August 16, 2019: A look back at what happened on this day in years gone by
We take a trip down memory lane and check out what happened on this day in years gone by by looking back at some front pages and highlighting other events which went down in history across the world.
August 16 - 50 years ago
On this day 50 years ago, readers awoke to the news that the recent outburst of violence in Northern Ireland, what would eventually become known as “The Troubles”, had claimed its sixth victim.
Unofficial reports had put the death toll at eight, but this latest victim — just 23 years old — was “shot down in Percy Street, Belfast.
Relations between the British and Irish Government during this period were also extremely cool.
“While buildings still blazed in Belfast, Britain yesterday rejected proposals for a United Nations or Anglo-Irish peacekeeping force in Northern Ireland.”
“The Minister for External Affairs, Dr Hillery, who put the proposals to Lord Chalfont, Britain’s Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, during two hours of talks in London yesterday described the discussions as a “courteous brush off”,” read the lead story.
20 years ago
Thirty years later, on 16 Agust 1999, the legacy of The Troubles remained on the front page of the Examiner with former IRA volunteer turned informer Seán O’Callaghan saying that IRA hit squads were actively trying to track him down and murder him.
“In the last couple of months the IRA have made some serious attempts to track me down in London to murder me,” he said. Mr O’Callaghan died in 2017.
Elsewhere on that day, Kilkenny hurlers were also on the front page after beating Clare in the All-Ireland hurling semi-final to set up a meeting with Cork, a game they would lose by a single point the following month.
The issue of abortion was also dominating the front pages with the Government facing increased calls for another referendum.
15 years ago
Five years later in 2004, not much had changed in the world of sport. Kilkenny and Cork were continuing to dominate the hurling landscape as much at the beginning of the 21st century as they were at the end of the 20th century.
On 16 August 2004, a large proportion of Irish Examiner readers were no doubt pleased to see a picture of Tom Kenny leading Cork on their way to a comprehensive 18 point defeat of Wexford in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Just as they had done in 1999, Cork would face Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final and again come out on top winning by eight points.
On the news front, Gardaí were seeking more powers from the Government to allow them to conduct electronic surveillance of major drug dealers and other senior criminal figures as a part of a major push to crackdown on organised crime.
At the same time then Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland Dr Seán Brady was warning that society had forgotten it spiritual past and is ravaged by selfish behaviour and a desire to have a good time.
5 years ago
On 16 August 2014, the case of the drowning of two Presentation nuns at Inch Beach in Kerry was in the news as Gardaí and emergency services said they were puzzled how the nuns could have drowned in such calm and shallow waters.
This day last year, Merchants Quay Ireland said a dedicated policing service must be part of a compensation package to communities and businesses affected by the State’s first injecting centre for heroin users.
Last year's front page
Notable moments
American patriots led by General John Stark defeated the British at the Battle of Bennington during the American Revolution
Wilhelm Wundt, who founded the first psychology laboratory in Liepzig, Germany and considered to be the founder of experimental psychology, born
French physicist Gabriel Lippmann, who won the Nobel Prize for producing the first colour photographic plate, was born
German chemist Robert Bunsen, inventor of the gas burner which bears his name, died aged 88
Legendary American baseball player George Herman (Babe) Ruth died in New York City
Margaret Mitchell, US journalist-turned-author, died. She wrote only one novel, the phenomenally successful Gone with the Wind
Hungarian-born actor Bela Lugosi, famed for his portrayal of Dracula, died. He was buried in his Dracula cloak
US singer-songwriter Madonna was born Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone in Bay City, Michigan
The Beatles’ original drummer Pete Best was fired, to be replaced by Ringo Starr
Dr Selman Abraham Waksman, who coined the term antibiotic and was involved with the discovery of streptomycin and many other antibiotics, died
Turkish and Greek Cypriot forces declared a ceasefire, leaving about one-third of Cyprus in Turkish hands
Elvis Presley, the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll”, died at his Graceland mansion at age 42. He died from heart failure brought on by abuse of prescription drugs
John De Lorean was acquitted in Los Angeles of charges that he conspired to import 100kg of cocaine, and use the proceeds to save his financially-troubled Northern Ireland sports car company
A solar flare from the sun created a geomagnetic storm that halted trading on Toronto’s stock market
Iraq and Iran signed a peace agreement that formally concluded the eight-year war of the 1980s. Fighting was ended by a 1988 ceasefire, but the formal agreement allowed for the resumption of normal diplomatic relations and the withdrawal of troops
Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein warned US President George Bush that thousands of troops he sent to the Gulf would return home in coffins
All 22 First Division clubs resigned en masse from the English Football League in order to generate more television money by joining the newly-formed Premier League
Briton Nigel Mansell, driving a Williams, finally became the Formula One world motor racing champion
The people of Bermuda voted overwhelmingly against independence in a referendum, and so remained a British Dependent Territory. Bermuda had become a crown colony of the British Empire in 1609
Hendrik van den Bergh, former South African policeman, died. He founded South Africa’s first secret intelligence-gathering operation in 1963, the precursor to the dreaded Bureau of State Security (Boss), he started in 1969
The Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, approved the nomination of Vladimir Putin as prime minister
Idi Amin, notorious former dictator of Uganda, died in exile in Saudi Arabia
The picturesque village of Boscastle in Cornwall, southern England, was hit by flash floods after 75mm (3in) of rain, the average for the entire month of August, fell in two hours. Six buildings collapsed due to the force of the water, and over 50 cars were swept away as a 4m (15ft) wall of water tore through the popular tourist spot. Rescue helicopters winched people stranded on rooftops and in cars to safety
China overtook Japan as the world’s second-largest economy, behind only the United States
Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul” known for hits like Respect and Natural Woman, died from cancer at age 76. Regarded as one of the greatest singers of all time, she earned 18 Grammy awards in her 50-year career
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