Year 1899
Execution of Indian revolutionary Balkrishna Chafekar.
MAY 16
Daily Historical Chronicle
UPSC CSE • State PSC • SSC CGL Matrix
16 May: What Happened On This Day in History
Curated historical timeline of momentous political pacts, freedom struggle uprisings, constitutional developments, scientific breakthroughs, and prominent birthdays recorded on 16 May.
Observances & Special Days
Teachers' Day (Malaysia)
Year 1911
Pumping Station of Calcutta was commissioned at Tallah.
Year 1929
The Hollywood Academy of Motion Picture, Arts and Sciences held its first film commemoration ceremony. These awards were later named Oscars.
Year 1932
Hundreds die in fighting between Muslims and Hindus at Bombay.
Year 1946
Gandhiji's Cabinet Mission announces Plan.
Year 1960
International Telex Service between India and U.K. started.
Year 1969
Soviet Russia’s Venera-5 unmanned spacecraft landed on Venus.
Year 1975
Sikkim merged with India.
Year 1975
Junko Tabei of Japan became the first woman to climb Mount Everest.
Year 1986
V. Shantaram, 75, was chosen for the Dada Saheb Phalke award.
Year 1991
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom addressed a joint session of theUnited States Congress. She is the first British monarch to address the U.S. Congress.
Year 1993
The first female Indian expedition led by Bachendri Pal honored 18 climbers, including seven girls, to climb Everest, setting a new world record.
Year 1995
The government of India decides not to extend the validity of the TADA Act.
Year 1996
Atal Bihari Vajpayee took over as the 10th Prime Minister of India. However, due to a lack of support, his government lasted only 13 days.
Year 2000
To make badminton more popular and to facilitate television broadcasting of the game, it decided to increase the game by 7 points instead of 15 at the meeting of the International Badminton Federation in Kuala Lumpur. However, this rule was changed again in 2006.
Year 2005
Women gained the right to vote for the first time in Kuwait.
Born 1825
Kerunana Laxman Chhatre, an Indian mathematician.
Born 1831
David Edward Hughes, a British-American inventor, practical experimenter, and professor.
Born 1926
Manik Varma, an Indian classical singer.
Born 1931
Natwar Singh, an Indian politician.
Born 1933
Shani, writer of novel 'Kalajal' and film 'Shaukin', was born.
Born 1988
Vicky Kaushal, an Indian actor.
Died 1830
Joseph Fourier, a French mathematician, and physicist.
Died 1945
Prahraj Gopalchandra, the modern author of Oria language, passed away.
Died 1990
James Henson, an American puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, filmmaker, and screenwriter.
Died 1994
Phani Mujumdar, veteran film producer and director, passed away.
Died 2004
Kamala Markandaya, an Indian novelist and journalist.
Died 2014
Russi Mody, Indian businessman (b. 1918)