May 16th this day in history video clips

Today May 16th 2009 this day in history Read more below to view events, deaths, births, Holidays observances and video clips. Last database updated: Jan 17th, 2009

Events
1204 – Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire.
1527 – The Florentines drive out the Medici for a second time and Florence re-establishes itself as a republic.
1532 – Sir Thomas More resigns as Lord Chancellor of England.
1568 – Mary Queen of Scots flees to England.
1770 – 14-year old Marie Antoinette marries 15-year-old Louis-Auguste who later becomes king of France.
1771 – The Battle of Alamance, a pre-American Revolutionary War battle between local militia and a group of rebels called The Regulators, occurs in present-day Alamance County, North Carolina.
1777 – Lachlan McIntosh and Button Gwinnett shoot each other during a duel near Savannah, Georgia. Gwinnett, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, dies three days later.
1811 – Peninsular War – The allies Spain, Portugal and Britain, defeat the French at the Battle of Albuera.
1815 – The Governor of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie, officially names the town of Blackheath in the upper Blue Mountains.
1822 – Greek War of Independence: The Turks capture the Greek town of Souli.
1836 – Edgar Allan Poe marries his 13-year-old cousin Virginia.
1843 – The first major wagon train heading for the Pacific Northwest sets out on the Oregon Trail with one thousand pioneers from Elm Grove, Missouri.
1866 – The U.S. Congress eliminates the half dime coin and replaces it with the five cent piece, or nickel.
1866 – Charles Elmer Hires invents root beer.
1868 – President Andrew Johnson is acquitted in his impeachment trial by one vote in the United States Senate.
1874 – A flood on the Mill River in Massachusetts destroys much of four villages and kills 139 people.
1877 – May 16, 1877 political crisis in France.
1910 – The United States Congress authorizes the creation of the United States Bureau of Mines.
1914 – The first ever Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final is played. Brooklyn Field Club defeats Brooklyn Celtic 2-1.
1918 – The Sedition Act of 1918 is passed by the U.S. Congress, making criticism of the government an imprisonable offense.
1919 – A naval Curtiss aircraft NC-4 commanded by Albert Cushing Read leaves Trepassey, Newfoundland, for Lisbon via the Azores on the first transatlantic flight.
1920 – In Rome, Pope Benedict XV canonizes Joan of Arc as a saint.
1929 – In Hollywood, California, the first Academy Awards are handed out.
1943 – Holocaust: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising ends.
1948 – Chaim Weizmann is elected the first President of Israel.
1951 – The first regularly scheduled transatlantic flights begin between John F Kennedy International Airport in New York City and Heathrow Airport in London, operated by El Al Israel Airlines.
1960 – Nikita Khrushchev demands an apology from U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower for U-2 spy plane flights over the Soviet Union thus ending a Big Four summit in Paris.
1960 – Theodore Maiman operates the first optical laser, at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California.
1965 – The Campbell Soup Company introduces SpaghettiOs under its Franco-American brand.
1966 – The Communist Party of China issues the May 16 Notice , marking the beginning of the Cultural Revolution.
1969 – Venera program: Venera 5, a Soviet spaceprobe, lands on Venus.
1974 – Josip Broz Tito is re-elected president of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. This time he is elected for life.
1975 – India annexes Sikkim after the mountain state holds a referendum in which the popular vote was in favour of merging with India.
1975 – Junko Tabei becomes the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
1983 – Sudan People s Liberation Army/Movement rebels against the Sudanese government.
1986 – The Seville Statement on Violence is adopted by an international meeting of scientists, convened by the Spanish National Commission for UNESCO, in Seville, Spain.
1988 – A report by United States Surgeon General C. Everett Koop states that the addictive properties of nicotine are similar to those of heroin and cocaine.
1992 – STS-49: Space Shuttle Endeavour lands safely after a successful maiden voyage.
2003 – In Casablanca, Morocco, 33 civilians are killed and more than 100 people are injured in the Casablanca terrorist attacks.
2004 – The Day of Mourning at Bykivnia forest, just outside of Kiev, Ukraine. Here during 1930s and early 1940s communist bolsheviks executed over 100,000 Ukrainian civilians.
2005 – Kuwait permits women s suffrage in a 35-23 National Assembly vote.
2006 – A large earthquake (7.4 on the Richter scale) occurs near New Zealand.
2007 – Alex Salmond is elected First Minister of Scotland. He is the first Scottish National Party leader to be elected as First Minister after winning a historic victory at the Scottish general election on the 3rd May.

