This Day in History
16 Feb 1249
Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols
16 Feb 1559
Pope Paul IV calls for deposition of sovereigns supporting heresy
16 Feb 1646
Battle of Great Torrington Devon - the last major battle of the first English Civil War
16 Feb 1659
1st known cheque (400) (on display at Westminster Abbey)
More History
Castro sworn in
On February 16 1959 Fidel Castro is sworn in as prime minister of Cuba after leading a guerrilla campaign that forced right-wing dictator Fulgencio Batista in...
Archaeologist opens tomb of King Tut
On this day in 1923 in Thebes Egypt English archaeologist Howard Carter enters the sealed burial chamber of the ancient Egyptian ruler King Tutankhamen.Becau...
Tet Offensive results in many new refugees
U.S. officials report that in addition to the 800000 people listed as refugees prior to January 30 the fighting during the Tet Offensive has created 350000 ...
Bill Johnson becomes first American to win Olympic gold in downhill skiing
On February 16 1984 Bill Johnson becomes the first American man to win an Olympic gold medal in downhill skiing a sport long dominated by European athletes. ...
James Monroe marries Elizabeth Kortright
On this day in history future President James Monroe weds a 17-year-old New York beauty named Elizabeth Kortright. The 26-year-old Monroe already a famous rev...
Silver dollars made legal
Strongly supported by western mining interests and farmers the Bland-Allison Actwhich provided for a return to the minting of silver coinsbecom...
Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Ford is born
On this day in 1944 novelist Richard Ford is born in Jackson Mississippi. The son of a traveling salesman Ford lost his father when he was 16. He graduated f...
Chopin plays his final Paris concert
Bach is like an astronomer who with the help of ciphers finds the most wonderful stars.Beethoven embraced the universe with the power of his spi...
David O. Selznick returns to MGM
On this day in 1933 David O. Selznick becomes vice president and producer at MGM. Selznick became one of the most influential independent producers of his time...
Brush fires ravage South Australia
Brush fires rage across South Australia on this day in 1983 burning thousands of acres killing 75 people and injuring another 800. There were 24 major fires i...
John Wesley Hardin is pardoned
Infamous gunslinger John Wesley Hardin is pardoned after spending 15 years in a Texas prison for murder. Hardin who was reputed to have shot and killed a man ...
Capture of Fort Donelson
On this day in 1862 General Ulysses S. Grant finishes a spectacular campaign by capturing Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River in Tennessee. This battle came1...
Joseph Stalin attacks the United Nations
In a statement focusing on the situation in Korea Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin charges that the United Nations has become a weapon of aggressive war....
Jeff Gordon becomes youngest Daytona winner
On February 16 1997 25-year-old Jeff Gordon claims his first Daytona 500 victory becoming the youngest winner in the history of the 200-lap 500-mile Nationa...
John Adams prepares to sail for France
On this day in 1778 two future presidents of the United States John Adams and his son 10-year-old John Quincy Adams sit in Marblehead Harbor off the coast ...
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