Historical Events
- Jan 8 WWI: ANZAC forces withdraw from the Gallipoli Peninsula after Ottoman forces successfully defend access to Constantinople
- Feb 21 World War I: Battle of Verdun begins with a German offensive, leads to an estimated 1 million casualties and becomes the longest battle of the entire war (9 months)
- Apr 24 Easter Rising of Irish republicans against British occupation begins in Dublin
- Apr 29 Irish republicans abandon the post office in Dublin and surrender unconditionally, marking the end of the Easter Rising
- May 31 Battle of Jutland: Largest naval battle of World War I between the British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet which killed 8,645 in an inconclusive battle but strategic British victory. German fleet never puts to sea again in WWI.
- Jun 6 The death of Yuan Shikai, ruler of much of China since 1912, causes the central government to virtually collapse in the face of warlords, including Sun Yat-sen
- Jun 10 Great Arab Revolt begins against ruling Ottoman turks
- Jul 1 First day of the Battle of the Somme: the British Army suffers its worst day, losing 19,240 men (WWI)
- Sep 6 1st true supermarket, the "Piggly Wiggly" is opened by Clarence Saunders in Memphis, Tennessee
- Sep 15 first use of tanks in warfare, "Little Willies" at Battle of Flers-Courcelette, part of the Battle of the Somme
- Sep 17 WWI flying ace The Red Baron of the German Luftstreitkräfte, wins his first aerial combat near Cambrai, France
- Nov 1 Paul Miliukov delivers in the Russian State Duma the famous "stupidity or treason" speech, precipitating the downfall of the Boris Stürmer government
- Nov 18 British General Douglas Haig finally calls off the 1st Battle of the Somme in World War I after more than 1 million soldiers had been killed or wounded
- More Historical Events
1916 in Film & TV
- Jun 24 Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to get a million dollar contract
- Nov 19 Samuel Goldwyn and Edgar Selwyn establish Goldwyn Picture; the company later became one of the most successful independent filmmakers
1916 in Sport
- Jan 17 Rodman Wanamaker organises a lunch to discuss forming a golfers association (later the PGA) at the Taplow Club, Martinique Hotel, New York City
Did You Know?
Did You Know?Germany ratifies bill bringing in Daylight Saving Time - first country in the world
On April 30, 1916
Gregory Peck
Francis Crick
Edward Heath
Roald Dahl
Walter Cronkite
Kirk DouglasFamous People in 1916
Claude MonetWorld Leaders in 1916
H. H. Asquith
Nicholas II
Wilhelm II
Woodrow Wilson
Would You Believe?
Joseph Dunn (14) is attacked by a shark, suffering non-fatal wounds in New Jersey, the final episode in a spate of shark attacks along the Jersey coast where 4 people died over 12 days
On July 12, 1916
Famous Weddings
- Mar 22 British author of "The Lord of the Rings", J.R.R. Tolkien marries Edith Mary Bratt at St. Mary Immaculate Roman Catholic Church, Warwick
- Mar 27 Actress Gloria Swanson (17) weds actor Wallace Beery (30)
- May 27 Naval commander Karl Donitz (24) weds nurse Ingeborg Weber
More Weddings & Divorces
Susan Blow
Horatio Kitchener
Hetty Green
Percival Lowell
Franz Joseph I
Grigori RasputinArticles and Photos
SS Libau Sets Sail
The Libau, disguised as the Aud, to avoid British detectionApril 9Easter Proclamation of 1916
The Provisional Government of the Irish Republic to the people of IrelandApril 24Battle of Jutland
HMS Invincible on fire after being struck by shells from SMS Lützow and SMS DerfflingerMay 31Five Miles of Mud Costs a Million Casualties
The Battle of the Somme, which began on this day, left one man dead every five seconds. It was one of the bloodiest conflicts in human history.July 1Battle of the Somme
A large mine placed by a British tunneling unit explodes under German positions on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. At the time it was one of the largest explosions ever and one of the loudest man-made noises.July 1First Supermarket
Shoppers queuing at the Piggly Wiggly checkoutsSeptember 61st Use of Tanks in War
Battle of Flers–Courcelette.: Mark I tanks fill with petrol on the day tanks were first used in war, September 15, 1916September 15The Diary of a Dead Officer
Mud and blood were features of the First World War trenches, and soldier Arthur Graeme West’s vivid descriptions of it all were captured in his diaries.September 17Airship Bomb Crew Meet their Match in Policeman
They dropped their bombs and planned to escape, but the German airship crew hadn’t reckoned on the tenacity of a lone British policeman on his bike.September 24Picasso and Friends
Manuel Ortiz de Zarate, Moïse Kisling, Max Jacob, Pablo Picasso and Pâquerette in ParisDecember 15
