October 16
October 16 is the 290th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 76 days remain until the year's end. It falls in autumn (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Libra.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On October 16 the Sun's declination is approximately -10.3°. 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 October 16.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Air Force Day (Bulgaria)
- Boss's Day (United States)
- Christian feast day: Balderic (Baudry) of Monfaucon
- Christian feast day: Bercharius
- Christian feast day: Bertrand of Comminges
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
2017 — Storm Ophelia strikes the U.K. and Ireland causing major damage and power loss. ↗(9 years ago)more
Hurricane Ophelia, known as Storm Ophelia while extratropical, was regarded as the worst storm to affect Ireland in 50 years, and was also the easternmost Atlantic major hurricane on record. The tenth and final consecutive hurricane and the sixth major hurricane of the very active 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, Ophelia had non-tropical origins from a dec...
2013 — Lao Airlines Flight 301 crashes on approach to Pakse International Airport in Laos, killing 49 people. ↗(13 years ago)more
Lao Airlines Flight 301 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Vientiane to Pakse, Laos. On 16 October 2013, the ATR 72-600 aircraft operating the flight crashed into the Mekong River near Pakse, killing all 49 people on board. The accident was the first involving an ATR 72-600 and the deadliest ever to occur on Lao soil.
2002 — The Bibliotheca Alexandrina opens in Egypt, commemorating the ancient library of Alexandria. ↗(24 years ago)more
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) is a major library and cultural center on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria, Egypt. It is a commemoration of the Library of Alexandria, once one of the largest libraries worldwide, which was lost in antiquity.
- 1999 — The magnitude 7.1 Hector Mine earthquake strikes Southern California ↗(27 years ago)
more
The 1999 Hector Mine earthquake occurred in Southern California, United States, on October 16 at 02:46:50 PDT. Its moment magnitude was 7.1 and the earthquake was preceded by 12 foreshocks, the largest of which had a magnitude of 3.8. The event is thought to have been triggered by the 1992 Landers earthquake which occurred seven years earlier.
1998 — Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is arrested in London on a murder extradition warrant. ↗(28 years ago)more
Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte was a Chilean army officer and military dictator who ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990. He led the military junta that overthrew President Salvador Allende in 1973 and established a dictatorship. He was proclaimed President of Chile in 1974 and served until 1990, when he stepped down to pave the way for democratic elections.
- 1996 — Eighty-four football fans die and 180 are injured in a massive crush at a match in Guatemala City. ↗(30 years ago)
more
The Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores disaster was a crowd disaster that occurred on 16 October 1996 in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
1995 — The Million Man March takes place in Washington, D.C. About 837,000 attend. ↗(31 years ago)more
The Million Man March was a large gathering of African-American men in Washington, D.C., on Monday, October 16, 1995. Called by Louis Farrakhan, it was held on and around the National Mall. The National African American Leadership Summit, a leading group of civil rights activists and the Nation of Islam working with scores of civil rights organizations, i...
1995 — The Skye Bridge in Scotland is opened. ↗(31 years ago)more
The Skye Bridge is a road bridge over Loch Alsh, Scotland, connecting the Isle of Skye to the island of Eilean Bàn. The name is also used for the whole Skye Crossing, which further connects Eilean Bàn to the mainland across the Carrich Viaduct. The crossing forms part of the A87.
1991 — George Hennard runs amok in Killeen, Texas, killing 23 and wounding 20. ↗(35 years ago)more
The Luby's shooting, also known as the Luby's massacre, was a mass shooting that took place on October 16, 1991 at a Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, United States. The perpetrator, 35-year-old George Pierre Hennard, drove his pickup truck through the front window of the cafeteria before opening fire, killing 23 people and wounding 27 others.
1984 — Desmond Tutu is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. ↗(42 years ago)more
Desmond Mpilo Tutu was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then Archbishop of Cape Town from 1986 to 1996, in both cases being the first Black African to hold the position.
