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February 16 is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar . There are 318 days remaining until the end of the year (319 in leap years ).
Events
1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols .1646 - Battle of Great Torrington , Devon - the last major battle of the first English Civil War .1742 - Spencer Compton , Earl of Wilmington, becomes British Prime Minister .1804 - First Barbary War : Stephen Decatur leads a raid to burn the pirate-held frigate USS Philadelphia .1838 - Weenen Massacre : Hundreds of Voortrekkers along the Blaukraans River, Natal are killed by Zulus .1852 - Studebaker Brothers wagon company, precursor of the automobile manufacturer, is established.1859 - The French Government passes a law to set the A-note above middle C to a frequency of 435 Hz, in an attempt to standardize the pitch.1862 - American Civil War : General Ulysses S. Grant captures Fort Donelson , Tennessee .1866 - Spencer Compton Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington becomes the British Secretary of State for War .1868 - In New York City the Jolly Corks organization is renamed the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE).1899 - President Félix Faure of France dies in office.1899 - Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur Iceland 's first football club is founded.
1918 - The Council of Lithuania unanimously adopts the Act of Independence , declaring Lithuania an independent state.1923 - Howard Carter unseals the burial chamber of Pharaoh Tutankhamun .1934 - Austrian Civil War ends with the defeat of the Social Democrats and the Republican Schutzbund .1934 - Commission of Government is sworn in as form of direct rule for the Dominion of Newfoundland .
1936 - Elections bring the Popular Front to power in Spain .1937 - Wallace H. Carothers receives a patent for nylon .1940 - World War II : Altmark Incident : The German tanker Altmark is boarded by sailors from the British destroyer HMS Cossack . 299 British prisoners are freed.1943 - World War II: The USSR reconquers Kharkov .1945 - World War II: American forces land on Corregidor island in the Philippines .1947 - Canadians granted Canadian citizenship after 80 years of being British subjects. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King becomes the first Canadian citizen.1957 - The "Toddlers' Truce ", a controversial television closedown between 6.00pm and 7.00pm was abolished in the United Kingdom .1959 - Fidel Castro becomes Premier of Cuba after dictator Fulgencio Batista was overthrown on January 1 .1961 - Explorer program : Explorer 9 (S-56a) is launched.1968 - In Haleyville, Alabama , the first 9-1-1 emergency telephone system goes into service.1978 - The first computer bulletin board system is created (CBBS in Chicago, Illinois ).1983 - The Ash Wednesday bushfires in Victoria and South Australia claim the lives of 75 people in Australia's worst ever fires.1985 - The founding of Hezbollah .1986 - The Soviet liner Mikhail Lermontov Marlborough Sounds , New Zealand .1987 - The trial of John Demjanjuk , accused of being a Nazi guard dubbed "Ivan the Terrible" in Treblinka extermination camp , starts in Jerusalem .1993 - Western Australia's and Australia's first woman Premier , Carmen Lawrence , is voted out of office.1999 - In Uzbekistan , a bomb explodes and gunfire is heard at the government headquarters in an apparent assassination attempt against President Islom Karimov .1999 - Across Europe , Kurdish rebels take over embassies and hold hostages after Turkey arrested one of their rebel leaders, Abdullah Öcalan .
2005 - The Kyoto Protocol comes into force, following its ratification by Russia .2005 - The National Hockey League cancels the entire 2004 -2005 regular season and playoffs, becoming the first major sports league in North America to do so over a labor dispute.
2006 - The last Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) is decommissioned by the United States Army .
