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.


February 16th
- Restoration of Lithuania's Statehood Day, celebrate the independence of Lithuania from Russia and Germany in 1918 (Lithuania)

- Christian Feast Day



February 16th
- 2006 - The last Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) is decommissioned by the United States Army.

- 2005 - The Kyoto Protocol comes into force, following its ratification by Russia.

- 2005 - The National Hockey League cancels the entire 2004-2005 regular season and playoffs, becoming the first major sports league in North America to do so over a labor dispute.

- 1999 - In Uzbekistan, a bomb explodes and gunfire is heard at the government headquarters in an apparent assassination attempt against President Islom Karimov.

- 1999 - Across Europe, Kurdish rebels take over embassies and hold hostages after Turkey arrests one of their rebel leaders, Abdullah Öcalan.

- 1996 - Shaquille O'Neal, at the time playing for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association, makes his only career 3-point shot against the Milwaukee Bucks.

- 1993 - Western Australia's and Australia's first female Premier, Carmen Lawrence, is voted out of office.

- 1991 - Nicaraguan Contras leader Enrique Bermúdez is assassinated in Managua.

- 1987 - The trial of John Demjanjuk, accused of being a Nazi guard dubbed "Ivan the Terrible" in Treblinka extermination camp, starts in Jerusalem.

- 1986 - The Soviet liner MS Mikhail Lermontov runs aground in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand.

- 1985 - Hezbollah is founded.

- 1983 - The Ash Wednesday bushfires in Victoria and South Australia kill 75.

- 1978 - The first computer bulletin board system is created (CBBS in Chicago, Illinois).

- 1968 - In Haleyville, Alabama, the first 9-1-1 emergency telephone system goes into service.

- 1961 - Explorer program: Explorer 9 (S-56a) is launched.

- 1961 - The DuSable Museum of African American History is chartered.

- 1959 - Fidel Castro becomes Premier of Cuba after dictator Fulgencio Batista was overthrown on January 1.

- 1957 - The "Toddlers' Truce", a controversial television close down between 6.00pm and 7.00pm is abolished in the United Kingdom.

- 1947 - Canadians are granted Canadian citizenship after 80 years of being British subjects. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King becomes the first Canadian citizen.

- 1945 - World War II: American forces land on Corregidor island in the Philippines.

- 1943 - World War II: Red Army troops re-enter Kharkov.

- 1940 - World War II: Altmark Incident: The German tanker Altmark is boarded by sailors from the British destroyer HMS Cossack. 299 British prisoners are freed.

- 1937 - Wallace H. Carothers receives a United States patent for nylon.

- 1936 - Elections bring the Popular Front to power in Spain.

- 1934 - The Austrian Civil War ends with the defeat of the Social Democrats and the Republican Schutzbund.

- 1934 - Commission of Government is sworn in as form of direct rule for the Dominion of Newfoundland.

- 1923 - Howard Carter unseals the burial chamber of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

- 1918 - The Council of Lithuania unanimously adopts the Act of Independence, declaring Lithuania an independent state.

- 1899 - President of France Félix Faure dies in office.

- 1899 - Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur Iceland's first football club is founded.

- 1868 - In New York City the Jolly Corks organization is renamed the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

- 1866 - Spencer Compton Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington becomes British Secretary of State for War.

- 1862 - American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant captures Fort Donelson, Tennessee.

- 1859 - The French Government passes a law to set the A-note above middle C to a frequency of 435 Hz, in an attempt to standardize the pitch.

- 1852 - Studebaker Brothers wagon company, precursor of the automobile manufacturer, is established.

- 1838 - Weenen Massacre: Hundreds of Voortrekkers along the Blaukraans River, Natal are killed by Zulus.

- 1804 - First Barbary War: Stephen Decatur leads a raid to burn the pirate-held frigate USS Philadelphia.

- 1742 - Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington, becomes British Prime Minister.

- 1646 - Battle of Great Torrington, Devon – the last major battle of the first English Civil War.

- 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with Mongol Khagan of the Mongol Empire.

- 116 - Emperor Trajan sends laureatae to the Roman Senate at Rome on account of his victories and being conqueror of Parthia.



February 16th
- 1992 - Avan Jogia, Canadian actor

- 1991 - Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg

- 1988 - Denílson Pereira Neves, Brazilian footballer

- 1988 - Diego Capel, Spanish footballer

- 1987 - Theresa Goh, Singaporean paralympic swimmer

- 1985 - Zoi Dimoschaki, Greek swimmer

- 1984 - Ous Mellouli, Tunisian swimmer

- 1983 - Tuomo Ruutu, Finnish ice hockey player

- 1982 - Lupe Fiasco, American hip hop artist

- 1982 - Alemão, Portuguese footballer

- 1981 - Jerry Owens, American baseball player

- 1981 - Qyntel Woods, American basketball player

- 1981 - Jay Howard, British racing driver

- 1980 - Agim Kaba, American actor and film producer

- 1980 - Ashley Lelie, American football player

- 1979 - Valentino Rossi, Italian motorcycle racer

- 1979 - Eric Mun, Korean rapper (Shinhwa)

