November 16
November 16 is the 321st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 45 days remain until the year's end. It falls in autumn (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Scorpio.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On November 16 the Sun's declination is approximately -19.6°. 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 November 16.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Christian feast day: Africus
- Christian feast day: Agnes of Assisi
- Christian feast day: Edmund of Abingdon
- Christian feast day: Elfric of Abingdon
- Christian feast day: Eucherius of Lyon
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
2022 — Artemis Program: NASA launches Artemis 1 on the first flight of the Space Launch System, the start of the program's future missions to the moon. ↗(4 years ago)more
The Artemis program is a Moon exploration program led by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), aimed at returning humans to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo program and building a permanent lunar base. It was formally established via Space Policy Directive-1 in 2017.
2020 — A Vega rocket carrying SEOSat-Ingenio and TARANIS fails after liftoff. ↗(6 years ago)more
Vega was a European expendable small-lift launch vehicle developed by Avio and operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). Designed to carry payloads between 300 and 2,500 kilograms into low Earth and polar orbits, Vega served primarily scientific and Earth observation missions.
2009 — Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on mission STS-129 to the International Space Station. ↗(17 years ago)more
The Space Shuttle program was the fourth human spaceflight program carried out by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which accomplished routine transportation for Earth-to-orbit crew and cargo from 1981 to 2011.
2005 — Following a 31-year wait, Australia defeats Uruguay in a penalty shootout to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. ↗(21 years ago)more
The Australia men's national soccer team represents Australia in international men's soccer. Officially nicknamed the Socceroos, the team is controlled by the governing body for soccer in Australia, Football Australia, which is affiliated with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the regional ASEAN Football Federation (AFF).
2004 — Half-Life 2 is released, a game winning 39 Game of the Year awards and being cited as one of the best games ever made. ↗(22 years ago)more
Half-Life 2 is a 2004 first-person shooter (FPS) game developed and published by Valve Corporation. It was published for Windows on Valve's digital distribution service, Steam. Like the original Half-Life (1998), Half-Life 2 is played from a first-person perspective, combining combat, puzzles, and storytelling.
2002 — The first cases of the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak are traced to Foshan, Guangdong Province, China. ↗(24 years ago)more
The 2002–2004 outbreak of SARS, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, infected over 8,000 people from 30 countries and territories, and resulted in at least 774 deaths worldwide.
1997 — After nearly 18 years of incarceration, China releases Wei Jingsheng, a pro-democracy dissident, from jail for medical reasons. ↗(29 years ago)more
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the second-most populous country after India, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, representing 17% of the world's population.
1992 — The Hoxne Hoard is discovered by metal detectorist Eric Lawes in Hoxne, Suffolk. ↗(34 years ago)more
The Hoxne Hoard is the largest hoard of late Roman silver and gold discovered in Britain, and the largest collection of gold and silver coins of the fourth and fifth centuries found anywhere within the former Roman Empire. It was found by Eric Lawes using a metal detector in the village of Hoxne in Suffolk, England, in 1992.
- 1990 — Pop group Milli Vanilli are stripped of their Grammy Award because the duo did not sing at all on the Girl You Know It's True album. Session musicians had provided all the vocals. ↗(36 years ago)
more
Pop music, or simply pop, is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. During the 1950s and 1960s, pop music encompassed rock and roll and the youth-oriented styles it influenced.
1989 — El Salvadoran army troops kill six Jesuit priests and two others at Jose Simeon Canas University. ↗(37 years ago)more
During the Salvadoran Civil War, on 16 November 1989, Salvadoran Army soldiers killed six Jesuits and two women, the caretaker's wife and daughter, at their residence on the campus of Central American University in San Salvador, El Salvador.
1988 — The Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic declares that Estonia is 'sovereign' but stops short of declaring independence. ↗(38 years ago)more
The Supreme Soviet was the common name for the highest organs of state authority of the Soviet socialist republics (SSR) in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). These soviets were modeled after the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, established in 1938, and were nearly identical.
