Browse Historical Events by Day: What Happened on September 16th?

The Mayflower ship departs from Plymouth, England, with a group of English Pilgrims bound for the New World in search of a new life – some seeking religious freedom, others a fresh start in a different land. The Mayflower and a smaller companion ship, the Speedwell had initially departed from Southampton, England, on August 15, 1620 but the Speedwell had to return to port twice and was declared unseaworthy. The Mayflower then, set out alone after taking on some of the smaller ship’s passengers and supplies. More

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Catholic Parish priest, launches the Mexican War of Independence by issuing his "Grito de Dolores" (The Battle Cry of Dolores) from the church pulpit in the town of Dolores, calling for the end of of 300 years of the Spanish rule of Mexico, the redistribution of land and racial equality. Soon after, a peasant army was marching toward Mexico City. Hidalgo was later captured and later eventually executed, on July 30, 1811. Mexican Independence is officially celebrated on September 16.

Phineas Wilcox is stabbed to death by fellow Mormons in Nauvoo, Illinois, because he was believed to be a spy. Wilcox was one of the first victims of "blood atonement," a since abandoned Mormon doctrine, that certain sins were so so serious as to put the sinner "beyond the reach of the atoning blood of Christ" For these fallen sinners, their "only hope" lay in having "their own blood shed to atone." More

The largest land run in U.S. history occurred as more than 100,000 white settlers rushed to claim over more than 6 million acres of land to claim valuable land that had once belonged to Native Americans in what is now northern Oklahoma. The mad dash began with a single gun shot, and land-hungry pioneers on horseback and in carriages raced forward to stake their claims to the best acres. Under the provisions of the Homestead Act of 1862, a legal settler could claim 160 acres of public land, and those who lived on and improved the claim for five years could receive a title to the land. More

William Durant creates General Motors which included Buick and Oldsmobile. Less than 16 months after GM’s incorporation, Durant had purchased other companies including Cadillac, Oakland (Pontiac), McLaughlin (GM Canada) and GMC. More

A bomb carried in a horse carriage - approximately 100 pounds (45kg) of dynamite - exploded outside the J.P. Morgan building at 23 Wall Street, killing 40 people and seriously injuring 143. The bombing was never solved, although investigators and historians believe it was carried out by Galleanists, an anarchist group responsible for a series of bombings the previous year. More

Gandhi announces a fast "unto death" in protest of the British government's proposal to separate India's electoral system by caste which would aggravate the Indian caste and religious divisions, and in support of his goal to end the Hindu prejudice and discrimination against the untouchables. More

The United States instituted the the first peacetime draft in United States' history. with the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, which required all men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft. Those who were selected from the draft lottery were required to serve at least one year in the armed forces. Once the U.S. entered WWII, draft terms extended through the duration of the fighting. By the end of the war in 1945, 50 million men between eighteen and forty-five had registered for the draft and 10 million had been inducted in the military. More

The Federation of Malaysia is formed by Malaya, Singapore, British North Borneo (Sabah) and Sarawak. Slightly less than two years after the September 1962 referendum, Singapore left the Federation of Malaysia and became independent. More

Papua New Guinea Independence Day from Australia.