Illustration of the Boston Tea Party

1773

The Boston Tea Party

Born on This Day

Jane Austen

Jane Austen

1775 - 1817

English novelist known for her keen observations of manners and relationships in "Pride and Prejudice" and "Emma."

Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven

1770 - 1827

German composer and influential figure in Western classical music with works like "Symphony No. 9."

Philip K. Dick

1928 - 1982

Sci-fi writer known for exploring dystopian themes in "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" and "The Man in the High Castle."

1707

DEC

16

Mount Fuji erupts, raining 28 billion cubic feet of ash on fields up to 60 miles away and causing widespread starvation. Fuji remains an active volcano.

Timeline

Also on This Day in History

Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on December 16th

1775

Jane Austen is born

Celebrated English novelist Jane Austen is born on December 16, 1775, the seventh of eight children of a clergyman in a country village in Hampshire, England. Jane was very close to her older sister, Cassandra, who remained her faithful editor and critic throughout her life. The girls had five years of formal schooling, then studied […]

1893

Antonin Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” receives its world premiere in New York City

On December 16, 1893, the Philharmonic Society of New York gave the world premiere performance of Czech composer Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 in E Minor “From the New World” at Carnegie Hall. In his review of the performance the following day, New York Times music critic W.J. Henderson called the piece better known today […]

1914

Germans bombard English ports of Hartlepool and Scarborough

At approximately 8 o’clock in the morning on December 16, 1914, German battle cruisers from Franz von Hipper’s Scouting Squadron catch the British navy by surprise as they begin heavy bombardment of Hartlepool and Scarborough, English port cities on the North Sea. The bombardment lasted for about one and a half hours, killing more than […]

1938

Hitler establishes Mother’s Cross to encourage German women to procreate

On December 16, 1938, Adolf Hitler institutes the Mother’s Cross, to encourage women of “pure” German origin to increase the size of their families and grow the population of the Third Reich. The Nazis started such encouragement early. When members the League of German Girls (a wing of of the Hitler Youth movement) turned 18, […]

1944

Battle of the Bulge begins

The Battle of the Bulge took place in December 1944, after Adolf Hitler launched a surprise blitzkrieg against Allied Forces in northwest Europe. Caught off-guard, American units fought to stem the German advance. As the Germans pushed through American defenses, the front line took on the appearance of a large bulge, giving rise to the battle’s name.

1950

President Truman declares state of emergency over Korean War

In the wake of the massive Chinese intervention in the Korean War, President Harry S. Truman declares a state of emergency. Proclaiming that “Communist imperialism” threatened the world’s people, Truman called upon the American people to help construct an “arsenal of freedom.” In November, the stakes in the Korean War dramatically escalated with the intervention […]

1960

Two airplanes collide over New York City

On December 16, 1960, two airplanes collide over New York City, killing 134 people on the planes and on the ground. The improbable mid-air collision was the only such accident to have occurred over a major city in the U.S. It was a snowy morning in New York when a United DC-8 from Chicago was […]

1973

OJ Simpson rushes record 2,000 yards in a season

On December 16, 1973, the Buffalo Bills running back Orenthal James “OJ” Simpson becomes the first player in the National Football League (NFL) to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season. After leading the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans to a Rose Bowl victory and winning the Heisman Trophy, Simpson was […]

1989

A terrorist bomber begins his deadly rampage

Federal Judge Robert Vance is instantly killed by a powerful explosion after opening a package mailed to his house near Birmingham, Alabama. Two days later, a mail bomb killed Robert Robinson, an attorney in Savannah, Georgia, in his office. Two other bomb packages, sent to the federal courthouse in Atlanta and to the Jacksonville, Florida […]

1998

U.S. House of Representatives recommends impeaching Clinton

On December 16, 1998, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on the Judiciary releases a 265-page report recommending the impeachment of President Bill Clinton for high crimes and misdemeanors. The subsequent impeachment proceedings were the culmination of a slew of specious scandals involving the president and first lady Hillary Clinton. The Clintons were suspected of […]

1998

President Clinton orders air attack on Iraq

On December 16, 1998, President Bill Clinton announces he has ordered air strikes against Iraq because it refused to cooperate with United Nations (U.N.) weapons inspectors. Clinton’s decision did not have the support of key members of Congress, who accused Clinton of using the air strikes to direct attention away from ongoing impeachment proceedings against […]

2009

Blockbuster sci-fi film “Avatar” has its U.S. premiere

December 16, 2009 sees the U.S. premiere of the blockbuster science fiction film Avatar. One of the most expensive films ever made, it was also one of the most successful, holding the title of highest-grossing film of all time for nearly a decade. Director James Cameron was no stranger to massive, ambitious projects, having achieved […]

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