On this day in History - Apr 16

• 1178 BC - A solar eclipse may mark the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca to his Kingdom after the Trojan War.
• 0069 - Otho, Roman Emperor dies (b. 32) .
• 0556 - Pelagius I begins his reign as Catholic Pope .
• 0744 - al-Walid II ibn Abd al-Malik, dies. Umayyad caliph .
• 1071 - Bari falls to Robert Guiscard, ending Byzantine rule in Italy.
• 1198 - Duke Frederick I of Austria dies.
• 1319 - King John II of France (d. 1364).
• 1502 - Américo Vespucio descubre las islas que luego los marinos del Saint Maló llamarían Malouines (Malvinas).
• 1581 - O espanhol Felipe II é proclamado rei de Portugal .
• 1582 - Hernando de Lerma, gobernador del Tucumán, funda la ciudad de San Felipe de Lerma en el valle de Salta, poblado que luego se llamó "Salta".
• 1635 - Frans van Mieris the Elder, was born (d. 12 Mar 1681). Baroque Dutch painter.
• 1647 - (infant baptism) Matthijs Naiveu (or Neveu), was born (d. 04 Jun 1726). Dutch painter .
• 1652 - Clement XII, [Lorenzo Corsini], Italy, Pope, 1730-40 .
• 1660 - Hans Sloane, was born (d. 1753). British collector, naturalist and physician
• 1687 - Gaspar Pieter Verbruggen, dies (b. 08 Sep 1635). Flemish artist.
• 1689 - Aphra Behn, dies (b. ca.1640). Dramatist.
• 1705 - Isaac Newton is knighted. From then on, just call him Sir.
• 1728 - Joseph Black, was born (d. 1799). Discoverer of carbon dioxide and magnesium.
• 1746 - Second Jacobite Rebellion: Battle of Culloden - In Scotland, the last battle of the Jacobite Rising; the destruction of the Highland clans .
• 1755 - Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun, was born (d. 1842). Painter.
• 1755 - Marie-Louise-Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, was born (d. 30 Mar 1842)French Neoclassical painter specialized in portraits.
• 1763 - George Grenville assume o cargo de primeiro-ministro britânico .
• 1782 - Giuseppe Vasi, dies (b. 28 Aug 1710). Italian engraver and painter .
• 1788 - Georges-Louis Leclerc, dies (b. 1707). Comte de Buffon, naturalist.
• 1799 - Napoleonic Wars: Battle of Mount Tabor - Napoleon drives Ottoman Turks across the River Jordan near Acre.
• 1812 - Martin von Molitor, dies (b. 20 Feb 1759). Austrian artist.
• 1813 - Muere Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov, mariscal de campo ruso que rechazó la invasión de Napoleón.
• 1817 - Martin Drölling, dies. French academic painter baptized as an infant on 19 Sep 1752.
• 1821 - Ford Maddox Brown was born (d. 11 Oct 1893). English Pre-Raphaelite painter.
• 1825 - Johann Heinrich Füssli “Henry Fuseli”, was born (d. 07 Feb 1741). Swiss British Romantic painter, draftsman, and writer, active in England.
• 1825 - Nascimento de Jacob Brønnum Scavenius Estrup. Primeiro-ministro da Dinamarca (1875-1994)
• 1828 - Francisco de Goya, [Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes] dies (b. 30 Mar 1746). Spanish painter. One of the great Spanish masters, known for such works as Nude Maja, Clothed Maja and Third of May, 1808 .
• 1838 - Ernest Solvay, químico belga.
• 1844 - Anatole France, was born (d. 1924). Narrator and winner of the Nobel Prize in literature 1921 (d. 1924) .
• 1854 - Un terremoto destruye San Salvador. Se traslada la capital de forma provisional a Cojutepeque.
• 1855 - Nascimento de João Lúcio de Azevedo. Historiador português.
• 1859 - Alexis de Tocqueville, morre em Cannes (n. 1805). Historiador e cientista político.
• 1863 - American Civil War: Siege of Vicksburg - 12 ships lead by Union Admiral David Dixon Porter move through heavy Confederate artillery fire on approach to Vicksburg, Mississippi. Only one ship was lost.
• 1866 - Jose de Diego was born (d. 17 Jul 1918). Patriot and political leader of Puerto Rico; April 16 is a legal holiday in Puerto Rico in honor of de Diego;
• 1867 - Wilbur Wright, was born (d. 30 May 1912). One of the Wright Brothers. USA pioneer pilot (d. 1912)
• 1871 - John Millington Syngepoet, was born (d. 24 Mar 1909). Irish playwright: The Playboy of the Western World, The Aran Islands, Shadow of the Glen, Riders to the Sea, The Well of the Saints.
• 1871 - John Millington Synge, was born (d. 1909). Playwright.
