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 2024 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 319 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Friday.
Under the Julian calendar, this day is February 3, 2024 – a Friday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?
When this day started, 1,708,041,600 seconds 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.
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 348 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 4,074 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.
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February 16 Historical Events
- 1249 –Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with Mongol Khagan of the Mongol Empire.
- 1852 –Studebaker Brothers wagon company, precursor of the automobile manufacturer, is established.
- 1899 –Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur Iceland’s first football club is founded.
- 1918 –The Council of Lithuania unanimously adopts the Act of Independence, declaring Lithuania an independent state.
- 1943 –World War II: Red Army troops re-enter Kharkov.
- 1960 –The U.S. Navy submarine USS Triton begins Operation Sandblast, setting sail from New London, Connecticut, to begin the first submerged circumnavigation of the globe.
- 1978 –The first computer bulletin board system is created (CBBS in Chicago, Illinois).
- 1999 –New Year’s Day in Chinese calendar. Start of the year of the Earth Rabbit in Chinese astrology.
- 2005 –The Kyoto Protocol comes into force, following its ratification by Russia.
- 2005 –The National Hockey League cancels the entire 2004-2005 regular season and playoffs, becoming the first major sports league in North America to do so over a labor dispute.
Who were born on February 16?
- 1620 –Frederick William, Duke of Prussia (d. 1688)
- 1922 –Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer, German night fighter pilot (d. 1950)
- 1931 –Ken Takakura, Japanese actor
- 1950 –Roman Tam, Hong Kong singer (d. 2002)
- 1951 –William Katt, American actor
- 1956 –Vincent Ward, New Zealand director and screenwriter
- 1958 –Michael W. Burns, American politician
- 1964 –Christopher Eccleston, English actor
- 1973 –Cathy Freeman, Australian athlete
- 1993 –Mike Weinberg, American former child actor
Who died on February 16?
- 1247 –Heinrich Raspe, Landgrave of Thuringia (b. 1204)
- 1967 –Antonio Moreno, Spanish-born actor (b. 1887)
- 1974 –John Garand, Canadian rifle engineer and manufacturer (b. 1888)
- 1975 –Morgan Taylor, American athlete (b. 1903)
- 1992 –Herman Wold, Swedish statistician (b. 1908)
- 2001 –Howard W. Koch, American film director (b. 1916)
- 2001 –William Masters, American gynecologist and sexologist (b. 1915)
- 2006 –Johnny Grunge, American professional wrestler (b. 1966)
- 2009 –Stephen Kim Sou-hwan, Korean Cardinal, Protopriest of the Holy Roman Church (b. 1921)
- 2010 –Wan Chi Keung, Hong Kong soccer player and actor. (b. 1956)
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