On This day December 16th

 


December 16th is the three-hundred-fiftieth day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 15 days remaining until the end of the year.



Events

1598 – Seven-Year War: Battle of Noryang: The final battle of the Seven-Year War was fought between China and the Korean allied forces and Japanese navies, resulting in a decisive victory for the Allied forces.

1653 – English Interregnum: The Protectorate: Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

1773 – American Revolution: Boston Tea Party: Members of the Sons of Liberty disguised as Mohawk Indians dump hundreds of crates of tea into Boston harbor to protest the Tea Act.

1826 – Benjamin W. Edwards rides into Mexican-controlled Nacogdoches, Texas, and declares himself ruler of the Republic of Fredonia.

1880 – Outbreak of the First Boer War between the Boer South African Republic and the British Empire.

1905—In Rugby Union, Wales and New Zealand play the "Match of the Century" at Cardiff Arms Park.

1944 – World War II: The Battle of the Bulge begins with the surprise offensive of three German armies through the Ardennes forest.

2022 – A landslide occurs at a camp at an organic farm near the town of Batang Kali in Selangor, Malaysia, trapping 92 people and killing 31.

  



Birthdays


1584 – John Selden, English jurist and scholar (d. 1654)

1630 – Mary Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort, British botanist (d. 1715)

1742 – Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, German field marshal (d. 1819)

1770 – Ludwig van Beethoven, composer (d. 1827)

1775 – Jane Austen, English novelist (d. 1817)

1836 – Ernst von Bergmann, Latvian-German surgeon and academic (d. 1907)

1896 – Anna Anderson, an imposter who claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia (d. 1984)

1901 – Margaret Mead, American anthropologist and author (d. 1978)

1917 – Arthur C. Clarke, English science fiction writer (d. 2008)

1928 – Philip K. Dick, American philosopher and author (d. 1982)

1943 – Steven Bochco, American television writer and producer (d. 2018)

1949 – Billy Gibbons, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer

1961 – Bill Hicks, American comedian and musician (d. 1994)

1994 – Elliot Lee, English footballer





  Holiday Highlight


UNDERDOG DAY


The term “underdog” originally described a shipbuilder laboring in a dark pit, overshadowed by a supervisor sawing wood above. Despite their hard work, the underdog received no credit. By the late nineteenth century, it evolved to refer to the “beaten dog in a battle,” with bets placed on the least likely to win. 1976 Peter Moeller established Underdog Day to honor life’s unsung heroes.

Underdogs like Forrest Gump and Gabby Douglas challenge the traditional narrative today, while fiction showcases iconic underdog triumphs, such as Rocky Balboa and William Wallace from “Braveheart.” These characters reflect a deep human connection to life’s struggles, as many relate more to flawed individuals whose efforts often go unnoticed than to flawless heroes. Idealized figures can foster resentment, especially when we overlook the essential role of underdogs or sidekicks, like Dr. Watson in the Sherlock Holmes stories.

 

Holidays And Observance 


Barbie and Barney Backlash Day 

Boston Tea Party Day 

Day of Reconciliation (South Africa) 

National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day 

Stupid Toy Day 

Zionism Day 

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