Nicosia, Cyprus. A range of significant events have taken place on April 16 across aviation, conflict, politics, law, labour action and international relations.
Aviation milestone
In 1912, Harriet Quimby, the first American woman to gain a pilot’s licence, became the first female to fly a plane across the Channel from England to France.
World War Two in Sarajevo
In 1941, during World War Two, German troops entered Sarajevo in Yugoslavia and destroyed the main synagogue.
British submarine disaster
In 1951, the British submarine Affray sank in the English Channel with the loss of 75 lives.
Canada’s constitution
In 1982, Queen Elizabeth proclaimed Canada’s new constitution, severing its last colonial links with Britain.
Italian fraud convictions
In 1992, Italian financier Carlo De Benedetti and 32 other people were convicted of fraud in connection with the 1982 collapse of Banco Ambrosiano.
Craxi corruption sentence
In 1996, an Italian court found former Prime Minister Bettino Craxi guilty of corruption and sentenced him to eight years and three months in prison.
Italy general strike
In 2002, trade unions brought much of Italy to a halt as they staged their first full-day general strike in 20 years to protest against government labour reforms.
Dutch cabinet resignation
In 2002, the Dutch cabinet resigned en masse over an official report condemning the Netherlands’ failure to prevent the Srebrenica massacre, the worst atrocity of the Bosnian war.
Musharraf visit to India
In 2005, Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf arrived in India for a weekend of prayers, peace talks and cricket, his first visit since a disastrous summit in 2001.
Which of these April 16 events do you consider most significant?