July 16
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Christianfeast day:
Gondulphus of Tongeren, Helier, Our Lady of Mount CarmelFiesta de La Tirana(Tarapacá Region, Chile), Reineldis, July 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
A collection of Christian feast days observed on July 16 across various traditions.
Engineer's Day(Honduras)
An annual celebration recognizing the contributions of engineers to Honduran society.
Holocaust Memorial Day (France)
A solemn day in France dedicated to remembering the victims of the Holocaust.
Guinea PigAppreciation Day
A playful observance celebrating guinea pigs and encouraging proper pet care.
Gondulphus of Tongeren
Commemorates Saint Gondulphus of Tongeren, a 6th-century bishop revered in parts of Belgium.
Helier
Honors Saint Helier, the 6th-century hermit and patron saint of Jersey.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Fiesta de La Tirana(Tarapacá Region, Chile)
Celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, patroness of the Carmelite Order.
Reineldis
Marks the feast of Saint Reineldis, a 7th-century martyr from what is now Belgium.
July 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Denotes the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar commemorations for July 16.
Events
The Hijrah of Muhammad begins, marking the beginning of the Islamic calendar.
Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Medina marks the start of the Islamic calendar and a pivotal moment in Islamic history.
Battle of Spercheios: Bulgarian forces of Tsar Samuel are defeated by a Byzantine army under general Nikephoros Ouranos at the Spercheios River in Greece.
In 997, Byzantine forces under Nikephoros Ouranos decisively defeated Tsar Samuel's Bulgarian army at the Spercheios River.
Three Roman legates break relations between Western and Eastern Christian churches through the act of placing a papal bull of excommunication on the altar of Hagia Sophia during Saturday afternoon divine liturgy. Historians frequently describe the event as the formal start of the East–West Schism.
In 1054, the formal split between the Western and Eastern Christian churches occurred when papal legates excommunicated each other in Hagia Sophia.
Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa: After Pope Innocent III calls European knights to a crusade, the forces of kings Alfonso VIII of Castile, Sancho VII of Navarre, Peter II of Aragon and Afonso II of Portugal defeat those of the Berber Muslim leader Almohad, thus marking a significant turning point in the Reconquista and in the medieval history of Spain.
In 1212, Christian knights from across Europe defeated the Almohad Caliphate at Las Navas de Tolosa, a turning point in the Reconquista.
Saint Francis of Assisi was canonized.
In 1228, Pope Gregory IX canonized Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan Order famed for his devotion to poverty and nature.
The Spanish town of Arjona declares independence and names its native Muhammad ibn Yusuf as ruler. This marks the Muhammad's first rise to prominence; he later established the Nasrid Emirate of Granada, the last independent Muslim state in Spain.
In 1232, the town of Arjona in Spain declared independence, installing Muhammad ibn Yusuf as its ruler and foreshadowing the Nasrid Emirate of Granada.
Celebrated by the Carmelite Order–but doubted by modern historians–as the day when Saint Simon Stock had a vision of the Virgin Mary.
Celebrated in 1251 by the Carmelite Order, Saint Simon Stock reportedly received a vision of the Virgin Mary, a tradition honored to this day.
King Richard II of England is crowned.
In 1377, Richard II officially ascended to the English throne in a coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
Jacques Cartier, navigator and explorer, returns home to St. Malo after claiming Stadacona (Quebec), Hochelaga (Montreal) and the River of Canada (St. Lawrence River) region for France.
In 1536, Jacques Cartier returned to Saint-Malo after his second expedition, claiming parts of present-day Canada for France.
Births
Clare of Assisi
Italian nun and saint who founded the Order of Poor Ladies and was an early follower of St. Francis of Assisi.
Andrea del Sarto
Renaissance painter known for his balanced compositions, rich color palette, and influence on Florentine art.
Frances Grey
English noblewoman, Duchess of Suffolk, and mother of Lady Jane Grey.
Petrus Peckius the Elder
Dutch jurist and legal scholar known for pioneering work on international maritime law.
Archduchess of Austria who became Queen consort of Poland and navigated complex European dynastic politics.
Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville
French-Canadian naval captain, explorer, and politician who led expeditions to establish French Louisiana.
Marc René
French engineer and military theorist who pioneered modern fortification design.
Joseph Wilton
English sculptor and founding member of the Royal Academy known for his neoclassical works.
Joshua Reynolds
English painter and first president of the Royal Academy, renowned for his grand portraits.
Deaths
Fulrad
Frankish abbot and diplomat who served as a close advisor to Charlemagne and was later canonized as a saint.
Sisenandus
9th-century deacon of Córdoba who was executed for his Christian faith and honored as a martyr.
Irmgard
Frankish abbess who led a monastery during the Carolingian era and was noted for her piety and leadership.
William de Brus
Anglo-Scottish noble who held the Lordship of Annandale and played a role in early 13th-century border politics.
One of the most powerful medieval popes who asserted papal authority over European monarchs and shaped Church doctrine.
Emperor of Japan from 1274 to 1287, who reigned during the Kamakura period under a system of cloistered rule.
King of Hungary and Croatia who restored royal authority and initiated economic reforms during his reign (1308–1342).
An-Nasir Ahmad
Mamluk Sultan of Egypt whose brief reign was marked by court intrigue and conflict with powerful emirs.
João da Nova
Portuguese navigator credited with discovering Ascension Island and Saint Helena during the Age of Discovery.