November 16 Dateline

Birthdays

42 B.C.E. - Tiberius Caesar Augustus, Second Roman emperor, reigning from AD 14 to 37. He succeeded his stepfather, Augustus. He was one of the greatest Roman generals, but also remembered as a reclusive ruler. Pliny the Elder called him "the gloomiest of men". During his reign, Jews became more prominent in Rome, and Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus began proselytizing Roman citizens, increasing long-simmering resentments. In 26 AD he removed himself from Rome and left administration in the hands of his unscrupulous Praetorian prefects Sejanus and Naevius Sutorius Macro. His grand-nephew and adopted grandson, Caligula, succeeded him.

1836 - Kalākaua (David Laʻamea Kamananakapu Mahinulani Naloiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua), called The Merrie Monarch, was the last king and penultimate monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, reigning from February 12, 1874, until his death. Succeeding Lunalilo, he was elected to the vacant throne of Hawaiʻi against Queen Emma. Kalākaua had a convivial personality and enjoyed entertaining guests with his singing and ukulele playing. At his coronation and his birthday jubilee, the hula that had been banned from public in the kingdom became a celebration of Hawaiian culture.

1873 - William Christopher Handy, American composer and musician, who referred to himself as the Father of the Blues. Handy was one of the most influential songwriters in the United States. One of many musicians who played the distinctively American blues music, he did not create the blues genre but was the first to publish music in the blues form, thereby taking the blues from a regional music style (Delta blues) with a limited audience to a new level of popularity. He used elements of folk music in his compositions.

1895 - Paul Hindemith, German composer, conductor and lecturer at Harvard University,  A prolific composer, in the 1920s, he became a major advocate of the Neue Sachlichkeit (new objectivity) style of music. Notable compositions include his song cycle Das Marienleben (1923), Der Schwanendreher for viola and orchestra (1935), and opera Mathis der Maler (1938). Hindemith's most popular work, both on record and in the concert hall, is likely the Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber, written in 1943. (Paul Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber. SWR Symphonieorchester. Liederhalle Stuttgart, Oktober 2016. Uploaded by SWR Classic. Accessed November 16, 2019.)

1907 - Oliver Burgess Meredith, American actor, director, producer, and writer. He has been called "a virtuosic actor" and "one of the most accomplished actors of the century". A lifetime member of the Actors Studio by invitation, he won several Emmys, was the first male actor to win the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor twice, and was nominated for two Academy Awards. He established himself as a leading man in Hollywood with critically acclaimed performances as George Milton in Of Mice and Men, Ernie Pyle in The Story of G.I. Joe (1945), and the narrator of A Walk in the Sun.

 
1930 - Chinua Achebe (born Albert Chinụalụmọgụ Achebe), Nigerian novelist, poet, professor, and critic. His first novel Things Fall Apart, considered his masterpiece, is the most widely read book in modern African literature. A titled Igbo chief himself, Achebe focuses his novels on the traditions of Igbo society, the effect of Christian influences, and the clash of Western and traditional African values during and after the colonial era. His style relies heavily on the Igbo oral tradition, and combines straightforward narration with representations of folk stories, proverbs, and oratory. He also published a large number of short stories, children's books, and essay collections.

1946 - Edward Higginbottom, DPhil (Oxon), BMus (Cantab), FRCO, British music scholar, organist, choirmaster and conductor. Most of his career has been as organist at New College Oxford, where he led their choir for more than 35 years and produced a large number of choral recordings. An early episode of ITV’s Inspector Morse featured a character based on Edward Higginbottom (although the suspect’s obsession with Spangles and Trebor Mints was not based on real life).(Allegri Miserere Mei. Director: Edward Higginbottom. Choir: New College Choir, Oxford. Provided by Warner Classics Int'l. Accessed June 4, 2020.)

Lefties:
None known

 

More birthdays  and historical events, November 16 - On This Day
 

 

Suggested Listening: 

Paul Hindemith's 'Mathis der Maler Symphony' -  Conducted and composed by Paul Hindemith. Berlin Philharmonic, 1955
Part 1/4
Part 2/4
Part 3/4
Part 4/4

Historical Events

1539 - Francisco Pizarro and his men defeat the Inca army at Cajamarca and capture the Inca Emperor Atahualpa, who is strangled in August the following year.

1848 - Frederic Chopin, already ill, volunteers to play in London at a Polish benefit ball, his last public appearance.

Below, listen and enjoy as pianist Arthur Rubinstein interpret Chopin's Nocturne in E-flat major, a popular romantic nocturne, popularised "To Love Again."(Sung by Vic Damone, uploaded by nancyfloressantos. Accessed November 16, 2018.)

 

 
1972 - UNESCO's World Heritage Convention is adopted. aims It aims to protect sites of high natural or cultural significance around the world.

2000 - U.S. President Bill Clinton arrives in Hanoi, the first serving U.S. President to visit the unified communist nation of Vietnam.

2002 - An illness, severe acute respiratory syndrome popularly known as SARS, breaks out in Guangdong Province, China.

The Case of SARS

This day, November 16, 2002, a farmer admitted to hospital in the city of Foshan in Gunagdong Province, China, was diagnosed with severe atypical pneumonia. SARS is previously unknown as strain of coronavirus. Deaths occurred as the virus proved difficult to treat. Efforts to contain it weren't effective, and it spread across China despite it being reported to Government authorities.

The epidemic was exposed when an American businessman who had visited Guangdong became ill on a return flight from China, and eventually died. Several doctors and nurses who treated him came down iwth the same illness and also died. Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of the epidemic.  WHO authorities and other health agencies cooperated to identify and isolate infected people and investigate the disease.  By July 2003, the epidemic was declared over. WHO reported that more than 8,000 people in 27 countries had been infected and 774 had died.     


Video Credit:

 
Arthur Rubinstein: Chopin's Nocturne Op. 9 No.2 in E-Flat major.  YouTube, uploaded by TheWiseMonkey89.   Accessed November 16, 2016.


Resources:

 
1. Asiado, Tel. The World's Movers and Shapers. New Hampshire: Ore Mountain Publishing House (2005)
2. Britannica. www.britannica.com
3. Chambers Biographical Dictionary, 19th Ed. London: Chambers Harrap, 2011
4. Dateline. Sydney: Millennium House, (2006)
5. Grun, Bernard. The Timetables of History, New 3rd Revised Ed. Simon & Schuster/Touchstone (1991)
6. Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org


(c) June 2007. Updated November 16, 2023. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights Reserved.