August 16 in History

Vietnam War: A coup d'état replaces Dương Văn Minh with General Nguyễn Khánh as

1964 — 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.

August 16 spans 65 recorded events across recorded history, from 1 BC to 2020. Below is a curated digest of the most significant moments tied to this date.

By · — Wikipedia

Historical Events 65 events 1 BC – 2020

More major events on August 16

The featured story and these ranked highlights form a quick summary. Every recorded event remains available in the chronology below.

  1. 1841 U.S. President John Tyler vetoes a bill which called for the re-establishment of the Second Bank of the United States. Enraged Whig Party members riot outside the White House in the most violent demonstration on White House grounds in U.S. history. Source
  2. 1858 U.S. President James Buchanan inaugurates the new transatlantic telegraph cable by exchanging greetings with Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. However, a weak signal forces a shutdown of the service in a few weeks. Source
  3. 1954 The first issue of Sports Illustrated is published. Source

Did you know

In 1964, 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. This featured entry focuses on the immediate decision and its direct historical impact.

Did you know

The Republic of Vietnam, commonly known as South Vietnam, was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. This helps explain why the event mattered beyond the initial announcement.

Did you know

It first garnered recognition in 1949 as the associated State of Vietnam within the French Union, with its capital at Saigon. This clarifies the institutional and public response around the event.

Did you know

Since 1950, it was a member of the Western Bloc during the Cold War. This shows how the event shaped policy and public communication in the same period.

Did you know

Following the 1954 partition of Vietnam, it became known as South Vietnam and was established as a republic in 1955. This helps explain why the event mattered beyond the initial announcement.

