On This Day - November 16
Image credit: The GrayVine
Ready to take a trip down memory lane? Let's look back at some of the most significant events in America and beyond that happened on this day, starting with...
1776: The Battle of Fort Washington
A combined British and Hessian force of approximately 8,000 troops, led by Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen, launched a siege on Fort Washington, a key American defensive position at the highest point of Manhattan.
1907: Oklahoma Became a State
The territories of Oklahoma and Indian Territory were jointly admitted into the Union as the state of Oklahoma, the 46th state of the United States.
1959: The Sound of Music Debuted
The beloved musical The Sound of Music premiered on Broadway, where it was met with immediate acclaim and became a massive hit.
1960: Death of Clark Gable
Hollywood icon Clark Gable, a star who defined masculinity for a generation and was known as the "King of Hollywood", died of a heart attack just days after completing his final film.
1973: Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorized
President Richard Nixon signed the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act, paving the way for the construction of the 800-mile pipeline that would later transport oil from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez.
2001: Harry Potter Hit the Big Screen
The film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone premiered in US theaters, bringing JK Rowling's bespectacled boy wizard to cinematic life and launching one of the highest-grossing film franchises in history.
2006: Death of Milton Friedman
Influential American economist Milton Friedman, a Nobel laureate and the leading intellectual force behind monetarism, died at the age of 94.
2012: The Great Twinkie Crisis
Following the announcement that Hostess Brands was shutting down, a nationwide panic led to the hoarding of its iconic snack cakes, causing the price of Twinkies on Amazon to skyrocket by 31,000%.
Do you have more events (historical or not!) you'd like to share with the community? Post them below and let's reminisce together!
