On This Day: April 16

Updated April 15, 2012, 2:28 pm

On April 16, 1947, America’s worst harbor explosion occurred in Texas City, Texas, when the French ship Grandcamp, carrying ammonium nitrate fertilizer, caught fire and blew up, devastating the town. Another ship, the Highflyer, exploded the following day. The explosions and resulting fires killed more than 500 people and left 200 others missing.
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On April 16, 1889, Sir Charlie Chaplin, the British-born actor and director who became internationally famous for his role in American silent movies, was born. Following his death on Dec. 25, 1977, his obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1789 President-elect George Washington left Mount Vernon, Va., for his inauguration in New York.

1912 Harriet Quimby became the first woman to fly across the English Channel.

1917 Revolutionary Vladimir Ilyich Lenin returned to Russia after years of exile.

1947 Financier and presidential confidant Bernard M. Baruch said in a speech at the South Carolina statehouse, “Let us not be deceived. We are today in the midst of a cold war.”

1962 Walter Cronkite succeeded Douglas Edwards as anchorman of “The CBS Evening News.”

1962 Bob Dylan debuted his song “Blowin’ in the Wind” at Gerde’s Folk City in New York.

1964 “The Rolling Stones (England’s Newest Hitmakers),” the band’s debut album, was released.

1972 Apollo 16 blasted off on a voyage to the moon.

1992 The House ethics committee listed 303 current and former lawmakers who had overdrawn their House bank accounts.

1996 Britain’s Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah, the Duchess of York, announced they were getting a divorce.

2003 Michael Jordan played his last NBA game as his Washington Wizards ended their season with a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Pope Benedict XVI turns 85 years old today.

AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca

Actress Rooney Mara (“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”) turns 27 years old today.

AP Photo/Evan Agostini

1935 Bobby Vinton, Singer, turns 77

1940 Queen Margrethe II, Queen of Denmark, turns 72

1947 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Basketball Hall of Famer, turns 65

1952 Bill Belichick, Football coach, turns 60

1953 Peter Garrett, Rock singer (Midnight Oil), Australia’s environment minister, turns 59

1954 Ellen Barkin, Actress, turns 58

1963 Jimmy Osmond, Singer, turns 49

1965 Jon Cryer, Actor (“Two and a Half Men”), turns 47

1965 Martin Lawrence, Actor, comedian, turns 47

1972 Peter Billingsley, Actor (“A Christmas Story”), turns 40

Historic Birthdays

Sir Charlie Chaplin 4/16/1889 – 12/25/1977 English-born American motion- picture actor and director.Go to obituary »

70 Henry Mancini 4/16/1924 – 6/14/1994
American composer

73 Sir Kingsley Amis 4/16/1922 – 10/22/1995
English novelist, poet and critic

67 Nikolay P. Akimov 4/16/1901 – 9/6/1968
Russian scenic designer and producer

38 John M. Synge 4/16/1871 – 3/24/1909
Irish poetic dramatist

45 Wilbur Wright 4/16/1867 – 5/30/1912
American inventor and aviation pioneer

80 Anatole France 4/16/1844 – 10/12/1924
French writer; won the Nobel Prize for Literature (1921)

72 Ford Madox Brown 4/16/1821 – 10/6/1893
English painter

61 Sir John Franklin 4/16/1786 – 6/11/1847
English rear admiral and explorer

87 Elizabeth Vigee-Lebrun 4/16/1755 – 3/30/1842
French painter

93 Sir Hans Sloane 4/16/1660 – 1/11/1753
English physician and naturalist

1789	President-elect George Washington left Mount Vernon, Va., for his inauguration in New York.
1912	Harriet Quimby became the first woman to fly across the English Channel.
1917	Revolutionary Vladimir Ilyich Lenin returned to Russia after years of exile.
1947	Financier and presidential confidant Bernard M. Baruch said in a speech at the South Carolina statehouse, “Let us not be deceived. We are today in the midst of a cold war.”
1962	Walter Cronkite succeeded Douglas Edwards as anchorman of “The CBS Evening News.”
1962	Bob Dylan debuted his song “Blowin’ in the Wind” at Gerde’s Folk City in New York.
1964	“The Rolling Stones (England’s Newest Hitmakers),” the band’s debut album, was released.
1972	Apollo 16 blasted off on a voyage to the moon.
1992	The House ethics committee listed 303 current and former lawmakers who had overdrawn their House bank accounts.
1996	Britain’s Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah, the Duchess of York, announced they were getting a divorce.
2003	Michael Jordan played his last NBA game as his Washington Wizards ended their season with a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

1935	Bobby Vinton, Singer, turns 77
1940	Queen Margrethe II, Queen of Denmark, turns 72
1947	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Basketball Hall of Famer, turns 65
1952	Bill Belichick, Football coach, turns 60
1953	Peter Garrett, Rock singer (Midnight Oil), Australia’s environment minister, turns 59
1954	Ellen Barkin, Actress, turns 58
1963	Jimmy Osmond, Singer, turns 49
1965	Jon Cryer, Actor (“Two and a Half Men”), turns 47
1965	Martin Lawrence, Actor, comedian, turns 47
1972	Peter Billingsley, Actor (“A Christmas Story”), turns 40

70	Henry Mancini 4/16/1924 – 6/14/1994 American composer
73	Sir Kingsley Amis 4/16/1922 – 10/22/1995 English novelist, poet and critic
67	Nikolay P. Akimov 4/16/1901 – 9/6/1968 Russian scenic designer and producer
38	John M. Synge 4/16/1871 – 3/24/1909 Irish poetic dramatist
45	Wilbur Wright 4/16/1867 – 5/30/1912 American inventor and aviation pioneer
80	Anatole France 4/16/1844 – 10/12/1924 French writer; won the Nobel Prize for Literature (1921)
72	Ford Madox Brown 4/16/1821 – 10/6/1893 English painter
61	Sir John Franklin 4/16/1786 – 6/11/1847 English rear admiral and explorer
87	Elizabeth Vigee-Lebrun 4/16/1755 – 3/30/1842 French painter
93	Sir Hans Sloane 4/16/1660 – 1/11/1753 English physician and naturalist