ON 16 AUGUST IN ASIAN HISTORY
To see another date, on Internet (Google…), type “On (day + month) in Asian history”
Updated on August 16, 2019
1 BC: Wang Mang consolidates his power and is declared marshal of state. Emperor Ai of Han, who died the day prior, had no heirs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_Mang
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Ai_of_Han
1378: Birth of Chinese Emperor Hongxi, from September 7, 1424, to his death on May 29, 1425
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hongxi_Emperor
1384: The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting over them—a case considered equal to the act of destroying stamped government documents, which by law necessitated one hundred floggings by a bamboo rod. However, the Hongwu Emperor decided to pardon them
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hongwu_Emperor
1443: Death of Ashikaga Yoshikatsu, Japanese shogun, born on March 19, 1434
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashikaga_Yoshikatsu
http://www.japan-photo.de/e-yoshikatsu.htm
1765: In India, Robert Clive signs the treaty of Allahabad by which Great-Britain will have the monopoly of the collection of tax in Bengal, Orissa and Bihar
http://www.gktoday.in/treaty-of-allahabad/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/content/articles/2005/03/29/robert_clive_feature.shtml
1891: The Basilica of San Sebastian in Manila, the first all-steel church in Asia, is officially inaugurated and blessed
https://philippines.knoji.com/the-steel-church-of-asia-the-san-sebastian-church/
http://www.artesdelasfilipinas.com/archives/24/the-san-sebastian-church-gustave-eiffel-s-church-in-the-philippines
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd_42NAtXlk
1886: Death of Sri Ramakrishna, Bengali saint, guru of Swami Vivekananda, born in February 1836
http://www.ramakrishna.org/rmk.htm
1900: After defeating-the Boxer Rebellion, the allied forces loot Beijing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Peking_(1900)
http://www.china.org.cn/e-8guo/4/0.htm
1904: Birth of Minoru Genda, Japanese military aviator and politician who died on August 15, 1989
http://ww2db.com/person_bio.php?person_id=99
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minoru_Genda
1913: Tohoku Imperial University of Japan (modern day Tohoku University) admits its first female students
1945: Thailand denounces its declaration of war on Allies
1945: Lt Gen Jonathan Wainwright, captured by the Japanese in the Philippines, is freed by Russian forces in Manchuria
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/senior-u-s-pow-is-released
1945: Takijirō Ōnishi, Japanese admiral, born June 2, 1891, commits suicide
http://ww2db.com/person_bio.php?person_id=170
1945: Following the Japanese capitulation, beginning of the Vietnamese August Revolution
https://alphahistory.com/vietnamwar/august-revolution/
http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/August+Revolution+of+1945+in+Vietnam
1945: After the Japanese capitulation, dissolution of the collaborationist government established by Wang Jingwei in Nanjing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reorganized_National_Government_of_the_Republic_of_China
http://history.04007.cn/en.php/HisMain/7968.html
1945 : Puyi, the last Chinese emperor and ruler of Manchukuo, is captured by Soviet troops
http://history.info/on-this-day/1945-last-chinese-emperor-pu-yi-arrested-by-soviets/
1946: Direct Action Day or The Great Calcutta Killing begins, in which more than 4,000 would be killed in 72 hours
http://timelines.com/1946/8/16/direct-action-day-also-known-as-the-great-calcutta-killing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_Action_Day
1951: Death of Du Yuesheng, Triad boss in Shanghai, born on August 21, 1888
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Du_Yuesheng
http://history.04007.cn/en.php/HisMain/7972.html
1961: Death of Maulvi Abdul Haq, Father of Urdu, Pakistani scholar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Haq_(Urdu_scholar)
https://nation.com.pk/20-Sep-2012/molvi-abdul-haq-s-contribution-to-urdu-language
1962: Eight years after the remaining French India territories were handed to India, the ratifications of the treaty are exchanged to make the transfer official
http://www.unostamps.nl/country_french_indian_settlements.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_India
1964: After a January 30 coup d’état Duong Van Minh is replaced by General Nguyen Khanh as President of South Vietnam. A new constitution is established with aid from the U.S. Embassy
1966: The House Un-American Activities Committee begins investigations of Americans who have aided the Viet Cong. The committee intends to introduce legislation making these activities illegal. Anti-war demonstrators disrupt the meeting and 50 people are arrested
1967: Death of K’ung Hsiang-hsi, often known as H. H. Kung,a wealthy Chinese banker and politician in theearly 20th century. He was the richest man in China at that time, born on September 11, 1881
http://oberlin.edu/library/digital/shansi/bios.html
1969: Varahagiri Venkata Giri is elected president of India (starting on August 24)
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/v-v-giri-7476.php
1970: Birth of Manisha Koirala, Nepalese Bollywood actress
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0463539/bio
http://www.bollywoodpicturesgallery.com/manisha_koirala_01.htm
1970: Birth of Saif Ali Khan, Indian actor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saif_Ali_Khan
1971: The Bangladeshi Freedom Fighters explode several Pakistani warships in Chittagong
http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Operation_Jackpot
1980: Birth of Hwangbo, South Korean singer, rapper, and actress (Chakra)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hwangbo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-rdvTeHohk
1991: Birth of G.E.M., Hong Kong singer-songwriter and actress
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gem_(singer)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ-8lKZs7s0
1994: In Sri Lanka, land slide election victory of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, led by Chandrika Kumaratunga
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_parliamentary_election,_1994
1997: Noted Pakistani singer, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, born on October 13, 1948, passes away
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/nusrat-fateh-ali-khan-dead-at-48-19970818
2001: In a speech, Indonesian president Megawati Sukarnoputri apologies for human rights in Aceh and Irian Jaya but excludes independence
2001: USA grant a transit visa to Taiwan prime minister Chang Chun-hsiung on his way to South America in September
2006: Wu Shu-chen, the wife of Taiwan’s president Chen Shui-bian is prosecuted for corruption
2008: Death of Masanobu Fukuoka, Japanese farmer and author, born on February 2, 1913
https://f-masanobu.jp/en/about-masanobu-fukuoka/
2011: In India, police arrest Anna Hazare and detains 1,400 of his supporters ahead of a mass fast to protest against corruption.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2011/08/20118162334873519.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14542053
http://www.france24.com/en/20110816-asia-protests-anna-hazare-anti-corruption-movement-leader-arrested-india
2013: A senior Chinese official has said the country will phase out the practice of taking organs from executed prisoners from November
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-23722796
2018: Death of former Indian prime minister Vajpayee at 93
http://www.freepressjournal.in/india/atal-bihari-vajpayee-pragmatist-orator-and-statesman-who-went-beyond-bjps-nationalist-political-agenda/1336734
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-25123943
https://www.livemint.com/Politics/AHuMAy9aPpD6ldi3fTzGzM/Vajpayee-the-man-who-found-India-its-place-among-nations.html
Holidays and observances
Gozan no Okuribi (Kyoto, Japan)