• 1878 - Reginald Foster, was born (d. 1914). Only man to captain England at both football and cricket.
• 1879 - Jacob Jan van der Maaten, dies (b. 1820). Dutch artist.
• 1881 - In Dodge City, Kansas, Bat Masterson fights his last gun battle.
• 1883 - Paul Kruger becomes the first President of South Africa.
• 1886 - Ernst Thälmann, was born (d. 1944). Politician .
• 1889 - Charlie Chaplin, was born (d. 1977). Actor, writer and film producer .
• 1893 - Joseph Yasser, was born. Composer.
• 1897 - Frederick William Winterbotham, was born (d. 1990). Code breaker.
• 1904 - Fifi D'Orsay, was born (d. 1983). Actress.
• 1908 - António Lopes Ribeiro was born in Lisbon, Portugal (d. Apr 1975). Film director and producer (Director: Pai Tirano, O (1941) Amor de Perdição (1943) Frei Luís de Sousa (1950) Primo Basílio, O ; Producer : Amor de Perdição (1943); Aniki Bóbó (1942); Pátio das Cantigas, O (1942); Pai Tirano, O (1941) (producer) (1959). Brother of Francisco Ribeiro (Ribeirinho) - actor.
• 1912 - Harriett Quimby becomes the first woman to fly an airplane across the English Channel.
• 1913 - Les Tremayne (Henning) was born (d. 19 Dec 2003). Actor: The War of the Worlds, Francis Goes to West Point, The Slime People, I Love Melvin;
• 1914 - John Hodiak was born (d. 19 Oct 1955). Actor : The Miniver Story, Conquest of Cochise;
• 1914 - George William Hill, dies (b. 1838). Astronomer.
• 1915 - Nelson W. Aldrich, dies (b. 1841). Senator from Rhode Island.
• 1917 - Vladimir Lenin returns to Petrograd (present-day Saint Petersburg) from exile in Finland.
• 1918 - Spike Milligan, was born (d. 2002). Comedian.
• 1919 - Merce Cunningham, was born. Dancer, choreographer: films: Changing Steps, Beach Birds for Camera.
• 1919 - Gandhi organizes a day of "prayer and fasting" in response to the British slaughter of Indian protestors during the Amritsar Massacre. By organizing this event, Gandhi indirectly opposed the British government by temporarily halting the economy (as no Hindus worked on that day).
• 1920 - Barry Nelson (Nielsen) was born. Actor: Airport, The Shining, Pete ’n’ Tillie, The Human Comedy, Island Claw, Shadow of the Thin Man.
• 1920 - Morte de Theodore Vail (milionário norte-americano - 1º presidente da AT&T) .
• 1921 - Sir Peter Ustinov, was born (d. 28 Mar 2004). Academy Award-winning actor: Spartacus [1960], Topkapi [1964]; Quo Vadis, Death on the Nile, Beau Bummel, Logan's Run, Billy Budd. Film director.
• 1922 - Kingsley Amis, was born (d. 22 Oct 1995). Author ( The Crime of the Century, Lucky Jim )
• 1922 - The Treaty of Rapallo, in which Germany and the Soviet Union re-establish diplomatic relations between Berlin and Moscow, is signed.
• 1923 - Bennie Green was born (d. 23 Mar 1977). Trombonist, lyricist: The Diamond and the Goose; journalist;
• 1924 - Henry Mancini, [Enrico Nicola Mancini] was born (d. 14 Jun 1994). Academy Award-winning composer: Moon River [1961], Days of Wine and Roses [1962], Breakfast at Tiffany’s score [1961], Victor/Victoria score [1982]; composed themes for The Pink Panther, Mr. Lucky, Peter Gunn, Charade, NBC Mystery Movie, NBC Nightly News, Love Theme from Romeo & Juliet; 20 Grammy Awards;
• 1926 - Lolly Willows by Sylvia Townsend Warner is distributed as the first Book-of-the-Month Club selection.
• 1927 - Joseph Ratzinger, was born. Cardinal .
• 1927 - Gaston Leroux, dies (b. 1868). French author.
• 1929 - Roy Hamilton was born (d. 20 Jul 1969). Singer: You’ll Never Walk Alone, If I Loved You, Ebb Tide, Unchained Melody, Don’t Let Go, You Can Have Her;
• 1930 - Morte do jornalista e escritor peruano José Carlos Mariátegui .
• 1930 - Herbie Mann, was born (d. 1 Jul 2003). Jazz musician, flautist: Hijack, Superman, Comin’ Home Baby, Bang! Bang!, Violets Don’t be Blue;
• 1931 - Edie Adams (Elizabeth Edith Enke) was born. Actress: The Apartment, The Oscar, Love with the Proper Stranger, The Ernie Kovacs Show; spokesperson for Muriel Cigars: “Hey big spender, spend a little time with me.” .
