View Historical Events by Day:
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on July 16th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
Note: Sources for the historical content shown, include research and reviews of relevant Online History Resources or printed material. When possible, we show a link to a source which provides additional or unique perspective about the event.
We do our best to provide accurate information but would appreciate being notified if any incorrect information is found. You may do so by using our Feedback link.
The Roman legions led by Germanicus, decisively defeat the Cherusci forces tribes led by Arminius near the Weser River, c. July, 16 CE at the battle of Idistaviso although Arminius was able to escape. The victory avenged the Teutoburg Forest disaster.
The Battle of Spercheios takes place on July 16, 997 resulting in a decisive Byzantine victory that virtually destroyed the Bulgarian army and ended its raids into southern Greece.
Thr battle took place during the reign of Emperor Basil II but the Byzantine forces were led on the field by General Nikephoros Ouranos, who Basil had appointed as "Domestic of the West".
The Great Schism, the separation of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church takes place when papal legate Cardinal Humbert, excommunicates the Patriarch of Constantinople, Michael Cerularius. The Patriarch and his council responded four days later by excommunicating Cardinal Humbert, formally enacting the split.
Key factors leading to the separation of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church included disagreements over the Pope's absolute authority, and a major theological dispute over the "Filioque" clause in the Nicene Creed. The original creed stated the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, but the West changed it to "proceeds from the Father and the Son," which was a major concern for the East and was not agreed upon by Eastern churches.
The rift was also enhanced by growing political and cultural tensions and disagreements over practices such as married clergy (allowed in the East) versus celibacy (required in the West) and language differences (Latin in the West, Greek in the East).
Pope Leo IX issues a papal bull, presented by Cardinal Humbert, on July 16, 1054. excommunicating the Patriarch of Constantinople, Michael I Cerularius, leading to the Great Schism between the Eastern and Western Christian Churches.
Christian forces decisively defeat the Almohads on July 16, 1212 at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in Spain
.tiff?auto=format,compress&fit=max&w=160&h=232)
Fr. Junípero Serra founds the Mission San Diego de Alcalá. The first of the California Missions. Fr. Junipero Sierra founded eight more of the 21 California missions: Carmel, San Antonio, San Gabriel, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco (Mission Dolores). San Juan Capistrano, Santa Clara, and San Buenaventura, Serra’s missions helped strengthen Spain’s control of Alta California.
President George Washington signs the Residence Act bill which approved the creation of a national capital on the Potomac River. The bill declared that the exact location was to be selected by President Washington. The initial shape of the federal district was a square from land donated by Maryland and Virginia, measuring 10 miles (16 km) on each side and totaling 100 square miles (259 km2). More
Bolshevik troops executed Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, and their five children: Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei. Bringing the Russian Romanov dynasty to an end.
Also killed that night were members of the imperial entourage who had accompanied them. The details of the execution and the location of their final resting place remained a Soviet secret for more than six decades. In 1926 the Soviet regime acknowledged the murders of the entire family. In 1979, amateur detective Alexander Avdonin located a burial site near Yekaterinburg, Russia, that contained the remains of the Tsar, Tsarina, and three of their daughters. The bodies were not exhumed at that time due to political sensitivities within the Soviet Union. In 1991, following the fall of the Soviet Union, a state-sponsored team of investigators exhumed the remains. In 1993 DNA analysis confirmed the remains were those of the Romanov family. A separate grave containing the remains of the two missing children, Alexei and Maria, was found in 2007.
The first atomic bomb “ nicknamed “Gadget,” is successfully tested at the Trinity Site in Alamogordo, New Mexico as part of the Manhattan Project. Gadget detonation was between 15 and 20 kilotons of force, slightly more than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The Atomic Age had begun. More
John F. Kennedy Jr. dies in a plane crash. He was piloting a Piper Saratoga when it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. His wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and her sister, Lauren Bessette, were also on board and perished in the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined the probable cause was the pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft during a descent over water, citing spatial disorientation, as a contributing factor during haze and dark conditions. JFK Jr. was certified to fly under visual flight rules (VFR) and was not instrument rated.
