November 16 Historical Events

The following events took place on November 16. The list is arranged in chronological order.

Found 38 events. Showing 1 - 30.

• 1272
  While travelling during the Ninth Crusade, Prince Edward becomes King of England upon Henry III of England’s death, but he will not return to England for nearly two years to assume the throne.
• 1491
  An auto-da-fé, held in the Brasero de la Dehesa outside of Ávila, concludes the case of the Holy Child of La Guardia with the public execution of several Jewish and converso suspects.
• 1532
  Francisco Pizarro and his men capture Inca Emperor Atahualpa at the Battle of Cajamarca.
• 1632
  Thirty Years’ War: Battle of Lützen is fought, the Swedes are victorious but King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden dies in the battle.
• 1776
  American Revolutionary War: British and Hessian units capture Fort Washington from the Patriots.
• 1776
  American Revolution: The United Provinces (Low Countries) recognize the independence of the United States.
• 1793
  French Revolution: Ninety anti-republican Catholic priests are executed by drowning at Nantes.
• 1797
  The Prussian heir apparent, Frederick William, becomes King of Prussia as Frederick William III.
• 1805
  Napoleonic Wars: Battle of Schöngrabern – Russian forces under Pyotr Bagration delay the pursuit by French troops under Joachim Murat.
• 1822
  American Old West: Missouri trader William Becknell arrives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, over a route that became known as the Santa Fe Trail.
• 1828
  Greek War of Independence: The London Protocol entails the creation of an autonomous Greek state under Ottoman suzerainty, encompassing the Morea and the Cyclades.
• 1849
  A Russian court sentences writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky to death for anti-government activities linked to a radical intellectual group; his sentence is later commuted to hard labor.
• 1852
  The English astronomer John Russell Hind discovers the asteroid 22 Kalliope.
• 1857
  Second relief of Lucknow – twenty-four Victoria Crosses are awarded, the most in a single day.
• 1863
  American Civil War: Battle of Campbell’s Station near Knoxville, Tennessee – Confederate troops unsuccessfully attack Union forces.

• 1885
  Canadian rebel leader of the Métis and “Father of Manitoba” Louis Riel is executed for treason.
• 1904
  English engineer John Ambrose Fleming receives a patent for the thermionic valve (vacuum tube).
• 1907
  Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory join to form Oklahoma, which is admitted as the 46th U.S. state.
• 1907
  Cunard Line’s RMS Mauretania, sister ship of RMS Lusitania, sets sail on her maiden voyage from Liverpool, England, to New York City.
• 1914
  The Federal Reserve Bank of the United States officially opens.
• 1920
  Qantas, Australia’s national airline, is founded as Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited.
• 1940
  World War II: In response to the leveling of Coventry by the German Luftwaffe two days before, the Royal Air Force bombs Hamburg.
• 1940
  Holocaust: In occupied Poland, the Nazis close off the Warsaw Ghetto from the outside world.
• 1940
  New York City’s “Mad Bomber” George Metesky places his first bomb at a Manhattan office building used by Consolidated Edison.
• 1943
  World War II: American bombers strike a hydro-electric power facility and heavy water factory in German-controlled Vemork, Norway.
• 1944
  World War II: Operation Queen, the costly Allied thrust to the Rur, is launched.
• 1944
  World War II: Dueren, Germany, is destroyed by Allied bombers.
• 1945
  UNESCO is founded.
• 1965
  Venera program: The Soviet Union launches the Venera 3 space probe toward Venus, which will be the first spacecraft to reach the surface of another planet.
• 1973
  Skylab program: NASA launches Skylab 4 with a crew of three astronauts from Cape Canaveral, Florida for an 84-day mission.