September 16 in history — What Happened Today in History

The British government lifts the broadcasting ban imposed against members of Sinn Féin and Irish paramilitary groups in 1988.

The trial of the deposed Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega ends in the United States with a 40-year sentence for drug trafficking and money laundering.

Black Wednesday: The British pound is forced out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism by currency speculators and is forced to devalue against the German mark.

The railroad between the People's Republic of China and Kazakhstan is completed at Dostyk, adding a sizable link to the concept of the Eurasian Land Bridge.

The Montreal Protocol is signed to protect the ozone layer from depletion.

Lebanon War: The Sabra and Shatila massacre in Lebanon takes place.

Eight people escape from East Germany to the west in a homemade hot air balloon.

The Sugarhill Gang released their first single, Rapper's Delight.

The 7.4 Mw Tabas earthquake affects the city of Tabas, Iran with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). At least 15,000 people are killed.

Armenian champion swimmer Shavarsh Karapetyan saves 20 people from a trolleybus that had fallen into a Yerevan reservoir.

Night of the Pencils: In the city of La Plata, Argentina, a group of high-school students were kidnapped and later tortured, raped and murdered during the Argentinian military dictatorship

Papua New Guinea gains independence from Australia.

Cape Verde, Mozambique, and São Tomé and Príncipe join the United Nations.

The first prototype of the Mikoyan MiG-31 interceptor makes its maiden flight.

King Hussein of Jordan declares war against the Palestine Liberation Organization, the conflict came to be known as Black September.

The Metropolitan Opera House opens at Lincoln Center in New York City with the world premiere of Samuel Barber's opera Antony and Cleopatra.

Malaysia is formed from the Federation of Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo (Sabah) and Sarawak. However, Singapore is soon expelled from this new country.

The United States National Hurricane Research Project drops eight cylinders of silver iodide into the eyewall of Hurricane Esther. Wind speed reduces by 10%, giving rise to Project Stormfury.

Typhoon Nancy, with possibly the strongest winds ever measured in a tropical cyclone, makes landfall in Osaka, Japan, killing 173 people.

Pakistan establishes its Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission with Abdus Salam as its head.

The first successful photocopier, the Xerox 914, is introduced in a demonstration on live television from New York City.

TCN-9 Sydney is the first Australian television station to commence regular broadcasts.

The military coup to unseat President Juan Perón of Argentina is launched at midnight.

A Soviet Zulu-class submarine becomes the first to launch a ballistic missile.

American Airlines Flight 723 crashes in Colonie, New York, killing 28 people.

World War II: The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong comes to an end.

World War II: The German Tenth Army reports that it can no longer contain the Allied bridgehead around Salerno.

World War II: Italian troops conquer Sidi Barrani.

Mitchell Moses, Australian rugby league player

Metro Boomin, American record producer and songwriter

Sam Byram, English footballer

Bryson DeChambeau, American golfer

Joji, Japanese-Australian singer-songwriter

Vytenis Čižauskas, Lithuanian basketball player

Nick Jonas, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Jake Roche, English singer-songwriter and actor

Chase Stokes, American actor

Alexandra Paul, Canadian figure skater (died 2023)

Robbie Grossman, American baseball player

Braden Holtby, Canadian ice hockey player

Salomón Rondón, Venezuelan footballer

Gabriele Amorth, Italian priest and exorcist (born 1925)

Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, Italian economist and politician, 10th President of Italy and 49th Prime Minister of Italy (born 1920)

W. P. Kinsella, Canadian novelist (born 1935)

Gérard Louis-Dreyfus, French-born American businessman (born 1932)

António Mascarenhas Monteiro, Cabo Verdean politician, 2nd President of Cape Verde (born 1944)

Guy Béart, Egyptian-French singer-songwriter (born 1930)

Julio Brady, Virgin Islander lawyer, judge, and politician, 5th Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands (born 1942)

Kurt Oppelt, Austrian figure skater and coach (born 1932)

Allan Wright, English captain and pilot (born 1920)

Scott Adams, American football player (born 1966)

Ratiba El-Hefny, Egyptian soprano and director (born 1931)

Patsy Swayze, American dancer and choreographer (born 1927)

Roman Kroitor, Canadian director and producer, co-founded IMAX (born 1926)