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April 16
5 moments across history
Charlie Chaplin Is Born in London
Charles Spencer Chaplin was born in London on April 16, 1889. He became one of the most influential figures of the silent-film era, creating the Little Tramp and helping define cinema as a global art form. Chaplin later became known not just as an actor, but also as a director, writer, producer, and composer.
A studio portrait of Charlie Chaplin from the early part of his career
Harriet Quimby Flies Across the English Channel
Harriet Quimby posed with the aircraft used in her pioneering cross-Channel flight
A Blériot monoplane in flight, representing Quimby’s historic Channel crossing
On April 16, 1912, Harriet Quimby became the first woman to fly across the English Channel. Flying a Blériot monoplane from Dover to near Calais, she completed the trip in difficult weather and poor visibility. The achievement made her one of the most celebrated aviators of her day.
Lenin Returns to Petrograd from Exile
Lenin addressing supporters after his return to Petrograd in 1917
Lenin later at work as revolutionary strategy took shape
Vladimir Lenin arrived at Petrograd’s Finland Station on April 16, 1917, after years in exile. His return energized the Bolshevik movement at a critical moment in Russia’s upheaval following the February Revolution. Within months, the political crisis would culminate in the October Revolution and the collapse of the provisional government.
Albert Hofmann First Experiences LSD’s Effects
Chemist Albert Hofmann in the laboratory where he investigated ergot-derived compounds
A structural diagram of LSD, the compound Hofmann famously discovered
On April 16, 1943, Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann accidentally absorbed a small amount of LSD-25 while working at Sandoz Laboratories in Basel. He became the first known person to experience the compound’s psychedelic effects. The incident marked the beginning of LSD’s unusual scientific and cultural history.
Apollo 16 Launches to the Moon
Apollo 16 lifts off aboard a Saturn V rocket from Kennedy Space Center
An Apollo 16 astronaut works on the lunar surface near the rover in the Descartes Highlands
NASA launched Apollo 16 on April 16, 1972, carrying John Young, Thomas Mattingly, and Charles Duke toward the Moon. It became the fifth crewed mission to land astronauts on the lunar surface and the first to explore the Descartes Highlands. The mission expanded scientific understanding of lunar geology during the final phase of Apollo exploration.