• 1932 - Walter Launt Palmer, dies (b. 01 Aug 1854). US painter, son of the sculptor Erastus Dow Palmer.
• 1933 - Ike Pappas was born. Newsman: CBS News .
• 1935 - Bobby Vinton [Stanley Vintulla] was born. Singer: Roses are Red [My Love], Blue on Blue, Blue Velvet, Mr. Lonely, There! I’ve Said It Again, My Melody of Love .
• 1935 - Sarah Kirsch, was born. Lyricist .
• 1935 - Radio program Fibber McGee and Molly debuts.
• 1938 - Steve Bloomer, dies (b. 1874). English footballer.
• 1939 - Dusty Springfield, [Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien] was born in Hampstead, London, England, UK (d. 02 Mar 1999). Singer: Wishin’ and Hopin’, You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, The Look of Love, Son-of-a-Preacher Man, The Windmills of Your Mind, A Brand New Me; group: The Springfields: Silver Threads and Golden Needles; inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame [15- Mar-99];
• 1940 - Queen Margaret II of Denmark was born.
• 1940 - Javier Adúriz was born. Argentine poet.
• 1941 - Émile Bernard, dies (b. 28 Apr 1868). French painter and writer .
• 1942 - Jim (James Reynold) Lonborg was biorn. Baseball: pitcher: Boston Red Sox [Cy Young Award: 1967/World Series: 1967/all-star: 1967], Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies .
• 1943 - Dr. Albert Hofmann discovers the psychedelic effects of LSD .
• 1945 - WWII: The Red Army begins the final assault on German forces around Berlin .
• 1945 - The United States Army liberates Nazi Sonderlager (high security) Prisoner of War camp Oflag IVc (Colditz Castle).
• 1945 - German troops in Groningen surrender .
• 1945 - Red Army begins Battle of Berlin .
• 1946 - Bobby Vinton,was born. Singer .
• 1946 - Arthur Chevrolet, dies. Pioneer automobile racer and designer .
• 1947 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was born. Basketball star.
• 1947 - Texas City Disaster: An explosion on board a freighter in port causes the city of Texas City, Texas to catch fire, killing almost 600.
• 1947 - Bernard Baruch coins the term "Cold War" to describe the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union.
• 1947 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lew Alcindor)Basketball Hall of Famer: LA Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks: NBA career record: games played [1.560], points [38,387], field goals [15,387], blocked shots [3,189] cameo role: Airplane!
• 1947 - Gerry Rafferty was born. Singer, songwriter: Stuck in the Middle with You, Star, Baker Street
• 1948 - Instituída a O.C.D.E. - Organização Europeia de Cooperação Económica .
• 1948 - Elpidio Quirino y Rivera assume a presidência das Filipinas .
• 1949 - Dave Garroway moves to television from radio to host the musical-variety show Garroway at Large.
• 1949 - Bill Spooner was born. Musician: guitar: group: The Tubes: LPs: Young and Rich, T.R.A.S.H., Love Bomb.
• 1951 - O submarino inglês Affray afunda no Canal da Mancha (75 vítimas)
• 1953 - Jay O. Sanders was born. Actor: Tucker: The Man and His Dream, Crime Story, Aftermash .
• 1953 - A fire at a Chicago metalworking plant kills 35 people.
• 1953 - J. Neil Schulman, was born. Science Fiction writer, Libertarian activist.
• 1954 - Ellen Barkin was born in Bronx, New York- USA. Emmy Award-winning actress: Before Women Had Wings [1997 miniseries]; Diner, Tender Mercies, Wild Bill, Bad Company, Daniel, Sea of Love, Eddie and the Cruisers .
• 1956 - Lise-Marie Morerod, was born. Slalom skier.
• 1958 - 22nd Golf Masters Championship: Arnold Palmer wins, shooting a 284
• 1958 - Nacia Javier Sardá, presentador de televisión español
• 1960 - Pierre Littbarski was born in Berlin, Germany . German former soccer player.
• 1963 - Jimmy Osmond, was born in Ogden, Utah, singer, Group: The Osmonds: the youngest Osmond
• 1965 - Jon Cryer was born. Actor: Heads, Hot Shots!, Superman 4: The Quest for Peace, Pretty in Pink, No Small Affair, Partners, The Famous Teddy Z .
• 1965 - Floris Jespers, dies (b. 1889). Belgian artist.
• 1965 - Martin Lawrence, was born. Actor, comedian, producer.
• 1968 - Edna Ferber, dies (b. 1885). American author.
• 1968 - Nascimento de Martin Dahlin. Jogador sueco de futebol.
• 1970 - Comienza en Viena la conferencia SALT, entre soviéticos y estadounidenses, en la que tratan la limitación de armas estratégicas.
