The Nintendo Wii was released in North America, revolutionizing motion-controlled gaming
The Wii became a cultural phenomenon, getting grandparents and nursing homes into gaming with Wii Bowling. It also led to countless broken TVs from pe...
November 16 in History
Significant events that happened on this day.
Historical Events
2006
2001
Microsoft released the original Xbox console, entering the video game console market
Microsoft's first gaming console featured a built-in hard drive and launched with 'Halo: Combat Evolved,' which became so popular it arguably sold mor...
1988
Benazir Bhutto became the first woman elected to lead a Muslim-majority nation when she became Prime Minister of Pakistan
MajorAt age 35, Bhutto shattered multiple glass ceilings in a single election. Her father, also a prime minister, had been executed nine years earlier, mak...
1974
The Arecibo message was broadcast into space toward the globular cluster M13
This radio message containing information about humanity, DNA, and Earth's location was sent 25,000 light-years away. It won't arrive until the year 2...
1965
The Soviet Union launched Venera 3, which became the first spacecraft to impact another planet's surface
Venera 3 crashed into Venus in March 1966, though it lost communication before arrival and couldn't send data. Still, humanity had officially littered...
1959
The musical 'The Sound of Music' opened on Broadway
Rodgers and Hammerstein's final musical together became a sensation, running for 1,443 performances. The 1965 film adaptation would become one of the...
1945
UNESCO was founded in Paris to promote peace through international cooperation in education, sciences, and culture
MajorCreated in the aftermath of World War II, UNESCO's constitution began with the powerful declaration: 'Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in t...
1933
The United States and Soviet Union established diplomatic relations for the first time
MajorAfter 16 years of refusing to recognize the communist government, FDR normalized relations with the USSR. The timing proved crucial as both nations wo...
1913
The Federal Reserve System was established when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act
MajorAfter a secret meeting of bankers on Jekyll Island, Georgia, helped draft the plan, America finally got its central banking system. The Fed has been c...
1907
Oklahoma became the 46th state of the United States
The state was created by merging Indian Territory with Oklahoma Territory, making it the only state whose name comes from a Native American language (...
1824
The Thames River in London froze solid enough to hold the last Frost Fair
These festivals on the frozen Thames included elephant rides, puppet shows, and printing presses set up on the ice. The tradition ended forever after...
1776
British and Hessian forces captured Fort Washington in Manhattan, taking over 2,800 American prisoners
This was one of George Washington's worst defeats in the Revolutionary War. The Continental Army lost precious artillery, supplies, and nearly 3,000 t...
1532
Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro captured Incan Emperor Atahualpa at Cajamarca
MajorWith only 168 men, Pizarro ambushed and captured the Incan emperor who commanded 80,000 soldiers. Atahualpa offered to fill a room with gold and two r...