16 December in Indian and World History is celebrated, observed, and remembered for various reasons. 16 December is the birth anniversary of Hawa Singh.
16 December is also observed as the death anniversary of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, and Shakeela Bano.
Birth Anniversary
16 December in Indian history is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the following personalities:
Hawa Singh (16 December 1937 – 14 August 2000), one of the best boxers in India. Hawa Singh gave a new direction to the game of boxing for years and brought laurels to the country. Served the country as a boxer first and remained associated with the game till the end. He was awarded ‘Arjuna Award’ in 1966 and in 1968 he was presented with the best player trophy by the Chief of Army Staff. In the year 1999, the ‘Dronacharya Award’ was announced for Hawa Singh. He was born on 16 December 1937 in Bhiwani, Haryana.
Read More: 14 December in Indian and World History
Death Anniversary
16 December in Indian history is observed as the death anniversary of the following personalities:
Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal (14 October 1950 – 16 December 1971), an Indian awarded with the Param Vir Chakra. He received this honor posthumously in 1971. The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, in which Bangladesh was born as an independent country from Pakistan, holds an important place not only in the history of India but in the history of the whole world. This war lasted till 17 December 1971. Pakistan was not only defeated but his state East Pakistan was born as an independent nation, which came to be called Bangladesh. Many heroes sacrificed their lives in this war. Second Lieutenant Arun Khetrapal is one of them. He Martyrdom on 16 December 1971.
Shakeela Bano (1942 – 16 December 2002), a famous Indian qawwal. Bhopal’s identity Shakeela Bano has the status of being the first woman qawwal. After a long struggle, she got an opportunity to showcase his talent in films and on stage. Shakeela Bano’s fame is also in countries outside India. She has presented his programs in countries like East Africa, England, and Kuwait. She died on 16 December 2002.
Read More: 13 December in Indian and World History
Notable events on 16 December in Indian and World history
16 December 1707 – The last volcanic eruption occurred in Mount Fuji, Japan.
16 December 1824 – The Great North Holland Canal was opened.
16 December 1889 – By accepting the Declaration of Rights of the British Parliament, King William and Queen Mary recognized the right of the people in governance.
16 December 1922– Eliezer Ben Yehuda, linguist, grammarian, and journalist, died.
16 December 1927 – The great Australian batsman Sir Don Bradman made his first-class debut with a match between New South Wales and South Australia.
16 December 1929 – The Calcutta (now Kolkata) Electricity Supply Corporation started excavation of the canal inside the Hooghly River.
16 December 1938 – German chemist Otto Hahn discovered the nuclear fission of uranium.
16 December 1958 – 82 people died in a massive fire in a warehouse in Colombia’s capital Bogota.
16 December 1971 – After India and Pakistan agreed on a ceasefire, Bangladesh separated from Pakistan and became an independent nation.
16 December 1985 – Establishment of the first Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu.
16 December 2006 – The space constitution in Nepal was finalized.
16 December 2007 – Bangladesh celebrated the 36th Victory Day, the day of liberation from Pakistan.
16 December 2008 – The Central Government accepted the recommendations of the Chadha Committee constituted to review the salary of Central Universities teachers.
16 December 2013 – a bus overturned in the Philippine capital Manila, killing 18 people and injuring 20 others.
16 December 2014 – Tehrik-e-Taliban attack on a school in Peshawar in Pakistan killed 145 people, mostly schoolchildren.
16 December is observed as Vijay Diwas. It is celebrated on 16 December in India to remember the martyrs, their sacrifices, and to strengthen the role of armed forces for the cause of the nation.