Births on May 16

Friedrich Rückert, German poet and translator (d. 1866)

Friedrich Rückert (16 May 1788 – 31 January 1866) was a German poet, translator, and professor of Oriental languages.

18 Jan

Botany Bay
The first elements of the First Fleet carrying 736 convicts from Great Britain to Australia arrive at Botany Bay.
26 Jan

Australia Day
The British First Fleet, led by Arthur Phillip, sails into Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to establish Sydney, the first permanent European settlement on the continent. Commemorated as Australia Day.
6 Feb

United States Constitution
Massachusetts becomes the sixth state to ratify the United States Constitution.
23 May

United States Constitution
South Carolina ratifies the United States Constitution as the eighth American state.
21 Jun

Constitution of the United States
New Hampshire ratifies the Constitution of the United States and is admitted as the ninth state in the United States.