So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.

August 16th


- Children's Day (Paraguay)
- Christian Feast Day
- Commemoration of the translation of the Acheiropoietos icon from Edessa to Constantinople. This "Shroud of Constantinople" is believed to be the Shroud of Turin. (Eastern Orthodox Church)
- Gozan no Okuribi (Kyoto, Japan)
- Xicolatada (Palau-de-Cerdagne, France)

August 16th


- 2005 - West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 crashes near Machiques, Venezuela, killing the 160 aboard.
- 1992 - In response to an appeal by President Fernando Collor de Mello to wear green and yellow as a way to show support for him, thousands of Brazilians take to the streets dressed in black.
- 1989 - A solar flare from the Sun creates a geomagnetic storm that affects micro chips, leading to a halt of all trading on Toronto's stock market.
- 1987 - A McDonnell Douglas MD-82 carrying Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes on take-off from Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, Michigan (Detroit), killing 155 passengers and crew. The sole survivor is four-year-old Cecelia Cichan.
- 1972 - In an unsuccessful coup d'état attempt, the Royal Moroccan Air Force fires upon Hassan II of Morocco's plane while he is traveling back to Rabat.
- 1966 - Vietnam War: The House Un-American Activities Committee begins investigations of Americans who have aided the Viet Cong. The committee intends to introduce legislation making these activities illegal. Anti-war demonstrators disrupt the meeting and 50 people are arrested.
- 1964 - Vietnam War: A coup d'état replaces Duong Van Minh with General Nguyen Khanh as President of South Vietnam. A new constitution is established with aid from the U.S. Embassy.
- 1962 - Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey) replaces Pete Best as drummer of The Beatles.
- 1960 - Cyprus gains its independence from the United Kingdom.
- 1960 - Joseph Kittinger parachutes from a balloon over New Mexico at 102,800 feet (31,300 m), setting three records that still stand today: High-altitude jump, free-fall, and highest speed by a human without an aircraft.
- 1954 - The first edition of Sports Illustrated is published.
- 1945 - An assassination attempt is made on Japan's prime minister, Kantaro Suzuki.
- 1945 - Puyi, the last Chinese emperor and ruler of Manchukuo, is captured by Soviet troops.
- 1944 - First flight of the Junkers Ju 287.
- 1942 - World War II: The two-person crew of the U.S. naval blimp L-8 disappears without a trace on a routine anti-submarine patrol over the Pacific Ocean. The blimp drifts without her crew and crash-lands in Daly City, California.
- 1941 - HMS Mercury, Royal Navy Signals School and Combined Signals School opens at Leydene, near Petersfield, Hampshire, England.
- 1940 - World War II: The Communist Party is banned in German-occupied Norway.
- 1930 - The first color sound cartoon, called Fiddlesticks, is made by Ub Iwerks.
- 1929 - The 1929 Palestine riots break out in the British Mandate of Palestine between Arabs and Jews and continue until the end of the month. In total, 133 Jews and 116 Arabs are killed.
- 1920 - Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians is hit on the head by a fastball thrown by Carl Mays of the New York Yankees, and dies early the next day. To date, Chapman is the second player to die from injuries sustained in a Major League Baseball game, the first being Doc Powers in 1909.
- 1920 - The congress of the Communist Party of Bukhara opens. The congress would call for armed revolution.
- 1914 - World War I: Battle of Cer begins.
- 1913 - T?hoku Imperial University of Japan (modern day T?hoku University) admits its first female students.
- 1913 - Completion of the Royal Navy battlecruiser HMS Queen Mary.
- 1896 - Skookum Jim Mason, George Carmack and Dawson Charlie discover gold in a tributary of the Klondike River in Canada, setting off the Klondike Gold Rush.
- 1870 - Franco-Prussian War: The Battle of Mars-La-Tour is fought, resulting in a Prussian victory.
- 1869 - Battle of Acosta Ñu: A Paraguayan battalion made up of children is massacred by the Brazilian Army during the War of the Triple Alliance.
