In History, Today on December 16

Henry VI of England is crowned King of France at Notre Dame in Paris.

Vasco da Gama passes the Great Fish River, where Bartolomeu Dias had previously turned back to Portugal.

Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

The English Bill of Rights becomes law, laying the foundation for a constitutional monarchy.

The Boston Tea Party occurs as American colonists protest against British taxation by dumping tea into Boston Harbor.

The New Madrid earthquake strikes the Mississippi River Valley, one of the largest earthquakes in the United States.

The Battle of Blood River is fought between Voortrekkers and Zulu forces in South Africa.

The Great White Fleet, a United States Navy battle fleet, begins its circumnavigation of the globe.

The Battle of the Bulge begins as German forces launch a surprise attack against Allied forces in the Ardennes region.

A United Airlines DC-8 and a TWA Lockheed Super Constellation collided over Staten Island, New York City, killing all 128 people on both planes and six more on the ground.

The United Nations adopts the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Bangladesh Liberation War ends with the surrender of the Pakistan Eastern Command in Dhaka, leading to the creation of Bangladesh.

The Romanian Revolution began in Timișoara, marking the start of the end of Nicolae Ceaușescu's communist regime in Romania.

Kazakhstan declares independence from the Soviet Union.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa reopened to the public after 11 years of stabilization work to prevent it from collapsing.

The Millau Viaduct, the tallest bridge in the world, was officially opened in France.

The Copenhagen Accord was drafted at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, aiming to combat climate change.

A gang rape and murder of a young woman occurred in Delhi, India, sparking widespread protests and leading to significant changes in Indian laws regarding sexual violence.

A terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan, resulted in the deaths of 149 people, including 132 schoolchildren.

The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2253, aimed at cutting off funding to ISIL and other terrorist groups.

The United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2397, imposing new sanctions on North Korea in response to its ballistic missile tests.

The Citizenship Amendment Act protests intensified across India, with widespread demonstrations against the law perceived as discriminatory towards Muslims.