Births on February 16

Pierre Rode, French violinist and composer (d. 1830)

Jacques Pierre Joseph Rode (16 February 1774 – 25 November 1830) was a French violinist and composer.

31 Mar

Boston Port Act
American Revolutionary War: The Kingdom of Great Britain orders the port of Boston, Massachusetts closed pursuant to the Boston Port Act.
2 Jun

Quartering Act
Intolerable Acts: The Quartering Act is enacted, allowing a governor in colonial America to house British soldiers in uninhabited houses, outhouses, barns, or other buildings if suitable quarters are not provided.
21 Jul

Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca
Russo-Turkish War (1768-74): Russia and the Ottoman Empire sign the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca ending the war.
1 Aug

Oxygen
British scientist Joseph Priestley discovers oxygen gas, corroborating the prior discovery of this element by German-Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele.
1 Sep

Powder Alarm
Massachusetts Bay colonists rise up in the bloodless Powder Alarm.