Births
1032 - Emperor Yingzong of China (d. 1067 )1222 - Nichiren Daishonin , Japanese founder of Nichiren Buddhism (d. 1282 )1497 - Philipp Melanchthon , German humanist and reformer (d. 1560 )1519 - Gaspard de Coligny , French Huguenot leader (d. 1572 )1543 - Kano Eitoku , Japanese painter (d. 1590 )1620 - Friedrich Wilhelm I of Brandenburg , Duke of Prussia (d. 1688 )1643 - John Sharp , English Archbishop of York (d. 1714 )1698 - Pierre Bouguer , French mathematician (d. 1758 )1727 - Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin , Austrian scientist (d. 1817 )1740 - Giambattista Bodoni , Italian publisher and engraver (d. 1813 )1761 - Charles Pichegru , French general (d. 1804 )1786 - Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia (d. 1859 )1802 - Phineas Parkhurst Quimby , American philosopher (d. 1866 )1804 - Karl Theodor Ernst von Siebold , German physiologist (d. 1885 )1812 - Henry Wilson , 18th Vice President of US (d. 1875 )1821 - Heinrich Barth , German explorer (d. 1865 )1822 - Sir Francis Galton , English explorer and biologist (d. 1911 )1824 - Peter Kozler , Slovenian cartographer and geographer (d. 1879 )1826 - Julia Grant , First Lady of the United States (d. 1902 )1826 - Joseph Victor von Scheffel , German poet (d. 1886 )
1831 - Nikolai Leskov , Russian writer (d. 1895 )1834 - Ernst Haeckel , German zoologist and philosopher (d. 1919 )1838 - Henry Adams , American historian and novelist (d. 1918 )1847 - Philipp Scharwenka , Polish-German composer (d. 1917 )1848 - Hugo de Vries , Dutch botanist (d. 1935 )1856 - Rudolph Karstadt , German entrepreneur (d. 1944 )1856 - Willem Kes , Dutch conductor (d. 1934 )
1866 - Billy Hamilton (baseball player) , MLB Hall of Fame Outfielder (d. 1940 )1866 - Vyacheslav Ivanov , Russian poet (d. 1949 )
1874 - Marie Gutheil-Schoder , German soprano (d. 1935 )1876 - George Macaulay Trevelyan , English historian (d. 1962 )1878 - Pamela Colman Smith , artist, writer, designer of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck of tarot cards (d. 1951 )1880 - Frank Burke , American baseball player (d. 1946 )1883 - Elizabeth Craig , British writer (d. 1980 )1884 - Robert J. Flaherty , American filmmaker (d. 1951 )1886 - Van Wyck Brooks , American historian and critic (d. 1963 )1887 - Kathleen Clifford , American actress (d. 1962 )1898 - Katharine Cornell , American actress (d. 1974 )1891 - Hans F. K. Günther , German eugenicist (d. 1967 )1901 - Vincent Coleman , American actor (d. 1971 )1901 - Wayne King , American musician and orchestra leader (d. 1985 )
1901 - Chester Morris , American film actor (d. 1970 )
1903 - Edgar Bergen , American ventriloquist (d. 1978 )1903 - George-Henri Lévesque , Quebec priest and sociologist (d. 2000 )
1904 - George F. Kennan , American historian, diplomat and political policy-maker (d. 2005 )1906 - Vera Menchik , British-Czech chess player, the first Women's World Champion in chess (d. 1944 )1909 - Hugh Beaumont , American actor (d. 1982 )1909 - Jeffrey Lynn , American actor (d. 1995 )
1909 - Richard McDonald , American fast food pioneer (d. 1998 )
1915 - Jim O'Hora , American college football coach (d. 2005 )1915 - Elisabeth Eybers , South African poet (d. 2007 )
1915 - Michael Relph , British film producer and director (d. 2004 )
1916 - Bill Doggett , American jazz and rhythm and blues pianist and organist (d. 1996 )1918 - Patty Andrews , American singer1920 - Anna Mae Hays , American army general1921 - Jean Behra , French Formula One driver (d. 1959 )1921 - Araucaria , British crossword compiler
1921 - Vera-Ellen , American actress (d. 1981 )
1922 - Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer , German night fighter pilot (d. 1950 )1925 - Carlos Paredes , Portuguese guitar master (d. 2004 )1926 - John Schlesinger , English film director (d. 2003 )1927 - June Brown , British actress1929 - Gerhard Hanappi , Austrian footballer (d. 1980 )1931 - George E. Sangmeister , American politician (d. 2007 )1931 - Ken Takakura , Japanese actor
