley (pictured) was found dead in his home in Memphis, Tennessee.
- Ranavalona I (d. 1861)
- Robert Bunsen (d. 1899)
- Saif Ali Khan (b. 1970)