May 16
Events
 1204 - Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire.
1527 - The Florentines drive out the Medici for a second time and Florence re-establishes itself as a republic.
1532 - Sir Thomas More resigns as Lord Chancellor of England.
1568 - Mary Queen of Scots flees to England.
1770 - 14-year old Marie Antoinette marries 15-year-old Louis-Auguste who later becomes king of France.
1771 - The Battle of Alamance, a pre-American Revolutionary War battle between local militia and a group of rebels called "The Regulators", occurs in present-day Alamance County, North Carolina.
1777 - Lachlan McIntosh and Button Gwinnett shoot each other during a duel near Savannah, Georgia. Gwinnett, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, dies three days later.
1811 - Peninsular War - The allies Spain, Portugal and Britain, defeat the French at the Battle of Albuera.
1815 - The Governor of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie, officially names the town of Blackheath in the upper Blue Mountains.
1822 - Greek War of Independence: The Turks capture the Greek town of Souli.
1836 - Edgar Allan Poe marries his 13-year-old cousin Virginia.
1843 - The first major wagon train heading for the Pacific Northwest sets out on the Oregon Trail with one thousand pioneers from Elm Grove, Missouri.
1866 - The U.S. Congress eliminates the half dime coin and replaces it with the five cent piece, or nickel.
1866 - Charles Elmer Hires invents root beer.
1868 - President Andrew Johnson is acquitted in his impeachment trial by one vote in the United States Senate.
1874 - A flood on the Mill River in Massachusetts destroys much of four villages and kills 139 people.
1877 - May 16, 1877 political crisis in France.
1910 - The United States Congress authorizes the creation of the United States Bureau of Mines.
1914 - The first ever Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final is played. Brooklyn Field Club defeats Brooklyn Celtic 2-1.
1918 - The Sedition Act of 1918 is passed by the U.S. Congress, making criticism of the government an imprisonable offense.
1919 - A naval Curtiss aircraft NC-4 commanded by Albert Cushing Read leaves Trepassey, Newfoundland, for Lisbon via the Azores on the first transatlantic flight.
1920 - In Rome, Pope Benedict XV canonizes Joan of Arc as a saint.
1929 - In Hollywood, California, the first Academy Awards are handed out.
1943 - Holocaust: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising ends.
1948 - Chaim Weizmann is elected the first President of Israel.
1951 - The first regularly scheduled transatlantic flights begin between John F Kennedy International Airport in New York City and Heathrow Airport in London, operated by El Al Israel Airlines.
1960 - Nikita Khrushchev demands an apology from U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower for U-2 spy plane flights over the Soviet Union thus ending a Big Four summit in Paris.
1960 - Theodore Maiman operates the first optical laser, at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California.
1965 - The Campbell Soup Company introduces SpaghettiOs under its Franco-American brand.
1966 - The Communist Party of China issues the '', marking the beginning of the Cultural Revolution.
1967 - The city of Jerusalem is captured by Israel during the six-day war
1969 - Venera program: Venera 5, a Soviet spaceprobe, lands on Venus.
1974 - Josip Broz Tito is re-elected president of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. This time he is elected for life.
1975 - India annexes Sikkim after the mountain state holds a referendum in which the popular vote was in favour of merging with India.
1975 - Junko Tabei becomes the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
1983 - Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement rebels against the Sudanese government.
1986 - The Seville Statement on Violence is adopted by an international meeting of scientists, convened by the Spanish National Commission for UNESCO, in Seville, Spain.
1988 - A report by United States' Surgeon General C. Everett Koop states that the addictive properties of nicotine are similar to those of heroin and cocaine.
1992 - STS-49: Space Shuttle Endeavour lands safely after a successful maiden voyage.
2003 - In Casablanca, Morocco, 33 civilians are killed and more than 100 people are injured in the Casablanca terrorist attacks.
2004 - The Day of Mourning at Bykivnia forest, just outside of Kiev, Ukraine. Here during 1930s and early 1940s communist bolsheviks executed over 100,000 Ukrainian civilians.
2005 - Kuwait permits women's suffrage in a 35-23 National Assembly vote.
2006 - A large earthquake (7.4 on the Richter scale) occurs near New Zealand.
2007 - Alex Salmond is elected First Minister of Scotland. He is the first Scottish National Party leader to be elected as First Minister after winning a historic victory at the Scottish general election on the 3rd May.
