On This Day - What Happened On December 16 | Britannica

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1773 The Boston Tea Party On this day in 1773, a group of men dressed in Mohawk headdresses and cheered by a crowd of thousands threw tea belonging to the British East India Company into Boston Harbor. Britain's punitive response to the Boston Tea Party, which was a protest against taxes, helped push American colonists closer to war. Read today's edition of Today in History >> © MPI—Hulton Archive/Getty Images

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Jane Austen English novelist bornDecember 16, 1775Steventon, EnglanddiedJuly 18, 1817 (aged 41)Winchester, EnglandStock Montage—Archive Photos/Getty Images 1928 Philip K. Dick American author 1917 Arthur C. Clarke British author and scientist 1899 Noël Coward English playwright, actor, and composer 1866 Wassily Kandinsky Russian-born artist 1775 Jane Austen English novelist See All Biographies On This Day SIGN UP FOR History's Biggest Headlines Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! SIGN UP By clicking "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

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2014 Members of the Pakistani Taliban carried out a terrorist attack on a school in Peshawar, killing 150 people, at least 134 of whom were students.© Metin Aktas—Anadolu Agency/Getty Images 2009 Avatar, a science-fiction thriller directed by James Cameron, was released internationally. It went on to make more than $2.7 billion worldwide and spawn a film franchise.© 2009 Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation 1985 Paul Castellano, who was reportedly the “boss of bosses” of the Mafia's Five Families, was fatally shot in New York City. John Gotti was later convicted of arranging the murder. Take our quiz about mobster namesAP/REX/Shutterstock.com 1944 During World War II, German forces attempted to push through Allied lines in the Ardennes, beginning the Battle of the Bulge. Test your knowledge of some of the greatest moments in military historyU.S. Army photograph 1899 English playwright and actor Noël Coward, best known for his highly polished comedies of manners, was born. Take our quiz about English and Irish playwrightsHorst Tappe/Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1653 Oliver Cromwell became lord protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about famous Englishmen© Matthew Corrigan/Shutterstock.com 1631 More than 3,000 people were killed by a major eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Take our quiz about disasters of historic proportions© BlackMac/stock.adobe.com 882 Marinus I became pope after the death (possibly murder) of John VIII. Test your knowledge of popes