What are the important events that happened on October 16? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
October 16: Facts & Myths About This Day
October 16 is the 290th day of the year 2024 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 76 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Wednesday.
Under the Julian calendar, this day is October 3, 2024 – a Wednesday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?
When this day started, 480,288 hours has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.
Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘dihectaenneacontagon’ day.
Libra is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Opal is the modern birthstone for this month. Jasper is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.
According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 105 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.
The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,317 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.
Do people and celebrities interest you? Discover all the October 16 famous birthdays who share your special day. Learn some fun facts about your birthday! (Sponsored link)
October 16 Historical Events
- 1793 –The Battle of Wattignies ends in a French victory.
- 1813 –The Sixth Coalition attacks Napoleon Bonaparte in the Battle of Leipzig.
- 1859 –John Brown leads a raid on Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
- 1875 –Brigham Young University is founded in Provo, Utah.
- 1906 –The Captain of Köpenick fools the city hall of Köpenick and several soldiers by impersonating a Prussian officer.
- 1939 –World War II: First attack on British territory by the German Luftwaffe.
- 1945 –The Food and Agriculture Organization is founded in Quebec City, Canada.
- 1964 –Soviet leaders Leonid Brezhnev and Alexei Kosygin are inaugurated as General Secretary of the CPSU and Premier, respectively and the collective leadership is established.
- 1984 –Desmond Tutu is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
- 1984 –The Bill debuted on ITV, eventually becoming the longest-running police procedural in British television history.
Who were born on October 16?
- 1483 –Gasparo Contarini, Italian diplomat and cardinal (d. 1542)
- 1878 –Maxie Long, American athlete (d. 1959)
- 1898 –William O. Douglas, American jurist (d. 1980)
- 1912 –Clifford Hansen, American politician (d. 2009)
- 1918 –Louis Althusser, French Marxist philosopher (d. 1990)
- 1925 –Angela Lansbury, English-born actress
- 1943 –Fred Turner, Canadian bass player (Bachman–Turner Overdrive)
- 1954 –Stephen Mellor, American actor
- 1972 –Adrianne Frost, American comedian and author
- 1981 –Ali B, Dutch rapper
Who died on October 16?
- 1621 –Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, Dutch composer (b. 1562)
- 1649 –Isaac van Ostade, Dutch painter (b. 1621)
- 1781 –Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke, English naval officer (b. 1705)
- 1796 –Victor Amadeus III of Savoy (b. 1726)
- 1946 –Nuremberg trial executions of the Main Trial: Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Austrian SS officer (b. 1903)
- 1959 –George Marshall, United States Secretary of State, Nobel laureate (b. 1880)
- 1973 –Gene Krupa, American jazz drummer (b. 1909)
- 1979 –Johan Borgen, Norwegian author (b. 1903)
- 1996 –Eric Malpass, English novelist (b. 1910)
- 1998 –Jon Postel, American Internet pioneer (b. 1943)
What no one tells you about your first name’s personality. Are there hidden powers in your moniker? Check out Cheryl’s personality and get smart about names today. (Sponsored links)