Births
1490 – Duke Albert of Prussia (d. 1568)
1578 – Everard Digby, English conspirator (d. 1606)
1611 – Pope Innocent XI (d. 1689)
1710 – William Talbot, 1st Earl Talbot, English politician (d. 1782)
1718 – Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Italian mathematician (d. 1799)
1763 – Louis Nicolas Vauquelin, French pharmacist (d. 1829)
1788 – Friedrich Rückert, German Poet, Translator and Orientalist (d. 1866)
1801 – William H. Seward, United States Secretary of State, bought Alaska at 2 ¢/acre (d. 1872)
1821 – Pafnuty Chebyshev, Russian mathematician (d. 1894)
1824 – Levi P. Morton, United States Vice President under Benjamin Harrison (d. 1920)
1827 – Pierre Cuypers, Dutch architect (d. 1921)
1831 – David E. Hughes, American musician (d. 1900)
1845 – Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov, Russian microbiologist, Nobel laureate (d. 1916)
1860 – Herman Webster Mudgett, American Serial Killer (d. 1896)
1891 – Richard Tauber, Austrian tenor (d. 1948)
1898 – Tamara de Lempicka, Polish-born painter (d. 1980)
1898 – Kenji Mizoguchi, Japanese film director (d. 1956)
1905 – Henry Fonda, American actor (d. 1982)
1906 – Alfred Pellan, French Canadian painter (d. 1988)
1906 – Arturo Uslar Pietri, Venezuelan writer (d. 2001)
1906 – Margret Rey, author and illustrator (d. 1996)
1909 – Margaret Sullavan, American actress (d. 1960)
1910 – Olga Berggolts, Russian poet (d. 1975)
1910 – Aleksandr Ivanovich Laktionov, Russian painter (d. 1972)
1912 – Studs Terkel, American writer
1913 – Woody Herman, American musician and band leader (d. 1987)
1914 – Edward T. Hall, American anthropologist and author
1916 – Adriana Caselotti, American actress (d. 1997)
1917 – Juan Rulfo, Mexican novelist (d. 1986)
1917 – James C. Murray, American politician (d. 1999)
1917 – George Gaynes, American actor
1918 – Wilf Mannion, English former footballer (d. 2000)
1919 – Liberace, American pianist (d. 1987)
1919 – Ramon Margalef, Spanish scientist (d. 2004)
1920 – Martine Carol, French actress (d. 1967)
1921 – Harry Carey, Jr., American actor
1923 – Merton Miller, American economist, Nobel laureate (d. 2000)
1925 – Bobbejaan Schoepen, Belgian entertainer
1926 – Ronald Podrow, British peace activist (d. 2004)
1927 – Nílton Santos, Brazilian footballer
1928 – Billy Martin, American baseball player and coach (d. 1989)
1929 – John Conyers, American politician
1929 – Claude Morin, French Canadian politician
1929 – Adrienne Rich, American writer
1930 – Betty Carter, American jazz singer (d. 1998)
1930 – Friedrich Gulda, Austrian pianist (d. 2000)
1931 – Jack Dodson, American actor (d. 1994)
1931 – Denise Filiatrault, French Canadian actress and director
1931 – Natwar Singh, Indian politician
1931 – Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., American politician
1931 – Hana Brady, Killed during Holocaust
1935 – James Bolam, English actor
1936 – Roy Hudd, English radio and television actor
1936 – Karl Lehmann, German Catholic cardinal
1937 – Yvonne Craig, American actress
1944 – Billy Cobham, American virtuoso drummer
1944 – Danny Trejo, American actor
1945 – Nicky Chinn, English songwriter (Sweet, Suzi Quatro)
1945 – Alan Flusser, American clothing designer
1946 – Robert Fripp, English guitarist (King Crimson)
1946 – Roger Earl, English rock drummer (Savoy Brown, Foghat)
1947 – Bill Smitrovich, American actor
1948 – Katia Dandoulaki, Greek actress
1948 – Judy Finnegan, English TV presenter (Richard & Judy)
1950 – J. Georg Bednorz, German physicist, Nobel laureate
1950 – Ray Condo, Canadian rockabilly musician
1951 – Christian Lacroix, French fashion designer
1951 – Jonathan Richman, American proto-punk icon
1952 – James Herndon, American media psychologist
1953 – Pierce Brosnan, Irish actor
1954 – Dafydd Williams, Canadian physician and astronaut
1955 – Olga Korbut, Belarussian gymnast
1955 – Jack Morris, American baseball player
1955 – Hazel O Connor, English singer
1955 – Debra Winger, American actress
1959 – Mare Winningham, American actress
1960 – Landon Deireragea, Nauruan politician
1961 – Kevin McDonald, Canadian comedian and actor
1961 – Charles Wright, American professional wrestler
1963 – Jon Coffelt, American artist
1963 – Mercedes Echerer, Austrian actress and politician
1964 – John Salley, American basketball player
1964 – Boyd Tinsley, American violinist (Dave Matthews Band)
1964 – Edit Berces, Hungarian marathon runner
1965 – Krist Novoselic, American bassist (Nirvana)
1966 – Janet Jackson, American singer
1966 – Scott Reeves, American actor and singer
1966 – Thurman Thomas, American football player
1968 – Ralph Tresvant, American singer (New Edition)
1968 – Chingmy Yau, Hong Kong actress
1969 – David Boreanaz, American actor
1969 – Tucker Carlson, American television commentator
1969 – Tracey Gold, American actress
1969 – Steve Lewis, American athlete
1970 – Gabriela Sabatini, Argentine tennis player
1970 – Danielle Spencer, Australian singer and actress
1971 – Rachel Goswell, English singer and songwriter (Slowdive, Mojave 3)
1972 – Khary Payton, American actor
1973 – Special Ed, American rapper
1973 – Tori Spelling, American actress
1973 – Jason Acuña, American television personality
1974 – Laura Pausini, Italian pop singer
1974 – Sonny Sandoval, American singer (P.O.D.)
1975 – Tony Kakko, Finnish singer (Sonata Arctica)
1975 – Tonéx, American singer
1977 – Dolcenera, Italian singer
1977 – Jean-Sébastien Giguère, Canadian ice hockey player
1978 – David Ford, English singer/songwriter
1978 – Lionel Scaloni, Argentine footballer
1979 – McKenzie Lee, English pornographic actress
1980 – Mikel Alonso, Spanish footballer
1980 – Michael Ryan, American ice hockey player
1980 – Melanie Lofton, American Journalist
1981 – Jim Sturgess, English actor
1982 – Joo Ji Hoon, Korean actor and model
1982 – Lukasz Kubot, Polish tennis player
1982 – Hanna Mariën, Belgian athlete
1983 – Nancy Ajram, Lebanese singer
1983 – Mince Fratelli, Scottish Drummer (The Fratellis)
1983 – Kyle Wellwood, Canadian ice hockey player
1984 – Mickie Knuckles, American female professional wrestler
1984 – Jensen Lewis, American baseball player
1985 – Stanislav Ianevski, Bulgarian actor
1985 – Anja Mittag, German footballer
1985 – Corey Perry, Canadian ice hockey player
1985 – Okura Tadayoshi, Japanese singer (Kanjani8)
1986 – Megan Fox, American actress
1986 – Andy Keogh, Irish footballer (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
1998 – Ariel Waller, Canadian child actress

