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May 16 is the 136th day of the year (137th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 229 days remaining until the end of the year.

[edit] Events

• 1204 - Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire.
• 1527 - The Florentines drive out the Medici for a second time and Florence re-establishes itself as a republic.
• 1532 - Sir Thomas More resigns as Lord Chancellor of England.
• 1568 - Mary Queen of Scots flees to England.
• 1770 - 14-year old Marie Antoinette marries 15-year-old Louis-Auguste who later becomes king of France.
• 1771 - The Battle of Alamance, a pre-American Revolutionary War battle between local militia and a group of rebels called "The Regulators", occurs in present-day Alamance County, North Carolina.
• 1777 - Lachlan McIntosh and Button Gwinnett shoot each other during a duel near Savannah, Georgia. Gwinnett, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, dies three days later.
• 1811 - Peninsular War - The allies Spain, Portugal and Britain, defeat the French at the Battle of Albuera.
• 1815 - The Governor of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie, officially names the town of Blackheath in the upper Blue Mountains.
• 1822 - Greek War of Independence: The Turks capture the Greek town of Souli.
• 1836 - Edgar Allan Poe marries his 13-year-old cousin Virginia.
• 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.
• 1866 - The U.S. Congress eliminates the half dime coin and replaces it with the five cent piece, or nickel.
• 1866 - Charles Elmer Hires invents root beer.
• 1868 - President Andrew Johnson is acquitted in his impeachment trial by one vote in the United States Senate.
• 1874 - A flood on the Mill River in Massachusetts destroys much of four villages and kills 139 people.
• 1877 - May 16, 1877 political crisis in France.
• 1910 - The United States Congress authorizes the creation of the United States Bureau of Mines.
• 1914 - The first ever Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final is played. Brooklyn Field Club defeats Brooklyn Celtic 2-1.
• 1918 - The Sedition Act of 1918 is passed by the U.S. Congress, making criticism of the government an imprisonable offense.
• 1919 - A naval Curtiss aircraft NC-4 commanded by Albert Cushing Read leaves Trepassey, Newfoundland, for Lisbon via the Azores on the first transatlantic flight.
• 1920 - In Rome, Pope Benedict XV canonizes Joan of Arc as a saint.
• 1929 - In Hollywood, California, the first Academy Awards are handed out.
• 1943 - Holocaust: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising ends.
• 1948 - Chaim Weizmann is elected the first President of Israel.
• 1951 - The first regularly scheduled transatlantic flights begin between John F Kennedy International Airport in New York City and Heathrow Airport in London, operated by El Al Israel Airlines.
• 1960 - Nikita Khrushchev demands an apology from U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower for U-2 spy plane flights over the Soviet Union thus ending a Big Four summit in Paris.
• 1960 - Theodore Maiman operates the first optical laser, at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California.
• 1965 - The Campbell Soup Company introduces SpaghettiOs under its Franco-American brand.
• 1966 - The Communist Party of China issues the 'May 16 Notice', marking the beginning of the Cultural Revolution.
• 1969 - Venera program: Venera 5, a Soviet spaceprobe, lands on Venus.
• 1974 - Josip Broz Tito is re-elected president of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. This time he is elected for life.
• 1975 - India annexes Sikkim after the mountain state holds a referendum in which the popular vote was in favour of merging with India.
• 1975 - Junko Tabei becomes the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
• 1983 - Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement rebels against the Sudanese government.
• 1986 - The Seville Statement on Violence is adopted by an international meeting of scientists, convened by the Spanish National Commission for UNESCO, in Seville, Spain.
• 1988 - A report by United States' Surgeon General C. Everett Koop states that the addictive properties of nicotine are similar to those of heroin and cocaine.
• 1992 - STS-49: Space Shuttle Endeavour lands safely after a successful maiden voyage.
• 2003 - In Casablanca, Morocco, 33 civilians are killed and more than 100 people are injured in the Casablanca terrorist attacks.
• 2004 - The Day of Mourning at Bykivnia forest, just outside of Kiev, Ukraine. Here during 1930s and early 1940s communist bolsheviks executed over 100,000 Ukrainian civilians.
• 2005 - Kuwait permits women's suffrage in a 35-23 National Assembly vote.
• 2006 - A large earthquake (7.4 on the Richter scale) occurs near New Zealand.
• 2007 - Alex Salmond is elected First Minister of Scotland. He is the first Scottish National Party leader to be elected as First Minister after winning a historic victory at the Scottish general election on the 3rd May.

