What are the important events that happened on February 16? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
February 16: Facts & Myths About This Day
February 16 is the 47th day of the year 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 318 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Sunday.
Under the Julian calendar, this day is February 3, 2025 – a Sunday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?
When this day started, 483,240 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 ‘tetracontaheptagon’ day.
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Aquarius is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Amethyst is the modern birthstone for this month. Bloodstone is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.
According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 366 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 4,440 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.
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February 16 Historical Events
- 1923 –Howard Carter unseals the burial chamber of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.
- 1940 –World War II: Altmark Incident: The German tanker Altmark is boarded by sailors from the British destroyer HMS Cossack. 299 British prisoners are freed.
- 1943 –World War II: Red Army troops re-enter Kharkov.
- 1978 –The first computer bulletin board system is created (CBBS in Chicago, Illinois).
- 1980 –New Year’s Day in Chinese calendar. Start of the year of the Metal Monkey in Chinese astrology.
- 1983 –The Ash Wednesday bushfires in Victoria and South Australia kill 75.
- 1986 –The Soviet liner MS Mikhail Lermontov runs aground in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand.
- 1991 –Nicaraguan Contras leader Enrique Bermúdez is assassinated in Managua.
- 1999 –In Uzbekistan, a bomb explodes and gunfire is heard at the government headquarters in an apparent assassination attempt against President Islam Karimov.
- 2005 –The Kyoto Protocol comes into force, following its ratification by Russia.
Who were born on February 16?
- 1884 –Robert J. Flaherty, American filmmaker (d. 1951)
- 1942 –Richard Williams, father of Venus Williams and Serena Williams
- 1945 –Jeremy Bulloch, English actor
- 1950 –Roman Tam, Hong Kong singer (d. 2002)
- 1954 –Margaux Hemingway, American actress and model (d. 1996)
- 1957 –LeVar Burton, American actor
- 1958 –Natalie Angier, American journalist and author
- 1972 –Jerome Bettis, American football player
- 1975 –Vanina Ickx, Belgian racing driver
- 1992 –Nicolai Boilesen, Danish footballer
Who died on February 16?
- 1844 –Joseph Crosfield, English soap and alkali manufacturer (b. 1792)
- 1899 –Félix Faure, President of France (b. 1841)
- 1961 –Dazzy Vance, Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (b. 1891)
- 1975 –Norman Treigle, American bass-baritone (b. 1927)
- 1996 –Edmund G. “Pat” Brown, Governor of California (b. 1905)
- 2001 –Bob Buhl, baseball player (b. 1928)
- 2003 –Eleanor “Sis” Daley, wife of Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley (b. 1907)
- 2003 –Rusty Magee, American composer (b. 1955)
- 2004 –Doris Troy, American singer (b. 1937)
- 2005 –Nicole DeHuff, American actress (pneumonia) (b. 1975)
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