This Day In History, December 16th.
Five Historical Events That Happened on December 16th
On December 16, 1773, a gang of American colonists dressed as Native Americans seized three British ships in Boston Harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea overboard. The Boston Tea Party was a notable act of protest against British taxation practices that played a part in the lead-up to the American Revolution.
1944: Battle of the Bulge - On December 16, 1944, the German army began a huge surprise attack against Allied soldiers in Belgium's Ardennes area during World War II. The Battle of the Bulge was one of the greatest and bloodiest engagements undertaken by the United States during WWII.
1971: Bangladesh Liberation War - On December 16, 1971, the Pakistani army surrendered in Dhaka, Bangladesh, to combined troops of the Indian army and the Mukti Bahini (Bangladeshi guerilla fighters). This event signified the conclusion of the Bangladesh Liberation War and the establishment of Bangladesh as an independent nation.
Kazakhstan's Independence - On December 16, 1991, Kazakhstan declared its independence from the Soviet Union. This declaration occurred while the Soviet Union was disintegrating, and Kazakhstan became the final Soviet republic to proclaim independence.
The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) carried out a devastating terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan, on December 16, 2014. 149 individuals were killed in the incident, including 132 youngsters. This incident stunned the country and prompted strong criticism of terrorism in Pakistan.
On December 16, 1773, a group of American colonists disguised as Native Americans boarded three British ships in Boston Harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea overboard. This event, known as the Boston Tea Party, was a significant act of protest against British taxation policies and played a role in the lead-up to the American Revolution.
The Boston Tea Party was a crucial event in American history, and it is widely regarded as a watershed moment in the run-up to the American Revolution. Many colonists considered the British government's imposition of a series of levies on the American colonies as unfair and unjust. The Tea Act of 1773, which granted the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies and caused the price of tea to fall, was perceived as yet another evidence of British oppression. As a result, a group of colonists, many of whom were Sons of Liberty members, resolved to take action. They boarded three British ships in Boston Harbor disguised as Mohawk Native Americans and tossed the tea overboard. The British government reacted forcefully, introducing the Intolerable Acts in 1774, which only served to exacerbate tensions between the colonies and the British authority.
On December 16, 1944, during World War II, the German army launched a massive surprise offensive against Allied forces in the Ardennes region of Belgium. This battle, known as the Battle of the Bulge, was one of the largest and bloodiest battles fought by the United States during the war.
The engagement of the Bulge was a significant World War II engagement that began on December 16, 1944, when the German army launched a surprise attack against Allied forces in Belgium's Ardennes area. The Germans wanted to divide the Allied army and seize Antwerp, which would have severely impeded Allied supply lines. The conflict lasted more than a month and was marked by fierce combat in bitter winter weather. The conflict encompassed over a million men and resulted in massive deaths on both sides, with total casualties estimated to range between 80,000 and 100,000. Despite initial German victories, the Allied troops were finally able to beat the Germans back, and the combat was a watershed moment in Europe's conflict.
On December 16, 1971, the Pakistani army surrendered to the joint forces of the Indian army and the Mukti Bahini (Bangladeshi guerrilla fighters) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This event marked the end of the Bangladesh Liberation War and the creation of the independent nation of Bangladesh.
In 1971, East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh) and West Pakistan (present-day Pakistan) fought the Bangladesh Liberation War. The conflict was precipitated by West Pakistan's military government's refusal to acknowledge the results of the 1970 general election, in which the Awami League, an East Pakistan-based political party, gained a majority of seats in the Pakistani National Assembly. In response to the election results, the Pakistani government launched a crackdown on the Awami League and its supporters, sparking a massive rebellion in East Pakistan.
The struggle swiftly evolved into a full-fledged war between Pakistan's two wings, with India finally joining in support of the East Pakistani independence cause. The conflict lasted nine months and was filled with crimes like as mass executions, rape, and genocide. The Mukti Bahini, a Bengali nationalist guerrilla movement, fought with the Indian army against Pakistani forces.
On December 16, 1991, Kazakhstan declared its independence from the Soviet Union. This declaration came as the Soviet Union was in the process of disintegration, and Kazakhstan became the last Soviet republic to declare independence.
Kazakhstan proclaimed its independence from the Soviet Union on December 16, 1991, being the last of the Soviet republics to do so. The declaration came when the Soviet Union was crumbling, and Kazakhstan's independence movement was part of a larger wave of independence movements across the former Soviet bloc. Nursultan Nazarbayev, the First Secretary of Kazakhstan's Communist Party since 1989, was elected as the country's first President. Kazakhstan's independence was a watershed moment in Central Asian history, signaling the end of more than 70 years of Soviet domination in the area.
On December 16, 2014, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) conducted a horrific terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan. The attack resulted in the deaths of 149 people, including 132 schoolchildren. This event shocked the nation and led to a widespread condemnation of terrorism in Pakistan.
The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) carried out a devastating terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan, on December 16, 2014. The assailants invaded the school and began shooting at random, killing 149 people, including 132 students. The incident was highly denounced in Pakistan and throughout the world, and it prompted the nation to redouble its efforts to combat terrorism. Following the attack, Pakistan launched a major military offensive against the TTP and other militant groups in the region. The Peshawar school massacre was one of the worst terrorist assaults in Pakistani history, and it serves as a heartbreaking reminder of the region's persistent terrorism danger.