August Complex fire
The August Complex fire in California burns more than one million acres of land.
What happened on August 16
39 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 1513 to 2026.
Standout on August 16
2020
August Complex fire
The August Complex fire in California burns more than one million acres of land.
About August 16
August 16 is the 228th day of the year. These facts are computed from the calendar, not copied from anywhere.
- Day of the year
- Day 228 of 365 (229 in leap years)137 days left in the year (137 in leap years)
- Falls on
- Sunday in 2026, Monday in 2027, Wednesday in 2028, Thursday in 2029, Friday in 2030
- Week
- ISO week 33 of 2026 · Q3
- Zodiac sign
- ♌ Leo (July 23 – August 22)
- Season
- Summer in the north · Winter in the south
- August birthstone
- Peridot / Spinel / Sardonyxstrength, good fortune and calm
- August birth flower
- Gladiolus / Poppystrength of character and remembrance
- Next occurrence
- In 293 days
- Roman numerals
- XVI.VIIIday.month — see the Roman numeral date tool
Anniversaries in 2026
- 80thDirect Action Day1946
- 60thHouse Un-American Activities Committee1966
- 40thSudan Airways1986
- 40thTyphoon Wayne (1986)1986
- 40thYu Darvish1986
- 30thCaeleb Dressel1996
- 30thSophie Cunningham1996
- 25thJannik Sinner2001
August 16 through the years
- 10 years ago2016
- João Havelange · John McLaughlin (host)
- 25 years ago2001
- Jannik Sinner
- 50 years ago1976
- Nothing recorded
- 100 years ago1926
- Nothing recorded
- 200 years ago1826
- Nothing recorded
Born on August 16 — ages this year
- 2001Jannik Sinnerturns 25
- 1999Karen Chenturns 27
- 1997Greyson Chanceturns 29
- 1996Caeleb Dresselturns 30
- 1996Sophie Cunninghamturns 30
- 1993Cameron Monaghanturns 33
Historical events 39
A dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Trigana Air Flight 267
Trigana Air Flight 267, an ATR 42, crashes in Oksibil, Bintang Mountains Regency, killing all 54 people on board.
Douma massacre (2015)
More than 96 people are killed and hundreds injured following a series of air-raids by the Syrian Arab Air Force on the rebel-held market town of Douma.
Assassination of Shuja Khanzada
Suicide bombers assassinated Pakistani politician Shuja Khanzada and killed at least 21 others at his home in Attock District.
MV St. Thomas Aquinas
The ferry St. Thomas Aquinas collides with a cargo ship and sinks at Cebu, Philippines, killing 61 people with 59 others missing.
South African Police Service
South African police fatally shoot 34 miners and wound 78 more during an industrial dispute at Marikana near Rustenburg.
AIRES Flight 8250
AIRES Flight 8250 crashes at Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport in San Andrés, San Andrés y Providencia, Colombia, killing two people.
2009 World Championships in Athletics
At the World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Usain Bolt ran the 100 metres in 9.58 seconds, breaking his own record set a year earlier.
Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago)
The Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago is topped off at 1,389 feet (423 m), at the time becoming the world's highest residence above ground-level.
West Caribbean Airways Flight 708
West Caribbean Airways Flight 708, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, crashes in Machiques, Venezuela, killing all 160 people on board.
Indian Airlines Flight 257
Indian Airlines Flight 257, a Boeing 737-200, crashes during approach to Imphal Airport, killing all 69 people on board.
Solar particle event
A solar particle event affects computers at the Toronto Stock Exchange, forcing a halt to trading.
Northwest Airlines Flight 255
Northwest Airlines Flight 255, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, crashes after takeoff in Detroit, Michigan, killing 154 of the 155 on board, plus two people on the ground.
Typhoon Wayne (1986)
Typhoon Wayne formed over the South China Sea, going on to become one of the longest-lived tropical cyclones in the north-western Pacific, lasting 21 days.
Sudan Airways
A Sudan Airways Fokker F27 Friendship is shot down near Malakal in present day South Sudan, killing 60.
Elvis Presley
American singer and actor Elvis Presley (pictured), often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", was found dead in his home in Memphis, Tennessee.
Gough Whitlam
Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam symbolically hands over land to the Gurindji people after the eight-year Wave Hill walk-off, a landmark event in the history of Indigenous land rights in Australia, commemorated in a 1991 song by Paul Kelly and an annual celebration.
Coup d'état
In an unsuccessful coup d'état attempt, the Royal Moroccan Air Force fires upon Hassan II of Morocco's plane while he is traveling back to Rabat.
House Un-American Activities Committee
Vietnam War: The House Un-American Activities Committee begins investigations of Americans who have aided the Viet Cong. The committee intends to introduce legislation making these activities illegal. Anti-war demonstrators disrupt the meeting and 50 people are arrested.
Vietnam War
Vietnam War: A coup d'état replaces Dương Văn Minh with General Nguyễn Khánh as President of South Vietnam. A new constitution is established with aid from the U.S. Embassy.
The Beatles
The English rock band the Beatles fired their drummer Pete Best, replacing him with Ringo Starr (pictured).
