On This Day: 16 August

16 August in Indian history

• 1991Indian Airlines Flight 257, a Boeing 737-200, crashes during approach to Imphal Airport, killing all 69 people on board.India
• 1946Widespread riots between Hindus and Muslims took place in Calcutta following the All-India Muslim League's call for an independent Pakistan.India
• 1946Mass riots in Kolkata begin; more than 4,000 people would be killed in 72 hours.India
• 1946The All Hyderabad Trade Union Congress is founded in Secunderabad.India
• 1920Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians was hit by a pitch and died the following day, becoming the only Major League Baseball player to die directly as a result of injuries sustained during a game.India
• 1837Daaga and two other African soldiers in the British Army's 1st West India Regiment were executed for their role in the St. Joseph Mutiny in Trinidad.India

16 August in world history

• 1964Vietnam 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.
• 1962The English rock band the Beatles fired their drummer Pete Best, replacing him with Ringo Starr.
• 1942The Holocaust: During the deportation of Jews from Slovakia, President Jozef Tiso gave a speech describing Jews as "parasites" and "the eternal enemy".
• 1942World 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.
• 1930The first British Empire Games are opened in Hamilton, Ontario, by the Governor General of Canada, the Viscount Willingdon.
• 1929A long-running dispute between Muslims and Jews over access to the Western Wall in Jerusalem escalated into a week-long period of violent riots throughout Palestine.
• 1927The Dole Air Race begins from Oakland, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii, during which six out of the eight participating planes crash or disappear.
• 1916The Migratory Bird Treaty between Canada and the United States is signed.
• 1876Richard Wagner's Siegfried, the penultimate opera in his Ring cycle, is premiered at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus.
• 1819Around 15 people were killed and 400 to 700 others injured when cavalry charged into a crowd demanding the reform of parliamentary representation in Manchester, England.
• 1777American Revolutionary War: American forces routed British and German troops at the Battle of Bennington in Walloomsac, New York.
• 1717Austro-Turkish War (1716–1718): An imperial coalition army under Prince Eugene of Savoy defeats an Ottoman army under Haji Halil Pasha, leading to the surrender of the Ottoman garrison of Belgrade a few days later.

Born on 16 August

• 1970Manisha Koirala, Nepalese actress in Indian filmsIndia
• 1968Arvind Kejriwal, Indian civil servant and politician, 7th Chief Minister of DelhiIndia
• 1957R. R. Patil, Indian lawyer and politician, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra (died 2015)India
• 1946Moria Casán, Argentinian actress and TV personality.
• 1944Kevin Ayers, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2013)
• 1919Karl-Heinz Euling, German captain (died 2014)

Died on 16 August

• 2018Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indian poet and 12th Prime Minister of India (born 1924)India
• 1997Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Pakistani musician and Qawwali singer (born 1948)
• 1920Henry Daglish, Australian politician, Premier of Western Australia (born 1866)
• 1886Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Indian mystic and philosopher (born 1836)India

Frequently asked questions

What happened on 16 August in history?

1991: Indian Airlines Flight 257, a Boeing 737-200, crashes during approach to Imphal Airport, killing all 69 people on board. 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. 1962: The English rock band the Beatles fired their drummer Pete Best, replacing him with Ringo Starr. 1946: Widespread riots between Hindus and Muslims took place in Calcutta following the All-India Muslim League's call for an independent Pakistan.

What happened on 16 August in Indian history?

1991: Indian Airlines Flight 257, a Boeing 737-200, crashes during approach to Imphal Airport, killing all 69 people on board. 1946: Widespread riots between Hindus and Muslims took place in Calcutta following the All-India Muslim League's call for an independent Pakistan. 1946: Mass riots in Kolkata begin; more than 4,000 people would be killed in 72 hours.

Which famous people were born on 16 August?

Manisha Koirala, Nepalese actress in Indian films (1970); Arvind Kejriwal, Indian civil servant and politician, 7th Chief Minister of Delhi (1968); R. R. Patil, Indian lawyer and politician, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra (died 2015) (1957); Moria Casán, Argentinian actress and TV personality (1946).

Which day is observed on 16 August?

Bennington Battle Day (Vermont, United States); Children's Day (Paraguay); Gozan no Okuribi (Kyoto, Japan); National Airborne Day (United States); Restoration Day (Dominican Republic).