-1 Wang_Mang
Wang Mang consolidates his power in China and is declared marshal of state.
Emperor Ai of Han, who died the previous day, had no heirs.
Wikipedia source
942 Battle_of_al-Mada'in
Start of the four-day Battle of al-Mada'in, between the Hamdanids of Mosul and the Baridis of Basra over control of the Abbasid capital, Baghdad.
Battle for control of Baghdad in 942
Wikipedia source
963 Nikephoros_II_Phokas
Nikephoros II Phokas is crowned emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
Byzantine emperor from 963 to 969
Wikipedia source
1328 House_of_Gonzaga
The House of Gonzaga seizes power in the Duchy of Mantua, and will rule until 1708.
Italian royal family that ruled parts of Northern Italy
Wikipedia source
1513 Battle_of_the_Spurs
Battle of the Spurs (Battle of Guinegate): King Henry VIII of England and his Imperial allies defeat French Forces who are then forced to retreat.
1513 battle of the War of the League of Cambrai
Wikipedia source
1550 Moses_Isserles
Rabbi Moses Isserles issues his ruling in the Bragadin-Giustiniani dispute, one of the earliest instances of a copyright suit over any book.
Polish rabbi
Wikipedia source
1570 Principality_of_Transylvania_(1570–1711)
The Principality of Transylvania is established after John II Zápolya renounces his claim as King of Hungary in the Treaty of Speyer.
Former semi-independent state
Wikipedia source
1652 Battle_of_Plymouth_(1652)
Battle of Plymouth: Inconclusive naval action between the fleets of Michiel de Ruyter and George Ayscue in the First Anglo-Dutch War.
1652 naval battle of the Anglo-Dutch War
Wikipedia source
1777 American_Revolutionary_War
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.
1775–1783 conflict in North America
Wikipedia source
1780 Battle_of_Camden
American Revolutionary War: Battle of Camden: The British defeat the Americans near Camden, South Carolina.
1780 battle of the American Revolutionary War
Wikipedia source
1792 Maximilien_Robespierre
Maximilien Robespierre presents the petition of the Commune of Paris to the Legislative Assembly, which demanded the formation of a revolutionary tribunal.
French revolutionary, lawyer and politician (1758–1794)
Wikipedia source
1793 French_Revolution
French Revolution: A levée en masse is decreed by the National Convention.
1789–1799 sociopolitical change in France
Wikipedia source
1812 War_of_1812
War of 1812: American General William Hull surrenders Fort Detroit without a fight to the British Army.
1812–1815 conflict in North America
Wikipedia source
1819 Peterloo_Massacre
Peterloo Massacre: Seventeen people die and over 600 are injured in cavalry charges at a public meeting at St.
Peter's Field, Manchester, England.
Wikipedia source
1837 West_India_Regiments
Three African soldiers in the 1st West India Regiment – Daaga, Edward Coffin and Maurice Ogston – were executed for their role in the St.
Joseph Mutiny in the British colony of Trinidad.
Wikipedia source
1841 President_of_the_United_States
U.S.
President John Tyler vetoes a bill which called for the re-establishment of the Second Bank of the United States. Enraged Whig Party members riot outside the White House in the most violent demonstration on White House grounds in U.S. history.
Wikipedia source
1844 Narciso_Clavería_y_Zaldúa
Governor-general of the Philippines Narciso Claveria, signs a decree to reform the country's calendar by skipping Tuesday, December 31, as a solution to anomalies that had existed since Ferdinand Magellan's arrival in 1521.
Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines from 1844 to 1849
Wikipedia source
1858 James_Buchanan
U.S.
President James Buchanan inaugurates the new transatlantic telegraph cable by exchanging greetings with Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. However, a weak signal forces a shutdown of the service in a few weeks.
Wikipedia source
1859 Grand_Duchy_of_Tuscany
The Grand Duchy of Tuscany formally deposes the exiled House of Lorraine.
Italian state (1569–1801; 1814–1860)
Wikipedia source
1863 Dominican_Restoration_War
The Dominican Restoration War begins when Gregorio Luperón raises the Dominican flag in Santo Domingo after Spain had recolonized the country.
1863–1865 war between the Dominican Republic and Spain
Wikipedia source
1869 Battle_of_Acosta_Ñu
Battle of Acosta Ñu: A Paraguayan battalion largely made up of children is massacred by the Brazilian Army during the Paraguayan War.
1869 battle of the Paraguayan War
Wikipedia source
1870 Franco-Prussian_War
Franco-Prussian War: The Battle of Mars-la-Tour is fought, resulting in a Prussian victory.
War from 1870 to 1871
Wikipedia source
1876 Richard_Wagner
Richard Wagner's Siegfried, the penultimate opera in his Ring cycle, is premiered at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus.
German composer (1813–1883)
Wikipedia source
1891 San_Sebastian_Church_(Manila)
The Basilica of San Sebastian, Manila, the first all-steel church in Asia, is officially inaugurated and blessed.
Roman Catholic church in Manila, Philippines
Wikipedia source
1896 Keish
Skookum Jim Mason, George Carmack and Dawson Charlie discover gold in a tributary of the Klondike River in Canada, setting off the Klondike Gold Rush.
Indigenous Canadian miner (c. 1855 – 1916)
Wikipedia source
1900 Battle_of_Elands_River_(1900)
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.
Wikipedia source
1906
The 8.2 Mw Valparaíso earthquake hits central Chile, killing 3,882 people.
Scales to describe earthquake strength
Wikipedia source
1913 Tohoku_University
Tōhoku Imperial University of Japan (modern day Tohoku University) becomes the first university in Japan to admit female students.
University in Sendai, Japan
Wikipedia source
1913 Royal_Navy
Completion of the Royal Navy battlecruiser HMS Queen Mary.
Naval warfare force of the United Kingdom
Wikipedia source
1916 Migratory_Bird_Treaty
The Migratory Bird Treaty between Canada and the United States is signed.
1916 treaty between Canada and the United States
Wikipedia source
1918 Battle_of_Lake_Baikal
The Battle of Lake Baikal was fought between the Czechoslovak Legion and the Red Army.
1918 battle of the Russian Civil War
Wikipedia source
1920 Ray_Chapman
Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians is hit on the head by a fastball thrown by Carl Mays of the New York Yankees.