Births
1490 - Duke Albert of Prussia (d. 1568)
1578 - Everard Digby, English conspirator (d. 1606)
1611 - Pope Innocent XI (d. 1689)
1710 - William Talbot, 1st Earl Talbot, English politician (d. 1782)
1718 - Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Italian mathematician (d. 1799)
1763 - Louis Nicolas Vauquelin, French pharmacist (d. 1829)
1788 - Friedrich Rückert, German Poet, Translator and Orientalist (d. 1866)
1801 - William H. Seward, United States Secretary of State, bought Alaska at 2 ¢/acre (d. 1872)
1821 - Pafnuty Chebyshev, Russian mathematician (d. 1894)
1824 - Levi P. Morton, United States Vice President under Benjamin Harrison (d.1920)
1827 - Pierre Cuypers, Dutch architect (d. 1921)
1831 - David E. Hughes, American musician (d. 1900)
1845 - Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov, Russian microbiologist, Nobel laureate (d. 1916)
1860 - Herman Webster Mudgett, American Serial Killer (d. 1896)
1891 - Richard Tauber, Austrian tenor (d. 1948)
1898 - Tamara de Lempicka, Polish-born painter (d. 1980)
1898 - Kenji Mizoguchi, Japanese film director (d. 1956)
1905 - Henry Fonda, American actor (d. 1982)
1906 - Alfred Pellan, French Canadian painter (d. 1988)
1906 - Arturo Uslar Pietri, Venezuelan writer (d. 2001)
1906 - Margret Rey, author and illustrator (d. 1996)
1909 - Margaret Sullavan, American actress (d. 1960)
1910 - Olga Berggolts, Russian poet (d. 1975)
1910 - Aleksandr Ivanovich Laktionov, Russian painter (d. 1972)
1912 - Studs Terkel, American writer
1913 - Woody Herman, American musician and band leader (d. 1987)
1914 - Edward T. Hall, American anthropologist and author
1916 - Adriana Caselotti, American actress (d. 1997)
1917 - Juan Rulfo, Mexican novelist (d. 1986)
1917 - James C. Murray, American politician (d. 1999)
1917 - George Gaynes, American actor
1918 - Wilf Mannion, English former footballer (d. 2000)
1919 - Liberace, American pianist (d. 1987)
1919 - Ramon Margalef, Spanish scientist (d. 2004)
1920 - Martine Carol, French actress (d. 1967)
1921 - Harry Carey, Jr., American actor
1923 - Merton Miller, American economist, Nobel laureate (d. 2000)
1925 - Bobbejaan Schoepen, Belgian entertainer
1926 - Ronald Podrow, British peace activist (d. 2004)
1927 - Nílton Santos, Brazilian footballer
1928 - Billy Martin, American baseball player and coach (d. 1989)
1929 - John Conyers, American politician
1929 - Claude Morin, French Canadian politician
1929 - Adrienne Rich, American writer
1930 - Betty Carter, American jazz singer (d. 1998)
1930 - Friedrich Gulda, Austrian pianist (d. 2000)
1931 - Jack Dodson, American actor (d. 1994)
1931 - Denise Filiatrault, French Canadian actress and director
1931 - Natwar Singh, Indian politician
1931 - Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., American politician
1931 - Hana Brady, Killed during Holocaust
1935 - James Bolam, English actor
1936 - Roy Hudd, English radio and television actor
1936 - Karl Lehmann, German Catholic cardinal
1937 - Yvonne Craig, American actress
1944 - Billy Cobham, American virtuoso drummer
1944 - Danny Trejo, American actor
1945 - Nicky Chinn, English songwriter (Sweet, Suzi Quatro)
1946 - Robert Fripp, English guitarist (King Crimson)
1946 - Roger Earl, English rock drummer (Savoy Brown, Foghat)
1947 - Bill Smitrovich, American actor
1948 - Katia Dandoulaki, Greek actress
1948 - Judy Finnegan, English TV presenter (Richard & Judy)
1950 - J. Georg Bednorz, German physicist, Nobel laureate
1950 - Ray Condo, Canadian rockabilly musician
1951 - Christian Lacroix, French fashion designer
1951 - Jonathan Richman, American proto-punk icon
1952 - James Herndon, American media psychologist
1953 - Pierce Brosnan, Irish actor
1954 - Dafydd Williams, Canadian physician and astronaut
1955 - Olga Korbut, Russian gymnast
1955 - Jack Morris, American baseball player
1955 - Hazel O'Connor, English singer
1955 - Debra Winger, American actress
1959 - Mare Winningham, American actress
1961 - Kevin McDonald, Canadian comedian and actor
1961 - Charles Wright, American professional wrestler known as "The Godfather"
1963 - Jon Coffelt, American artist
1963 - Mercedes Echerer, Austrian actress and politician
1964 - John Salley, American basketball player
1964 - Boyd Tinsley, American violinist (Dave Matthews Band)
1964 - Edit Berces, Hungarian Ultra-Marathon runner
1965 - Krist Novoselic, American bassist (Nirvana)
1966 - Janet Jackson, American singer
1966 - Scott Reeves, American actor and singer
1966 - Thurman Thomas, American football player
1968 - Ralph Tresvant, American singer (New Edition)
1968 - Chingmy Yau, Hong Kong actress
1969 - David Boreanaz, American actor
1969 - Tucker Carlson, American television commentator
1969 - Tracey Gold, American actress
1969 - Steve Lewis, American athlete
1970 - Gabriela Sabatini, Argentine tennis player
1970 - Danielle Spencer, Australian singer and actress
1971 - Rachel Goswell, English singer and songwriter (Slowdive, Mojave 3)
1972 - Khary Payton, American actor
1973 - Special Ed, American rapper
1973 - Tori Spelling, American actress
1973 - Jason Acuña "Wee-Man", American television personality
1974 - Laura Pausini, Italian pop singer
1974 - Sonny Sandoval, American singer (P.O.D.)
