At A Glance

16 April 1942 at a glance

Day of the week
16 April 1942 was a Thursday.
Top Film of 1942
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1942 was Bambi.
Bestselling Novel of 1942
“The Song of Bernadette” by Franz Werfel was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1942.
Star sign
The star sign for 16 April is Aries.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 16 April 1942 fell in the Year of the Horse.
Birthstone
The birthstone for April is Diamond.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 16 April 1942 was New Moon.

On this day: 16 April

  • 1941 World War II: The Italian-German Tarigo convoy is attacked and destroyed by British ships.
  • 1941 World War II: The Nazi-affiliated Ustaše is put in charge of the Independent State of Croatia by the Axis powers after Operation 25 is effected.
  • 1943 Albert Hofmann accidentally discovers the hallucinogenic effects of the research drug LSD. He intentionally takes the drug three days later on April 19.
  • 1945 World War II: The United States Army liberates Nazi Sonderlager (high security) prisoner-of-war camp Oflag IV-C (better known as Colditz).
  • 1947 Bernard Baruch first applies the term "Cold War" to describe the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Famous people born on April 16

  • Sadie Sink, American actress (born 2002)
  • Anya Taylor-Joy, Argentine-British actress (born 1996)
  • Charlie Chaplin, English actor, director, producer, screenwriter, and composer (1889–1977)
  • Bill Belichick, American football coach (born 1952)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1942 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1942 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • February 2 – WWII: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs an executive order directing the internment of Italian, German, and Japanese Americans and orders the seizure of their properties.
  • March 27 – Capitol Records, the first record label on the United States' West Coast of note, is founded by Jonny Mercer, Buddy DeSylvia, and Glenn E. Wallichis.
  • June 4–7 – WWII: Battle of Midway – The United States Navy defeats an Imperial Japanese Navy attack against Midway Atoll.

Life in the US in 1942

President

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Gas (per gallon)

$0.20

Loaf of Bread

$0.09

Average House

$3,200

Weekly Wage

$31

Or

Browse by Year

Famous Faces Born in the 1940s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →