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On This Day
Discover events that happened On This Day including famous birthdays and notable deaths. Each day we highlight famous people, past and present, who have impacted our world. Browse sections by selecting the links below or click the calendar to view events on another day.
December 16
Events on This Day
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1653
360 years ago
Oliver Cromwell becomes lord protector of England, Scotland and Ireland.
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1901
112 years ago
After receiving rejections from several publishers, Beatrix Potter self-publishes her children's book The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
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1972
41 years ago
Diplomat Henry Kissinger announces that North Vietnamese representatives have walked out of ongoing Paris negotiations.
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2000
13 years ago
Colin Powell is appointed by George W. Bush to become secretary of state, the first African American to hold this office.
December 16
Born on This Day
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Jane Austen
- In these groups:
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous People Named Jane
- Famous People Born in 1775
Jane Austen
Writer / 1775 - 1817
Jane Austen was a Georgian era author, best known for her social commentary in novels including Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma.
Born: December 16, 1775
Birthplace: Steventon Rectory, Hampshire, England
Occupation: Writer -
Margaret Mead
- In these groups:
- Daring Female Adventurers
- Famous Academics
- Famous Anthropologists
Margaret Mead
Anthropologist / 1901 - 1978
Margaret Mead is best known for her studies and publications on cultural anthropology.
1901 | 76 years old
Anthropologist -
Steven Bochco
- In these groups:
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous People Named Steven
- Famous Television Producers
Steven Bochco
Television Producer / 1943 -
Steven Bochco is a US television producer and writer. He is famous for creating Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law and NYPD Blue.
1943 | 69 years old
Television Producer -
Ludwig van Beethoven
- In these groups:
- Famous Lefties
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Pianists
Ludwig van Beethoven
Songwriter, Pianist / 1770 - 1827
Ludwig van Beethoven was a deaf German composer and the predominant musical figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras.
Born: December 16, 1770
Birthplace: Bonn, Germany
Occupation: Songwriter, Pianist -
Benjamin Bratt
- In these groups:
- Famous Celebrity Couples
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Actors
Benjamin Bratt
Actor / 1963 -
Benjamin Bratt is known for his television and film roles, including his selection as one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful" in 1999.1963 | 49 years old
Actor -
Benny Andersson
- In these groups:
- ABBA
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Pianists
Benny Andersson
Songwriter, Pianist / 1946 -
Benny Andersson is a musician who played keyboard for 1970s pop super-group ABBA.
1946 | 66 years old
Songwriter, Pianist
December 16
Died on This Day
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Jan Vermeer
- In these groups:
- Famous Scorpios
- Famous Painters
- Famous Artists
Jan Vermeer
Painter / 1632 - 1675
Dutch Golden-Age artist Jan Vermeer is best known for his Delft paintings including "Little Street," "View of Delft" and his late "pearl pictures" like "The Concert."
Died: December 16, 1675
Age: 43 years old
Place: Delft , Netherlands
Occupation: Painter -
Somerset Maugham
- In these groups:
- Famous Aquarians
- Famous Playwrights
- Famous Fiction Authors
Somerset Maugham
Author, Playwright / 1874 - 1965
English novelist, playwright, and short-story writer Somerset Maugham is best known for the works Of Human Bondage, The Letter, Rain and The Razor's Edge.
1965 | 91 years old
Author, Playwright -
Paul Castellano
- In these groups:
- Infamous Mobsters
- Ugly Inside and Out
- Famous Cancerians
Paul Castellano
Organized Crime Boss / 1915 - 1985
Paul Castellano is best known for becoming the boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City.
1985 | 70 years old
Organized Crime Boss
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Play Nowprofile name: Jane Austen profile occupation: Writer
profile id: 9404056
profile name: Margaret Mead profile occupation: Anthropologist
profile id: 9216961
profile name: Steven Bochco profile occupation: Television Producer
profile id: 9204862
profile name: Ludwig van Beethoven profile occupation: Songwriter, Pianist
profile id: 9542258
profile name: Benjamin Bratt profile occupation: Actor
profile id: 17168238
profile name: Benny Andersson profile occupation: Songwriter, Pianist
profile id: 9517541
profile name: Jan Vermeer profile occupation: Painter
profile id: 9402985
profile name: Somerset Maugham profile occupation: Author, Playwright
profile id: 329028
profile name: Paul Castellano profile occupation: Organized Crime Boss
profile id: 9261909
profile name: Oliver Cromwell profile occupation: Military Leader
profile id: 9445208
profile name: Beatrix Potter profile occupation: Author
profile id: 9366016
profile name: Henry Kissinger profile occupation: Diplomat
profile id: 9445708
profile name: Colin Powell profile occupation: Diplomat
profile id: 9232768
profile name: George W. Bush profile occupation: U.S. Governor
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profile name: O.J. Simpson profile occupation: Criminal
profile id: 9286165
profile name: Queen Elizabeth II profile occupation: Queen
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profile name: Herbert Beerbohm Tree profile occupation: Theater Actor
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profile name: Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. profile occupation: Pilot
profile id: 38092
profile name: Phil Ochs profile occupation: Musician
profile id: 38885
profile name: Irene Dunne profile occupation: Film Actress
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Upcoming Birthdays
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Herbert Beerbohm Tree
- In these groups:
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Actors
- Famous Theater Actors
Herbert Beerbohm Tree
Theater Actor / 1852 - 1917
Sir Herbert Beerbohm was a stage actor and well-known figure in English theater. He both managed and produced several plays in London including Charles Dickens and Shakespearean classics.
December 17, 1852
Theater Actor -
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.
- In these groups:
- Famous Military Veterans
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Military Leaders
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.
General, Pilot / 1912 - 2002
Pilot and officer Benjamin Oliver Davis, Jr. was the first African American general in the U.S. Air Force.
December 18, 1912
Pilot -
Phil Ochs
- In these groups:
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Civil Rights Activists
- Famous Antiwar Activists
Phil Ochs
Civil Rights Activist, Anti-War Activist, Songwriter, Guitarist, Singer / 1940 - 1976
American folk singer Phil Ochs is best remembered for the protest songs he wrote in the 1960's on war and civil rights.
December 19, 1940
Musician -
Irene Dunne
- In these groups:
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Actresses
- Famous Film Actresses
Irene Dunne
Film Actress, Theater Actress, Television Actress / 1898 - 1990
Irene Dunne was an Academy Award-nominated actress and singer known for her roles in Showboat, Anna and the King of Siam and Love Affair.
December 20, 1898
Film Actress
Famous Sagittarians
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Kara Walker
- In these groups:
- Famous Black Artists
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Painters
Kara Walker
Painter / 1969 -
Kara Walker is an African-American artist who rose to fame for her use of large paper silhouettes to explore social issues surrounding gender, race and black history.
November 26, 1969
Painter -
Noam Chomsky
- In these groups:
- Famous Academics
- Famous Linguists
- Famous Sagittarians
Noam Chomsky
Linguist, Anti-War Activist, Academic Author, Journalist / 1928 -
Famed scholar Noam Chomsky is known for both his groundbreaking contributions to linguistics and his penetrating critiques of political systems.
December 7, 1928
Linguist, Anti-War Activist, Academic Author, Journalist
