What are the important events that happened on May 16? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
May 16: Facts & Myths About This Day
May 16 is the 137th day of the year 2024 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 229 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Thursday.
Under the Julian calendar, this day is May 3, 2024 – a Thursday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?
When this day started, 1,715,817,600 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 ‘hectatriacontaheptagon’ day.
Taurus is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Emerald is the modern birthstone for this month. Sapphire is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.
According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 258 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 4,164 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.
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May 16 Historical Events
- 1843 –The first major wagon train heading for the Pacific Northwest sets out on the Oregon Trail with one thousand pioneers from Elm Grove, Missouri.
- 1877 –May 16, 1877 political crisis in France.
- 1914 –The first ever Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final is played. Brooklyn Field Club defeats Brooklyn Celtic 2-1.
- 1920 –In Rome, Pope Benedict XV canonizes Joan of Arc.
- 1929 –In Hollywood, California, the first Academy Awards are handed out.
- 1948 –Chaim Weizmann is elected the first President of Israel.
- 1951 –The first regularly scheduled transatlantic flights begin between Idlewild Airport (now John F Kennedy International Airport) in New York City and Heathrow Airport in London, operated by El Al Israel Airlines.
- 1953 –American journalist William N. Oatis is released after serving 22 months of a ten-year prison sentence for espionage in Czechslovakia.
- 1983 –Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement rebels against the Sudanese government.
- 1991 –Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom addressed a joint session of the United States Congress. She is the first British monarch to address the U.S. Congress.
Who were born on May 16?
- 1831 –David E. Hughes, British inventor and musician (d. 1900)
- 1909 –Margaret Sullavan, American actress (d. 1960)
- 1912 –Studs Terkel, American writer (d. 2008)
- 1913 –Woody Herman, American musician and band leader (d. 1987)
- 1925 –Bobbejaan Schoepen, Belgian entertainer (d. 2010)
- 1944 –Danny Trejo, American actor
- 1974 –Laura Pausini, Italian pop singer
- 1975 –Tonéx, American singer
- 1985 –Café, Brazilian footballer
- 1994 –Miles Heizer, American actor
Who died on May 16?
- 1667 –Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton, English statesman (b. 1607)
- 1669 –Pietro da Cortona, Italian architect (b. 1596)
- 1830 –Joseph Fourier, French scientist (b. 1768)
- 1959 –Elisha Scott, Northern Irish footballer (b. 1894)
- 1984 –Irwin Shaw, American author (b. 1913)
- 1997 –Elbridge Durbrow, American diplomat (b. 1903)
- 2008 –David Mitton, British television director (b. 1939)
- 2008 –Robert Mondavi, American winemaker (b. 1913)
- 2010 –Hank Jones, American jazz pianist (b. 1918)
- 2010 –Ronnie James Dio, American heavy metal vocalist (b. 1942)
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