August 16
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Bennington Battle Day(Vermont, United States)
Bennington Battle Day commemorates the crucial American victory at the Battle of Bennington on August 16, 1777, which helped turn the tide in the Revolutionary War.
Children's Day (Paraguay)
Children's Day in Paraguay celebrates the joy, rights, and well-being of children through festivals, games, and family gatherings.
Christianfeast day:
Ana Petra Pérez Florido, Armel (Armagillus), Diomedes of Tarsus, Roch, Stephen I of Hungary, Translation of theAcheiropoietos iconfrom Edessa to Constantinople. (Eastern Orthodox Church), August 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
This day honors several saints and commemorates the translation of the Acheiropoietos icon within the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar.
Gozan no Okuribi(Kyoto,Japan)
Gozan no Okuribi, or the Daimonji festival, features grand bonfires lit on five mountains around Kyoto to guide ancestral spirits during Obon.
National Airborne Day(United States)
National Airborne Day honors the first U.S. Army parachute jump and recognizes the service of airborne forces since 1918.
Restoration Day (Dominican Republic)
Restoration Day marks the start of the Dominican Republic’s fight to regain independence from Spain in 1863.
The first day of theIndependence Days, celebrates the independence ofGabonfrom France in 1960.
Gabon Independence Day celebrates the nation’s liberation from French colonial rule on August 16, 1960.
Xicolatada(Palau-de-Cerdagne, France)
Xicolatada is a local festival in Palau-de-Cerdagne, France, where residents share rich hot chocolate to celebrate community spirit.
Ana Petra Pérez Florido
The feast day of Saint Ana Petra Pérez Florido honors a Spanish nun known for her charitable work with the sick and poor.
Events
Wang Mang consolidates his power in China and is declared marshal of state. Emperor Ai of Han, who died the previous day, had no heirs.
Wang Mang seizes supreme power in the Han dynasty, declaring himself marshal of state after Emperor Ai dies without an heir.
Start of the four-day Battle of al-Mada'in, between the Hamdanids of Mosul and the Baridis of Basra over control of the Abbasid capital, Baghdad.
The four-day Battle of al-Mada'in begins in 942 between the Hamdanids of Mosul and the Baridis of Basra for control of Baghdad.
Nikephoros II Phokas is crowned emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
Nikephoros II Phokas is crowned emperor of the Byzantine Empire in 963, initiating a reign noted for military successes and reforms.
The House of Gonzaga seizes power in the Duchy of Mantua, and will rule until 1708.
The House of Gonzaga seizes power in the Duchy of Mantua in 1328, beginning a dynastic rule that lasts until 1708.
Battle of the Spurs (Battle of Guinegate): King Henry VIII of England and his Imperial allies defeat French Forces who are then forced to retreat.
At the Battle of the Spurs in 1513, English and Imperial forces led by Henry VIII defeat the French near Guinegate, forcing a rapid retreat.
The Principality of Transylvania is established after John II Zápolya renounces his claim as King of Hungary in the Treaty of Speyer.
In 1570, the Principality of Transylvania is established when John II Zápolya renounces his claim to the Hungarian crown under the Treaty of Speyer.
Battle of Plymouth: Inconclusive naval action between the fleets of Michiel de Ruyter and George Ayscue in the First Anglo-Dutch War.
The Battle of Plymouth in 1652 sees an inconclusive naval clash between Michiel de Ruyter’s Dutch fleet and George Ayscue’s English squadron during the First Anglo-Dutch War.
American Revolutionary War: The Americans led by General John Stark rout British and Brunswick troops under Friedrich Baum at the Battle of Bennington in Walloomsac, New York.
At the Battle of Bennington in 1777, American forces under General John Stark rout British and Brunswick troops, securing a vital victory in the Revolutionary War.
American Revolutionary War: Battle of Camden: The British defeat the Americans near Camden, South Carolina.
The Battle of Camden in 1780 sees British forces defeat the Americans near Camden, South Carolina, marking a major setback in the Southern campaign of the Revolutionary War.
Births
Philippa
Philippa (1355–1382) was an English noblewoman who inherited the title Countess of Ulster in her own right.
Hongxi Emperor (1378–1425) was the fourth emperor of China's Ming dynasty, known for his reformist policies and brief reign.
Jacqueline
Jacqueline (1401–1436) was a medieval noblewoman who ruled as Countess of Hainaut, Holland, and Zeeland during a turbulent period.
Agostino Carracci
Agostino Carracci (1557–1602) was an Italian painter and etcher, part of the renowned Carracci artistic family.
Christina
Christina of Lorraine (1565–1637) was Grand Duchess of Tuscany, known for her political influence and patronage of the arts.
Anne of Austria
Anne of Austria (1573–1598) was Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Poland as the wife of King Sigismund III Vasa.
Emilie Juliane of Barby-Mühlingen (1637–1706) was a German countess and prolific hymn writer of the Lutheran tradition.
Jean de La Bruyère
Jean de La Bruyère (1645–1696) was a French moralist, philosopher, and author celebrated for his satirical work Les Caractères.
Vincenzo Coronelli
Vincenzo Coronelli (1650–1718) was an Italian Franciscan monk and pioneering cosmographer and cartographer.
Deaths
Empress Ma
Empress Ma (40–79 AD) was the wife of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han and served as a guiding presence in the early imperial court.
Theutbald I
Theutbald I was the bishop of Langres in the mid-9th century, serving during a time of Carolingian consolidation.
Marianos Argyros
Marianos Argyros (c.944–963) was a Byzantine general celebrated for his campaigns in southern Italy.
George I of Georgia (998–1027) reigned as king from 1014 and is remembered for his military defenses against Byzantine advances.
Bernard de Tremelay
Bernard de Tremelay served as the fourth Grand Master of the Knights Templar from 1151 until his death at the siege of Ascalon.
Hōjō Masako
Hōjō Masako (1156–1225) was a Japanese regent and samurai warrior who helped establish the Kamakura shogunate.
Theodore II Laskaris
Theodore II Laskaris (1222–1258) was Emperor of Nicaea, noted for his intellectual pursuits and legal reforms.
Philip I
Philip I of Savoy (1207–1285) was Count of Savoy known for his diplomatic alliances with the papacy and European monarchs.
John II of Trebizond (1262–1297) was Emperor of Trebizond who strengthened trade and navigated alliances with Byzantium and the Mongols.