Today In History Spotlights Dec. 16, 1773, The Boston Tea Party

Today’s History Spotlight

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Today in 1773, the Boston Tea Party occurs. After the passing of the Tea Act by British Parliament just months earlier, the Sons of Liberty, lead primarily by Samuel Adams and Paul Revere, stormed British ships in Boston Harbor. Some were dressed as Mohawk Natives. To protest the tea tax, as well as the monopoly on tea, the Sons of Liberty proceeded to throw crates of tea overboard.

The British government responded harshly, introducing the Intolerable Acts the following year and severing trade with Boston. While Britain had hoped that prohibiting trade with Boston would dissuade other colonies from revolting, in actuality, it increased revolutionary sympathy. The Boston Tea Party is considered a primary triggering event of the American Revolution and has become an iconic historical event.

What Happened On This Day – December 16

2010 Last episode of Larry King Live aired. After 25 years of being on TV, the last episode of Larry King Live, one of CNN’s most watched TV program was aired. While the official end date for the talk show was December 16, an episode on cancer was aired two days later on December 18. It was replaced by Piers Morgan Tonight.
1991 Kazakhstan independence. The Central Asian country was the last Soviet republic to declare its independence.
1971 End of Indo-Pakistani War. The third major conflict between the two countries was fought because of India’s support of Bangladesh’s War of Liberation. The war ended only after 13 days and with the creation of the independent state of Bangladesh.
1707 Last eruption of Mount Fuji. The highest volcano in Japan erupted for the last time in what is known as the Hōei Eruption. The eruption lasted for 17 days.

Births On This Day – December 16

1917 Arthur C. Clarke – English author
1901 Margaret Mead – American anthropologist
1866 Wassily Kandinsky – Russian/French painter
1775 Jane Austen – English author
1485 Catherine of Aragon

Deaths On This Day – December 16

1988 Sylvester – American singer-songwriter, pianist, producer
1980 Colonel Sanders – American businessman, founded KFC
1965 W. Somerset Maugham – French/English author, playwright
1515 Afonso de Albuquerque – Portuguese Admiral
705 Wu Zetian – Chinese empress

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Garrett Smith

Garrett Smith is a writer for NRN and recent graduate from Western Carolina University. He is a history major with a minor in political science. As a Conservative, Smith believes that the Left has taken over America's education system, which means they now control its history. To make their fellow Americans feel guilty, they often invoke a feeling of "American Shame" in students, indoctrinating them with radical, un-American ideas. It is Smith's goal to teach Americans the true history of America, and along with this, use its history to explain what makes us great.