- 1868 - Arica, Peru (now Chile) is devastated by a tsunami that follows a magnitude 8.5 earthquake in the Peru-Chile Trench off the coast. The earthquake and tsunami kill an estimated 25,000 people in Arica and perhaps 70,000 people in all.
- 1865 - Restoration Day in the Dominican Republic: The Dominican Republic regains its independence after 4 years of fighting against the Spanish Annexation.
- 1859 - The Tuscan National Assembly formally deposes the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.
- 1858 - U.S. President James Buchanan inaugurates the new transatlantic telegraph cable by exchanging greetings with Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. However, a weak signal forces a shutdown of the service in a few weeks.
- 1841 - U.S. President John Tyler vetoes a bill which called for the re-establishment of the Second Bank of the United States. Enraged Whig Party members riot outside the White House in the most violent demonstration on White House grounds in U.S. history.
- 1819 - Seventeen people die and over 600 are injured in cavalry charges at a public meeting at St. Peter's Field, Manchester, England.
- 1812 - War of 1812: American General William Hull surrenders Fort Detroit without a fight to the British Army.
- 1792 - Maximilien Robespierre presents the petition of the Commune of Paris to the Legislative Assembly, which demanded the formation of a revolutionary tribunal.
- 1780 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Camden – The British defeat the Americans near Camden, South Carolina.
- 1777 - American Revolutionary War: The Americans led by General John Stark rout British and Brunswick troops under Friedrich Baum at the Battle of Bennington in Walloomsac, New York.
- 1513 - Battle of Guinegate (Battle of the Spurs) – King Henry VIII of England defeats French Forces who are then forced to retreat.

August 16th


- 1997 - Greyson Chance, American singer
- 1991 - Evanna Lynch, Irish actress
- 1991 - Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse, Canadian actress
- 1991 - G.E.M., Hong Kong singer
- 1988 - Kevin Schmidt, American actor
- 1988 - Rumer Willis, American actress
- 1987 - Carey Price, Canadian Hockey Player
- 1987 - Evan Berger, Australian footballer
- 1987 - Kyal Marsh, Australian actor
- 1986 - Yu Darvish, Japanese baseball player
- 1986 - Shawn Pyfrom, American actor
- 1985 - Agnes Bruckner, American actress
- 1984 - Candice Dupree, American basketball player
- 1983 - Colt Brennan, American football player
- 1983 - Colin Griffiths, English TV presenter and DJ
- 1983 - Nikos Zisis, Greek basketball player
- 1982 - Cam Gigandet, American actor
- 1982 - Joleon Lescott, English footballer
- 1981 - Roque Santa Cruz, Paraguayan footballer
- 1981 - Taylor Rain, American pornographic actress
- 1980 - Vanessa Carlton, American singer/songwriter
- 1980 - Emerson, Brazilian footballer
- 1980 - Robert Hardy, English musician (Franz Ferdinand)
- 1980 - Raniere, Brazilian footballer
- 1980 - Piet Rooijakkers, Dutch professional bicyclist
- 1979 - Monder Rizki, Belgian athlete
- 1979 - Paul Gallacher, Scottish football player
- 1978 - Fu Mingxia, Chinese female diver
- 1978 - Thalia Pellegrini, British children's tv presenter
- 1978 - Eddie Gill, American basketball player
- 1977 - Tamer Hosny, Egyptian singer/actor
- 1976 - Jonatan Johansson, Finnish footballer
- 1976 - Tiina Kankaanpää, Finnish discus thrower
- 1976 - Dave Ockun, American concert producer
- 1975 - Didier Agathe, French footballer
- 1975 - Pantelis Konstantinidis, Greek footballer
- 1975 - George Stults, American actor
- 1974 - Roger Cedeño, Venezuelan baseball player
