December 16 in History

Historical Events on December 16

1598 Seven-Year War: Battle of Noryang: The final battle of the Seven-Year War is fought between the China and the Korean allied forces and Japanese navies, resulting in a decisive allied forces victory.

1863 American Civil War: Joseph E. Johnston replaces Braxton Bragg as commander of the Confederate Army of Tennessee.

1914 World War I: Admiral Franz von Hipper commands a raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby.

1941 World War II: Japanese forces occupy Miri, Sarawak.

1942 The Holocaust: Schutzstaffel chief Heinrich Himmler orders that Roma candidates for extermination be deported to Auschwitz.

1950 Korean War: U.S. President Harry S. Truman declares a state of emergency, after Chinese troops enter the fight in support of communist North Korea.

1965 Vietnam War: General William Westmoreland sends U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara a request for 243,000 more men by the end of 1966.

1978 Cleveland, Ohio becomes the first major American city to default on its financial obligations since the Great Depression.

1991 Kazakhstan declares independence from the Soviet Union.

All Events

Famous Birthdays on December 16

1882 Jack Hobbs

1917 Arthur C. Clarke

1928 Philip K. Dick

1979 Luke Harper

All Births

Famous Deaths on December 16

705 Wu Zetian

1515 Afonso de Albuquerque

1921 Camille Saint-Saëns

1980 Colonel Sanders

All Deaths

Choose Another Date