This Day in History is DUE’s daily dose of trivia for all the history buffs out there. So sit back and take a ride of all the fascinating things that happened today!
People are trapped in history and history is trapped in people, and hence, every day has been a significant one in the foibles of history. Now, let’s take a tour of “This Day in History – 16th April”.
1889: Charlie Chaplin is born
Hollywood legend Charles Spencer Chaplin was born today in London, England. He is widely regarded as the greatest comic artist of the screen and one of the most important figures in motion-picture history. He received an Honorary Academy Award for ‘the incalculable effect he has had in making motion pictures the art form of this century’ in 1972, as part of a renewed appreciation for his work. Some of his famous work includes The Gold Rush, City Lights, Modern Times and The Great Dictator.
1945: Battle of Berlin begins
The Battle of Berlin was the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation of the Soviet Union. Also known as the Fall of Berlin, it was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II. Red Army begins its attack on the capital of Nazi Germany which lasted till 2nd May. It resulted in the surrender of the German Army and Hitler’s suicide.
1972: Apollo 16 departs for moon
The fifth of six US lunar landing missions, Apollo 16 was successfully launched to the moon from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Astronauts John W. Young and Charles M. Duke descended to the lunar surface on April 20. The two astronauts used the Lunar Rover vehicle to collect more than 200 pounds of rock before returning to Apollo 16 on April 23. Four days later, the three astronauts returned to Earth, safely splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.
1987: Michael Jordan becomes the second NBA player to score 3000 points in a season
Even though his team lost to the Atlanta Hawks after dropping 61 points, Michael Jordan became the only player other than Wilt Chamberlain to score more than 3,000 points in a season. He also scored 23 straight points in the game and became the second player (after Chamberlain) to score 50 points or more in three consecutive games. “I certainly would have traded the 61 points for a win,” he said. Read more about key moments in Jordan’s career HERE.
2007: Spider-Man 3 premieres at the Tokyo Film Festival
The third film in Sam Raimi’s Spiderman trilogy premiered today at the Tokyo Film Festival. Grossing over $890.9 million worldwide, it was the highest grossing Spiderman film ever, until Far From Home surpassed it in 2019. It won the Best Summer Blockbuster Award at the Golden Trailer Awards 2007.
2018: Kendrick Lamar becomes the first rapper to win the Pulitzer Prize
Kendrick Lamar became the first rapper and non classical/jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for music with his album DAMN. It signaled towards American cultural elite’s recognition of hip-hop as a legitimate artistic medium. The Pulitzer committee called DAMN, a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African American life.’ Loyalty, Humble and DNA are some hits from the album.
