What Happened on March 16
Important Events
- 597 BC Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king
- 1527 Battle of Khanua: Mughal Emperor Babur defeats Rajput forces led by Rana Sanga consolidating Mughal power
- 1660 English Long Parliament disbands
- 1792 King gustav iii of Sweden is shot by Count Jacob Johan Anckarström at a masked ball at the Opera; he dies on March 29
- 1867 First publication of an article by Joseph Lister outlining the discovery of antiseptic surgery, in "The Lancet"
- 1935 Adolf Hitler orders German re-armament in violation of The Treaty of Versailles
Mar 16 in Film & TV
- 1934 6th Academy Awards: "Cavalcade", Charles Laughton and Katharine Hepburn win, host Will Rogers announces "Come and Get it Frank" and wrong Frank gets up
Mar 16 in Music
- 1894 Jules Massenet's opera "Thaïs" premieres in Paris, includes piece “Méditation” for violin and orchestra
Mar 16 in Sport
- 1872 1st English FA Cup Final, Kennington Oval, London: Wanderers defeat Royal Engineers, 1-0; Morton Betts scores winner
Did You Know?
Sir Arthur Evans rediscovers the bronze age city of Knossos in Crete, home of the legendary Minotaur
On March 16, 1900
Famous Birthdays
James Madison
(1751 - 1836)Anna Atkins
(1799 - 1871)Jerry Lewis
(1926 - 2017)Bernardo Bertolucci
(1941 - 2018)Flavor Flav
61 Years OldKevin Smith
(1963 - 2002)
Would You Believe?
General Motors produces its 100 millionth automobile, the Oldsmobile Toronado
On March 16, 1968
Famous Weddings
- 1661 Princess Henrietta of Orange-Nassau (16) weds Philippe of France, Duke of Orléans (20)
- 1822 Opera Composer (The Barber of Seville) Gioachino Rossini marries 1st wife Opera Singer Isabella Colbran in Bologna
- 1905 Inventor and electrical engineer Guglielmo Marconi (30) weds Beatrice O'Brien
Famous Divorces
Articles, Photos and Quiz
Assassination of King Gustav III
The masquerade costume worn by Gustav III when he was shot in the back by an assassin
March 16, 1792My Lai: America's Village of Shame
American soldiers fighting in Vietnam entered the village of My Lai on this day. What followed was a massacre of civilians that shames US military history.
March 16, 1968Weekly Quiz for March 16 - 22
Who discovered the electric battery this week in 1800? Which country holds the Emerald Buddha sacred? What island did Napoleon escape from in 1815?
March in History
Boy Wonder Conquers Theatreland
Parliament was adjourned on this day so that MPs could grab their seats for a performance by Master Betty – the theatrical wonder of the age.
March 14, 1805Nature Blows Gunboat Diplomacy Out of the Water
The world's superpowers were prepared to use the power of their warships to control the Samoan Islands in the 1880s. But nature had other ideas.
March 15, 1889Snakes Alive! It's St Patrick's Day
Today is St Patrick’s Day – an event celebrated not just in Ireland but across the world, particularly in the United States with its large Irish communities.
March 17, 1776The First People To Hop On A Bus
It was an idea probably two centuries years ahead of its time, but public buses first took to the streets of Paris on this day in history.
March 18, 1662