Anniversaries and commemorations come and go daily. Most of us, even the best historians, miss most occasions. If we think of history as events then we are faced with a continually showering in the grains of sand. Nevertheless, we do pick out certain patterns in the remembrance of historical dates. The blog here reminds us of some dates where the local, state, national, and global perspectives entwine.

On 16, Thursday December 1869, Hristo Tatarchev, Bulgarian revolutionary, leader of the revolutionary movement in Macedonia and Eastern Thrace, born (d. 1952)
On 16, Saturday December 1944, WWII: Germany begins the Ardennes offensive, later known as Battle of the Bulge.
On 16, Saturday December 1944, General George C. Marshall becomes the first U.S. Five-Star General.
On 16, Wednesday December 1959, Alison LaPlaca, American actress, born
On 16, Wednesday December 1959, Steve Mattsson, American writer, born
On 16, Tuesday December 1969, Prime Minister John Gorton announces that a withdrawal of Australian Army troops from the Vietnam War would begin in 1970.
On 16, Tuesday December 1969, Michelle Smith, Irish swimmer, born
On 16, Sunday December 1979, Sunday trading in Sydney public bars begins.
On 16, Sunday December 1979, Mihai Trăistariu, Romanian singer and musician, born
On 16, Sunday December 1979, Trevor Immelman, South African golfer, born
On 16, Sunday December 1979, Vagif Mustafazadeh, Azerbaijani jazz musician, died (b. 1940)
On 16, Saturday December 1989, Silvana Mangano, Italian actress, died (b. 1930)
On 16, Saturday December 1989, Aileen Pringle, American actress, died (b. 1895)
On 16, Saturday December 1989, Lee Van Cleef, American actor, died (b. 1925)
On 16, Wednesday December 2009, Astronomers discover GJ 1214 b, the first-known exoplanet on which water could exist.
On 16, Wednesday December 2009, Roy E. Disney, American businessman, died (b. 1930)
On 16, Wednesday December 2009, Yegor Gaidar, Russian politician, died (b. 1956)
On 16, Tuesday December 2014, The hostage situation in Martin Place ends with gunman Man Haron Monis and two hostages dead and four others injured.
On 16, Tuesday December 2014, The Pakistani Taliban carry out a mass shooting at an army school in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing at least 145 people, mostly schoolchildren.
On 16, Tuesday December 2014, Ernie Terrell, American boxer, died (b. 1939)

Other On This Day days in history

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Neville Buch

Professional Historian at Professional Historians Association (Queensland) Inc.

Neville Buch (Pronounced Book) Ph.D. is a certified member of the Professional Historians Association (Queensland). Since 2010 he has operated a sole trade business in history consultancy. He was a Q ANZAC 100 Fellow 2014-2015 at the State Library of Queensland. Dr Buch was the PHA (Qld) e-Bulletin, the monthly state association’s electronic publication, and was a member of its Management Committee. He is the Managing Director of the Brisbane Southside History Network.

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