1932 - Gretchen Wyler , American actress and dancer (d. 2007 )1932 - Otis Blackwell , American songwriter and singer (d. 2002 )
1932 - Harry Goz , American actor (d. 2003 )
1932 - Ahmad Tejan Kabbah , President of Sierra Leone
1934 - Herbie & Harold Kalin , American singers (d. 2005 -Harold / 2006 -Herbie)1934 - Marlene Hagge , American professional golfer
1935 - Sonny Bono , American entertainer & U.S. Congressman (d. 1998 )1936 - Jill Kinmont , American skier1937 - Yuri Manin , Russian mathematician1938 - John Corigliano , American composer1938 - Barry Primus , American actor
1939 - Czesław Niemen , Polish singer-songwriter and composer (d. 2004 )1939 - Adolfo Azcuna , Filipino Supreme Court jurist
1942 - Kim Jong-il , North Korean leader1943 - Brig Owens , American football player1944 - Richard Ford , American novelist1944 - António Mascarenhas Monteiro , 2nd President of Cape Verde
1945 - Jeremy Bulloch , English actor1945 - Frank Welker , American voice actor
1946 - Ian Lavender , English actor1948 - Eckhart Tolle , Author and spiritual teacher1950 - Peter Hain , British politician1950 - Kazuki Tomokawa , Japanese acid-folk singer
1950 - Roman Tam , Hong Kong famous singer (d. 2002 )
1951 - William Katt , American actor1952 - Barry Foote , Major League Baseball player1953 - George Martin , American footballer1953 - Lanny McDonald , Canadian ice hockey player
1953 - Roberta Williams , computer game designer
1954 - Michael Holding , West Indian fast bowler cricket 1954 - Iain Banks , Scottish author
1954 - Margaux Hemingway , American actress and model (d. 1996 )
1955 - Hunt Block , American actor1956 - James Ingram , American singer1957 - LeVar Burton , American actor1958 - Ice-T , American rapper, songwriter, and actor1958 - Natalie Angier , American journalist and author
1958 - Lisa Loring , American actress
1958 - Oscar Schmidt , Brazilian basketball player
1958 - Michael W. Burns , American politician
1959 - John McEnroe , American tennis player1959 - Kelly Tripucka , American basketball player
1960 - Pete Willis , English guitarist (Def Leppard )1960 - Cherie Chung , Hong Kong actress
1961 - Andy Taylor , English rock guitarist (Duran Duran )1962 - John Balance , English musician (Coil , Psychic TV ) (d. 2004 )1963 - Dave Lombardo , Cuban drummer (Slayer )1963 - Dano Halsall , Swiss swimmer
1964 - Bebeto , Brazilian footballer1964 - Christopher Eccleston , English actor
1967 - John Valentin , baseball player1967 - Keith Gretzky , former hockey player; brother of Wayne Gretzky
1968 - Warren Ellis , British comic book writer1969 - David Heath , American professional wrestler better known as Gangrel1970 - D.J. Wallis , American fitness competitor1970 - Serdar Ortac , Turkish popstar
1970 - Angelo Peruzzi , Italian footballer
1971 - Amanda Holden , British actress1972 - Jerome Bettis , American football player.1972 - Sarah Clarke , American actress
1973 - Christian Bassedas , Argentine former footballer1973 - Cathy Freeman , Australian athlete
1973 - Nikos Kostakis , Greek footballer
1974 - Fanis Katergiannakis , Greek footballer1974 - Johnny Tri Nguyen , Vietnamese American stuntman and martial arts actor
1975 - Nanase Aikawa , Japanese singer1975 - Vanina Ickx , Belgian racing driver
1975 - Don Jeffcoat , American actor
1976 - Eric Byrnes , American baseball player1976 - Kyo , Japanese singer (Dir en grey )
1976 - Joe Odagiri , Japanese actor
1977 - Ian Clarke , Irish computer programmer1977 - Ahman Green , American football player
1978 - Tia Hellebaut , Belgian athlete1978 - John Tartaglia , Broadway actor and Muppeteer
1978 - Wasim Jaffer , Indian Cricketer