Deaths
583 – Saint Brendan, Irish navigator (b. 484)
1265 – Saint Simon Stock, English saint (b. 1165)
1569 – Dirk Willems, Anabaptist Martyr
1620 – William Adams, English navigator (b. 1564)
1657 – Andrzej Bobola, Polish Jesuit missionary (b. 1591)
1667 – Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton, English statesman (b. 1607)
1669 – Pietro da Cortona, Italian architect (b. 1596)
1691 – Jacob Leisler, American colonist (b. 1640)
1703 – Charles Perrault, French author (b. 1628)
1778 – Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness, English diplomat (b. 1718)
1782 – Daniel Solander, Swedish botanist (b. 1736)
1790 – Philip Yorke, 2nd Earl of Hardwicke, English politician (b. 1720)
1830 – Joseph Fourier, French scientist (b. 1768)
1891 – Ion Bratianu, Romanian statesman (b. 1821)
1913 – Louis Perrier, member of the Swiss Federal Council (b. 1849)
1920 – Levi P. Morton, United States Vice President under Benjamin Harrision (b. 1824)
1926 – Mehmed VI, last Ottoman Sultan (b. 1861)
1943 – Alfred Hoche, German psychiatrist (b. 1865)
1944 – George Ade, American author (b. 1866)
1947 – Frederick Hopkins, English biochemist, Nobel laureate (b. 1861)
1953 – Django Reinhardt, Belgian musician (b. 1910)
1954 – Clemens Krauss, Austrian conductor (b. 1893)
1955 – James Agee, American writer (b. 1909)
1956 – H. B. Reese, American founder of Reese s (b. 1876)
1957 – Eliot Ness, American federal agent (b. 1903)
1959 – Elisha Scott, Northern Irish footballer (b. 1894)
1961 – George A. Malcolm, American jurist & educator (b. 1881)
1969 – Robert R., first confirmed death from AIDS in North America (b. 1954)
1979 – A. Philip Randolph, American civil rights activist and labor union leader (b. 1889)
1981 – Ernie Freeman, American pianist and arranger (b. 1922)
1984 – Andy Kaufman, American comedian (b. 1949)
1984 – Irwin Shaw, American author (b. 1913)
1985 – Margaret Hamilton, American actress (b. 1902)
1988 – Charles Keeping, English illustrator (b. 1924)
1990 – Sammy Davis, Jr., American entertainer (b. 1925)
1990 – Jim Henson, American puppeteer (b. 1936)
1992 – Chalino Sanchez, Mexican musician (b. 1960)
1993 – Marv Johnson, American R&B and soul singer (b. 1938)
1994 – Jack Dodson, American actor (b. 1931)
1996 – Jeremy Michael Boorda, American admiral (b. 1939)
1997 – Elbridge Durbrow, American diplomat (b. 1903)
2000 – Bodacious the Bull Famous rodeo bull (b. 1988)
2001 – Brian Pendleton, English musician (The Pretty Things) (b. 1944)
2002 – Alec Campbell, the last surviving ANZAC (b. 1899)
2002 – Big Dick Dudley, American professional wrestler (b. 1968)
2003 – Mark McCormack, American businessman (b. 1930)

Holidays and observances
Teachers Day in Malaysia.
Middlesex Day.