Historical Events on October 16

  • 1813: Napoleon is attacked at the Battle of Leipzig by the Sixth Coalition.
  • 1834: The Palace of Westminster in London burns; Much of it’s ancient parts are completely burned to the ground.
  • 1841: In Kingston, Canada, Queen’s University is founded.
  • 1846: The practical use of anesthesia is first demonstrated by William T.G. Morton at Massachusetts General Hospital.
  • 1859: Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia is attacked by abolitionist forces led by John Brown.
  • 1875: In Provo, Utah, Brigham Young University is founded on this day.
  • 1916: The first family planning clinic in the U.S is opened in Brooklyn, New York by Margaret Sanger.
  • 1923: Walt and Roy Disney found the Walt Disney Co. on this day.
  • 1940: The Warsaw Ghetto is established by the Nazis in Poland during World War II.
  • 1944: Wood Woodpecker’s nemesis, Wally Walrus, debuts in the Walter Lantz’s cartoon entitled “The Beach Nut” on this day.
  • 1946: Nazi leaders are executed after the completion of the main Nuremberg trials.
  • 1984: The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to Desmond Tutu.
  • 1995: The Million Man March begins in Washington, D.C.
  • 2012: Alpha Centauri Bb is discovered by scientists. It’s an extrasolar planet that is approximately 4.6 light-years away from Earth.

Famous Birthdays on October 16

  • American lexicographer Noah Webster is born in 1758.
  • American painter and educator Benjamin Russell is born in 1804.
  • Irish playwright, poet and novelist, Oscar Wilde is born in 1854.
  • Irish historian and scholar J.B. Bury is born in 1861.
  • English-American actress Angela Lansbury is born in 1925.
  • German novelist, playwright, poet and Nobel Prize laureate, Gunter Grass is born in 1927.
  • French author Marc Levy is born in 1961.
  • Australian-American bass player, actor and songwriter, Flea is born in 1961.
  • English physicist Timothy Leighton is born in 1963.
  • French actress Elsa Zylberstein is born in 1968.
  • American actor Paul Sparks is born in 1971.