September 16

Events
Up to 1900
307 Emperor Severus II is captured and imprisoned at Tres Tabernae.
1400 Owain Glyndwr is declared Prince of Wales.
1620 The Mayflower sets sail from Plymouth, England, for America.
1701 James Francis Edward Stuart, referred to as the 'Old Pretender', becomes the Jacobite claimant to the thrones of Scotland and England.
1776 American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Harlem Heights is fought.
1779 American Revolutionary War: The French-American Siege of Savannah begins.
1795 The first British occupation of the Cape Colony, South Africa, begins.
1810 Grito de Dolores: Miguel Hidalgo begins Mexico's fight for independence from Spain.
1812 The Fire of Moscow begins. Three quarters of the city are destroyed.
1859 David Livingstone reaches Lake Malawi.
1893 Settlers make a land run for prime land in the Cherokee Strip in Oklahoma.
1901 2000
1902 Alagoas becomes a state of Brazil.
1908 General Motors is founded.
1918 On the British Monitor (a type of warship), a munitions explosion occurs while it is located in Dover Harbour, killing 77 people.
1919 The American Legion is incorporated
1920 Wall Street bombing: A bomb in a horse wagon explodes in front of the J. P. Morgan building in New York City, killing 38 people and injuring over 400.
1925 HC Rotterdam, the biggest field hockey team in the Netherlands, is founded.
1928 The Okeechobee hurricane in Florida kills 2500 people.
1939 The Japanese-Soviet border conflict is settled.
1941 The Shah of Iran is forced to resign by the United Kingdom and Soviet Union.
1943 World War II: The Allied invasion of Italy concludes.
1945 Japanese forces in Hong Kong surrender.
1947 Typhoon Kathleen hits Saitama, Tokyo and the Tone River in Japan, killing at least 1,930 people.
1947 The United Kingdom formally ends its state of war with Austria.
1955 Juan Peron is removed from power in a coup in Argentina.
1955 A Soviet Navy Zulu class submarine becomes the first submarine to launch a ballistic missile.
1959 The first successful photocopier, the Xerox 914, is introduced in a demonstration in live television in New York City.
1961 The remainder of Hurricane Debbie causes damage in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
1963 Malaysia is formed by the Federation of Malaya, Singapore, British North Borneo (Sabah), and Sarawak. Singapore withdraws a short time later.
1966 The Metropolitan Opera House opens in New York City.
1970 King Hussein of Jordan declares military rule following the hijacking of four civilian airlineers by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
1971 Typhoon Nancy makes landfall in Osaka, Japan, killing 173 people.
1975 Papua New Guinea becomes independent from Australia.
1975 Cape Verde, Mozambique and Sao Tome and Principe join the UN.
1976 Sharvash Karapetyan saves 20 people from a trolleybus that had fallen into a Yerevan reservoir.
1978 An earthquake with a magnitude of over 7.5 hits Tabas in Iran, killing at least 25,000 people.
1980 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines join the UN.
1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre in Lebanon.
