This Day in USA History
February 16

What happened in history on this day: February 16? On February 16 in ... 1862 - Fort Donelson captured by General Grant (1,400 confederates surrender). 1864 - Battle of Mobile, Alabama - operations by Union Army. 1900 - First Chinese daily newspaper in US publishes first issue (Chung Sai Yat Po - San Francisco). 1903 - -59 degrees F (-51 degrees C), Pokegama Dam, Minnesota (state record low). 1905 - First US Esperanto club organizes in Boston, Massachusetts. 1909 - First subway car with side doors goes into service (New York City, New York). 1913 - US President William Taft agrees not to intervene in Mexico. 1927 - US restores diplomatic relations with Turkey. 1934 - Over Texas, USA, a pilot swerves to avoid crashing with a fireball. 1937 - DuPont Corp patents nylon, developed by employee Wallace H Carothers. 1938 - US Federal Crop Insurance program authorized. 1943 - -32 degrees F (-36 degrees C), Falls Village, Connecticut, USA (state record). 1945 - US forces land on Corregidor, in the Philippines. 1946 - First commercially-designed helicopter tested, Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA. 1948 - First newsreel telecast, 20th Century Fox-Movietone News shown on NBC. 1951 - New York City passes bill prohibiting racism in city-assisted housing. 1960 - US nuclear submarine USS Triton sets off on underwater round-world trip. 1961 - First all-solid-propellant rocket put in orbit, Wallops Island, Virginia, USA. 1961 - US satellite Explorer 9 is launched. 1965 - Pegasus 1 launched to detect micro-meteors. 1968 - America's first 9-1-1 phone system goes into service in Haleyville, Alabama. 1978 - First Computer Bulletin Board System (Ward and Randy's CBBS, Chicago, Illinois). 1988 - First documented combat action by US military advisors in El Salvador. 1992 - Former silver Goodyear blimps are now painted yellow and blue. 2001 - British and U.S. forces carry out bombing raids, attempting to disable Iraq's air defense network. Three people are killed in a suburban area of Baghdad. Births on February 16 1901 - Birth of Chester Morris in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Diagnosis: Unknown). 1901 - Birth of Wayne King in Savannah, Illinois, USA; saxophonist/bandleader (the Waltz King). 1903 - Birth of Edgar Bergen in Chicago, Illinois, USA; ventriloquist (Charlie McCarthy). 1904 - Birth of George F Kennan in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; US ambassador to Moscow. 1909 - Birth of Hugh Beaumont in Lawrence, Kansas, USA; actor (Ward Cleaver - Leave it to Beaver). 1909 - Birth of Jeffrey Lynn in Auburn, Massachusetts, USA; actor (My Son Jeep, The Roaring Twenties). 1912 - Birth of Del Sharbutt in Cleburne, Texas, USA; TV announcer (Your Hit Parade). 1912 - Birth of Machito "Frank Grillo" in Florida, USA; bandleader (created salsa music). 1914 - Birth of Jimmy Wakely in Mineola, Arkansas, USA; country singer ("5 Star Jubilee"). 1920 - Birth of Lee Russell in Cleveland, Ohio, USA; singer (Vincent Lopez). 1920 - Birth of Patty Andrews in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; singer (Andrews Sisters). 1926 - Birth of Vera-Ellen [Westmeyr Rohe] in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; actress/dancer (Wonder Man). 1930 - Birth of Peggy King in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, USA; singer/actress (George Gobel Show). 1930 - Birth of Ricou Browning in Florida, USA; director/actor (Thunderball). 1932 - Birth of Gretchen Wyler in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, USA; actress (Silk Stockings). 1934 - Birth of Marlene Bauer Hagge in Eureka, South Dakota, USA; LPGA golfer (1950 Woman Athlete of the Year). 1935 - Birth of Sonny Bono in Detroit, Michigan, USA; singer (Sonny and Cher, Mayor - Republican - Palm Springs, California). 1938 - Birth of Barry Primus in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Sergeant McKenna - Cagney and Lacey, Boxcar Bertha). 1938 - Birth of John Corigliano in New York City, New York, USA; composer (Fern Hill, Ghosts of Versailles). 1950 - Birth of William Katt in Los Angeles, California, USA; actor (Greatest American Hero, First Love). 1953 - Birth of Mike Ford in New York City, New York, USA; Canadian Tour golfer (1976 Port Jefferson Open). 1955 - Birth of Guy Gallo in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; writer (Under the Volcano). 1958 - Birth of John Paul Morse in Marshall, Michigan, USA; PGA golfer (1995 United Airlines). 1959 - Birth of Kelly Tripuka in Glenn Ridge, New Jersey, USA; NBA forward (Detroit Pistons, Utah Jazz). 1962 - Birth of Alexa Kenin in New York City, New York, USA; actress (Mousie - Coed Fever). 1966 - Birth of Eric Uptagrafft in Spokane, Washington, USA; prone rifle (Olympics-1996). 1969 - Birth of Tim Costo; US baseball infielder (Cincinnati Reds). 1971 - Birth of Chi Kredell in Long Beach, California, USA; water polo driver (Olympics-1996). 1971 - Birth of Mike Hubbard in Lynchburg, Virginia; catcher (Chicago Cubs). 1974 - Birth of Kimberly Dawn in Whipany, Oklahoma, USA; rocker (PC Quest-Can You See). 1978 - Birth of Caroline Hunt in Chicago, Illinois; rhythmic gymnast (US team-1996). 1979 - Birth of Emma Louise DeSilets; Miss Washington Teen-USA (1997). 1980 - Birth of Ashley Lelie; American football player. 1981 - Birth of Lupe Fiasco; American hip-hop artist. 1992 - Birth of Steffani Brass, American actress. 1993 - Birth of Mike Weinberg, American actor. 1998 - Birth of Mr Jefferson in Virginia, USA; first cloned calf. Deaths on February 16 1900 - George Labram, US mine engineer in South Africa, dies in battle. 1986 - Howard Da Silva of Cleveland, Ohio, actor (Ben Franklin - 1776), dies at age 76. 1990 - Keith Haring, American artist/cartoonist (brilliant baby), dies of AIDS at age 31 (born 1954). 1993 - Richard Salant, news president (CBS - 60 Minutes), dies at age 78. 1993 - Sharon Disney, adopted daughter of Walt and Lillian Disney, dies of complications from cancer. 1996 - Brownie McGhee, American blues guitarist, dies at age 81 (born 1915). 1996 - Edmund G "Pat" Brown, Governor of California, dies at age 90 (born 1905). 1996 - Roger Bowen, American actor (MASH, Main Event, What About Bob), dies at age 62 (born 1932). 2003 - Death of Eleanor "Sis" Daley, wife of Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley (born 1907). 2005 - Death of Nicole DeHuff, American actress (born 1974). 2006 - Death of Ernie Stautner, German-born American football player (born 1925).         Your Ad Here You can pick a particular day to view that day's events in history. Bookmark this URL:   http://thisdayinhistoryinfo.info/usa/   and revisit each day. (this URL will automatically re-direct to the file containing the current day's events) Or, visit my Timelines of History page. Other web pages of interest: Chronology of the United States of America Today in Disney History Today in Sports History Chronology of World War II Chronology of Personal Computers