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16th August

All events from this date in history

12
Events
8
Birthdays
5
Deaths

Battle of Plymouth: Inconclusive naval action between the fleets of Michiel de Ruyter and George Ayscue in the First Anglo-Dutch War.

The Battle of Plymouth was a naval battle in the First Anglo-Dutch War. It took place on 16 August 1652 (26 August 1652 and was a short battle, but had the unexpected outcome of a Dutch victory over…

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American Revolutionary War: The Americans led by General John Stark rout British and Brunswick troops under Friedrich Baum at the Battle of Bennington in Walloomsac, New York.

The American Revolutionary War, also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence or simply the American Revolution, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of…

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Vietnam War: A coup d'état replaces Dương Văn Minh with General Nguyễn Khánh as President of South Vietnam. A new constitution is established with aid from the U.S. Embassy.

The Vietnam War was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam and their allies. North Vietnam was supported by the Soviet Union and China, while…

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The Migratory Bird Treaty between Canada and the United States is signed.

The Migratory Bird Treaty or Convention is an environmental treaty between Canada and the United States. It was originally signed on 16 August 1916 by the United States and the United Kingdom,…

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American Revolutionary War: Battle of Camden: The British defeat the Americans near Camden, South Carolina.

The Battle of Camden, also known as the Battle of Camden Court House, was a major victory for the British in the Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War. On August 16, 1780, British forces…

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The Commonwealth Games is a quadrennial international multi-sport event that brings together athletes from across the Commonwealth of Nations, a political association comprising the majority of…

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Battle of Acosta Ñu: A Paraguayan battalion largely made up of children is massacred by the Brazilian Army during the Paraguayan War.

The Battle of Acosta Ñu, also known as the Children's Battle in Paraguay and the Battle of Campo Grande in Brazil, took place on 16 August 1869. It was the last major engagement of the Paraguayan War…

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The Battle of Elands River during the Second Boer War ends after a 13-day siege is lifted by the British. The battle had begun when a force of between 2,000 and 3,000 Boers had surrounded a force of 500 Australians, Rhodesians, Canadians and British soldiers at a supply dump at Brakfontein Drift.

The Battle of Elands River was an engagement of the Second Boer War that took place between 4 and 16 August 1900 in western Transvaal. The battle was fought at Brakfontein Drift near the Elands River…

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The Principality of Transylvania is established after John II Zápolya renounces his claim as King of Hungary in the Treaty of Speyer.

The Principality of Transylvania was a semi-independent state ruled by Hungarian princes. It existed as an Ottoman vassal state for the majority of the 16th and 17th centuries, overseen by Ottoman…

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Vietnam War: The House Un-American Activities Committee begins investigations of Americans who have aided the Viet Cong. The committee intends to introduce legislation making these activities illegal. Anti-war demonstrators disrupt the meeting and 50 people are arrested.

The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), popularly the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives created…

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World War II: US Navy L-class blimp L-8 drifts in from the Pacific and eventually crashes in Daly City, California. The two-man crew cannot be found.

World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. Tanks and aircraft played major…

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Franco-Prussian War: The Battle of Mars-la-Tour is fought, resulting in a Prussian victory.

The Franco-Prussian War, occasionally known as the Franco-German War, and sometimes referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between France and the North German Confederation led by…

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1986Ronnie Aird

Ronald Aird was an English first-class cricketer, cricket administrator and British Army officer. Aird began his first-class cricket career with Hampshire County Cricket Club in…

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
1997Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, also known by his initials NFAK, was a Pakistani singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and music director, primarily associated with…

Atal Bihari Vajpayee
2018Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Atal Bihari Vajpayee was an Indian statesman and a poet who served as the prime minister of India, from 1998 to 2004, and previously for two weeks in 1996. He was the first…

Dorival Caymmi
2008Dorival Caymmi

Dorival Caymmi was a Brazilian singer, songwriter, actor, and painter active for more than 70 years, beginning in 1933. He contributed to the birth of Brazil's bossa nova…

Henry Daglish
1920Henry Daglish

Henry Daglish was an Australian politician who was the sixth premier of Western Australia and the first from the Labor Party, serving from 10 August 1904 to 25 August 1905.…

Kevin Ayers
1944
Kevin Ayers
Kevin Ayers was an English singer-songwriter who was active in the English psychedelic music movement. Ayers was a founding member of the psychedelic…
Paul Callaway
1909
Paul Callaway
Paul Smith Callaway, was a prominent American organist and choral conductor, particularly well known for his thirty-eight years at the Washington…
Georgette Heyer
1902
Georgette Heyer
Georgette Heyer was an English novelist and short-story writer, in both the Regency romance and detective fiction genres. Her writing career began in…
1928
Wyatt Tee Walker
Wyatt Tee Walker was an African-American pastor, national civil rights leader, theologian, and cultural historian. He was a chief of staff for Martin…
Zachary Taylor
1816
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th president of the United States, serving from 1849 until his death in 1850. Before his presidency, Taylor was a career…
Madonna
1958
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Queen of Pop", she is known for her continual…
Diana Wynne Jones
1934
Diana Wynne Jones
Diana Wynne Jones was a British novelist, poet, academic, literary critic, and short story writer. She principally wrote speculative fiction novels…
James Cameron
1954
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian filmmaker and deep-sea explorer. His films combine cutting-edge film technology with classical filmmaking…
16th August in History — Battle of Plymouth: Inconclusive naval action between t