1983 Arnold Schwarzenegger becomes a US citizen.
1987 The Monntreal Protocol for preservation of ozone layer against ozone depletion enters into force.
1990 The railroad connecting China and Kazakhstan is completed.
1991 The trial of the deposed Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega begins in the United States.
1992 The pound sterling, the UK's currency, is forced out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism.
1995 Greece ends its embargo on the Republic of Macedonia.
1998 Meryl Streep receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
From 2001
2005 Camorra organised crime boss Paolo Di Lauro is arrested in Naples, Italy.
2007 An aircraft carrying 128 people crashes in Phuket, Thailand, killing 89 people.
2009 Yukio Hatoyama becomes Prime Minister of Japan, after just under a year with Taro Aso in this position.
2013 A gunman kills 12 people at the Navy Yard in Washington, DC.
Births
Up to 1850
16 Drusilla, daughter of Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder (d. 38)
1098 Hildegard of Bingen, German writer, composer, and saint (d. 1179)
1387 King Henry V of England (d. 1422)
1494 Francesco Mauriloco, Italian polymath (d. 1575)
1507 Jiajing Emperor, Emperor of China (d. 1567)
1615 Heinrich Bach, German organist and composer (d. 1692)
1666 Antoine Parent, French mathematician (d. 1716)
1678 Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke, English statesman and philosopher (d. 1751)
1688 John Gay, English writer (d. 1732)
1716 Angelo Maria Amorevoli, Italian Baroque tenor (d. 1798)
1725 Nicolas Demarest, French geologist (d. 1815)
1736 Carter Braxton, American founding father (d. 1797)
1745 Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov, Russian field marshal (d. 1813)
1777 Nathan Mayer Rothschild, English banker and financier (d. 1813)
1782 Daoguang Emperor, Emperor of China (d. 1850)
1812 Robert Fortune, Scottish gardener, scientist and explorer (d. 1880)
1823 Mihailo Obrenovic III, Prince of Serbia (d. 1868)
1825 Simeon Bavier, Swiss diplomat, engineer and politician (d. 1896)
1830 Patrick Francis Moran, Irish-Australian cardinal (d. 1911)
1837 King Peter V of Portugal (d. 1861)
1842 Alessandro Fortis, Prime Minister of Italy (d. 1909)
1844 Paul Taffanel, French flautist and conductor (d. 1908)
1851 1900
1851 Emilia Pardo Bazan, Galician-Spanish writer (d. 1912)
1853 Albrecht Kossel, German doctor, won the 1910 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1917)
1858 Andrew Bonar Law, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1923)
1859 Yuan Shikai, Chinese military leader and politician (d. 1916)
1866 Georg Voigt, German politician (d. 1927)
1867 Vantila Bratianu, Romanian politician (d. 1930)
1870 John Pius Boland, Irish jurist, politician and tennis player (d. 1958)
1875 James C. Penney, founder of American department store J.C. Penney (d. 1971)
1877 Jacob Schick, American-Canadian inventor and businessman (d. 1937)
1878 Herwarth Walden, German writer, publisher and composer (d. 1941)
1886 Demetre Chiparis, Romanian sculptor (d. 1947)
1886 Jean Arp, German-French sculptor, painter and writer (d. 1966)
1887 Nadia Boulanger, French composer and pianist (d. 1979)
1888 Frans Eemil Sillanpaa, Finnish writer (d. 1964)
1888 W. O. Bentley, British racing driver and entrepreneur (d. 1971)
1891 Stephanie von Hohenlohe, Austrian-born German spy (d. 1972)
1891 Karl Donitz, German naval leader (d. 1980)
1893 Alexander Korda, Hungarian movie director (d. 1956)
1893 Albert Szent-Gyorgyi de Nagyrapolt, Hungarian scientist, won the 1937 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1986)
1898 H. A. Rey, American author and illustrator (d. 1977)
1899 Hans Swarowsky, Austrian conductor (d. 1975)
1901 1950
1901 Ugo Frigerio, Italian athlete (d. 1968)
1903 Joe Venuti, Italian-American jazz violinist (d. 1978)
1903 Gwen Bristow, American writer and journalist (d. 1980)
1905 Vladimir Holan, Czech poet (d. 1980)
1909 Marshall Carter, American general, Director of the NSA (d. 1993)
1912 Gyorgy Sarosi, Hungarian footballer (d. 1993)
1913 Felicien Marceau, French journalist and writer (d. 2012)
1916 Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw, 1st Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis (d. 1978)
