5 National Days to Celebrate on August 16, 2026

Born on August 16

People born on August 16

1832

Wilhelm Wundt

One of the fathers of modern psychology. He was the first person to call himself a psychologist and is widely regarded as the "Father of Experimental Psychology".

1744

Pierre François André Méchain

French astronomer and surveyor who was a major contributor to the early study of comets.

1892

Otto Messmer

American cartoonist and animator who co-created Felix the Cat.

1904

Minoru Genda

Japanese general and pilot who is best known for helping to plan the attack on Pearl Harbor.

1953

Kathie Lee Gifford

Talk show host and singer.

1954

James Cameron

Multi-award winning Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter known for his science fiction and action films. Some of his credits include The Terminator, Aliens, Titanic, and the Avatar franchise,

1894

George Meany

Plumber and labor leader who played a vital role in the creation of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).

1970

Bonnie Bernstein

Sports journalist and media executive who has been named one of the most accomplished female sportscasters in history by the American Sportscasters Association.

1868

Bernarr Macfadden

Founder of magazine publishing company Macfadden Publications.

1895

Arthur Rose Eldred

First Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.

Historical Events on August 16

Events that occurred on August 16 throughout history

1513

August 16, 1513

King Henry VIII of England and his Imperial allies defeat French Forces at the Battle of the Spurs. French Forces were forced to retreat.

1691

August 16, 1691

Yorktown, Virginia, is founded and becomes a central shipping hub for the tobacco trade.

1841

August 16, 1841

President Tyler vetoes a bill to re-establish the Second Bank of the U.S. Every single member of Tyler's cabinet resigned in protest and Tyler was ousted from his party.

1858

August 16, 1858

President Buchanan makes the first transatlantic telegraph message by exchanging greetings with Queen Victoria of the UK. Queen Victoria sent a 98-character congratulatory message for the successful telegraph.

1861

August 16, 1861

President Abraham Lincoln prohibits Union states and Confederate states from trading with each other. Proclamation 86, which made all commercial trade with seceded Southern states unlawful and subject to federal forfeiture.

1913

August 16, 1913

Tōhoku Imperial University of Japan becomes the first university in Japan to admit female students. Three female students were admitted into its College of Science. The university is still open today but operates under the name Tohoku University.

1916

August 16, 1916

The Migratory Bird Treaty between Canada and the U.S. is signed. The Treaty made it unlawful without a waiver to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, or sell nearly 1,100 species of birds listed therein as migratory birds.

1920

August 16, 1920

MLB player Ray Chapman (Cleveland Indians) is hit on the head by a fastball thrown by Carl Mays (New York Yankees). Sadly, Chapman dies the next day from his injuries.

1930

August 16, 1930

The first color sound cartoon Fiddlesticks is released by Ub Iwerks. The cartoon is the first complete, individual sound cartoon to be photographed in color.

1943

August 16, 1943

The German 1st Mountain Division murder 317 Greek civilians in the village of Kommeno, Greece.

1954

August 16, 1954

The first issue of Sports Illustrated is published. The issue featured Milwaukee Braves third baseman Eddie Mathews at bat against the New York Giants at County Stadium and sold for 25 cents.

1988

August 16, 1988

IBM introduces software for artificial intelligence. The software was intended to bring artificial intelligence applications to personal computers, mid-range systems, and mainframes.