May 16
May 16 is the 137th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 229 days remain until the year's end. It falls in spring (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Taurus.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On May 16 the Sun's declination is approximately +19.3°. At this latitude the Sun is north of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere longer days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a May 16.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
No widely-observed holidays catalogued for this day in our base set. See the external almanacs above for region-specific observances.
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
- 1771 — The Battle of Alamance, a brief skirmish, ended the War of the Regulation in North Carolina. ↗(255 years ago)
- 1866 — The U.S. Congress eliminated the half-dime coin and replaced it with the five-cent piece (the nickel). ↗(160 years ago)
- 1929 — The first Academy Awards ("Oscars") were presented in Los Angeles. ↗(97 years ago)
- 1975 — Junko Tabei of Japan became the first woman to summit Mount Everest. ↗(51 years ago)
Notable births
Notable deaths
- 1990 — Jim Henson, American puppeteer (Muppets). ↗(36 years ago)
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (137) | 137 · prime |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (229) | 229 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 16052026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +19.26° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 35 days |