• 1971 - Selena, [Quintanilla Perez] was born in Lake Jackson, Texas, USA singer Grammy-1994) (d. 31 Mar 1995 Corpus Christi, Texas, USA. - homicide).
• 1971 - Natasha Zvereva, was born in Minsk, Belarus. Tennis ace, finals 1995 Indian Wells.
• 1972 - Conchita Martinez, was born in Monzon, Spain. Tennis star, 1996 final Indian Wells .
• 1972 - Apollo program: Apollo 16 launches toward the Moon from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
• 1972 - Vietnam War: Nguyen Hue Offensive - Prompted by the North Vietnamese offensive, the United States resumes bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong.
• 1972 - Yasunari Kawabata, dies (b. 1899). Japanese novelist Nobel Prize in Literature - 1968.
• 1973 - Nino Bravo, was born. Spanish singer, songwriter.
• 1975 - Cambodian Red Khmer occupy Phnom Penh .
• 1976 - Lukas Haas was born. Actor: Boys, Leap of Faith, Rambling Rose, The Lady in White, Witness, Mars Attacks!
• 1978 - Richard Lindner, dies (b. 11 Nov 1901). German born /US Pop painter.
• 1978 - Vicente Leporace, morre (n. 1912). Actor brasileiro.
• 1979 - 83rd Boston Marathon won by Bill Rodgers of Mass in 2:09:27
• 1979 - 8th Boston Women's Marathon won by Joan Benoit Samuelson in 2:35:15 .
• 1979 - Pulitzer prize awarded to Sam Shepard for "Buried child" .
• 1980 - Adriana Sage was born in Los Angeles, California, USA. Pornostar.
• 1981 - The first American space shutte, Columbia, returns safely to Earth
• 1984 - 13th Boston Women's Marathon won by Lorraine Moller of NZ in 2:29:28.
• 1984 - 88th Boston Marathon won by Geoff Smith of Great Britain in 2:10:34 .
• 1986 - O Congresso Nacional brasileiro aprova o Plano Cruzado.
• 1984 - Pulitzer prize awarded to Mary Oliver for "American Primitive" .
• 1985 - O governo da África do Sul abole a lei que proíbe o casamento entre negros e brancos.
• 1987 - Comienza en Argentina la insurrección militar de Semana Santa, liderada por Aldo Rico y el coronel Venturino.
• 1987 - Peter Taylor's "Summons to Memphis" wins Pulitzer Prize for fiction
• 1987 - Pulitzer prize awarded to August Wilson for "Fences"
• 1990 - 19th Boston Women's Marathon won by Rosa Mota of Portugal in 2:25:23 .
• 1990 - 94th Boston Marathon won by Gelindo Bordin of Italy in 2:08:19
• 1991 - David Lean, dies (b. 25 Mar 1908). American film director director(2 Academy Awards-Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia).
• 1992 - Neville Brand, dies (b. 1920). Actor.
• 1992 - Afghanistan president Najibullah resigns
• 1992 - The Katina P. runs aground off of Maputo, Mozambique. 60,000 tons of crude oil spill into the ocean.
• 1993 - Presta juramento el nuevo presidente de Nigeria, Mahaman Usman, el primero elegido democráticamente en más de tres décadas.
• 1995 - 56th PGA Seniors Golf Championship: Ray Floyd wins .
• 1996 - France Télécom introduces its Wanadoo Internet service .
• 1996 - Fallece Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, cineasta cubano.
• 1996 - El príncipe Andrés de Inglaterra y su esposa Sara, Duques de York, anuncian su divorcio.
• 1996 - Juddy Collins /Louis Nelson wed .
• 1996 - Raymond Earl Hill, dies at 62. Saxophonist.
• 1997 - Doris Angleton, dies (b. 1951). Houston, Texas socialite.
• 1997 - Doris McGowen Beck Angleton, a Houston, Texas socialite, is murdered in her River Oaks home. Robert Nicholas Angleton, Doris' husband, was found innocent of the crime by a Texas jury. His brother, Roger Nicholas Angleton would later admit to killing her in a suicide note.
• 1997 - Incêndio em boite na cidade de Amarante - Portugal (12 vítimas)
• 1998 - One of the most serious urban tornadoes in history does significant damage to downtown Nashville, Tennessee (see Nashville Tornado of 1998).
• 1998 - Fred Davis, dies (b. 1913). English snooker player.
• 2001 - First 3G voice call on Vodafone UK's 3G network.
• 2001 - Morte do cineasta italiano n Giacomo Gentilomo .
• 2003 - Graham Stuart Thomas, dies. Horticultural artist, author, and garden designer.
• 2004 - Parlamento espanhol aprova José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero para o cargo de primeiro-ministro.
• 2004 - Início do processo por corrupção contra o primeiro-ministro Silvio Berlusconi .