February 16 in History

Galileo writes to Piero Dini defending Copernican astronomy and arguing that it need not conflict with Scripture.

St John defends the constitutional legality of requiring regular Parliaments.

Strode supports minimum requirements for the frequency and duration of parliamentary sessions.

Hampden supports legislation guaranteeing that Parliament must meet regularly.

The Triennial Act limits prolonged government without a Parliament.

The Triennial Act limits extended periods of government without Parliament.

The Triennial Act limits prolonged government without a Parliament.

Charles assents to legislation requiring Parliament to meet at least once every three years.

Charles assents to legislation requiring Parliament to meet at least once every three years.

The royal assent makes regular parliamentary sessions a statutory requirement.

Holles votes for the measure preventing another prolonged period of personal rule.

Charles assents to legislation requiring Parliament to meet at least once every three years.

Pym supports statutory limits on the Crown's ability to govern without Parliament.

Lenthall presides as the Commons completes the Triennial Act legislation.

Captures Torrington from the Royalists

Issues an order concerning the duties of army chaplains before the year's continental campaign.

Appointed Prime MInister of Great Britain, a "nominal" position, by George II

The administration is dominated by John Carteret & Walpole is relied upon for advice. Succeeds Walpole as First Lord of the Treasury and titular head of the Carteret Ministry, though the Government was actually dominated by Lord Carteret. Appointed Prime MInister of Great Britain, a "nominal" position, by George II

Talleyrand became president of the National Assembly while supporting major institutional reforms.

Appointed General of the Brigade, confirmed

Napoleon I was confirmed as general of brigade.

Appointed General of the Brigade, confirmed

The US Senate unanimously approves the Treaty of Ghent

Assumes executive authority after the patriot victory at Chacabuco.

Leads the Defence Government in Montevideo during the opening of the long siege by Oribe's forces

The War Office asks Brunel to design a prefabricated military hospital for the Crimean War.

Fire breaks causing considerable damage, the cause is never discovered

The Parnellites pass a resolution of confidence in Parnell

Cape Adare is sighted

Instead of returning home the Southern Cross sailed south to the Great Ice Barrier, Ross had been unable to mke a landing so Borchgrevink discovered an inlet in the Barrier edge, the "Bay of Whales", Borchgrevink, William Colbeck and Per Savio make the first landing on the Barrier and travelled 10 miles (16 km) south to set a new Farthest South record at 78 degrees 50S

Travels south over the Barrier to about 78 degrees 50 minutes south, setting a new farthest south mark

Lands on the Great Ice Barrier and opens a route that later expeditions use toward the interior

Instead of returning home the Southern Cross sailed south to the Great Ice Barrier, Ross had been unable to mke a landing so Borchgrevink discovered an inlet in the Barrier edge, the "Bay of Whales", Borchgrevink, William Colbeck and Per Savio make the first landing on the Barrier and travelled 10 miles (16 km) south to set a new Farthest South record at 78 degrees 50S

The Admiralty's Sopwith Sociable associated with Churchill makes its first flight at Brooklands.

The Admiralty is pressed to obtain special craft able to support the landing of fifty thousand troops where required.

Leads Russian victory over the Turkish. Captures 13,000 prisoners & inflicts casualties of 60,000 killed or wounded

The Socialists win 72 seats in the Austrian elections

The ban on the NSDAP is lifted

Trade Treaty signed between Britain & Russia

Trade Treaty signed between Britain & Russia

The Popular Fron win with a narrow victory

Austria announces an amnesty including those convicted of the murder of Dolfuss

Austria announces a Nazi amnesty, including those convicted of the murder of Dolfuss

Visits Hitler in Berlin to receive his orders

Supports naval action after German prisoners are found aboard Altmark.

Presses for mining Norwegian waters to force ore traffic away from Narvik.

Advocates mining Norwegian waters to force a German response.

Presses for mining Norwegian waters to disrupt the ore route from Narvik.

Orders the Cossack Captain to liberate Britsh prisoners from the Altmark off Norway. British prisoners are freed without loss of British life, the crew of the Altmark flee

Gunther, leading ideologist of Nazi racial policy, is awarded the Goethe Medal

Presses ministers to act more boldly on Beveridge.