[edit] Births

• 1490 - Duke Albert of Prussia (d. 1568)
• 1578 - Everard Digby, English conspirator (d. 1606)
• 1611 - Pope Innocent XI (d. 1689)
• 1710 - William Talbot, 1st Earl Talbot, English politician (d. 1782)
• 1718 - Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Italian mathematician (d. 1799)
• 1763 - Louis Nicolas Vauquelin, French pharmacist (d. 1829)
• 1788 - Friedrich Rückert, German Poet, Translator and Orientalist (d. 1866)
• 1801 - William H. Seward, United States Secretary of State, bought Alaska at 2 ¢/acre (d. 1872)
• 1821 - Pafnuty Chebyshev, Russian mathematician (d. 1894)
• 1824 - Levi P. Morton, United States Vice President under Benjamin Harrison (d.1920)
• 1827 - Pierre Cuypers, Dutch architect (d. 1921)
• 1831 - David E. Hughes, American musician (d. 1900)
• 1845 - Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov, Russian microbiologist, Nobel laureate (d. 1916)
• 1860 - Herman Webster Mudgett, American Serial Killer (d. 1896)
• 1891 - Richard Tauber, Austrian tenor (d. 1948)
• 1898 - Tamara de Lempicka, Polish-born painter (d. 1980)
• 1898 - Kenji Mizoguchi, Japanese film director (d. 1956)
• 1905 - Henry Fonda, American actor (d. 1982)
• 1906 - Alfred Pellan, French Canadian painter (d. 1988)
• 1906 - Arturo Uslar Pietri, Venezuelan writer (d. 2001)
• 1906 - Margret Rey, author and illustrator (d. 1996)
• 1909 - Margaret Sullavan, American actress (d. 1960)
• 1910 - Olga Berggolts, Russian poet (d. 1975)
• 1910 - Aleksandr Ivanovich Laktionov, Russian painter (d. 1972)
• 1912 - Studs Terkel, American writer
• 1913 - Woody Herman, American musician and band leader (d. 1987)
• 1914 - Edward T. Hall, American anthropologist and author
• 1916 - Adriana Caselotti, American actress (d. 1997)
• 1917 - Juan Rulfo, Mexican novelist (d. 1986)
• 1917 - James C. Murray, American politician (d. 1999)
• 1917 - George Gaynes, American actor
• 1918 - Wilf Mannion, English former footballer (d. 2000)
• 1919 - Liberace, American pianist (d. 1987)
• 1919 - Ramon Margalef, Spanish scientist (d. 2004)
• 1920 - Martine Carol, French actress (d. 1967)
• 1921 - Harry Carey, Jr., American actor
• 1923 - Merton Miller, American economist, Nobel laureate (d. 2000)
• 1925 - Bobbejaan Schoepen, Belgian entertainer
• 1926 - Ronald Podrow, British peace activist (d. 2004)
• 1927 - Nílton Santos, Brazilian footballer
• 1928 - Billy Martin, American baseball player and coach (d. 1989)
• 1929 - John Conyers, American politician
• 1929 - Claude Morin, French Canadian politician
• 1929 - Adrienne Rich, American writer
• 1930 - Betty Carter, American jazz singer (d. 1998)
• 1930 - Friedrich Gulda, Austrian pianist (d. 2000)
• 1931 - Jack Dodson, American actor (d. 1994)
• 1931 - Denise Filiatrault, French Canadian actress and director
• 1931 - Natwar Singh, Indian politician
• 1931 - Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., American politician
• 1931 - Hana Brady, Killed during Holocaust
• 1935 - James Bolam, English actor
• 1936 - Roy Hudd, English radio and television actor
• 1936 - Karl Lehmann, German Catholic cardinal
• 1937 - Yvonne Craig, American actress
• 1944 - Billy Cobham, American virtuoso drummer
• 1944 - Danny Trejo, American actor
• 1945 - Nicky Chinn, English songwriter (Sweet, Suzi Quatro)
• 1945 - Alan Flusser, American clothing designer
• 1946 - Robert Fripp, English guitarist (King Crimson)