1978 — Cardinal Karol Wojtyła is elected to the papacy as Pope John Paul II, he becomes the first non-Italian pontiff since 1523. ↗(48 years ago)more
A conclave was held from 14 to 16 October 1978 to elect a new pope to succeed John Paul I, who had died on 28 September 1978, just 33 days after his election. All 111 eligible cardinal electors attended. On the eighth ballot, the conclave elected Cardinal Karol Wojtyła, the archbishop of Kraków. After accepting his election, he took the name John Paul II.
1975 — Indonesian troops kill the Balibo Five, a group of Australian journalists, in Portuguese Timor. ↗(51 years ago)more
The Balibo Five was a group of journalists working for Australian commercial television networks who were murdered in the period leading up to the Indonesian invasion of East Timor on 7 December 1975. The Balibo Five were based in the town of Balibo in East Timor, where they were killed on 16 October 1975 during Indonesian incursions before the invasion.
Notable births
- 2003 — Scott Ogden, British motorcycle racer ↗(23 years ago)
more
Scott Ogden is an English Grand Prix motorcycle racer, competing from 2025 in the Moto3 World Championship with CIP Green Power on a KTM.
2001 — Willian Pacho, Ecuadorian footballer ↗(25 years ago)more
Willian Joel Pacho Tenorio is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Ecuador national team.
1999 — Aaron Nesmith, American basketball player ↗(27 years ago)more
Aaron Joshua Nesmith is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Vanderbilt Commodores before being drafted 14th overall in the 2020 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics.
1999 — Nicolò Bulega, Italian motorcycle racer ↗(27 years ago)more
Nicolò Jarod Bulega is an Italian motorcycle racer, competing in the Superbike World Championship for the Ducati factory team, having won the 2023 Supersport World Championship with Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team by Feel Racing. He has also been a competitor in the CEV Moto3 Championship in 2014 and 2015, becoming Moto3 Junior World Champion in 2015.
1997 — Aliou Dieng, Malian footballer ↗(29 years ago)more
Aliou Dieng is a Malian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Egyptian Premier League club Al Ahly and the Mali national team.
1997 — Charles Leclerc, Monégasque racing driver ↗(29 years ago)more
Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc is a Monégasque racing driver who competes in Formula One for Ferrari. Leclerc was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 2022 with Ferrari, and has won eight Grands Prix across nine seasons.
Notable deaths
2024 — Ollie Olsen, Australian musician, composer and sound designer (born 1958) ↗(2 years ago)more
Ollie Jngbert Christian Olsen was an Australian multi-instrumentalist, composer, sound designer and pioneer of electronic music in the Southern Hemisphere. From the mid-1970s until his later years, he performed, recorded and produced electronic, rock and experimental music.
2024 — Liam Payne, English singer-songwriter from One Direction (born 1993) ↗(2 years ago)more
Liam James Payne was an English singer and songwriter. He was a member of the pop band One Direction, one of the best-selling boy bands of all time, alongside Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson.
2024 — Yahya Sinwar, leader of Hamas (born 1962) ↗(2 years ago)more
Yahya Ibrahim Hassan Sinwar was a Palestinian militant and politician who served as fourth chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau from August 2024, and as the second leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip from February 2017 until he was killed in a clash with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in October 2024. He succeeded Ismail Haniyeh in both roles.
2023 — Martti Ahtisaari, former President of Finland and Nobel Prize laureate (born 1937) ↗(3 years ago)more
Martti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari was a Finnish politician and diplomat who was the president of Finland from 1994 to 2000. He was Finland's Ambassador to Tanzania from 1973 to 1977 and United Nations Commissioner for Namibia from 1977 to 1981. Noted for his international peace work, he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008.
2017 — Daphne Caruana Galizia, Maltese journalist and blogger (born 1964) ↗(9 years ago)more
Daphne Anne Caruana Galizia was a Maltese writer, journalist, blogger and anti-corruption activist who reported on political events in Malta. She was known internationally for her investigation of the Panama Papers and subsequent assassination by a car bomb.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (290) | 2 × 5 × 29 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (76) | 2^2 × 19 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 16102026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | -10.33° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 65 days |