1917 Alexander Schmorell, German Resistance activist (d. 1943)
1919 Lawrence Dobkin, American actor (d. 2002)
1920 J. J. C. Smart, British-Australian philosopher (d. 2012)
1920 Staryl C. Austin, American air force general (d. 2015)
1921 Jon Hendricks, American jazz songwriter and singer
1922 Guy Hamilton, English movie director (d. 2016)
1922 Janis Paige, American actress
1923 Lee Kuan Yew, Prime Minister of Singapore and statesman (d. 2015)
1924 Lauren Bacall, American actress (d. 2014)
1924 Hank Peters, American baseball executive (d. 2015)
1925 Charlie Byrd, American jazz guitarist (d. 1999)
1925 Charles Haughey, Prime Minister of Ireland (d. 2006)
1925 B. B. King, American blues musician (d. 2015)
1926 Robert H. Schuller, American televangelist (d. 2015)
1927 Peter Falk, American actor (d. 2011)
1927 Sadako Ogata, Japanese academic, diplomat ad writer
1928 Rex Trailer, American television presenter, actor and singer (d. 2013)
1929 Stan Stephens, American politician, 20th Governor of Montana
1930 Anne Francis, American actress (d. 2011)
1930 Jerry Parr, American secret service agent (d. 2015)
1934 Ronnie Drew, Irish singer (The Dubliners) (d. 2008)
1935 Jules Bass, American Stop-motion animator
1935 Billy Boy Arnold, American blues musician and songwriter
1937 Pavel Bobek, Czech singer (d. 2013)
1942 Bernie Calvert, British musician
1943 Oskar Lafontaine, German politician
1943 James Alan McPherson, American writer (d. 2016)
1944 B. J. Ward, American actress and singer
1945 Alexander Rutskoy, Russian politician
1946 Mike Reynolds, Australian politician
1946 Camilo Sesto, Spanish singer-songwriter
1947 Russ Abbot, British comedian
1948 Rosemary Casals, American tennis player
1948 Julia Donaldson, English writer
1948 Kenney Jones, English musician
1949 Ed Begley, Jr., American actor
1949 Chrisye, Indonesian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2007)
1950 Loyd Grossman, American television presenter and food critic
1950 Loyola de Palacio, Spanish politician (d. 2006)
1951 1975
1951 Andy Irvine, Scottish rugby player
1952 Fatos Nano, Albanian politician
1952 Mickey Rourke, American actor
1953 Kurt Fuller, American actor
1953 Jerry Pate, American golfer
1953 Manuel Pellegrini, Chilean footballer and coach
1953 Mark Malloch Brown, British politician
1954 Sanjoy Bandopadhyay, Indian sitarist and composer
1954 Colin Newman, British singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer
1955 Janet Ellis, British television presenter
1956 David Copperfield, American magician
1957 Norman Lamb, English politician
1957 Pierre Moscovici, French politician
1958 Jennifer Tilly, American actress
1958 Neville Southall, Welsh footballer
1958 Orel Hershiser, American baseball player and coach
1960 Ean Evans, American musician (Lynyrd Skynyrd) (d. 2009)
1960 Danny John-Jules, English actor
1961 Bilinda Butcher, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
1964 Molly Shannon, American actress
1965 Karl-Heinz Riedle, German footballer
1966 John Bel Edwards, American attorney and politician
1968 Rafael Alkorta, Spanish footballer
1968 Marc Anthony, American musician
1971 Amy Poehler, American actress, comedienne and writer
1972 Liz Bonnin, Irish television presenter
1972 Sprent Dabwido, Nauruan politician, former President of Nauru
1973 Alexander Vinokourov, Kazakhstani cyclist
1974 Mario Haas, Austrian footballer
1974 Loona, Dutch singer
1975 Adel Chedli, Tunisian footballer
From 1976
1976 Tina Barrett, British singer (S Club)
1976 Greg Buckner, American basketball player
1978 Ebrahim Mirzapour, Iranian footballer
1978 Carolina Dieckmann, Brazilian actress
1979 Keisuke Tsuboi, Japanese footballer
1979 Flo Rida, American rapper
1979 Fanny, French singer
1980 Patrik Stefan, Czech ice hockey player
1981 Alexis Bledel, American actress
1983 Kirsty Coventry, Zimbabwean swimmer
1983 Brandon Moss, American baseball player
1984 Katie Melua, Georgian-British singer
1984 Sabrina Bryan, American actress and singer
1986 Ian Harding, British actor
1987 Kyle Lafferty, Northern Irish footballer
1987 Burry Stander, South African cyclist (d. 2013)
1987 Daren Kagasoff, American actor
1988 Teddy Geiger, American singer-songwriter, guitarist and actor
