On This Day – July 16th

A day of ambition, revolution, and remembrance

📅 Calendar Facts – July 16th

Gregorian Calendar: July 16 is the 197th day of the year (198th in leap years), leaving 168 days remaining.
Zodiac Sign: Individuals born on July 16 fall under the sign of Cancer, symbolised by the crab, associated with sensitivity, tenacity, and loyalty.
Season:
- Northern Hemisphere: Summer
- Southern Hemisphere: Winter
Weekday Variance: In 2025, July 16 falls on a Wednesday.

🎉 Traditions and Observances

Feast Days (Christian liturgical calendar):

Our Lady of Mount Carmel: Celebrated mainly by Roman Catholics, this feast honors the Virgin Mary in her role as the patroness of the Carmelite Order. Pilgrimages and processions are common, especially in Italy, Spain, and parts of Latin America.
Saint Helier: Patron saint of Jersey (Channel Islands), venerated for his missionary work and martyrdom.
Saint Reineldis and Saint Generosus: Lesser-known saints associated with healing and martyrdom.

🌐 Significant Historical Events on July 16

🧪 1945 – The First Atomic Bomb Test (Trinity Test)

In the New Mexico desert, the United States detonated the first atomic bomb as part of the Manhattan Project. Known as the Trinity Test, it marked the beginning of the nuclear age. The blast produced a mushroom cloud 40,000 feet high and had the explosive force equivalent to about 20 kilotons of TNT. Scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer famously quoted the Bhagavad Gita: “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”

🛰 1969 – Apollo 11 Launches

NASA launched Apollo 11 from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. It was the historic spaceflight that would take Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins to the Moon. Just four days later, Armstrong would step onto the lunar surface with the iconic words: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

🇫🇷 1791 – Funeral of the Bastille Martyrs in France

The remains of those who died during the Storming of the Bastille (July 14, 1789) were ceremoniously moved to the Pantheon in Paris, cementing their symbolic importance in the French Revolution.

🇪🇸 1936 – Start of the Spanish Civil War

A military coup led by General Francisco Franco marked the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, a brutal conflict between Republican and Nationalist forces that would last until 1939. The war had profound implications for European politics and foreshadowed the rise of fascism in Europe.

📡 1994 – Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 Strikes Jupiter

Fragments of Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 collided with Jupiter between July 16 and July 22, in one of the most significant direct observations of extraterrestrial impact in the Solar System. The event was widely studied and broadcast globally, providing valuable data on planetary science.

🏎 1950 – First Formula One Race in Italy

Italy hosted its first official Formula One Grand Prix at the Monza racetrack, laying the foundation for the country’s deep love for motorsport and iconic teams like Ferrari.

📚 Notable Birthdays – July 16

Mary Baker Eddy (1821) – American religious leader and founder of Christian Science.
Roald Amundsen (1872) – Norwegian polar explorer, first to reach the South Pole in 1911.
Ginger Rogers (1911) – American actress, singer, and dancer, famed for her partnership with Fred Astaire.
Rubén Blades (1948) – Panamanian singer, actor, and politician, celebrated in Latin jazz and salsa.
Will Ferrell (1967) – American comedian and actor known for Saturday Night Live and numerous hit comedies.
Corey Feldman (1971) – Actor known for The Goonies and Stand by Me.

🕯️ Notable Deaths – July 16

Harry Chapin (1981) – American singer-songwriter known for “Cat’s in the Cradle,” died in a car crash at age 38.
Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr. (1999) – Tragically died in a plane crash off Martha’s Vineyard along with her sister, Lauren.

🗓️ Other Notable July 16 Events

1965 – Mont Blanc Tunnel Opens: The 11.6-kilometer tunnel connecting France and Italy through the Alps opens to traffic.
1951 – The Catcher in the Rye Published: J.D. Salinger’s iconic novel was first released, later becoming one of the most studied and banned books in U.S. schools.
1990 – 7.7 Earthquake in the Philippines: A powerful quake struck Luzon, killing over 1,600 people and causing widespread destruction.