1975 - Tony Kakko, Finnish singer (Sonata Arctica)
1975 - Tonéx, American singer
1977 - Dolcenera, Italian singer
1977 - Jean-Sébastien Giguère, Canadian ice hockey player
1978 - David Ford, English singer/songwriter
1978 - Lionel Scaloni, Argentine footballer
1979 - McKenzie Lee, English pornographic actress
1980 - Mikel Alonso, Spanish footballer
1980 - Michael Ryan, American ice hockey player
1981 - Jim Sturgess, English actor
1982 - Joo Ji Hoon, Korean actor and model
1982 - Lukasz Kubot, Polish tennis player
1982 - Hanna Mariën, Belgian athlete
1983 - Nancy Ajram, Lebanese singer
1983 - Mince Fratelli, Scottish Drummer (The Fratellis)
1983 - Kyle Wellwood, Canadian ice hockey player
1984 - Mickie Knuckles, American female professional wrestler
1984 - Jensen Lewis, American baseball player
1985 - Stanislav Ianevski, Bulgarian actor
1985 - Anja Mittag, German footballer
1985 - Corey Perry, Canadian ice hockey player
1986 - Megan Fox, American actress
1986 - Andy Keogh, Irish footballer (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Deaths
583 - Saint Brendan, Irish navigator (b. 484)
1265 - Saint Simon Stock, English saint (b. 1165)
1569 - Dirk Willems, Anabaptist Martyr
1620 - William Adams, English navigator (b. 1564)
1657 - Andrzej Bobola, Polish Jesuit missionary (b. 1591)
1667 - Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton, English statesman (b. 1607)
1669 - Pietro da Cortona, Italian architect (b. 1596)
1691 - Jacob Leisler, American colonist (b. 1640)
1703 - Charles Perrault, French author (b. 1628)
1778 - Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness, English diplomat (b. 1718)
1782 - Daniel Solander, Swedish botanist (b. 1736)
1790 - Philip Yorke, 2nd Earl of Hardwicke, English politician (b. 1720)
1830 - Joseph Fourier, French scientist (b. 1768)
1891 - Ion Bratianu, Romanian statesman (b. 1821)
1913 - Louis Perrier, member of the Swiss Federal Council (b. 1849)
1920 - Levi P. Morton, United States Vice President under Benjamin Harrision (b. 1824)
1926 - Mehmed VI, last Ottoman Sultan (b. 1861)
1943 - Alfred Hoche, German psychiatrist (b. 1865)
1944 - George Ade, American author (b. 1866)
1947 - Frederick Hopkins, English biochemist, Nobel laureate (b. 1861)
1953 - Django Reinhardt, Belgian musician (b. 1910)
1954 - Clemens Krauss, Austrian conductor (b. 1893)
1955 - James Agee, American writer (b. 1909)
1956 - H. B. Reese, American founder of Reese's (b. 1876)
1957 - Eliot Ness, American federal agent (b. 1903)
1959 - Elisha Scott, Northern Irish footballer (b. 1894)
1961 - George A. Malcolm, American jurist & educator (b. 1881)
1969 - Robert R., first confirmed death from AIDS in North America (b. 1954)
1979 - A. Philip Randolph, American civil rights activist and labor union leader (b. 1889)
1981 - Ernie Freeman, American pianist and arranger (b. 1922)
1984 - Andy Kaufman, American comedian (b. 1949)
1984 - Irwin Shaw, American author (b. 1913)
1985 - Margaret Hamilton, American actress (b. 1902)
1988 - Charles Keeping, English illustrator (b. 1924)
1990 - Sammy Davis, Jr., American entertainer (b. 1925)
1990 - Jim Henson, American puppeteer (b. 1936)
1992 - Chalino Sanchez, Mexican musician (b, 1960)
1993 - Marv Johnson, American R&B and soul singer (b. 1938)
1994 - Jack Dodson, American actor (b. 1931)
1996 - Jeremy Michael Boorda, American admiral (b. 1939)
1997 - Elbridge Durbrow, American diplomat (b. 1903)
2000 - Bodacious the Bull Famous rodeo bull (b. 1988)
2001 - Brian Pendleton, English musician (The Pretty Things) (b. 1944)
2002 - Alec Campbell, the last surviving ANZAC (b. 1899)
2002 - Big Dick Dudley, American professional wrestler (b. 1968)
2003 - Mark McCormack, American businessman (b. 1930)
Holidays and observances
Teachers' Day in Malaysia.
Middlesex Day.
Feast days of saints in the Christian Church:
Aaron, in the Coptic Church
Abda and Abdjesus and companions including:
* Aba of Kaskhar
Saint Brendan the Navigator - also in the Irish Calendar.
Saint Germerius
Saint Honoré of Amiens
Saint Andrew Bobola
Saint Ubaldus (see Saint Ubaldo Day)
Saint Peregrine of Auxerre
External links
BBC: On This Day
On This Day in Canada
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