July 1
July 1
Battle of the Somme begins
At 7:30 a.m. on July 1, 1916, the British launch a massive offensive against German forces in the Somme River region of France. During the preceding week, 250,000 Allied shells…
A Year In History: 1916
This Year in History:
1916
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
July 22
July 22
Preparedness Day bombing in San Francisco
On July 22, 1916, a massive parade held in San Francisco, California, to celebrate Preparedness Day, in anticipation of the United States entrance into World War I, is disrupted by…
August 3
August 3
Sir Roger Casement hanged
Sir Roger David Casement, an Irish‑born diplomat who in 1911 was knighted by King George V, is executed for his role in Ireland’s Easter Rising. Casement was an Irish Protestant…
August 27
August 27
Romania enters World War I
On August 27, 1916, after Romania declares war on Austria‑Hungary, formally entering World War I, Romanian troops cross the border of the Austro‑Hungarian Empire into the much‑contested province of Transylvania.…
August 31
August 31
American soldier Harry Butters killed in the Battle of the Somme
On August 31, 1916, Harry Butters, an American soldier serving in the British army during World War I, is killed by a German shell during the Battle of the Somme,…
September 13
September 13
Children’s author Roald Dahl is born
Roald Dahl, author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964) and James and the Giant Peach (1961), is born in South Wales on September 13, 1916. Dahl’s childhood was filled with…
September 15
September 15
Tanks introduced into warfare at the Somme
During the Battle of the Somme, the British launch a major offensive against the Germans, employing tanks for the first time in history. At Flers Courcelette, some of the 40…
October 7
October 7
Georgia Tech shuts out Cumberland, 222‑0, in most lopsided college football game
On October 7, 1916, Georgia Tech defeats Cumberland University, 222‑0, in the most lopsided game in college football history. Coached by John Heisman, later namesake of college football’s most famous trophy,…
October 18
October 18
British soldier Harry Farr executed for cowardice
At dawn on October 18, 1916, Private Harry Farr of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) is executed for cowardice after he refused to go forward into the front‑line trenches on…
October 24
October 24
French troops celebrate recapture of Fort Douaumont at Verdun
On October 24, 1916, French troops rejoice after recapturing Fort Douaumont, the preeminent fortress guarding the city of Verdun, under siege by the German army since the previous February. In…
November 7
November 7
Jeannette Rankin becomes first woman elected to Congress
On November 7, 1916, Montana suffragist Jeannette Rankin is elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She is the first woman in the history of the nation to win a…
November 18
November 18
Battle of the Somme ends
On November 18, 1916, British Commander in Chief Sir Douglas Haig calls a halt to his army’s offensive near the Somme River in northwestern France, ending the epic Battle of…
November 21
November 21
Britannic, sister ship to the Titanic, sinks in Aegean Sea
The Britannic, sister ship to the Titanic, sinks in the Aegean Sea on November 21, 1916, killing 30 people. More than 1,000 others were rescued. In the wake of the…
December 13
December 13
Soldiers perish in avalanche as World War I rages
A powerful avalanche kills hundreds of Austrian soldiers in a barracks near Italy’s Mount Marmolada on December 13, 1916. Over a period of several days, avalanches in the Italian Alps…
December 18
December 18
Battle of Verdun ends
The Battle of Verdun, the longest engagement of World War I, ends on this day after ten months and close to a million total casualties suffered by German and French…
December 30
December 30
Rasputin is murdered
Sometime over the course of the night and the early morning of December 29‑30, 1916, Grigory Efimovich Rasputin, a self‑proclaimed holy man, is murdered by Russian nobles eager to end…