• 1946 - Roger Earl, English rock drummer (Savoy Brown, Foghat)
• 1947 - Bill Smitrovich, American actor
• 1948 - Katia Dandoulaki, Greek actress
• 1948 - Judy Finnegan, English TV presenter (Richard & Judy)
• 1950 - J. Georg Bednorz, German physicist, Nobel laureate
• 1950 - Ray Condo, Canadian rockabilly musician
• 1951 - Christian Lacroix, French fashion designer
• 1951 - Jonathan Richman, American proto-punk icon
• 1952 - James Herndon, American media psychologist
• 1953 - Pierce Brosnan, Irish actor
• 1954 - Dafydd Williams, Canadian physician and astronaut
• 1955 - Olga Korbut, Russian gymnast
• 1955 - Jack Morris, American baseball player
• 1955 - Hazel O'Connor, English singer
• 1955 - Debra Winger, American actress
• 1959 - Mare Winningham, American actress
• 1961 - Kevin McDonald, Canadian comedian and actor
• 1961 - Charles Wright, American professional wrestler
• 1963 - Jon Coffelt, American artist
• 1963 - Mercedes Echerer, Austrian actress and politician
• 1964 - John Salley, American basketball player
• 1964 - Boyd Tinsley, American violinist (Dave Matthews Band)
• 1964 - Edit Berces, Hungarian marathon runner
• 1965 - Krist Novoselic, American bassist (Nirvana)
• 1966 - Janet Jackson, American singer
• 1966 - Scott Reeves, American actor and singer
• 1966 - Thurman Thomas, American football player
• 1968 - Ralph Tresvant, American singer (New Edition)
• 1968 - Chingmy Yau, Hong Kong actress
• 1969 - David Boreanaz, American actor
• 1969 - Tucker Carlson, American television commentator
• 1969 - Tracey Gold, American actress
• 1969 - Steve Lewis, American athlete
• 1970 - Gabriela Sabatini, Argentine tennis player
• 1970 - Danielle Spencer, Australian singer and actress
• 1971 - Rachel Goswell, English singer and songwriter (Slowdive, Mojave 3)
• 1972 - Khary Payton, American actor
• 1973 - Special Ed, American rapper
• 1973 - Tori Spelling, American actress
• 1973 - Jason Acuña, American television personality
• 1974 - Laura Pausini, Italian pop singer
• 1974 - Sonny Sandoval, American singer (P.O.D.)
• 1975 - Tony Kakko, Finnish singer (Sonata Arctica)
• 1975 - Tonéx, American singer
• 1977 - Dolcenera, Italian singer
• 1977 - Jean-Sébastien Giguère, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1978 - David Ford, English singer/songwriter
• 1978 - Lionel Scaloni, Argentine footballer
• 1979 - McKenzie Lee, English pornographic actress
• 1980 - Mikel Alonso, Spanish footballer
• 1980 - Michael Ryan, American ice hockey player
• 1980 - Melanie Lofton, American Journalist
• 1981 - Jim Sturgess, English actor
• 1982 - Joo Ji Hoon, Korean actor and model
• 1982 - Łukasz Kubot, Polish tennis player
• 1982 - Hanna Mariën, Belgian athlete
• 1983 - Nancy Ajram, Lebanese singer
• 1983 - Mince Fratelli, Scottish Drummer (The Fratellis)
• 1983 - Kyle Wellwood, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1984 - Mickie Knuckles, American female professional wrestler
• 1984 - Jensen Lewis, American baseball player
• 1985 - Stanislav Ianevski, Bulgarian actor
• 1985 - Anja Mittag, German footballer
• 1985 - Corey Perry, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1985 - Okura Tadayoshi, Japanese singer (Kanjani8)
• 1986 - Megan Fox, American actress
• 1986 - Andy Keogh, Irish footballer (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
• 1990 - Manda Sue Forren, American cheerleader national champion
• 1998 - Ariel Waller, Canadian child actress

