16 October in Indian and World History is celebrated, observed, and remembered for various reasons. 16 October is the birth anniversary of Vallathol Narayana Menon, Seth Govind Das, Naveen Patnaik, and Hema Malini.
16 October is also observed as the death anniversary of Veerapandiya Kattabomman, and Ganesh Ghosh.
Birth Anniversary on 16 October
16 October in Indian history is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the following personalities:
Vallathol Narayana Menon (16 October 1878 – 13 March 1958) was a celebrated poet in Malayalam literature and a nationalist. He played a significant role in the revival of the traditional Kerala art form of Kathakali.
Seth Govind Das (16 October 1896 – 18 June 1974), an Indian freedom fighter, parliamentarian, and Hindi writer. He belongs to the Indian National Congress Political party. Govind Das was a strong supporter of Hindi as the official language of India. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1961 in the field of literature and education by the Government of India. He was born on 16 October 1896.
Naveen Patnaik, an Indian politician serving as the current and 14th Chief Minister of Odisha. He is also the president of the Biju Janata Dal, a writer and has authored three books. He is the longest-serving chief minister of Odisha and as of 2021, one of the longest-serving chief ministers of any Indian state, holding the post for over two decades. Patnaik won five consecutive terms as Chief Minister of an Indian state becoming the third Indian chief Minister after Pawan Chamling and Jyoti Basu to do so. He was born on 16 October 1946.
Hema Malini, is a famous actress in Hindi films and the current MP from the Mathura Lok Sabha seat of the Bharatiya Janata Party. She is one of the few Bollywood actresses who have a unique combination of beauty and acting. This famous actress and dancer acted in many superhit films in a career spanning almost four decades. Due to her beauty and style, she came to be called the dream girl of Bollywood. From the cinema world to Parliament and from the stage of dance festivals to the small screen, Hema Malini has been capturing the attention of the audience with her charming presence everywhere. Experienced, beautiful, and talented Hema Malini is an invaluable heritage of the Indian art world. She was born on 16 October 1948 in Ammankudi, Tamil Nadu.
Read More: 15 October in Indian and World History
Death Anniversary on 16 October
16 October in Indian history is observed as the death anniversary of the following personalities:
Veerapandiya Kattabomman (3 January 1760 – 16 October 1799) was a courageous leader and the chieftain of Panchalankurichi in Tamil Nadu. He is remembered for his valiant resistance against the British East India Company. Defiantly opposing the British taxes and refusing to accept their sovereignty, Kattabomman became a symbol of the struggle for Indian independence. His legacy is marked by his execution on 16 October 1799, which ignited further rebellion against British rule.
Ganesh Ghosh (22 June 1900 – 16 October 1994), a Bengali Indian freedom fighter, revolutionary, and politician. He was arrested in connection with the ‘Maniktala bomb case’. In 1928, he got out of jail and attended the Kolkata session of Congress. Ganesh Ghosh became a member of the Communist Party in 1946. He was elected to the Bengal Legislative Assembly in 1952 and the Lok Sabha in 1967. He died on 16 October 1994 in Kolkata.
Read More: 14 October in Indian and World History
Notable events on 16 October in Indian and World History
Some of the Notable events on 16 October in World History are mentioned below:
16 October 1745 – Olaudah Equiano a remarkable figure in history who transitioned from a life of enslavement to becoming a prominent African involved in the British movement to abolish the transatlantic slave trade.
16 October 1757 – The Austrian army captured Berlin, the capital of Germany.
16 October 1854 – Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde, a celebrated Irish poet and playwright known for his sharp wit, distinctive writing style, and controversial life was born.
16 October 1888 – Eugene O’Neill, an Irish-American playwright, and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born.
16 October 1905 – The first partition of Bengal was done by Lord Curzon.
16 October 1915 – Britain declared war on Bulgaria on this day.
16 October 1923 – The sixth tropical storm hit the Gulf of Mexico.
16 October 1923 – Roy and Walt Disney founded the Walt Disney Company on this day.
16 October 1927 – Gunter Grass, a German novelist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born.
16 October 1939 – During the Second World War, Germany made the first attack on British territory.
16 October 1942 – Forty thousand people died in the cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal.
16 October 1951 – Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, was shot dead in Rawalpindi.
16 October 1958 – The US conducted a nuclear test in Nevada.
16 October 1959 – National Council for Women’s Education was established on this day.
16 October 1959 – George Marshall, an American army officer and statesman, and Nobel Prize Laureate, died.
16 October 1863 – Austen Chamberlain was a British statesman. In 1925, Austen Chamberlain was awarded the Nobel Prize, was Born.
16 October 1964 – China conducted its first nuclear explosion.
16 October 1968 – Hargobind Khurana was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
16 October 1971 – Emilio Pettoruti – a pioneering Argentine painter – died.
16 October 1978 – Indian cricketer Kapil Dev made his Test debut against Pakistan in Faisalabad.
16 October 1982 – The Soviet Union conducted underground nuclear tests.
16 October 1984 – South African social activist Desmond Tutu was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace.
16 October 1993 – Flora Nwapa, an important figure in the world of literature, died.
16 October 1999 – The US imposed sanctions on Pakistan in protest against the military rule.
16 October 2002 – India’s Sunita Rani was stripped of her medal in 2002 after she failed the doping test, winning one gold and one bronze at the 14th Asian Games.
16 October 2003 – Malayali filmmaker Adoor Gopakrishnan was awarded France’s second highest civilian honor ‘Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters’.
16 October 2004 – The death toll in Darfur reached 70,000. The United States designated Iraqi Abu Musar Jal Zarqawi’s organization as a terrorist organization.
16 October 2005 – The G20 countries unanimously agreed to reform the World Bank and the IMF.
16 October 2012 – A new planet outside the Solar System ‘Alpha Century Bb’ was detected.
16 October 2013 – 49 people were killed when a Lao Airlines plane crashed shortly before landing at Pakse International Airport in Laos, a southeast Asian country.
16 October 2014 – New Zealand, Malaysia, Angola, Spain, and Venezuela were elected to the United Nations Security Council.
16 October Historical Significance
October 16th is a date marked by numerous significant historical events that have shaped the course of history. On this day in 1793, the Battle of Wattignies saw French forces defeat the Allies and lift the siege of Maubeuge, which was a turning point during the French Revolutionary Wars. The Battle of Leipzig, also known as the Battle of Nations, occurred on October 16, 1813, and was the largest battle in Europe prior to World War I, leading to Napoleon’s defeat by the coalition forces of Prussia, Austria, and Russia. In the realm of exploration, Christopher Columbus’s fleet anchored at “Fernandina” (Long Island, Bahamas) on October 16, 1492, during his voyage of discovery. Additionally, the partition of Bengal on October 16, 1905, was a momentous event that had a lasting impact on the Indian subcontinent, leading to widespread protests and the eventual reversal of the partition. These events, among others, highlight the importance of October 16th in global history, reflecting a tapestry of military, political, and exploratory milestones.
Important Days of 16 October in History
Some of the Notable events on 16 October in History are mentioned below:
- World Anaesthesia Day: Observed on October 16 every year. The day strives to raise awareness about the importance of anaesthesia in medical treatments. It also supports anaesthesia providers around the world to celebrate their profession. The discovery of anesthesia helps patients undergo surgical treatments without any pain. Therefore, it is considered to be significant in the history of medicine.
- World Food Day: A day dedicated to tackling global hunger and striving to achieve Zero Hunger by promoting sustainable agricultural practices and ensuring nutritious diets for all.
- Boss’s Day: Also known as National Boss Day, this day provides an opportunity for employees to show appreciation for their bosses and supervisors.