January 16
January 16 is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 350 days remain until the year's end. It falls in winter (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Capricorn.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On January 16 the Sun's declination is approximately -21.1°. At this latitude the Sun is south of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere shorter days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a January 16.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
No widely-observed holidays catalogued for this day in our base set. See the external almanacs above for region-specific observances.
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
27 BCE — The Roman Senate granted Octavian the title Augustus, marking the start of the Roman Empire. ↗(2053 years ago)more
Caesar Augustus, also known as Octavian, was the founder of the Roman Empire and the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. The reign of Augustus initiated an imperial cult and an era of imperial peace in which the Roman world was largely free of armed conflict.
1547 — Ivan the Terrible was crowned the first Tsar of Russia. ↗(479 years ago)more
Ivan IV Vasilyevich, commonly known as Ivan the Terrible, was Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1533 to 1547, and the first Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia from 1547 until his death in 1584.
1786 — Virginia enacted the Statute for Religious Freedom (drafted by Thomas Jefferson). ↗(240 years ago)more
The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was drafted in 1777 by Thomas Jefferson in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and introduced into the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond in 1779. On January 16, 1786, the Assembly enacted the statute into the state's law.
1920 — Prohibition began in the United States with the Eighteenth Amendment in force. ↗(106 years ago)more
The Prohibition era was the period from 1920 to 1933 when the United States prohibited the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. The alcohol industry was curtailed by a succession of state legislatures, and Prohibition was formally introduced nationwide under the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, r...
1991 — Operation Desert Storm began as Coalition forces launched air strikes against Iraqi forces in Kuwait. ↗(35 years ago)more
The Gulf War was an armed conflict between Iraq and a 42-country coalition led by the United States. The coalition's efforts were in two phases: Operation Desert Shield, which marked the military buildup from August 1990 to January 1991; and Operation Desert Storm, from the bombing campaign against Iraq on 17 January until the American-led liberation of K...
Notable births
1853 — André Michelin, French industrialist (Michelin tyres). ↗(173 years ago)more
André Jules Michelin was a French industrialist who, with his brother Édouard (1859–1940), founded the Michelin Tyre Company in 1888 in the French city of Clermont-Ferrand.
Notable deaths
1957 — Arturo Toscanini, Italian conductor. ↗(69 years ago)more
Arturo Toscanini was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his eidetic memory. He was at various times the music director of La Scala in Milan and the New York Philharmonic.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (16) | 2^4 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (350) | 2 × 5^2 × 7 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 16012026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | -21.09° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 27 days |