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On this day in history - September 16

What Happened On This Day – September 16

  • 1982 Members of a right-wing Lebanese militia massacre 1500-3000 people in two Beirut-area refugee camps

    The killings took over three days in the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila and were led by the Lebanese Christian Phalangist militia.

  • 1978 An earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter Scale rocks the city of Tabas in Iran

    More than 11,000 people were killed during the natural disaster.

  • 1963 Malaysia is created

    The Federation of Malaya united with Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore to create Malaysia. Singapore left the arrangement two years later.

  • 1920 A bomb explodes on Wall Street, New York killing 38 people

    The Wall Street Bombing, as the incident is known, was the deadliest such act on American soil to that date. It is still not known who was responsible for the bombing.

  • 1908 General Motors Corporation is founded in Flint, Michigan by William C. Durant and Charles Stewart Mott

    The company, also known as GM, was one of the world's largest manufacturers of cars and trucks. Most notably, the company manufactured Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Hummer brand cars.

Illustration of stork, signifying birth

Births On This Day,
September 16

  • 1963 Richard Marx

    American singer-songwriter, producer

  • 1956 David Copperfield

    American magician

  • 1952 Mickey Rourke

    American boxer, actor, screenwriter

  • 1925 B.B. King

    American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer

  • 1858 Bonar Law

    Canadian/Scottish politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Illustration of tombstone, signifying death

Deaths On This Day,
September 16

  • 1980 Jean Piaget

    Swiss psychologist

  • 1977 Maria Callas

    Greek soprano

  • 1898 Ramón Emeterio Betances

    Puerto Rican doctor, politician

  • 1824 Louis XVIII of France

  • 1701 James II of England