| Date | Name | Location / Topic | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signing of the Peace Accords |  | ||
| Teachers' Day |  | ||
| Anniversary of President Laurent Kabila’s Assassination |  | ||
| Nothing Day |  | ||
| National Without a Scalpel Day |  | ||
| National Religious Freedom Day |  | ||
| National Fig Newton Day |  | ||
| Anniversary of Prime Minister Patrice Emery Lumumba’s Assassination observed | |||
| Soup Swap Day |  | ||
| International Snowmobile Safety And Awareness Week |  | ||
| National Quinoa Day |  | ||
| National Good Teen Day |  | ||
| International Hot And Spicy Food Day |  | ||
| National Appreciate A Dragon Day |  | ||
| National Use Your Gift Card Day |  | ||
Historical Events on January 16
- 1780: During the American Revolutionary War, A Spanish squadron commanded by Don Juan de Langara was defeated by a British fleet that was commanded by Admiral Sir George Rodney off of the southern coast of Portugal.
- 1786: The Statute for Religious Freedom – which was authored by Thomas Jefferson – is enacted by Virginia.
- 1809: The French are defeated by the British at the Battle of La Coruna during the Peninsular War.
- 1909: The expedition of Ernest Shackleton discovers where the magnetic South Pole lies.
- 1919: The U.S ratifies the 18th Amendment to the United States’ Constitution. This amendment requires that alcoholic products become illegal the following year.
- 1942: Carol Lombard and 21 other people are killed when TWA Flight 3 crashes.
- 1945: Adolf Hitler retreats into his secured, underground bunker on this day.
- 1964: The play “Hello, Dolly!” begins on this day on Broadway.
- 1991: The Gulf War begins when Coalition Forces enter the war with Iraq.
- 2003: Mission STS-107 takes off. This is the last mission by the Space Shuttle Columbia. A little over two weeks later, the Columbia would disintegrate on re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
- 2003: Seven crew members died during when Columbia disintegrated. These crew members were:
- Commander Rick Husband, Pilot William C. McCool, Payload Commander Michael P. Anderson, Mission Specialist David M. Brown, Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Mission Specialist Laurel Clark and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon.
Famous Birthdays on January 16
- French businessman and co-founder of the Michelin Tyre Company, Andre Michelin is born in 1853.
- English actor and director, Edward Gordon Craig is born in 1872.
- American author Margaret Wilson is born in 1882.
- American novelist and essayist, Susan Sontag is born in 1933.
- American photographer Ralph Gibson is born in 1939.
- American screenwriter and director, John Carpenter is born in 1948.
- American businesswoman and founder of Auntie Anne’s, Anne F. Beiler is born in 1949.
- American comedian and actor, Robert Schimmel is born in 1950.
- American engineer and author, Julie Anne Peters is born in 1952.
- English model and fashion designer, Kate Moss is born in 1974.
- American singer Aaliyah is born in 1979.