Historical Events In December - 21
Monday, 16 February 2026
0072 Thomas the Apostle. 

0918 Conrad I, Duke of Franconia/German King (911-918), dies. 

1117 Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury 

1163 Hurricane hits villages in Holland/Friesland, causing floods 

1295 Marguerite Berenger of Provence, wife of Louis IX of France (bc. 1221) 

1308 Henry I, the Child, 1st landgrave of Hessen (1256-1308), dies 

1375 Giovanni Boccaccio, Italian poet (Vita di Dante), dies 

1401 Masaccio, 'Florentine' painter is born. 

1518 Mark van Vaernewijck, Flemish nobleman/politician. 

1537 Johan III, king of Sweden (1569-92) 

1561 Archbishop Granvelle installed 

1579 Vicente Masip, Spanish painter 

1582 In this year, Flanders formally adopts Gregorian calendar, tomorrow is Jan 1 1583. 

1597 Petrus Canisius, Dutch jesuit/saint, dies at 76 

1598 Battle of Curalaba: The revolting Mapuche, led by cacique Pelentaru, inflict a major defeat on Spanish troops in southern Chile; all Spanish cities south of the Biobio river are eventually taken by the Mapuches, and all conquest of Mapuche territories by Europeans practically ceases, until the 1870s "Pacification of Araucania". 

1616 Pietro Andrea Ziani, composer. 

1620 The Mayflower lands at Plymouth, Massachusetts. 

1620 103 Mayflower pilgrims land at Plymouth Rock [OS=Dec 11]. 

1628 Samuel Friedrich Capricornus, composer 

1639 Jean Racin, writer 

1650 Johan de Witt installed as Dutch pension advisor of Dordrecht. 

1674 Rutger van Haersolte, viceroy of Overijsselse, dies at about 66 

1688 Pro-James II-earl of Devonshire occupies Nottingham. 

1728 Hermann Friedrich Raupach, composer. 

1734 Philipp Hyacinth Lobkowitz, composer, dies at 54 

1736 Alessandro Galilei, Italian architect (Cappella Corsini), dies at 45 

1755 Caspar Ruetz, composer, dies at 47. 

1756 Thomas Anton Kunz, composer 

1762 James Cook marries Elizabeth Batts. 

1784 John Jay is recorded as becoming 1st US secretary of state (foreign affairs). 

1788 Hue Tay Son is recorded as becoming emperor Quang Trung of Vietnam 

1800 Barnwell Rhett Robert, (Confederacy), died in 1876 

1803 The Middlesex Canal opens to connect the Merrimack River with Boston Harbor. 

1804 Benjamin Disraeli, British politician is born 

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