- 1978 - Tia Hellebaut, Belgian athlete

- 1978 - John Tartaglia, Broadway actor and Muppeteer

- 1978 - Wasim Jaffer, Indian cricketer

- 1977 - Brad Walst, American bassist (Three Days Grace)

- 1977 - Ian Clarke, Irish computer programmer

- 1977 - Ahman Green, American football player

- 1976 - Eric Byrnes, American baseball player

- 1976 - Kyo, Japanese singer (Dir en grey)

- 1976 - Joe Odagiri, Japanese actor

- 1975 - Nanase Aikawa, Japanese singer

- 1975 - Vanina Ickx, Belgian racing driver

- 1975 - Don Jeffcoat, American actor

- 1974 - Fanis Katergiannakis, Greek footballer

- 1974 - Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, American actor

- 1974 - Johnny Tri Nguyen, Vietnamese-born American stuntman and martial artist

- 1974 - Luis Figueroa, Puerto Rican baseball player

- 1973 - Christian Bassedas, Argentine footballer

- 1973 - Cathy Freeman, Australian athlete

- 1973 - Nikos Kostakis, Greek footballer

- 1973 - Maureen Johnson, American author

- 1972 - Jerome Bettis, American football player

- 1972 - Sarah Clarke, American actress

- 1971 - Amanda Holden, British actress

- 1970 - Serdar Ortac, Turkish popstar

- 1970 - Angelo Peruzzi, Italian footballer

- 1969 - David Heath, American professional wrestler

- 1969 - Holly Aird, English actress

- 1968 - Warren Ellis, British comic writer

- 1967 - John Valentin, baseball player

- 1967 - Keith Gretzky, Canadian hockey player

- 1965 - Dave Lombardo, Cuban-born drummer (Slayer)

- 1964 - Bebeto, Brazilian footballer

- 1964 - Christopher Eccleston, English actor

- 1963 - Dano Halsall, Swiss swimmer

- 1962 - John Balance, English musician (Coil, Psychic TV) (d. 2004)

- 1961 - Andy Taylor, English musician (Duran Duran, The Power Station)

- 1961 - Eric Red, American screenwriter and director

- 1961 - LaGaylia Frazier, American-Swedish singer

- 1960 - Pete Willis, English guitarist (Def Leppard)

- 1960 - Cherie Chung, Hong Kong actress

- 1959 - John McEnroe, American tennis player

- 1959 - Kelly Tripucka, American basketball player

- 1958 - Natalie Angier, American journalist and author

- 1958 - Ice-T, American rapper and actor

- 1958 - Lisa Loring, American actress

- 1958 - Oscar Schmidt, Brazilian basketball player

- 1958 - Herb Williams, American basketball player and coach

- 1958 - Michael W. Burns, American politician

- 1957 - LeVar Burton, American actor

- 1956 - James Ingram, American singer

- 1956 - Vincent Ward, New Zealand director and screenwriter

- 1955 - Hunt Block, American actor

- 1954 - Michael Holding, Jamaican West Indies cricketer

- 1954 - Iain Banks, Scottish author

- 1954 - Margaux Hemingway, American actress and model (d. 1996)

- 1953 - George Martin, English footballer

- 1953 - Lanny McDonald, Canadian ice hockey player

- 1953 - Roberta Williams, American video game designer

- 1952 - Barry Foote, American baseball player

- 1951 - William Katt, American actor

- 1950 - Peter Hain, British politician

- 1950 - Kazuki Tomokawa, Japanese acid-folk singer

- 1950 - Roman Tam, Hong Kong singer (d. 2002)

- 1948 - Eckhart Tolle, German writer and motivational speaker

- 1946 - Ian Lavender, English actor

- 1945 - Jeremy Bulloch, English actor

- 1944 - Richard Ford, American novelist

- 1944 - António Mascarenhas Monteiro, 2nd President of Cape Verde

- 1943 - Brig Owens, American football player

- 1941 - Kim Jong-il, North Korean leader

- 1939 - Czes?aw Niemen, Polish singer-songwriter and composer (d. 2004)

- 1939 - Adolfo Azcuna, Filipino Supreme Court jurist

- 1938 - John Corigliano, American composer

- 1938 - Barry Primus, American actor

- 1937 - Yuri Manin, Russian mathematician

- 1936 - Jill Kinmont, American skier

- 1935 - Sonny Bono, American entertainer politician (d. 1998)

- 1934 - Harold Kalin, American singer (d. 2005)

- 1934 - Herbert Kalin, American singer (d. 2006)

- 1934 - August Coppola, American academic; father of Nicolas Cage (d. 2009)

- 1934 - Marlene Hagge, American professional golfer

- 1932 - Gretchen Wyler, American actress and dancer (d. 2007)

- 1932 - Otis Blackwell, American songwriter and singer (d. 2002)

- 1932 - Harry Goz, American actor (d. 2003)

- 1932 - Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, President of Sierra Leone

