December 16 in Pop Culture History |
| December 16th is… Barbie and Barney Backlash Day Green Chili Day Chocolate-Covered Anything Day |
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1707 (Eruption) The last recorded eruption of Mount Fuji in Japan. 1773 – The Boston Tea Party. Massachusetts colonists, ‘the Sons of Liberty,’ disguised as Mohawk Indians board three British tea ships and dump 342 chests of tea into Boston harbor. 1811 (Earthquake) An 8.6 magnitude earthquake hit the United States, the largest in our history. The area affected included: Missouri, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas. Amazingly, no people were killed. 1835 – Great Fire of New York City. Over 600 buildings were destroyed. 1884 – The first US patent (#309,219) was issued for an automatic liquid vending machine to William H. Fruen of Minneapolis, MN. People could get a measured amount of a liquid for coin payment. 1893 – Czech composer Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 in E Minor From the New World was performed at Carnegie Hall. The music had African roots, and the piece greatly influenced the American musical landscape for the next century. 1912 -The world’s first stamp to depict an airplane was issued in the US, available at Post Offices on January 1, 1912. 1920 (Earthquake) Haiyuan County, Ningxia, China 1944 – Attacking the Allies in northern France through northwestern Belgium, Hitler’s army started the Operation Mist (aka Ardennes Offensive or the Battle of the Bulge). 1965 – Astronauts Wally Schirra and Thomas Stafford made Jingle Bells the first song performed in space. They played it on a harmonica with bells (and implied spotting Santa) while orbiting Earth on Gemini 6 on On Dec. 16, 1965. 1972 – #1 Hit December 16, 1972 – January 5, 1973: Billy Paul – Me and Mrs. Jones 1983 – Silkwood and Uncommon Valor debuted in theaters. 1988 – Rain Man, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Torch Song Trilogy were released in theaters. 1991 – In Captain America: The Winter Soldier the newspaper announcing Howard and Maria Stark’s death is dated December 17, 1991, a clear connection to “Mission Report – December 16, 1991” – the revelation that Winter Soldier killed Tony’s parents – in Captain America: Civil War. 1994 – Dumb and Dumber was released in theaters. 2006 – #1 Hit December 16, 2006 – February 23, 2007: Beyonce – Irreplaceable 2010- CNN’s Larry King Live aired the last original episode. 2011 – Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol were released in theaters. |