1568
Politics
Mary, Queen of Scots, arrives in England and is detained by Elizabeth
Mary, Queen of Scots, fled to England and was detained on Elizabeth’s orders, beginning nearly nineteen years of confinement.
View detailsThis Day
16May
34 indexed achievements across recorded history.
1718
Science
Birth of Maria Gaetana Agnesi in Milan
Maria Gaetana Agnesi was born in Milan, Italy, the eldest of a wealthy silk merchant's many children, and would become a celebrated mathematician.
View details1770
Politics
Wedding to Louis-Auguste at Versailles
Official wedding ceremony to Louis-Auguste at Versailles, became dauphine of France.
View details1770
Science
Marriage to the Dauphin Louis-Auguste
Married the future Louis XVI at Versailles at age 14, sealing the Franco-Austrian alliance.
View details1882
Science
Documented as inventor from Philadelphia in life‑raft patent
Life‑raft patent specification recorded her as an inventor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
View details1882
Science
First woman to patent a life raft
First woman known to patent a life raft, a milestone in maritime safety tech.
View details1882
Science
U.S. life‑raft patent granted (No. 258,191)
Granted U.S. patent No. 258,191 for her life raft with collapsible metal floats, later used on ships like the Titanic.
View details1894
Science
First woman to earn a B.S. in engineering from UC Berkeley
Morgan became the first woman to earn a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.
View details1898
Arts
Birth of Tamara de Lempicka in Warsaw
Tamara de Lempicka was born in Warsaw, which she often romanticized.
View details1910
Science
Birth of Olga Berggolts in St. Petersburg
Olga Fyodorovna Berggolts was born on 16 May 1910 in St. Petersburg, Russian Empire, into a family of a factory doctor of German descent.
View details1910
Law
Court of Claims dismissal of Liliuokalani v. United States
U.S. Court of Claims dismisses Liliuokalani v. United States, rejecting her crown land compensation claim.
View details1920
Politics
Canonization as a saint
Canonization of Joan of Arc as a saint by Pope Benedict XV.
View details1920
Politics
Execution of Maria Bochkareva
Executed by firing squad in Krasnoyarsk on May 16, 1920.
View details1921
Arts
First woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Zona Gale was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play "Miss Lulu Bett," becoming the first woman ever to win the award.
View details1923
Aviation
FAI pilot's license
Became the 16th woman in the US to be issued a pilot's license (No. 6017) by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.
View details1928
Arts
Patent application filed for permanent wave machine
Joyner submitted her petition and drawings to the U.S. Patent Office for her permanent wave machine.
View details1950
Science
Died in Brooklyn, New York
Alice Kober died at age 43, before completing her decipherment work on Linear B, which was finished by Michael Ventris in 1952.
View details1957
Sports
Birth of Joan Benoit
Joan Benoit was born in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, on May 16, 1957.
View details1965
Medicine
Death of Mary Carson Breckinridge
Mary Carson Breckinridge died in Hyden, Kentucky.
View details1971
Science
Smithsonian Computer Oral History interview
Blanch recorded a Smithsonian oral history interview, preserving her firsthand account of the Mathematical Tables Project and early computing.
View details1975
Exploration
First Woman to Summit Mount Everest
Junko Tabei became the first woman in history to reach the summit of Mount Everest, on May 16, 1975.
View details1975
Exploration
Global Recognition and International Symbol
Tabei's Everest ascent brought her worldwide fame, establishing her as an enduring symbol of women's advancement in mountaineering.
View details1975
Exploration
Everest Summit Achieved After Surviving an Avalanche
Tabei reached Everest's summit just days after surviving a near-fatal avalanche that buried her expedition's camp.
View details1977
Science
Founding of the Jane Goodall Institute
On May 16, 1977, Goodall founded the Jane Goodall Institute.
View details1991
Politics
First British monarch to address a joint session of U.S. Congress
Queen Elizabeth addressed Congress, a precedent in U.S-UK relations.
View details2002
Exploration
Summit of Makalu
Summited Makalu (8,465 m) on May 16, 2002, her second eight-thousander.
View details2004
Literature
Hörspielpreis der Kriegsblinden for "Jackie"
Her radio play *Jackie* was awarded the Hörspielpreis der Kriegsblinden.
View details2004
Arts
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play for A Raisin in the Sun
Rashad received the Drama Desk Award for 'A Raisin in the Sun' in 2004.
View details2011
Literature
Ryszard Kapuściński Award for Reportage
Awarded Ryszard Kapuściński Award for literary reportage.
View details2014
Aviation
Promoted to four-star general
Robinson was promoted to four-star general, positioning her to become the first female four-star commander of combat forces.
View details2015
Arts
New Yorker retrospective profile publication
The New Yorker published a retrospective essay on her life.
View details2016
Science
First Korean Novel to Win the Man Booker International Prize
The Vegetarian wins the 2016 Man Booker International Prize, the first Korean-language novel and first for a Korean author to win this award.
View details2024
Arts
James Beard Foundation Award for "Martha Cooks"
Receives James Beard Award for "Martha Cooks" on May 16, 2024.
View details2025
Sports
First Asian American to coach a WNBA game as head coach of Valkyries.
First Asian American to coach a WNBA game with Valkyries.
View details