Summary of the Day ✨ 16 November (16/11)
NASA launched Artemis 1 on the first flight of the Space Launch System while simultaneously sending Space Shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station, though a separate Vega rocket carrying scientific satellites failed shortly after liftoff. Australia ended a 31-year drought by defeating Uruguay in a penalty shootout to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, while gamers worldwide celebrated the release of Half-Life 2, a game that would go on to win 39 Game of the Year awards and be hailed as one of the greatest ever made.
Historical Events 📜
- 2022: Artemis Program: NASA launches Artemis 1 on the first flight of the Space Launch System, the start of the program’s future missions to the moon.
- 2020: A Vega rocket carrying SEOSat-Ingenio and TARANIS fails after liftoff.
- 2009: Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on mission STS-129 to the International Space Station.
- 2005: Following a 31-year wait, Australia defeats Uruguay in a penalty shootout to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
- 2004: Half-Life 2 is released, a game winning 39 Game of the Year awards and being cited as one of the best games ever made.
- 2002: The first cases of the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak are traced to Foshan, Guangdong Province, China.
- 1997: After nearly 18 years of incarceration, China releases Wei Jingsheng, a pro-democracy dissident, from jail for medical reasons.
- 1992: The Hoxne Hoard is discovered by metal detectorist Eric Lawes in Hoxne, Suffolk.
- 1990: Pop group Milli Vanilli are stripped of their Grammy Award because the duo did not sing at all on the Girl You Know It’s True album. Session musicians had provided all the vocals.
- 1989: El Salvadoran army troops kill six Jesuit priests and two others at Jose Simeon Canas University.
- 1988: The Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic declares that Estonia is “sovereign” but stops short of declaring independence.
- 1988: In the first open election in more than a decade, voters in Pakistan elect populist candidate Benazir Bhutto to be Prime Minister of Pakistan.
- 1981: Aeroflot Flight 3603 crashes during landing at Norilsk Airport, killing 99.
- 1979: The first line of Bucharest Metro (Line M1) is opened from Timpuri Noi to Semănătoarea in Bucharest, Romania.
- 1974: The Arecibo message is broadcast from Puerto Rico.
Famous Births 👶
- 2006: Mason Ramsey, American singer
- 2000: Josh Green, Australian basketball player
- 1999: Bol Bol, South Sudanese-American basketball player
- 1999: Mats Wieffer, Dutch footballer
- 1997: Bruno Guimarães, Brazilian footballer
- 1996: Ivan Baran, Croatian writer
- 1996: Boulaye Dia, Senegalese footballer
- 1996: Trinovi Khairani, Indonesian politician
- 1995: André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Cameroonian footballer
- 1994: Yoshiki Yamamoto, Japanese footballer
- 1993: C. J. Beathard, American football player
- 1993: Nélson Semedo, Portuguese footballer
- 1993: Denzel Valentine, American basketball player
- 1992: George Akpabio, Nigerian footballer
- 1992: Matthew Allwood, Australian rugby league player
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2024: Vladimir Shklyarov, Russian ballet dancer (born 1985)
- 2022: Robert Clary, French-American actor and author (born 1926)
- 2022: Arthur Ngirakelsong, 2nd Chief Justice of Palau (born 1941)
- 2021: Jyrki Kasvi, Finnish journalist and politician (born 1964)
- 2020: Sheila Nelson, English string teacher (born 1936)
- 2019: John Campbell Brown, Scottish astronomer (born 1947)
- 2019: Terry O’Neill, British photographer (born 1938)
- 2018: William Goldman, American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter (born 1931)
- 2017: Hiromi Tsuru, Japanese actress (born 1960)
- 2017: Ann Wedgeworth, American actress (born 1934)
- 2016: Jay Wright Forrester, American computer engineer (born 1918)
- 2016: Melvin Laird, American politician and writer (born 1922)
- 2016: Daniel Prodan, Romanian football player (born 1972)
- 2015: David Canary, American actor (born 1938)
- 2015: Michael C. Gross, American graphic designer and producer (born 1945)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Christian feast day:
Africus - Christian feast day:
Agnes of Assisi - Christian feast day:
Edmund of Abingdon - Christian feast day:
Elfric of Abingdon - Christian feast day:
Eucherius of Lyon - Christian feast day:
Gertrude the Great (Roman Catholic Church) - Christian feast day:
Giuseppe Moscati - Christian feast day:
Gobrain - Christian feast day:
Hugh of Lincoln - Christian feast day:
Margaret of Scotland - Christian feast day:
Matthew the Evangelist (Eastern Christianity) - Christian feast day:
Othmar - Christian feast day:
Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn - Christian feast day:
Roch Gonzalez, Juan de Castillo, and Alonso Rodriguez, SJ - Christian feast day:
November 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)