Portal:Japan/Anniversaries/February/February 16

Events

1665 - Lightning strikes Osaka Castle, burning the castle tower to the ground. (Traditional Japanese Date: Second Day of the First Month, 1665)
1872 - The first military review of the army by the emperor is held. (Traditional Japanese Date: Eighth Day of the First Month, 1872)
1932 - The number of radio listeners reaches 1,000,000 after just seven years of domestic broadcasting.
1945 – World War II: American forces land on Corregidor island in the Philippines.
1945 - America begins its bombing campaign of Tokyo and the Kantō region.
1946 - The Soviet Union announces its occupation of Karafuto and Chishima Islands (the Kurile Islands north of Hokkaidō).
1959 - Japan begins minting 100 yen, 50 yen and 10 yen coins.
1976 - Public hearings in connection with the Lockheed scandal begin. Kokusai Kogyo Co., Ltd.'s Osano Kenji testifies and starts a fad of responding to questions with "I have no recollection."
1977 - Restrictions on the export of textiles to the United States are lifted.
1981 - The Provisional Commission for Administrative Reform is established and Dokō Toshio is appointed chairman.
2005 – The Kyoto Protocol comes into force, following its ratification by Russia.

Births