August 16
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1858: The first official transatlantic telegraph
The first successful transatlantic telegraph exchange between heads of state occurred on this day in 1858. Queen Victoria sent the first message—“The Queen desires to congratulate the President upon the successful completion of this great international work”—to U.S. Pres. James Buchanan. Though nearly instantaneous by 19th-century standards, the transmission took more than 16 hours. Unfortunately, the cable went dead on September 1, and a working cable was not available until 1866.
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Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (reproduction no. LC-USZ62-5309); Photo Illustration Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
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John Riley—AP/REX/Shutterstock.com
The youngest person ever elected president of the Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernández Reyna was sworn in this day in 1996 and soon instituted measures intended to curtail corruption and improve the country’s economy.
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© Ross Marino/Icon and Image— Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Born this day in 1958, Madonna first rose to fame in the 1980s with catchy pop songs and provocative music videos and later achieved levels of power and control nearly unprecedented for a woman in the entertainment industry.
Famous Birthdays
More on August 16
Amy Sancetta—AP/REX/Shutterstock.com
2018
American singer Aretha Franklin, who defined the golden age of soul music of the 1960s and was known as the “Queen of Soul,” died at age 76. [Take our music quiz.]
Janet Griffith/Black Star
2003
Idi Amin—who assumed Uganda’s presidency (1971–79) following a coup and became known as the “Butcher of Uganda” for his brutality—died in Saudi Arabia. [Test your knowledge of African leaders.]
National Broadcasting Company
1977
American singer Elvis Presley, known as the “King of Rock and Roll,” died of a heart attack brought on largely by drug abuse. [How much do you know about rock and roll?]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1960
The island of Cyprus achieved independence from Britain and became a republic. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about islands.]
© Steve Vas—Featureflash/Shutterstock.com
1954
Canadian filmmaker James Cameron—who was known for his expansive vision and innovative special-effects movies, notably Titanic (1997) and Avatar (2009)—was born. [Take our film buff quiz.]
PRNewsFoto/Sports Illustrated/AP Images
1954
The first issue of Sports Illustrated was released. By the 1960s, it had became the leading sports magazine in the United States. [How much do you know about sports?]
UPI/Bettmann Archive
1948
Ralph Crane/Camera Press from Globe Photos
1913
Menachem Begin—prime minister of Israel (1977–83) who was the corecipient, with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, of the 1978 Nobel Prize for Peace—was born in Russia. [Take our quiz about the Nobel Prize.]
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
1888
Archaeological scholar and military strategist T.E. Lawrence—who was best known for his legendary activities in the Middle East during World War I, which earned him the nickname “Lawrence of Arabia”—was born in Wales. [Test your knowledge of famous people in history.]
© Photos.com/Getty Images
1819
A meeting of radicals held on St. Peter’s Fields in Manchester, England, was dispersed with violence, an event that became known as the Peterloo Massacre.
Image: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1812
During the War of 1812, American Brigadier General William Hull, who was with his troops at Fort Detroit, surrendered to the British without a fight. He was later court-martialed and sentenced to death, but he was saved by a presidential pardon. [See if William Hull made our list of the nine worst generals in history.]
Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, London
1780
An American force was beaten by British troops under Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess and 2nd Earl Cornwallis, in the Battle of Camden during the American Revolution. [How much do you know about the American Revolution?]
Courtesy of the trustees of the British Museum; photograph, Peter Clayton
963
Nicephorus II Phocas was crowned emperor of the Byzantine Empire in Hagia Sophia by the patriarch Polyeuctus. [Test your knowledge of kings and emperors.]