What happened on February 16 ?

1247 - Heinrich Raspe, Landgrave of Thuringia (b. 1204)

1279 - King Afonso III of Portugal (b. 1210)

1391 - John V Palaeologus, Byzantine Emperor (b. 1332)

1531 - Johannes Stöffler, German mathematician and astronomer (b. 1452)

1560 - Jean du Bellay, French Catholic cardinal and diplomat

1710 - Esprit Fléchier, French writer and Bishop of Nîmes (b. 1632)

1721 - James Craggs the Younger, English politician (b. 1686)

1754 - Richard Mead, English physician (b. 1673)

1866 - Phineas Parkhurst Quimby, 19th Century Philosopher (b. 1802)

1898 - Thomas Bracken, New Zealand poet (b. 1843)

1899 - Félix Faure, President of France (b. 1841)

1907 - Giosue Carducci, Italian writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1835)

1912 - St. Nikolai of Japan, Eastern Orthodox priest (b. 1836)

1917 - Octave Mirbeau, French writer (b. 1848)

1919 - Vera Kholodnaya, Russian film star (b. 1893)

1928 - Eddie Foy, American singer and dancer (b. 1856)

1932 - Ferdinand Buisson, French pacifist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1841)

1967 - Antonio Moreno, Spanish-born actor (b. 1887)

1974 - John Garand, Canadian rifle engineer and manufacturer (b. 1888)

1975 - Morgan Taylor, American athlete (b. 1903)

1977 - Carlos Pellicer, Mexican poet (b. 1897)

1978 - E. Roland Harriman, American financier (b. 1895)

1980 - Erich Hückel, German physicist (b. 1895)

1990 - Keith Haring, American artist (b. 1958)

1992 - Angela Carter, English writer (b. 1940)

1992 - Jânio Quadros, Brazilian politician (b. 1917)

1992 - Herman Wold, Swedish statistician (b. 1908)

1996 - Roger Bowen, American actor (b. 1932)

1996 - Edmund G. Brown, Governor of California (b. 1905)

1996 - Brownie McGhee, American singer (b. 1915)

1997 - Chien-Shiung Wu, Chinese-American Physicist (b. 1912)

2000 - Marceline Day, American actress (b. 1908)

2000 - Karsten Solheim, Norwegian-born engineer and inventor (b. 1911)

2001 - Bob Buhl, baseball player (b. 1928)

2001 - William Masters, American gynecologist and sexologist (b. 1915)

2002 - Walter Winterbottom, England football manager (b. 1913)

2003 - Eleanor "Sis" Daley, wife of Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley (b. 1907)

2004 - Shirley Strickland, Australian athlete (b. 1925)

2004 - Doris Troy, American singer (b. 1937)

2005 - Nicole DeHuff, American actress (pneumonia) (b. 1975)

2006 - Johnny Grunge, American professional wrestler (b. 1966)

2006 - Ernie Stautner, German-born American football player (b. 1925)