This Day in History: February 16
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol, adopted in Japan in 1997, came into force on February 16, 2005, under UN supervision. As of October 2009, 184 countries have signed the treaty, committing to reduce emissions of six greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, HFCs, and PFCs. Notably, leading emitters like China and the United States are not bound by this agreement.
Dadasaheb Phalke’s Death Anniversary
Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, known as the father of Indian cinema, was born on 30 April 1870 and died on 16 February 1944. He introduced cinema to India with his debut silent film Raja Harishchandra in 1913. He produced 95 feature films in his life. The Government of India established the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award in his name in 1966.
Meghnad Saha Jayanti
Today marks the birth anniversary of India’s renowned astrophysicist Meghnad Saha. His groundbreaking Saha ionisation equation revolutionized astronomy by accurately correlating stars’ spectral classes with their temperatures. Considered among the top ten discoveries in astronomy since Galileo’s telescope, Saha’s equation is monumental. Additionally, he supervised the construction of India’s first particle accelerator and served as a Member of Parliament.
Michael Holding’s Birthday
West Indies cricketer Michael Holding celebrates his birthday today. He used to trouble the best of batsmen being part of the fierce pace quartet that also consisted of Andy Roberts, Colin Croft and Malcolm Marshall. In 1980, West Indies were at the top of world cricket due to his contribution. He played in the 1979 and 1983 Cricket World Cups. Holding is currently one of the top cricket commentators in the world.
A few more important events on February 16
- Economist and VC of Andhra University, Vasireddy Srikrishna passed away in 1961 on this day.
- Lagadapati Rajagopal, an industrialist and Member of Parliament, was born on February 16, 1964.
- On this day, Telugu journalist, magazine editor and writer Narla Venkateswara Rao died in 1985.
- Mahatma Gandhi visited Santiniketan for the first time on February 16, 1915.
- Former West Indies cricketer Desmond Haynes was born on February 16, 1956 in St. James, Barbados. This right-handed opener played in the 1979, 1983, 1987, and 1992 World Cups for the Windies.
