Today
Wednesday December 16 2026
- Day of the year
- 350/ 365
- Week
- 512,026
- Days left
- 1596%
- Moon
- 45%Waxing crescent
Today is Wednesday, December 16, 2026. It is day 350 of 2026, a year of 365 days: 15 remain, and 96% of the year has gone. Under ISO 8601 this date falls in week 51.
What's celebrated on this date
No United Nations international day falls on this date.
Coming up
- December 18International Migrants Day
- December 20International Human Solidarity Day
- January 4World Braille Day
Saints and name days
Saints whose feast falls on this date, most widely known first.
- Haggaibiblical prophet associated with the Book of Haggai
- Adelaide of ItalyHoly Roman Empress, Catholic saint (931–999)
- Ado of VienneArchbishop of Vienne
- Theophano MartiniakeByzantine empress
- Eberhard of FriuliFrankish saint
Sources : Wikidata (P841) · CC0 1.0
Astronomy
New York
- Sunrise
- 07:14
- Sunset
- 16:30
- Length of day
- 9h 16m
- Solar noon
- 11:52
Times shown for America/New_York
Season
Autumn
began on September 22, 2026
Next season
Winter — 5 days, December 21, 2026 (December solstice)
Public holidays — United States
Not a public holiday in the United States.
Next public holiday : Christmas Day — December 25, 2026
National holidays only. Regions, provinces and Länder add their own.
Moon
Waxing crescent
Illumination : 45%
Moon age : 7.7 days
- Next full moon
- December 24, 2026
- Next new moon
- January 7, 2027
Astrology
Today's zodiac sign
Sagittarius
until December 22, 2026 — Capricorn
Zodiac dates are an astrological convention, not the Sun's actual position among the constellations. The astronomy above is measured; this is not.
On this day in history
755
An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Yanjing, initiating the An Lushan Rebellion during the Tang dynasty of China. Wikipedia
1431
Hundred Years' War: Henry VI of England is crowned King of France at Notre Dame in Paris. Wikipedia
1653
English Interregnum: The Protectorate: Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland. Wikipedia
1761
Seven Years' War: After a four-month siege, the Russians under Pyotr Rumyantsev take the Prussian fortress of Kołobrzeg. Wikipedia
1773
American Revolution: Boston Tea Party: Members of the Sons of Liberty disguised as Mohawk Indians dump hundreds of crates of tea into Boston harbor as a protest against the Tea Act. Wikipedia
1838
Great Trek: Battle of Blood River: Voortrekkers led by Andries Pretorius and Sarel Cilliers defeat Zulu impis, led by Dambuza (Nzobo) and Ndlela kaSompisi in what is today KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Wikipedia
Show more (4)
1920
The Haiyuan earthquake of 8.5Mw rocks the Gansu province in China, killing an estimated 200,000. Wikipedia
1944
World War II: The Battle of the Bulge begins with the surprise offensive of three German armies through the Ardennes forest. Wikipedia
1971
Bangladesh Liberation War and Indo-Pakistani War of 1971: The surrender of the Pakistan Army brings an end to both conflicts. This is commemorated annually as Victory Day in Bangladesh and Vijay Diwas in India respectively. Wikipedia
1989
Romanian Revolution: Protests break out in Timișoara, Romania, in response to an attempt by the government to evict dissident Hungarian pastor László Tőkés. Wikipedia
Sources : Wikipedia (en) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Data imported on 2026-08-26
Births and deaths
Born on this day December 16
- 1485Catherine of Aragon, Spanish princess, Queen Consort of England (died 1536)
- 1775Jane Austen, English novelist (died 1817)
- 1775François-Adrien Boieldieu, French pianist and composer (died 1834)
- 1790Leopold I of Belgium (died 1865)
- 1882Zoltán Kodály, Hungarian composer, conductor, and musicologist (died 1967)
- 1888Alexander I of Yugoslavia (died 1934)
- 1899Noël Coward, English actor, playwright, and composer (died 1973)
- 1902Rafael Alberti, Spanish poet and playwright (died 1999)
Died on this day December 16
- 705Wu Zetian, Empress of the Zhou dynasty (born 624)aged 81 years
- 1515Afonso de Albuquerque, Portuguese admiral and politician, 3rd Viceroy of Portuguese India (born 1453)aged 62 years
- 1774François Quesnay, French economist, physician, and philosopher (born 1694)aged 80 years
- 1921Camille Saint-Saëns, French pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1835)aged 86 years
- 1965W. Somerset Maugham, British playwright, novelist, and short story writer (born 1874)aged 91 years
- 1982Colin Chapman, English engineer and businessman, founded Lotus Cars (born 1928)aged 54 years
- 2009Roy E. Disney, American businessman (born 1930)aged 79 years
- 2009Yegor Gaidar, Russian economist and politician, Prime Minister of Russia (born 1956)aged 53 years
Sources : Wikipedia (en) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Data imported on 2026-08-26
The day in words
In New York the sun rises at 07:14 and sets at 16:30, giving 9h 16m of daylight — the same as yesterday. It has been autumn since September 22, 2026; winter opens in 5 days, on December 21, 2026 (December solstice).
The moon is a waxing crescent, 45% illuminated. The next full moon falls on December 24, 2026 and the next new moon on January 7, 2027.
The saints' calendar attaches December 16 to Haggai, Adelaide of Italy and Ado of Vienne.
No United Nations international day falls on December 16. The next one on the calendar is International Migrants Day, on December 18.
It is not a public holiday in the United States.
On this day in history: An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Yanjing, initiating the An Lushan Rebellion during the Tang dynasty of China (755); Hundred Years' War: Henry VI of England is crowned King of France at Notre Dame in Paris (1431). English Wikipedia records 10 events for this date.
Catherine of Aragon was born on December 16, 1485; Wu Zetian died on December 16, 705.
9 days remain until Christmas and 16 until New Year's Day.
In astrology — kept separate from the measured astronomy above, deliberately — December 16 falls under the sign of Sagittarius.
Calendar
By the numbers
- 96%
- of the year elapsed
- 9
- until Christmas
- 16
- until New Year
- 440
- until the next 29 February
2026 — Common year (365 days)
Work with dates
Sources
Every block on this page names where its data comes from. Nothing here is generated when the source is silent.
- United Nations — International Days— What's celebrated today
- Wikidata (P841)— Saints and name days · CC0 1.0
- Wikipedia (en)— On this day in history · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Data imported on 2026-08-26