Presses for more ambitious social and health reform.

Defends government caution over immediate Beveridge implementation.

Kistiakowsky becomes a full-time Los Alamos staff member and takes leadership of the rapidly expanding implosion effort from Neddermeyer.

The Germans drive a wedge between the British & American sectors, Lucas is dismissed

Appointed Prime Minister of Japan, 3rd term

Makes a state visit to Nigeria

Miro unexpectedly resigns & Castro is sworn in as Prime Minister of Cuba

Becomes prime minister of the new revolutionary government.

Miro unexpectedly resigns & Castro is sworn in as Prime Minister of Cuba

Miro unexpectedly resigns & Castro is sworn in as Prime Minister of Cuba

CIA issued the headquarters notice establishing the Deputy Directorate for Research, placing important technical collection programs within the new organization.

Serves briefly as Shadow Chancellor before becoming party leader.

Ceausescu's government replaces regions with counties in a national administrative reform.

Loses the WBA heavyweight title fight to Joe Frazier

Defeats Jimmy Ellis at Madison Square Garden to become recognized world heavyweight champion

Answers a parliamentary question concerning Toxteth and the Government's urban response.

Ministry of Defence assistant secretary Clive Ponting resigns from his post over the Belgrano affair

Assassination of Robert Ouko

Elected President of Namibia, Namibias 1st President

Appointed President of Namibia, Namibias 1st President

Iraqi minefields complicate naval support for the ground offensive.

Directs mine-clearing operations near the Kuwaiti coast.

Calls elections to be held on April 21 after Maccanico is unable to form a Government

Heads Portugal when it completes formal notification of ratification to the treaty depositary.

Sworn in as Governor of Autralia

Lee helps replace a Data Interface Unit that routes commands and information between Hubble spacecraft systems.

Lee helps replace a reaction wheel assembly used to turn Hubble toward targets and maintain stable pointing.

Smith helps replace a reel-to-reel recorder with a digital solid-state recorder capable of simultaneous recording and playback.

Russia and NATO announce a resumption of contacts that were broken in Mar 1999 due to NATO bombing in Yugoslavia

Russia and NATO announce a resumption of contacts that were broken in Mar 1999 due to NATO bombing in Yugoslavia

Russia and NATO announce a resumption of contacts that were broken in Mar 1999 due to NATO bombing in Yugoslavia

Russia and NATO announce a resumption of contacts that were broken in Mar 1999 due to NATO bombing in Yugoslavia

Russia and NATO announce a resumption of contacts that were broken in Mar 1999 due to NATO bombing in Yugoslavia

The House of Representatives votes, 246-182, in favor of a nonbinding resolution that expresses support for US troops but criticizes President Bushs "surge" that calls for some 20,000 additional troops to be sent to Iraq

Despite an increase in violence in Bagdhad, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called the security offensive a "dazzling success"

Despite an increase in violence in Bagdhad, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called the security offensive a "dazzling success"

Gillani's government supports a truce and legal changes intended to end fighting in Swat.

The federal government accepts a peace arrangement allowing Islamic regulation in the Swat region.

Scores from a tight angle to equalise against Barcelona in Arsenal's Champions League round-of-16 victory.

Finishes a rapid counter-attack to give Arsenal a 2-1 Champions League victory over Barcelona.

Dorin Recean becomes Prime Minister after Gavrilita resigns

Concludes a ten-year accord with Emmanuel Macron providing sustained military, political, financial and humanitarian cooperation.

Agrees with Olaf Scholz on ten years of defense support, emergency consultations and cooperation toward Euro-Atlantic integration.

Signs a security agreement with Ukraine.

Signs a security agreement with Ukraine.

Faces a major loss of government control as M23 forces enter and capture Bukavu in South Kivu.

Starmer announces that more than two million additional NHS appointments were delivered early.

Birth of John McEnroe

Death of Jovian, the male line of Constantius Chlorus is now extinct. Death of Jovian, suffocated in his sleep by charcoal fumes, foul play not suspected

Death of Robert Ouko, assassinated

Death of Walter Winterbottom

Dies in a Russian prison during the war period.

Bolivar defeats Spanish forces under General Pablo Morillo

Bolivar defeats Spanish forces under General Pablo Morillo