On This Day for February 16 - Power in Cuba seized by Fidel Castro, Kim Jong Il is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. February 16 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Kim Jong Il READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1959 Power in Cuba seized by Fidel Castro READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2016: Egyptian scholar and statesman Boutros Boutros-Ghali—who, as UN secretary-general (1992–96), vigorously supported UN mediation in post-Cold War strife and oversaw lengthy and difficult peacekeeping operations in several war-torn countries—died at age 93. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about world organizations.] 2005: The Kyoto Protocol , an international treaty aimed at reducing the emission of gases that contribute to global warming, went into effect. [What's the difference between global warming and climate change?] 2005: The NHL became the first North American professional sports league to cancel an entire season; the 2004–05 season was canceled after the collective-bargaining agreement between the owners and the players' union ran out. [How much do you know about hockey?] 1923: The burial chamber of King Tutankhamun was unsealed by British archaeologist Howard Carter ; his discovery of the tomb the previous year was one of the most-celebrated contributions to Egyptology. [How much do you know about Egyptian history?] 1893: Katharine Cornell, one of the most-celebrated American stage actresses from the 1920s to the 1950s, was born in Germany. [ Test your knowledge of theatrical history.] 1620: Frederick William, the Great Elector of Brandenburg in 1640–88, who restored the Hohenzollern dominions after the devastation of the Thirty Years' War , was born. SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1990 The Weeknd Canadian singer 1941 Kim Jong Il North Korean political leader 1959 John McEnroe American tennis player 1822 Francis Galton British scientist 1834 Ernst Haeckel German embryologist 1904 George F. Kennan American diplomat and historian 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 © 2021 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Privacy Policy • Help