January 16
Updated November 6, 2026 · Edited by the JanuaryCalendar.com team
January 16 is Religious Freedom Day in the US, marking Virginia's 1786 adoption of Thomas Jefferson's Statute for Religious Freedom. It is also the date of Benny Goodman's landmark 1938 Carnegie Hall concert and the first crew transfer between docked spacecraft in 1969.
January 16 is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. 349 days remain in the year (350 in leap years). In 2027, January 16 falls on a Saturday.
- Day of year
- 16
- Days left
- 349 (350 in leap years)
- Zodiac sign
- Capricorn ♑︎
- Birthstone
- Garnet
- ISO week (2027)
- Week 2
- Weekday (2027)
- Saturday
Holidays and observances on January 16
- Official Religious Freedom Day (US) — Proclaimed annually by the President; marks Virginia's adoption of the Statute for Religious Freedom in 1786.
- US federal Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on January 16 in 2023, 2034, 2040 (third Monday of January)
Events on January 16 in history
- 1786 – The Virginia General Assembly adopted Thomas Jefferson's Statute for Religious Freedom, separating church and state in Virginia.
- 1909 – Edgeworth David, Douglas Mawson and Alistair Mackay of Shackleton's Nimrod expedition reached the South Magnetic Pole.
- 1919 – Nebraska became the 36th state to ratify the 18th Amendment, establishing nationwide Prohibition in the United States.
- 1920 – The Council of the League of Nations held its first meeting, in Paris.
- 1938 – Benny Goodman and his orchestra played a landmark jazz concert at Carnegie Hall in New York.
- 1969 – Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 docked in orbit, and two cosmonauts made the first crew transfer between spacecraft by spacewalk.
- 1979 – Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, left the country for exile amid the Iranian Revolution.
- 1992 – The Chapultepec Peace Accords, signed in Mexico City, ended El Salvador's civil war.
- 2006 – Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was sworn in as president of Liberia, becoming Africa's first elected female head of state.
Famous birthdays on January 16
- 1749 – Vittorio Alfieri, Italian tragic poet and dramatist
- 1874 – Robert W. Service, British-Canadian poet of the Yukon
- 1908 – Ethel Merman, American Broadway singer and actress
- 1932 – Dian Fossey, American primatologist who studied mountain gorillas
- 1933 – Susan Sontag, American writer and critic
- 1948 – John Carpenter, American director of Halloween
- 1959 – Sade Adu, Nigerian-born British singer
- 1974 – Kate Moss, English fashion model
- 1979 – Aaliyah, American R&B singer and actress
- 1980 – Lin-Manuel Miranda, Creator of the musical Hamilton
What day is January 16?
Frequently asked questions
What is Religious Freedom Day?
Religious Freedom Day is a US observance on January 16, proclaimed by the President each year. It marks the Virginia General Assembly's adoption of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, written by Thomas Jefferson, on January 16, 1786.
What happened at Carnegie Hall on January 16, 1938?
Benny Goodman and his orchestra gave a landmark swing concert at Carnegie Hall in New York, a milestone in jazz reaching a major concert venue. A recording of the show was released in 1950.
What happened in space on January 16, 1969?
The Soviet spacecraft Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 docked in orbit. Cosmonauts Aleksei Yeliseyev and Yevgeny Khrunov spacewalked from Soyuz 5 to Soyuz 4, the first transfer of crew between spacecraft.
What day of the week is January 16, 2027?
January 16, 2027 is a Saturday. In 2028 it falls on a Sunday.
What zodiac sign is January 16?
People born on January 16 are Capricorns (December 22 – January 19) in Western astrology.