November 16 is the 320th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 45 days remain until the end of the year.
We have some interesting facts & historic events all about November 16th, including areas in religion, crime, health and more.
Keep reading for more interesting facts about November 16th in history!
Table of Contents
Global Celebrations
- National Button Day
- National Fast Food Day
- International Day for Tolerance
- Have a Party with Your Bear Day
- National Entrepreneurs Day
Historic Events
What Happened On This Day – November 16
2001: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone released
The film version of the popular book by the same name written by author J. K. Rowling starred Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter and followed Potter’s first year at Hogwarts, a school for magic.
1988: Estonians declare sovereignty from USSR
Estonians issued the Estonian Sovereignty Declaration as part of the Singing Revolution. The Declaration declared Estonian sovereignty from the Soviet Union and declared Estonian laws paramount over Soviet laws. The day is now celebrated as the Day of Declaration of Sovereignty.
1965: Soviets launch Venera 3
Part of the Venera program, it was the first space probe to land on another planet – Venus. Unfortunately, due to technical issues, it was not able to send any data back to Earth. The first space probe to send data from another planet to Earth was Venera 7.
1945: UNESCO founded
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a special branch of the United Nations which promotes peace and well-being through education, scientific collaboration and cultural understanding and exchange. It is headquartered in Paris, France and has 195 state members.
1940: Warsaw ghetto sealed
The largest Jewish ghetto in Nazi-occupied Poland, the Warsaw ghetto, was created in October 1940 by a German decree. According to the decree, all Jews in the city had to move to the ghetto, which was closed off by a 10 feet wall and had soldiers and police guarding it from the outside 24 hours a day. The ghetto was the scene of one of the largest Jewish uprisings during the Second World War in 1943.
Famous Birthdays
Births On This Day, November 16
1977: Maggie Gyllenhaal, American actress
1952: Shigeru Miyamoto, Japanese video game designer, created Mario, The Legend of Zelda
1930: Chinua Achebe, Nigerian author, poet, academic
1922: José Saramago, Portuguese author, Nobel Prize laureate
42: Tiberius, Roman Emperor
Heartbreaking Deaths
Deaths On This Day, November 16
2006: Milton Friedman, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate
1980: Jayan, Indian actor
1960: Clark Gable, American actor
1885: Louis Riel, Canadian politician
1724: Jack Sheppard, English criminal
