On This Day: 16 October

16 October in Indian history

• 1905Authorities of the British Raj partitioned the Bengal Presidency, separating the largely Muslim eastern areas from the largely Hindu western areas.India
• 1905The Partition of Bengal in India takes place.India

16 October in world history

• 2017Storm Ophelia strikes the U.K. and Ireland causing major damage and power loss.
• 1998Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is arrested in London on a murder extradition warrant.
• 1975Indonesian troops kill the Balibo Five, a group of Australian journalists, in Portuguese Timor.
• 1953Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro delivers his "History Will Absolve Me" speech, and is sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment by the Fulgencio Batista government for leading an attack on the Moncada Barracks.
• 1950The first novel of the The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, was published in the United Kingdom.
• 1947The Philippines takes over the administration of the Turtle Islands and the Mangsee Islands from the United Kingdom.
• 1944A four-day air battle over Taiwan ended with a decisive American victory, destroying hundreds of Japanese aircraft and military facilities.
• 1943The Holocaust: The Gestapo conducted a raid on the Roman Ghetto, capturing 1,259 members of the Jewish community, most of whom were sent to Auschwitz.
• 1940Holocaust in Poland: The Warsaw Ghetto is established.
• 1939World War II: No. 603 Squadron RAF intercepts the first Luftwaffe raid on Britain.
• 1923Roy and Walt Disney founded the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in Hollywood, which eventually grew to become one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world.
• 1891A diplomatic incident between the United States and Chile occurred after U.S. sailors were attacked in Valparaíso, nearly leading to war.
• 1859Origins of the American Civil War: Abolitionist John Brown and his supporters launch a raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia).
• 1834Most of the Palace of Westminster in London was destroyed in a fire caused by the burning of wooden tally sticks.
• 1813The Sixth Coalition attacked French forces led by Napoleon in the Battle of Leipzig, the largest conflict in the Napoleonic Wars, with over 500,000 troops involved.
• 1793War of the First Coalition: The two-day Battle of Wattignies concluded with Jean-Baptiste Jourdan leading French forces to victory over Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

Born on 16 October

• 1982Prithviraj Sukumaran, Indian actor, singer, and producerIndia
• 1980Sue Bird, Israeli-American basketball player
• 1977John Mayer, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
• 1952Crazy Mohan, Indian actor, screenwriter, and playwright (died 2019)India
• 1948Hema Malini, Indian actress, director, producer, and politicianIndia
• 1430James II of Scotland (died 1460)

Died on 16 October

• 2013Govind Purushottam Deshpande, Indian playwright and academic (born 1938)India
• 1959George Marshall, American general and politician, 3rd United States Secretary of Defense, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1880)
• 1951Liaquat Ali Khan, Indian-Pakistani lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Pakistan (born 1895)India
• 1284Shams al-Din Juvayni, Persian statesman, vizier and minister of finance of the Ilkhanate

Frequently asked questions

What happened on 16 October in history?

2017: Storm Ophelia strikes the U.K. and Ireland causing major damage and power loss. 1998: Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is arrested in London on a murder extradition warrant. 1975: Indonesian troops kill the Balibo Five, a group of Australian journalists, in Portuguese Timor. 1953: Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro delivers his "History Will Absolve Me" speech, and is sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment by the Fulgencio Batista government for leading an attack on the Moncada Barracks.

What happened on 16 October in Indian history?

1905: Authorities of the British Raj partitioned the Bengal Presidency, separating the largely Muslim eastern areas from the largely Hindu western areas. 1905: The Partition of Bengal in India takes place.

Which famous people were born on 16 October?

Prithviraj Sukumaran, Indian actor, singer, and producer (1982); Sue Bird, Israeli-American basketball player (1980); John Mayer, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (1977); Crazy Mohan, Indian actor, screenwriter, and playwright (died 2019) (1952).

Which day is observed on 16 October?

World Food Day; Air Force Day (Bulgaria); Boss's Day (United States); Pope John Paul II Day (Poland); Death anniversary of Liaquat Ali Khan (Pakistan).