Nicosia, Cyprus. The following are some of the events that occurred on February 16, spanning politics, conflict, aviation, sports, and environmental policy.
Political and historical events
In 1899, French President Felix Francois Faure died.
In 1999, Turkish special forces flew Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan to Turkey after spiriting him out of Kenya, and his capture ignited a Europe-wide wave of Kurdish demonstrations.
World War II
In 1944, Allied aircraft bombed the Japanese naval base at Truk in the Caroline Islands, destroying 201 planes.
Aviation incident
In 1998, a China Airlines Airbus crashed at Taipei’s international airport, killing 203 people.
Military and exploration
In 1960, the U.S. nuclear submarine Triton began its underwater round-the-world trip.
Olympic events and records
In 1936, the Winter Olympics closing ceremony was held in Germany.
In 2002, Dutch speed skater Gerard van Velde set a new world record in the 1000 m event at the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.
Sports death
In 2002, Sir Walter Winterbottom, the England football team’s first and longest-serving manager, died at age 89; he took charge in 1947 and presided over the England team at four World Cups before being replaced by Alf Ramsey in 1962.
Climate policy
In 2005, the Kyoto Protocol on curbing human emissions of heat-trapping gases by 2012 came into force, but was rejected by the United States as an economic straitjacket.
Which of these February 16 events do you find most significant?