1988 — In the first open election in more than a decade, voters in Pakistan elect populist candidate Benazir Bhutto to be Prime Minister of Pakistan. ↗(38 years ago)more
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. Islamabad is the nation's capital, while Karachi is its largest city and financial centre. Pakistan is the 33rd-largest country by area.
Notable births
2006 — Mason Ramsey, American singer ↗(20 years ago)more
Mason Blake Ramsey is an American country music singer. In March 2018, after gaining Internet fame from a viral video of him yodeling "Lovesick Blues" by Hank Williams at a Walmart, Ramsey was signed to Big Loud and Atlantic.
2000 — Josh Green, Australian basketball player ↗(26 years ago)more
Joshua Benjamin Green is an Australian professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats.
1999 — Bol Bol, South Sudanese-American basketball player ↗(27 years ago)more
Bol Manute Bol is a South Sudanese–American professional basketball player for the TNT Tropang 5G of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks. A son of basketball player Manute Bol, who was known for being one of the tallest players in NBA history, Bol was born in Khartoum, Sudan, but was raised in the...
1999 — Mats Wieffer, Dutch footballer ↗(27 years ago)more
Mats Henrik Berne Wieffer is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a right-back or defensive midfielder for Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion and the Netherlands national team.
1997 — Bruno Guimarães, Brazilian footballer ↗(29 years ago)more
Bruno Guimarães Rodriguez Moura, known as Bruno Guimarães, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Newcastle United, which he captains, and the Brazil national team.
1996 — Ivan Baran, Croatian writer ↗(30 years ago)more
Ivan Baran is a Croatian writer. He is the author of epic fantasy tetralogy The Black Books Cycle and the philosophical novels Samuel Gide, Monsieur August and The Great Fall. He lives and writes in Vukovar, Croatia.
Notable deaths
2024 — Vladimir Shklyarov, Russian ballet dancer (born 1985) ↗(2 years ago)more
Vladimir Andreyevich Shklyarov was a Russian ballet dancer, who ranked as a principal dancer at the Mariinsky Ballet in Saint Petersburg. He had also been a guest principal with the Bavarian State Ballet in Munich, Germany, and The Royal Ballet in London. He died after falling from the 5th floor of an apartment building in Saint Petersburg.
2022 — Robert Clary, French-American actor and author (born 1926) ↗(4 years ago)more
Robert Clary was a French actor who was mainly active in the United States. He is best known for his role as Corporal Louis LeBeau on the television sitcom Hogan's Heroes (1965–1971). He also had recurring roles on the soap operas Days of Our Lives (1972–1987), and The Bold and the Beautiful (1990–1992).
- 2022 — Arthur Ngirakelsong, 2nd Chief Justice of Palau (born 1941) ↗(4 years ago)
more
Arthur Ngirakelsong was a Palauan jurist who served as the chief justice of Palau from 1992 to 2020. Ngirakelsong was born on 28 December 1941. He obtained a masters degree from the University of Hawaiʻi in 1967. In 1974, he became one of the first Micronesians to earn a Juris Doctor when he graduated from Rutgers Law School.
2021 — Jyrki Kasvi, Finnish journalist and politician (born 1964) ↗(5 years ago)more
Jyrki Jouko Juhani Kasvi was a Finnish politician, and a member of the Finnish Parliament, representing the Green League.
2020 — Sheila Nelson, English string teacher (born 1936) ↗(6 years ago)more
Sheila Mary Nelson was an English musician, music educator, writer and composer. She had played with the English Chamber Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Menuhin Festival Orchestra but was best known as a violin and viola teacher. She is usually referred to as Sheila Nelson but appears in her published works as Sheila M. Nelson.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (321) | 3 × 107 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (45) | 3^2 × 5 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 16112026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | -19.59° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 34 days |