1988 Sarah Steele, American actress
1989 Jose Salomon Rondon, Venezuelan footballer
1992 Nick Jonas, American singer and guitarist (The Jonas Brothers)
1992 Jake Roche, English actor and singer
2005 Princess Jalilah bint Ali of Jordan
Deaths
Up to 1900
96 Domitian, Roman Emperor (b. 51)
307 Flavius Valerius Severus, Roman Emperor
655 Pope Martin I
1087 Severus II, Roman Emperor
1100 Bernold of Constance, German chronicler and writer (b. 1054)
1345 John IV, Duke of Brittany (b. 1295)
1380 King Charles V of France (b. 1338)
1394 Avignon Pope Clement VII (b. 1342)
1498 Tomas de Torquemada, Spanish grand inquisitor (b. 1420)
1589 Michael Baius, Flemish theologian (b. 1513)
1701 James II of England and VII of Scotland (b. 1633)
1736 Gabriel Fahrenheit, physicist (b. 1686)
1782 Farinelli, Italian singer (b. 1705)
1792 Quang Trung, Emperor of Vietnam (b. 1753)
1803 Nicolas Baudin, French explorer, cartographer and naturalist (b. 1754)
1819 John Jeffries, American physician, balloonist and meteorologist (b. 1744)
1824 King Louis XVIII of France (b. 1755)
1843 Ezekiel Hart, Canadian businessman and politician (b. 1770)
1845 Thomas Davis, Irish nationalist and writer (b. 1814)
1887 Sakoigawa Namiemon, Japanese sumo wrestler (b. 1841)
1911 Edward Whymper, English mountain climber (b. 1840)
1925 Alexander Friedmann, Russian mathematician and cosmologist (b. 1888)
1925 Leo Fall, Austrian composer (b. 1873)
1932 Ronald Ross, British doctor, won the 1902 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1857)
1931 Omar Mukhtar, resistance leader in Italian Libya
1936 Jean-Baptiste Charcot, French scientist (b. 1867)
1940 Charles Cochrane-Baillie, 2nd Baron Lamington, British politician, 8th Governor of Queensland, Australia (b. 1860)
1944 Gustav Bauer, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1870)
1946 James Hopwood Jeans, English physicist, astronomer and mathematician (b. 1877)
From 1951
1957 Qi Baishi, Chinese painter (b. 1864)
1965 Ahn Eak-tai, Korean composer and conductor (b. 1906)
1965 Fred Quimby, American animation producer (b. 1886)
1977 Marc Bolan, English musician (b. 1947)
1977 Maria Callas, Greek-American soprano (b. 1923)
1980 Jean Piaget, Swiss psychologist (b. 1896)
1984 Louis Reard, French engineer and fashion designer (b. 1897)
1987 Christopher Soames, Baron Soames, British politician (b. 1920)
1987 Howard Moss, American poet, playwright and critic (b. 1922)
1991 Olga Spessivtseva, Russian ballerina (b. 1895)
1992 Millicent Fenwick, American politician and writer (b. 1910)
1993 Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Australian poet and activist (b. 1920)
1996 Gene Nelson, American actor, director and screenwriter (b. 1920)
2000 Georgiy Gongadze, Georgian-Ukrainian journalist (b. 1969)
2002 James Gregory, American actor (b. 1911)
2003 Sheb Wooley, American actor and singer (b. 1921)
2004 Izora Armstead, American singer (The Weather Girls) (b. 1942)
2005 Gordon Gould, American inventor (b. 1920)
2006 Floyd Curry, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1925)
2006 Fouad el-Mohandes, Egyptian actor (b. 1924)
2007 Robert Jordan, American writer (b. 1948)
2009 Mary Travers, American singer (b. 1936)
2012 Princess Ragnhild of Norway, Norwegian royal, sister of Harald V of Norway (b. 1930)
2012 John Ingle, American actor (b. 1928)
2013 Kim Hamilton, American actress (b. 1932)
2013 Patsy Swayze, American dancer and choreographer (b. 1927)
2014 Buster Jones, American actor and television presenter (b. 1943)
2014 Alf Ivar Samuelsen, Norwegian politician (b. 1942)
2015 Guy Beart, French singer-songwriter (b. 1930)
2015 Ton van de Ven, Dutch industrial designer (b. 1944)
2015 David Ashby, British motorcycle racer (b. 1949)
2016 Edward Albee, American playwright (b. 1928)
2016 Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, 10th President of Italy (b. 1920)
2016 Gabriele Amorth, Italian priest and exorcist (b. 1925)
2016 Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro, former President of Cape Verde (b. 1944)
Observances
Independence Day in Mexico and Papua New Guinea
Malaysia Day
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone layer
National Heroes' Day (Saint Kitts and Nevis)
Statehood Day (Alagoas, a state of Brazil)
Days of the year