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.
February 16
Events on This Day
-
1848
165 years agoFrédéric Chopin plays his last concert in Paris. A year later he dies from tuberculosis.
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1937
76 years agoDuPont chemist W. H. Carothers receives a patent for nylon, the first synthetic fiber.
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1959
54 years agoFidel Castro is sworn in as prime minister of Cuba following the overthrow of dictator Fulgencio Batista.
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1997
16 years agoAt age 25, race car driver Jeff Gordon becomes the youngest winner in Daytona 500 history.
February 16
Born on This Day
-
Sonny Bono
- In these groups:
- Sonny and Cher
- Actors Turned Politicians
- Numerous Nuptials
Sonny Bono
Singer, U.S. Representative / 1935 - 1998
Musician and politician Sonny Bono was once wed to singer Cher and in 1994 was elected to U.S. Congress as a representative from California.
Born: February 16, 1935
Birthplace: Detriot, Michigan, United States
Occupation: Singer, U.S. Representative -
Kim Jong Il
- In these groups:
- Erratic and Autocratic
- The 69 Club
- Famous Aquarians
Kim Jong Il
Dictator / 1941 - 2011
Kim Jong Il's dominating personality and complete concentration of power has come to define the country North Korea.
1941 | 70 years old
Dictator -
LeVar Burton
- In these groups:
- Star Trek Stars
- Famous Aquarians
- Famous Actors
LeVar Burton
Film Actor, Television Actor, Television Personality / 1957 -
LeVar Burton is an actor known chiefly for his work in the TV miniseries Roots and the series Star Trek: The Next Generation.
1957 | 56 years old
Film Actor, Television Actor, ... -
Ice-T
- In these groups:
- Musical Monikers
- Celebrity Enlistees
- Name Changers
Ice-T
Rapper / 1958 -
Ice-T is best known for his raps about street life and violence, and his influence on the gangster rap genre.
Born: February 16, 1958
Age: 55 years old
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States
Occupation: Rapper -
John McEnroe
- In these groups:
- Famous Irish-Americans
- Hotheads
- Famous Lefties
John McEnroe
Tennis Player / 1959 -
John McEnroe is a world champion tennis player famous for his temperamental outbursts. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999.
1959 | 54 years old
Tennis Player -
Elizabeth Olsen
- In these groups:
- Famous Aquarians
- Famous Actresses
- Famous Film Actresses
Elizabeth Olsen
Film Actress / 1989 -
Elizabeth Olsen is best known for being the younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and for acting in the film Martha Marcy May Marlene.
1989 | 24 years old
Film Actress
February 16
Died on This Day
-
Keith Haring
- In these groups:
- Famous Pop Artists
- Celebrity Deadheads
- Famous Taureans
Keith Haring
Painter / 1958 - 1990
During his all-too-brief life, artist Keith Haring became a sensation in the art world with his bold, cartoon and graffiti influenced works during the 1980s.
Died: February 16, 1990
Age: 31 years old
Place: New York, New York , United States
Occupation: Painter -
Henry Bacon
- In these groups:
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Architects
- Famous People Named Henry
Henry Bacon
Architect / 1866 - 1924
Henry Bacon was an American architect, best-known for designing the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
1924 | 57 years old
Architect -
Pierre Paul Prud'hon
- In these groups:
- Famous Arians
- Famous Painters
- Famous Artists
Pierre Paul Prud'hon
Painter / 1758 - 1823
French Romantic painter Pierre-Paul Prud'hon is best known for his soft forms and gentle light in his allegorical paintings and portraits.
1823 | 64 years old
Painter
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Play Nowprofile name: Sonny Bono profile occupation: Singer, U.S. Representative
profile id: 201050
profile name: Kim Jong Il profile occupation: Dictator
profile id: 538182
profile name: LeVar Burton profile occupation: Film Actor, Television Actor, ...
profile id: 17181642
profile name: Ice-T profile occupation: Rapper
profile id: 9391860
profile name: John McEnroe profile occupation: Tennis Player
profile id: 20631899
profile name: Elizabeth Olsen profile occupation: Film Actress
profile id: 246006
profile name: Keith Haring profile occupation: Painter
profile id: 9194681
profile name: Henry Bacon profile occupation: Architect
profile id: 9448032
profile name: Pierre Paul Prud'hon profile occupation: Painter
profile id: 9247162
profile name: Frédéric Chopin profile occupation: Songwriter
profile id: 39029
profile name: W.H. Carothers profile occupation: Chemist
profile id: 9241487
profile name: Fidel Castro profile occupation: World Leader
profile id: 9202010
profile name: Fulgencio Batista profile occupation: World Leader
profile id: 38933
profile name: Jeff Gordon profile occupation: Race Car Driver
profile id: 37137
profile name: Chaim Potok profile occupation: Religious Leader
profile id: 5948
profile name: Jillian Michaels profile occupation: Reality Television Star
profile id: 37145
profile name: Álvaro Obregón profile occupation: World Leader
profile id: 37884
profile name: Louis I. Kahn profile occupation: Architect
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