Next day, Chapman will become the second player to die from injuries sustained in a Major League Baseball game.
Wikipedia source
1920 Communist_Party_of_Bukhara
The congress of the Communist Party of Bukhara opens.
The congress would call for armed revolution.
Wikipedia source
1920 Polish–Soviet_War
Polish–Soviet War: The Battle of Radzymin concludes; the Soviet Red Army is forced to turn away from Warsaw.
20th-century conflict between Poland and Russia
Wikipedia source
1923 Ross_Dependency
The United Kingdom gives the name "Ross Dependency" to part of its claimed Antarctic territory and makes the Governor-General of the Dominion of New Zealand its administrator.
New Zealand's territorial claim in Antarctica
Wikipedia source
1927 Dole_Air_Race
The Dole Air Race begins from Oakland, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii, during which six out of the eight participating planes crash or disappear.
Air race, 1927
Wikipedia source
1929 1929_Palestine_riots
The 1929 Palestine riots break out in Mandatory Palestine between Palestinian Arabs and Jews and continue until the end of the month.
In total, 133 Jews and 116 Arabs are killed.
Wikipedia source
1930 Cartoon
The first color sound cartoon, Fiddlesticks, is released by Ub Iwerks.
Type of two-dimensional visual art
Wikipedia source
1930
The first British Empire Games are opened in Hamilton, Ontario, by the Governor General of Canada, the Viscount Willingdon.
Multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations
Wikipedia source
1933 Christie_Pits_riot
Christie Pits riot takes place in Toronto, Ontario.
1933 race riot in Canada
Wikipedia source
1942 World_War_II
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.
Wikipedia source
1943
World War II: 317 Greek civilians are murdered by soldiers of the German 1st Mountain Division in the village of Kommeno, Greece.
Nazi war crime committed in Greece
Wikipedia source
1944 Forward-swept_wing
First flight of a jet with forward-swept wings, the Junkers Ju 287.
Aircraft wing configuration
Wikipedia source
1945 National_Assembly_of_Vietnam
The National Representatives' Congress, the precursor of the current National Assembly of Vietnam, convenes in Sơn Dương.
Unicameral legislature of Vietnam
Wikipedia source
1946 Direct_Action_Day
Mass riots in Kolkata begin; more than 4,000 people would be killed in 72 hours.
1946 sectarian violence in British India
Wikipedia source
1946
The All Hyderabad Trade Union Congress is founded in Secunderabad.
Trade union in the Indian state of Hyderabad
Wikipedia source
1954 Sports_Illustrated
The first issue of Sports Illustrated is published.
American sports magazine
Wikipedia source
1960 Cyprus
Cyprus gains its independence from the United Kingdom.
Island country in the Mediterranean Sea
Wikipedia source
1960 Joseph_Kittinger
Joseph Kittinger parachutes from a balloon over New Mexico, United States, at 102,800 feet (31,300 m), setting three records that held until 2012: High-altitude jump, free fall, and highest speed by a human without an aircraft.
American military pilot (1928–2022)
Wikipedia source
1966 House_Un-American_Activities_Committee
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.
Wikipedia source
1972 Coup_d'état
In an unsuccessful coup d'état attempt, the Royal Moroccan Air Force fires upon Hassan II of Morocco's plane while he is traveling back to Rabat.
Illegal attempt to unseat an incumbent
Wikipedia source
1975 Gough_Whitlam
Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam symbolically hands over land to the Gurindji people after the eight-year Wave Hill walk-off, a landmark event in the history of Indigenous land rights in Australia, commemorated in a 1991 song by Paul Kelly and an annual celebration.
Prime Minister of Australia from 1972 to 1975
Wikipedia source
1986
A Sudan Airways Fokker F27 Friendship is shot down near Malakal in present day South Sudan, killing 60.
Flag carrier of Sudan
Wikipedia source
1987 Northwest_Airlines_Flight_255
Northwest Airlines Flight 255, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, crashes after takeoff in Detroit, Michigan, killing 154 of the 155 on board, plus two people on the ground.
1987 aviation accident in Michigan
Wikipedia source
1989 Solar_particle_event
A solar particle event affects computers at the Toronto Stock Exchange, forcing a halt to trading.
Solar phenomenon
Wikipedia source
1991 Indian_Airlines_Flight_257
Indian Airlines Flight 257, a Boeing 737-200, crashes during approach to Imphal Airport, killing all 69 people on board.
1991 aircraft accident in India
Wikipedia source
2005 West_Caribbean_Airways_Flight_708
West Caribbean Airways Flight 708, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, crashes in Machiques, Venezuela, killing all 160 people on board.
2005 aviation accident in Venezuela
Wikipedia source
2008 Trump_International_Hotel_and_Tower_(Chicago)
The Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago is topped off at 1,389 feet (423 m), at the time becoming the world's highest residence above ground-level.
Skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois, United States
Wikipedia source
2010 AIRES_Flight_8250
AIRES Flight 8250 crashes at Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport in San Andrés, San Andrés y Providencia, Colombia, killing two people.
2010 aviation accident in Colombia
Wikipedia source
2012 South_African_Police_Service
South African police fatally shoot 34 miners and wound 78 more during an industrial dispute at Marikana near Rustenburg.
National police force of South Africa
Wikipedia source
2013 MV_St._Thomas_Aquinas
The ferry St.
Thomas Aquinas collides with a cargo ship and sinks at Cebu, Philippines, killing 61 people with 59 others missing.
Wikipedia source
2015
More than 96 people are killed and hundreds injured following a series of air-raids by the Syrian Arab Air Force on the rebel-held market town of Douma.
Syrian Air Force airstrike of Douma during the Syrian Civil War
Wikipedia source
2015 Trigana_Air_Flight_267
Trigana Air Flight 267, an ATR 42, crashes in Oksibil, Bintang Mountains Regency, killing all 54 people on board.
2015 aviation accident in Indonesia
Wikipedia source
2020 August_Complex_fire
The August Complex fire in California burns more than one million acres of land.
2020 gigafire in Northern California
Wikipedia source

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