This Day in History – January 16

At any point in the history of human civilization, we can look back to see what exact historical events happened on this day. And all these events shaped the world as we know today. Are you someone who is interested in tracing this history? Are you interested in knowing what all happened on 16 January of every year? If yes, then this blog is just for you. Let’s explore all the historical events which occurred on 16 January. 

27 – Beginning of Roman Empire
The Roman Empire began after Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus was granted the title of Augustus by the Roman Senate. 

378 – Expansion of Spearthrower Owl’s Kingdom
The kingdom of Spearthrower Owl expands after Tikal is conquered by Siyaj K’ak’. 

550 – Gothic War
Rome was conquered by the Ostrogoths after bribing the Isaurian garrison on 16 January 550. 

929 – Caliphate of Córdoba 
The Caliphate of Córdoba was established by Abd-ar-Rahman III. 

1120 – Council of Nablus
The Council of Nablus was held on 16 January 1120, establishing the laws of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.

1362 – Saint Marcellus’s flood
Saint Marcellus’s flood occured in the North Sea, killing 25,000 people. 

1492 – First Grammar of Spanish Language
Gramática de la Lengua Castellana, the first grammar book in the Spanish language was presented to Queen Isabella 1 on 16 January 1492. 

1556 – Philip II becomes the King
Philip II was crowned the King of Spain on 16 January 1556.

1605 – Book I of Don Quixote
The first book of Don Quixote was published in Madrid, Spain. 

1707 – Act of Union
The act of Union was edited by the Scottish Parliament which eventually led to the creation of Great Britain.  

1757 – Battle of Narela
The Battle of Narela was fought between the Maratha Empire and the Durrani Empire on 16 January 1757. 

1780 – Battle of Cape St. Vincent
The Battle of Cape St. Vincent took place on the southern coast of Portugal during the American Civil War on 16 January 1780. 

1786 – Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was enacted by the Virginia General Assembly on this day in 1786. 

1809 – Battle of Corunna
The Battle of Corunna took place on 16 January 1809 during the Napoleonic Wars.

1862 – Hartley Colliery disaster
A mining disaster named Hartley Colliery disaster occurred in Northumberland, England, killing 204 men. 

1878 – Battle of Plovdiv 
The final battle of the Russo-Turkish War, the Battle of Plovdiv ended on 16 January 1878. 

1883 – Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act
President Chester A. Arthur signed and passed the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act on January 16, 1883. 

1920 – Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. (ΖΦΒ)
The Zeta Phi Beta Sorority and African American Greek-lettered Sorority is founded in Howard University. 

1926 – League of Nations
The first council meeting of the League of Nations was held in Paris on 16 January, 1926. 

1942 – TWA Flight 3 crashes
The TWA Flight 3, a domestic passenger flight crashed on 16 January 1942, killing 22 passengers. 

1945 – Hitler moves to Führerbunker
On 16 January 1945, Adolf Hitler moved into his last underground bunker named Führerbunker.

1979 – Iranian Shah escaped
Last Iranian Shah relocated to Egypt after fleeing from Iran. 

1991 – Gulf War
The Gulf War began on 16 January 1991 after the clash between the Coalition and Iraqian forces. 

Explore the National and International Days Around the World!

1992 – Salvadoran Civil War ends
The Salvadoran Civil War which was fought between Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front and El Salvador comes to an end. 

2001 – Assassination of Laurent-Désiré Kabila
The assassination of Laurent-Désiré Kabila, a Congolese President was carried out by his own bodyguard. 

2001 – Medal of Honour
Theodore Roosevelt is accoladed with the medal of honour after his death. Roosevelt was honoured by Bill Clinton for his participation in the Spanish American War. 

2003 – STS-107
The Space Shuttle Columbia took off from the Kennedy Space Center which eventually blasted killing all the crew members on 16 January 2003. 

2006 – Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the First Woman President of Liberia
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf gets elected as the first female president of Liberia and took over presidency till 2018.

2016 – Ouagadougou attacks
23 hostages were killed during the Ouagadougou attacks on 16 January 2016. 

2020 – First impeachment of Donald John Trump
The trial phase of the First impeachment of Donald Trump began on 16 January 2020. 

Must Read: Best Books on Indian History

So, this was a list of events which happened on 8 January. If you had fun going through this list and wish to read more such content, then follow us at Leverage Edu for more such informative and educational blogs!