On This Day for December 16 - Boston Tea Party, Jane Austen is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. December 16 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Jane Austen READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1773 Boston Tea Party READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2014: Members of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, the Pakistani branch of the Taliban, attacked a school in Peshawar, killing 150 people, at least 134 of whom were children. 2009: Avatar, a science-fiction thriller directed by James Cameron, was released internationally; it went on to make more than $2.7 billion worldwide. [ Discover how much you know about pop culture.] 1944: In World War II, German forces attempted to push through Allied lines in the Ardennes, beginning the Battle of the Bulge . [Test your knowledge of some of the greatest moments in military history.] 1899: English playwright and actor Sir Noël Coward, best known for his highly polished comedies of manners, was born. [Take our quiz about English and Irish playwrights.] 1838: Voortrekkers killed 3,000 Zulu at the Battle of Blood River in South Africa. [ Test your knowledge of African battles.] 1653: British soldier and statesman Oliver Cromwell became lord protector of England. [ Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about famous Englishmen.] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1928 Philip K. Dick American author 1775 Jane Austen English novelist 1917 Arthur C. Clarke British author and scientist 1485 Catherine of Aragon queen of England 1866 Wassily Kandinsky Russian-born artist 1899 Noël Coward English playwright, actor, and composer SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY   Advertisement   FOLLOW: To unsubscribe from Britannica e-mails, click here. Encyclopædia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 United States © 2020 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Privacy Policy • Help