- 1974 - Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Guyanese cricketer
- 1974 - Krisztina Egerszegi, Hungarian swimmer
- 1974 - Iván Hurtado, Ecuadorian footballer
- 1973 - Damian Jackson, American baseball player
- 1972 - Frankie Boyle, Scottish comedian
- 1972 - George Stroumboulopoulos, Canadian television and radio personality
- 1972 - Stan Lazaridis, Australian footballer
- 1972 - Emily Robison, American country singer (Dixie Chicks)
- 1971 - Rulon Gardner, American Greco-Roman wrestler
- 1971 - Stefan Klos, German footballer
- 1970 - Bonnie Bernstein, American sportscaster
- 1970 - Fabio Casartelli, Italian cyclist (d. 1995)
- 1970 - Killah Priest, American rapper
- 1970 - Manisha Koirala, Nepalese Bollywood actress
- 1970 - Saif Ali Khan, Indian actor
- 1969 - Andy Milder, American voice actor
- 1968 - Mateja Svet, Slovenian alpine skier
- 1967 - Ulrika Jonsson, Swedish television personality
- 1967 - Pamela Smart, American convicted murderess
- 1966 - Barry Lather, American choreographer, musician and actor
- 1964 - Jimmy Arias, American tennis player
- 1963 - Christine Cavanaugh, American voice actress
- 1962 - Steve Carell, American actor and comedian
- 1961 - Christian Okoye, American football player
- 1961 - Michaela Dornonville de la Cour, Swedish singer (Army of Lovers)
- 1960 - Timothy Hutton, American actor
- 1959 - Laura Innes, American actress
- 1959 - Marc Sergeant, Belgian cyclist
- 1958 - Angela Bassett, American actress
- 1958 - José Luis Clerc, Argentine tennis player
- 1958 - Oscar Collodo, Swiss-born Italian rugby player and coach
- 1958 - Michael Harkin, American anthropologist
- 1958 - Madonna, American singer and actress
- 1957 - Tim Farriss, Australian musician (INXS)
- 1957 - Randhir Singh, Indian cricketer
- 1956 - Daniel Willems, Belgian cyclist
- 1954 - George Galloway, British politician
- 1954 - James Cameron, Canadian film director
- 1953 - Kathie Lee Gifford, American singer and actress
- 1953 - James "J.T." Taylor, American singer (Kool & The Gang)
- 1952 - Reginald VelJohnson, American actor
- 1952 - Mahes Goonatilleke, Sri Lankan cricketer
- 1951 - Richard Hunt, American puppeteer (d. 1992)
- 1951 - Umaru Yar'Adua, Nigerian politician
- 1950 - Hasely Crawford, Trinidadian athlete
- 1950 - Marshall Manesh, Iranian-born American actor
- 1950 - Stockwell Day, Canadian politician
- 1950 - Jeff Thomson, Australian cricketer
- 1949 - Scott Asheton, American musician (The Stooges)
- 1949 - Barbara Goodson, American voice actress
- 1948 - Mike Jorgensen, American baseball player
- 1948 - Pierre Reid, Canadian politician and teacher
- 1948 - Barry Hay, Indian-born Dutch singer (Golden Earring)
- 1947 - Carol Moseley Braun, American politician and lawyer
- 1947 - Katharine Hamnett, English fashion designer
- 1947 - Marc Messier, Canadian actor
- 1946 - Massoud Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish politician
- 1946 - Lesley Ann Warren, American actress
- 1946 - Dick Murdoch, American professional wrestler (d. 1996)
- 1945 - Suzanne Farrell, American ballet dancer
- 1943 - Sharon Baird, American actress and tap dancer
- 1943 - Woody Peoples, American football player (d. 2010)
- 1942 - Barbara George, American singer and songwriter (d. 2006)
- 1941 - Théoneste Bagosora, Rwandan army officer and alleged war criminal
- 1940 - Bruce Beresford, Australian film director
- 1940 - John Craven, English journalist and television presenter
- 1939 - Sir Trevor Mcdonald, Trinidadian-born British television newsreader
- 1939 - Seán Brady, Cardinal-Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland
- 1937 - David Anderson, Canadian politician
- 1935 - Cliff Fletcher, Canadian National Hockey League executive