[edit] Deaths

• 583 - Saint Brendan, Irish navigator (b. 484)
• 1265 - Saint Simon Stock, English saint (b. 1165)
• 1569 - Dirk Willems, Anabaptist Martyr
• 1620 - William Adams, English navigator (b. 1564)
• 1657 - Andrzej Bobola, Polish Jesuit missionary (b. 1591)
• 1667 - Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton, English statesman (b. 1607)
• 1669 - Pietro da Cortona, Italian architect (b. 1596)
• 1691 - Jacob Leisler, American colonist (b. 1640)
• 1703 - Charles Perrault, French author (b. 1628)
• 1778 - Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness, English diplomat (b. 1718)
• 1782 - Daniel Solander, Swedish botanist (b. 1736)
• 1790 - Philip Yorke, 2nd Earl of Hardwicke, English politician (b. 1720)
• 1830 - Joseph Fourier, French scientist (b. 1768)
• 1891 - Ion Brătianu, Romanian statesman (b. 1821)
• 1913 - Louis Perrier, member of the Swiss Federal Council (b. 1849)
• 1920 - Levi P. Morton, United States Vice President under Benjamin Harrision (b. 1824)
• 1926 - Mehmed VI, last Ottoman Sultan (b. 1861)
• 1943 - Alfred Hoche, German psychiatrist (b. 1865)
• 1944 - George Ade, American author (b. 1866)
• 1947 - Frederick Hopkins, English biochemist, Nobel laureate (b. 1861)
• 1953 - Django Reinhardt, Belgian musician (b. 1910)
• 1954 - Clemens Krauss, Austrian conductor (b. 1893)
• 1955 - James Agee, American writer (b. 1909)
• 1956 - H. B. Reese, American founder of Reese's (b. 1876)
• 1957 - Eliot Ness, American federal agent (b. 1903)
• 1959 - Elisha Scott, Northern Irish footballer (b. 1894)
• 1961 - George A. Malcolm, American jurist & educator (b. 1881)
• 1969 - Robert R., first confirmed death from AIDS in North America (b. 1954)
• 1979 - A. Philip Randolph, American civil rights activist and labor union leader (b. 1889)
• 1981 - Ernie Freeman, American pianist and arranger (b. 1922)
• 1984 - Andy Kaufman, American comedian (b. 1949)
• 1984 - Irwin Shaw, American author (b. 1913)
• 1985 - Margaret Hamilton, American actress (b. 1902)
• 1988 - Charles Keeping, English illustrator (b. 1924)
• 1990 - Sammy Davis, Jr., American entertainer (b. 1925)
• 1990 - Jim Henson, American puppeteer (b. 1936)
• 1992 - Chalino Sanchez, Mexican musician (b, 1960)
• 1993 - Marv Johnson, American R&B and soul singer (b. 1938)
• 1994 - Jack Dodson, American actor (b. 1931)
• 1996 - Jeremy Michael Boorda, American admiral (b. 1939)
• 1997 - Elbridge Durbrow, American diplomat (b. 1903)
• 2000 - Bodacious the Bull Famous rodeo bull (b. 1988)
• 2001 - Brian Pendleton, English musician (The Pretty Things) (b. 1944)
• 2002 - Alec Campbell, the last surviving ANZAC (b. 1899)
• 2002 - Big Dick Dudley, American professional wrestler (b. 1968)
• 2003 - Mark McCormack, American businessman (b. 1930)

[edit] Holidays and observances

• Teachers' Day in Malaysia.
• Middlesex Day.

Feast days of saints in the Christian Church:

• Aaron, in the Coptic Church
• Abda and Abdjesus and companions including:
  • Aba of Kaskhar
• Saint Brendan the Navigator - also in the Irish Calendar.
• Saint Germerius
• Saint Honoré of Amiens
• Saint Andrew Bobola
• Saint Ubaldus (see Saint Ubaldo Day)
• Saint Peregrine of Auxerre

[edit] External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada