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On this day in history - December 16

What Happened On This Day – December 16

  • 2010 Last episode of Larry King Live aired

    After 25 years of being on TV, the last episode of Larry King Live, one of CNN's most watched TV program was aired. While the official end date for the talk show was December 16, an episode on cancer was aired two days later on December 18. It was replaced by Piers Morgan Tonight.

  • 1991 Kazakhstan independence

    The Central Asian country was the last Soviet republic to declare its independence.

  • 1971 End of Indo-Pakistani War

    The third major conflict between the two countries was fought because of India's support of Bangladesh's War of Liberation. The war ended only after 13 days and with the creation of the independent state of Bangladesh.

  • 1773 Boston Tea Party

    Considered as one of the key events in the American Revolution, the Tea Party occurred when protesters in Boston, a territory controlled by the British, dumped heavily taxed British tea into Boston Harbor.

  • 1707 Last eruption of Mount Fuji

    The highest volcano in Japan erupted for the last time in what is known as the Hōei Eruption. The eruption lasted for 17 days.

Illustration of stork, signifying birth

Births On This Day,
December 16

  • 1917 Arthur C. Clarke

    English author

  • 1901 Margaret Mead

    American anthropologist

  • 1866 Wassily Kandinsky

    Russian/French painter

  • 1775 Jane Austen

    English author

  • 1485 Catherine of Aragon

Illustration of tombstone, signifying death

Deaths On This Day,
December 16

  • 1988 Sylvester

    American singer-songwriter, pianist, producer

  • 1980 Colonel Sanders

    American businessman, founded KFC

  • 1965 W. Somerset Maugham

    French/English author, playwright

  • 1515 Afonso de Albuquerque

    Portuguese Admiral

  • 705 Wu Zetian

    Chinese empress