1979 - Valentino Rossi , Italian motorcycle racer1979 - Eric Mun , Korean rapper (Shinhwa )
1980 - Agim Kaba , American actor and film producer1980 - Ashley Lelie , American football player
1981 - Jay Howard , British racing driver1981 - Jerry Owens , American baseball player
1981 - Qyntel Woods , American basketball player
1982 - Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , American rapper1985 - Zoi Dimoschaki , Greek swimmer1987 - Theresa Goh , Singaporean Paralympic swimmer1988 - Denílson Pereira Neves , Brazilian footballer1991 - Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg , Princess of Luxembourg
Deaths
1247 - Heinrich Raspe , Landgrave of Thuringia (b. 1204 )1279 - King Afonso III of Portugal (b. 1210 )1391 - John V Palaeologus , Byzantine Emperor (b. 1332 )1531 - Johannes Stöffler , German mathematician and astronomer (b. 1452 )1560 - Jean du Bellay , French Catholic cardinal and diplomat1710 - Esprit Fléchier , French writer and Bishop of Nîmes (b. 1632 )1721 - James Craggs the Younger , English politician (b. 1686 )1754 - Richard Mead , English physician (b. 1673 )1820 - Georg Carl von Döbeln , Swedish Lieutenant General and war hero (b. 1758 ).1844 - Joseph Crosfield , English soap and alkali manufacturer (b. 1792 )1898 - Thomas Bracken , New Zealand poet (b. 1843 )1899 - Félix Faure , President of France (b. 1841 )1907 - Giosuè Carducci , Italian writer, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1835 )1912 - St. Nikolai of Japan , Eastern Orthodox priest (b. 1836 )1917 - Octave Mirbeau , French writer (b. 1848 )1919 - Vera Kholodnaya , Russian film star (b. 1893 )1928 - Eddie Foy , American singer and dancer (b. 1856 )1932 - Ferdinand Buisson , French pacifist, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1841 )1967 - Antonio Moreno , Spanish-born actor (b. 1887 )1967 - Smiley Burnette , American actor, singer and songwriter (b. 1911 )
1974 - John Garand , Canadian rifle engineer and manufacturer (b. 1888 )1975 - Morgan Taylor , American athlete (b. 1903 )1975 - Norman Treigle , American bass-baritone (b. 1927 )
1977 - Carlos Pellicer , Mexican poet (b. 1897 )1978 - E. Roland Harriman , American financier (b. 1895 )1979 - Nematollah Nassiri , executed Iran general/head of SAVAK (b. 1911 )1980 - Erich Hückel , German physicist (b. 1895 )1988 - Jean Carignan , French Canadian fiddler (b. 1916 )1990 - Keith Haring , American artist (b. 1958 )1992 - Angela Carter , English writer (b. 1940 )1992 - Jânio Quadros , Brazilian politician (b. 1917 )
1992 - Herman Wold , Swedish statistician (b. 1908
1996 - Roger Bowen , American actor (b. 1932 )1996 - Edmund G. Brown , Governor of California (b. 1905 )
1996 - Brownie McGhee , American singer (b. 1915 )
1997 - Chien-Shiung Wu , Chinese-American physicist (b. 1912 )1999 - Michael Larson , Press Your Luck Big-winning contestant (b. 1949 )2000 - Marceline Day , American actress (b. 1908 )2000 - Karsten Solheim , Norwegian-born engineer and inventor (b. 1911 )
2000 - Lila Kedrova , Russian-born actress (b. 1918 )
2001 - Bob Buhl , baseball player (b. 1928 )2001 - Howard W. Koch , American film director (b. 1916 )
2001 - William Masters , American gynecologist and sexologist (b. 1915 )
2002 - Walter Winterbottom , England football manager (b. 1913 )2003 - Eleanor "Sis" Daley , wife of Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley (b. 1907 )2004 - Shirley Strickland , Australian athlete (b. 1925 )2004 - Doris Troy , American singer (b. 1937 )
2005 - Nicole DeHuff , American actress (pneumonia) (b. 1975 )2005 - Queen Narriman , second and last wife of King Farouk and mother of their only child King Fuad II 2006 - Johnny Grunge , American professional wrestler (b. 1966 )2006 - Ernie Stautner , German-born American football player (b. 1925 )
Holidays and observances
External links
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