- 1935 - Andreas Stamatiadis, Greek footballer and coach
- 1934 - Diana Wynne Jones, British author
- 1934 - Ketty Lester, American singer
- 1934 - Pierre Richard, French actor
- 1933 - Julie Newmar, American actress
- 1933 - Stuart Roosa, American astronaut (d. 1994)
- 1931 - Eydie Gormé, American singer
- 1930 - Robert Culp, American actor (d. 2010)
- 1930 - Frank Gifford, American football player and announcer
- 1930 - Tony Trabert, American former tennis player
- 1929 - Bill Evans, American jazz pianist (d. 1980)
- 1929 - Helmut Rahn, German footballer (d. 2003)
- 1929 - Wyatt Tee Walker, American civil rights activist
- 1929 - Fritz Von Erich, American professional wrestler (d. 1997)
- 1928 - Ann Blyth, American actress
- 1925 - Willie Jones, American baseball player (d. 1983)
- 1924 - Fess Parker, American actor (d. 2010)
- 1924 - Inez Voyce, American female baseball player
- 1923 - Millôr Fernandes, Brazilian playwright
- 1922 - Ernie Freeman, American pianist and arranger (d. 2001)
- 1920 - Charles Bukowski, American poet (d. 1994)
- 1916 - Iggy Katona, American race car driver (d. 2003)
- 1915 - Al Hibbler, American singer (d. 2001)
- 1913 - Menachem Begin, Israeli statesman, Nobel laureate (d. 1992)
- 1912 - Ted Drake, English footballer (d. 1995)
- 1911 - E. F. Schumacher, German economist and statistician (d. 1977)
- 1908 - William Keepers Maxwell, Jr., American novelist and editor (d. 2000)
- 1908 - Orlando Cole, American classical cellist and educator (d. 2010)
- 1904 - Wendell Meredith Stanley, American chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1971)
- 1902 - Georgette Heyer, English novelist (d. 1974)
- 1895 - Albert Cohen, Swiss novelist (d. 1981)
- 1895 - Liane Haid, Austrian actress (d. 2000)
- 1894 - George Meany, American labor union leader (d. 1980)
- 1892 - Otto Messmer, American cartoonist (d. 1983)
- 1888 - T. E. Lawrence, English writer and soldier (d. 1935)
- 1888 - Armand J. Piron, American musician (d. 1943)
- 1884 - Hugo Gernsback, Luxembourg-born editor and publisher (d. 1967)
- 1882 - Christian Mortensen, Danish-born American supercentenarian (d. 1998)
- 1876 - Ivan Bilibin, Russian illustrator (d. 1942)
- 1876 - Julian Ashby Burruss, American academic (d. 1947)
- 1868 - Bernarr McFadden, American publisher (d. 1955)
- 1862 - Amos Alonzo Stagg, American coach (d. 1965)
- 1860 - Jules Laforgue, French poet (d. 1887)
- 1860 - Martin Hawke, 7th Baron Hawke, England cricketer (d. 1938)
- 1858 - Arthur Achleitner, German writer (d. 1927)
- 1856 - Aparicio Saravia, Uruguayan politician and military leader (d. 1904)
- 1845 - Gabriel Lippmann, French physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1921)
- 1842 - Jakob Rosanes, German mathematician (d. 1922)
- 1832 - Wilhelm Wundt, German psychologist (d. 1920)
- 1831 - John Jones Ross, Quebec politician (d. 1901)
- 1820 - Andrew Rainsford Wetmore, Canadian politician (d. 1892)
- 1815 - John Bosco, Italian priest and educator (d. 1888)
- 1761 - Yevstigney Fomin, Russian composer (d. 1800)
- 1682 - Louis, duc de Bourgogne, dauphine of France (d. 1712)
- 1650 - Vincenzo Coronelli, Italian cartographer and encylopedist (d. 1718)
- 1645 - Jean de La Bruyère, French writer (d. 1696)
- 1637 - Emilie Juliane of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, German countess and poet (d. 1706)
- 1596 - Frederick V, Elector Palatine (d. 1632)
- 1573 - Queen Anna of Austria of Poland (d. 1598)
- 1557 - Agostino Carracci, Italian artist (d. 1602)
- 1401 - Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut, dauphine of France (d. 1436)
- 1378 - Hongxi Emperor of China (d. 1425)
- 1355 - Countess Philippa Plantagenet of Ulster (d. 1382)