Joseph Kittinger
Joseph Kittinger parachutes from a balloon over New Mexico, United States, at 102,800 feet (31,300 m), setting three records that held until 2012: High-altitude jump, free fall, and highest speed by a human without an aircraft.
Cyprus
Cyprus gains its independence from the United Kingdom.
Sports Illustrated
The first issue of Sports Illustrated is published.
Direct Action Day
Widespread riots between Hindus and Muslims took place in Calcutta following the All-India Muslim League's call for an independent Pakistan.
Stanley Internment Camp
The Stanley Internment Camp in Hong Kong was liberated following the announcement of the surrender of Japan in World War II.
The Holocaust
The Holocaust: During the deportation of Jews from Slovakia, President Jozef Tiso gave a speech describing Jews as "parasites" and "the eternal enemy".
Western Wall
A long-running dispute between Muslims and Jews over access to the Western Wall in Jerusalem escalated into a week-long period of violent riots throughout Palestine.
Blind Persons Act 1920
In the United Kingdom, the Blind Persons Act received royal assent.
Ray Chapman
Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians was hit by a pitch and died the following day, becoming the only Major League Baseball player to die directly as a result of injuries sustained during a game.
Battle of Radzymin (1920)
The Battle of Radzymin, one of the bloodiest and most intense battles of the Polish–Soviet War, concluded with a Polish victory.
1906 Valparaíso earthquake
An earthquake registering approximately 8.2 Mw struck Valparaíso, Chile, killing 3,882 people.
Second Boer War
Second Boer War: A 10,000-strong column of soldiers led by Lord Kitchener broke a 13-day siege of a small garrison.
George Carmack
A group including George Carmack and Skookum Jim Mason discovered gold near Dawson City, Canada, setting off the Klondike Gold Rush.
San Sebastian Church (Manila)
San Sebastian Church (pictured), an all-iron church in Manila, was officially consecrated.
Daaga
Daaga and two other African soldiers in the British Army's 1st West India Regiment were executed for their role in the St. Joseph Mutiny in Trinidad.
Cavalry
Around 15 people were killed and 400 to 700 others injured when cavalry charged into a crowd demanding the reform of parliamentary representation in Manchester, England.
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: American forces routed British and German troops at the Battle of Bennington in Walloomsac, New York.
War of the League of Cambrai
War of the League of Cambrai: English and Imperial forces defeated French cavalry, forcing them to retreat.
Births 20
A notable person born on this day. Each links to a person page with their dates and story.
Deaths 20
A notable person who died on this day.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indian poet and 12th Prime Minister of India (born 1924)
João Havelange
João Havelange, Brazilian water polo player, lawyer, and businessman (born 1916)
Jacob Bekenstein
Jacob Bekenstein, Mexican-American physicist, astronomer, and academic (born 1947)
Mario Oriani-Ambrosini
Mario Oriani-Ambrosini, Italian-South African lawyer and politician (born 1960)
Patrick Aziza
Patrick Aziza, Nigerian general and politician, Governor of Kebbi State (born 1947)
Peter Scholl-Latour
Peter Scholl-Latour, German journalist, author, and academic (born 1924)
Holidays & observances 8
A holiday, feast day, awareness day or national day observed every year on this date.
Bennington Battle Day
Bennington Battle Day (Vermont, United States)
Diomedes of Tarsus
Christian feast day: Diomedes of Tarsus
Saint Armel
Christian feast day: Armel (Armagillus)
Ana Petra Pérez Florido
Christian feast day: Ana Petra Pérez Florido
Saint Roch
Christian feast day: Roch
Image of Edessa
Christian feast day: Translation of the Acheiropoietos icon from Edessa to Constantinople. (Eastern Orthodox Church)
Children's Day
Children's Day (Paraguay)
Stephen I of Hungary
Christian feast day: Stephen I of Hungary
Spread across the centuries
- 16th century1
- 18th century1
- 19th century5
- 20th century41
- 21st century31
Earliest: War of the League of Cambrai (1513). Most recent: Hayden Panettiere (2026).
What the categories mean, and how the standout is chosen
- Historical events
- A dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
- Births
- A notable person born on this day. Each links to a person page with their dates and story.
- Deaths
- A notable person who died on this day.
- Milestones
- A first, a founding or a turning point our editors flagged as a landmark moment.
- Holidays & observances
- A holiday, feast day, awareness day or national day observed every year on this date.
- Standout / notable
- Editor-written entries come first, then entries covered by the most Wikipedia language editions. For the standout tile we prefer an entry that has a picture.
Nearby and related
Questions about August 16
What day of the year is August 16?
August 16 is the 228th day of the year, with 137 days left after it.
What star sign is August 16?
August 16 falls under Leo (July 23 – August 22), a fire sign ruled by Sun. The birthstone for the month is Peridot or Spinel or Sardonyx.
How many things happened on August 16?
We record 87 entries for August 16: 39 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 1513 to 2026.
Who was born on August 16?
Jannik Sinner (2001) is among the notable births on August 16. The births section lists the rest.
How often is the August 16 page updated?
The day is filled the first time anyone opens it and then re-checked for new entries about every 90 days. Computed facts such as the weekday and the anniversaries update every year.
Get a daily entry like August 16
One short email a day from this calendar. Kept for this site only.
Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.