- 1931 - George E. Sangmeister, American politician (d. 2007)

- 1931 - Ken Takakura, Japanese actor

- 1929 - Peter Porter, Australian poet (d. 2010)

- 1929 - Gerhard Hanappi, Austrian footballer (d. 1980)

- 1927 - June Brown, British actress

- 1926 - Margot Frank, German-born Dutch Jewish holocaust victim (d. 1945)

- 1926 - John Schlesinger, English film director (d. 2003)

- 1925 - Carlos Paredes, Portuguese guitarist (d. 2004)

- 1922 - Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer, German night fighter pilot (d. 1950)

- 1921 - Jean Behra, French race car driver (d. 1959)

- 1921 - Araucaria, British crossword compiler

- 1921 - Vera-Ellen, American actress (d. 1981)

- 1920 - Anna Mae Hays, American army general

- 1918 - Patty Andrews, American singer

- 1916 - Bill Doggett, American jazz and rhythm and blues pianist and organist (d. 1996)

- 1915 - Jim O'Hora, American college football coach (d. 2005)

- 1915 - Elisabeth Eybers, South African poet (d. 2007)

- 1915 - Michael Relph, British film producer and director (d. 2004)

- 1909 - Hugh Beaumont, American actor (d. 1982)

- 1909 - Jeffrey Lynn, American actor (d. 1995)

- 1909 - Richard McDonald, American fast food entrepreneur (d. 1998)

- 1906 - Vera Menchik, British-born Czech chess player (d. 1944)

- 1904 - Karl-Heinz Bürger, German Nazi figure (d. 1988)

- 1904 - George F. Kennan, American historian and diplomat (d. 2005)

- 1903 - Edgar Bergen, American ventriloquist (d. 1978)

- 1903 - George-Henri Lévesque, Quebec priest and sociologist (d. 2000)

- 1901 - Vincent Coleman, American actor (d. 1971)

- 1901 - Wayne King, American musician and orchestra leader (d. 1985)

- 1901 - Chester Morris, American film actor (d. 1970)

- 1898 - Katharine Cornell, American actress (d. 1974)

- 1896 - Eugénie Blanchard, French supercentenarian (d. 2010)

- 1891 - Hans F. K. Günther, German eugenicist (d. 1967)

- 1887 - Kathleen Clifford, American actress (d. 1962)

- 1886 - Van Wyck Brooks, American historian and critic (d. 1963)

- 1884 - Robert J. Flaherty, American filmmaker (d. 1951)

- 1883 - Elizabeth Craig, British writer (d. 1980)

- 1880 - Frank Burke, American baseball player (d. 1946)

- 1878 - Pamela Colman Smith, British writer and occultist (d. 1951)

- 1876 - George Macaulay Trevelyan, English historian (d. 1962)

- 1874 - Marie Gutheil-Schoder, German soprano (d. 1935)

- 1866 - Billy Hamilton, American baseball player (d. 1940)

- 1866 - Vyacheslav Ivanov, Russian poet (d. 1949)

- 1856 - Rudolph Karstadt, German entrepreneur (d. 1944)

- 1856 - Willem Kes, Dutch conductor (d. 1934)

- 1848 - Hugo de Vries, Dutch botanist (d. 1935)

- 1847 - Philipp Scharwenka, Polish-German composer (d. 1917)

- 1845 - George Kennan, American explorer (d. 1924)

- 1838 - Henry Adams, American historian and novelist (d. 1918)

- 1834 - Ernst Haeckel, German zoologist and philosopher (d. 1919)

- 1831 - Nikolai Leskov, Russian writer (d. 1895)

- 1826 - Julia Grant, First Lady of the United States (d. 1902)

- 1826 - Joseph Victor von Scheffel, German poet (d. 1886)

- 1824 - Peter Kozler, Slovenian cartographer and geographer (d. 1879)

- 1822 - Sir Francis Galton, English explorer and biologist (d. 1911)

- 1821 - Heinrich Barth, German explorer (d. 1865)

- 1812 - Henry Wilson, American politician 18th Vice President of the United States (d. 1875)

- 1804 - Karl Theodor Ernst von Siebold, German physiologist (d. 1885)

- 1802 - Phineas Parkhurst Quimby, American philosopher (d. 1866)

- 1786 - Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia (d. 1859)

- 1761 - Charles Pichegru, French general (d. 1804)

- 1727 - Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin, Austrian scientist (d. 1817)

- 1698 - Pierre Bouguer, French mathematician (d. 1758)

- 1643 - John Sharp, English Archbishop of York (d. 1714)

- 1620 - Friedrich Wilhelm I of Brandenburg, Duke of Prussia (d. 1688)

- 1543 - Kano Eitoku, Japanese painter (d. 1590)

- 1519 - Gaspard de Coligny, French Huguenot leader (d. 1572)

- 1497 - Philipp Melanchthon, German humanist and reformer (d. 1560)

- 1222 - Nichiren Daishonin, Japanese founder of Nichiren Buddhism (d. 1282)

- 1032 - Emperor Yingzong of China (d. 1067)

