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What Happened Today in History on November 16

Explore the historical events that shaped our world on November 16th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.

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1093 CE, November 16

Margaret of Scotland, Queen of Scotland, dies on November 16, 1093 at Edinburgh Castle, reportedly of grief, a few days after learning of her husband and eldest son's deaths in battle.

She was a deeply pious and charitable woman known for her work in church reform and for aiding the poor. In 1250, Pope Innocent IV officially canonized her as a saint in the Roman Catholic in recognition of her holiness and fidelity. She was later declared a patroness of Scotland in 1673. Her feast day is currently celebrated on November 16, the date of her death, in the revised General Roman Calendar, while some traditionalist Catholics observe it on June 10.

1414 CE, November 16

The Council of Constance is convened by Pope John XXIII, on November 16, 1414 aiming to resolve the Western Schism and address church reform.

1532 CE, November 16

Francisco Pizarro and his conquistadors captured the Inca Atahualpa in Cajamarca, Peru. Pizarro had set a trap for Atahualpa inviting him to a feast in the emperor’s honor and then had his men open fire on the unarmed Incas.

Atahualpa agreed to pay a large ransom of tons of gold and silver for his release. Although Atahualpa produced the ransom, the Spanish executed him anyway on July 26, 1533. More

1776 CE, November 16

British forces capture Fort Washington in New York during the American Revolutionary War.

1776 CE, November 16

Sint Eustatius, then a Dutch possession island in the north eastern Caribbean Sea, becomes the first foreign government to officially recognize the nascent United States of America as the cannon at Fort Oranje fired a salute to the brig Andrew Doria, which was flying the new Stars and Stripes flag.

The island was probably the major source of supplies for the rebelling North American British colonies. Sint Eustatius was considered to be speaking for the Netherlands in the matter and Great Britain lodged a complaint with The Hague in early 1777. Sint Eustatius is now a special municipality within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

1907 CE, November 16

Oklahoma is admitted to the United States of America becoming the 46th State of the Union.

1973 CE, November 16

U.S. President Richard Nixon signs the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act on November 16, 1973. The act authorized the construction of the 800-mile pipeline from the Alaska North Slope to the port city of Valdez, and it removed legal barriers that had blocked the project, largely from environmental lawsuits.

1988 CE, November 16

Benazir Bhutto is elected prime minister of Pakistan, becoming the first woman in modern history to lead a Muslim country. She went on to serve as prime minister from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 1996. Bhutto was murdered on 27 December 2007 by a 15-year-old suicide bomber. More