All Events

Historical Events on February 16

  • American Civil War

    1862

    American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant captures Fort Donelson, Tennessee.

  • Canadian Pacific Railway

    1881

    The Canadian Pacific Railway is incorporated by Act of Parliament at Ottawa (44th Vic., c.1).

  • Iceland

    1899

    Iceland's first football club, Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, is founded.

  • World War II

    1940

    World War II: Altmark Incident: The German tanker Altmark is boarded by sailors from the British destroyer HMS Cossack. 299 British prisoners are freed.

  • Fidel Castro

    1959

    Fidel Castro becomes Premier of Cuba after dictator Fulgencio Batista was overthrown on January 1.

  • Soviet Union

    1986

    The Soviet liner MS Mikhail Lermontov runs aground in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand.

  • Nicaragua

    1991

    Nicaraguan Contras leader Enrique Bermúdez is assassinated in Managua.

  • Amtrak

    1996

    A Chicago-bound Amtrak train, the Capitol Limited, collides with a MARC commuter train bound for Washington, D.C., killing 11 people.

  • Kyoto Protocol

    2005

    The Kyoto Protocol comes into force, following its ratification by Russia.

All Births

Famous Birthdays on February 16

All Deaths

Famous Deaths on February 16

15. February

17. February