🔭 Astronomy & Science Highlights

Sun and Earth Position: Around this time in July, Earth is well into its orbit past the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, with long daylight hours continuing.
Meteor Showers: The Southern Delta Aquariids begin to be visible in mid-July, peaking in late July.
Moon Phase (varies by year): Check lunar calendars for visibility; July 16 has coincided with lunar eclipses in some years.

💡 Fun Fact

On July 16, 622 CE, the Hijra (migration of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina) began. This date would later mark the beginning of the Islamic calendar (1 AH). While it does not always fall on July 16 due to the Islamic lunar calendar, it’s a pivotal historical marker.

📌 Summary

July 16 is a day deeply tied to scientific progress, revolutionary change, and cultural significance. From the dawn of the nuclear era and the first steps toward the Moon to pivotal revolutions and legendary literary works, it marks moments that shaped humanity’s path forward.

: 1918
In 1918 the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II, was executed with his wife and children after the ‘February Revolution’.

After the ‘February Revolution’ between the 8^th and 12^th of March (called the February Revolution because it started in February based on the old Julian calendar used at the time) Tsar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate by the will of the people. His Army garrison in the capital of Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) had also joined the revolutionaries calling for socialist reforms and it was not safe for him or his family anymore. Upon his abdication, he named his brother as his successor, but he wisely turned down the position which ended Tsarist rule in Russia. When counter-revolutionary forces began to advance on the captive ex-Tsar’s position in July 1918, the soviet revolutionaries executed Nicholas, his wife, children and many of the servants, shooting them dead on the night of the 16^th of July 1918.; 1945
In 1945 the first atomic weapon was tested in New Mexico, United States.

Since the time of the ancient Greeks, it was believed that small particles known as atoms made up all matter. However, after several experiments with cathode rays, British Physicist Joseph J. Thomson, provided evidence for the first sub-atomic particle, the electron, on the 30^th of April 1897. Thomson was also a gifted teacher with many of his students becoming great physicists. One such student was New Zealand-born, Ernest Rutherford who theorised the nucleus of an atom and went on to prove the existence of the Proton (and was believed to have been the first to “split the atom”) in 1917. Two more of Thomson’s famous students were American Physicist, Julius Robert Oppenheimer and Danish Physicist Niels Henrik David Bohr.

Francis Perrin was one of a French group of scientists who were working on nuclear chain reactions and he discovered that “Heavy Water” of H₃0 would make the perfect moderator needed to weaponise such reactions. The only known source of “Heavy Water” was found at the hydroelectric dam in Norway. When the French group contacted Norway to obtain the H₃0, they discovered that Germany had already purchased some in large quantities. The French Government explained the possible use of H₃0, and consequently, all stockpiles were given to France. When France was invaded by Germany the stockpiles were then shipped to Britain for safety.

Many physicists had growing concerns that Germany’s experiments in nuclear reactions could culminate in powerful weapons that Hitler would not hesitate to use. Some of these physicists, including Albert Einstein, had contacted the US President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, with their concerns and requested that the US begin research into the field itself. Although the US was neutral at the time, it was widely believed that if Germany could produce such a weapon without comparison, they would have power over the entire world. British and Canadian scientists were working on the problem (with “Project Tube Alloys”), but with preoccupations of fighting the war, they had no resources for such a huge project. Roosevelt initially took some convincing, but eventually, he signed Executive Order 8807 on the 28th of June 1941, and this gave the order for the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD), part of which would later become the “Manhattan Project”. The British “Tube Alloys” project was amalgamated into the Manhattan Project, and several scientists, including Niels Bohr, Vannevar Bush, Arthur Compton, Albert Einstein, Enrico Fermi, Emil Fuchs, Otto Frisch and Oppenheimer worked on the project. On the 15^th of July 1945, the fruits of their labour were recognised with the first test of a nuclear weapon, which was detonated in New Mexico, US.