On this day: Key events on August 16, Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s death in 2018 to gold discovered in Canada’s Yukon in 1896

On this day: August 16 has witnessed several important events in history, making it a significant date in both Indian and world history for various political, economic, and other reasons. On this day in 2018, India mourned the loss of its former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Additionally, this date is remembered for the passing of Elvis Presley, who died in 1977 at his Graceland estate in Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of 42.

Here are some of the events that took place on August 16

Atal Bihari Vajpayee's death in 2018

Former prime minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee died on August 16, 2018. Born in Gwalior in 1924, Vajpayee was a key figure in the BJP for many years and became the first non-Congress Prime Minister to complete a full term in office. He served as Prime Minister twice, first from May 16 to June 1, 1996, and then from March 19, 1998, to May 22, 2004. Additionally, he held the position of India's External Affairs Minister in Prime Minister Morarji Desai's cabinet from 1977 to 1979. Vajpayee died on August 16, 2018, at AIIMS Hospital in Delhi.

Elvis Presley died in 1977

Elvis Presley, the legendary American singer and actor, passed away on August 16, 1977, at the age of 42. He was found unresponsive at his Graceland estate in Memphis, Tennessee. Despite attempts to revive him, he was pronounced dead, with the official cause later determined to be a heart attack, likely related to his long-term health issues and prescription drug use.

Gold discovered in Canada’s Yukon in 1896

In 1896, the discovery of gold in Canada’s Yukon Territory ignited the "Klondike Fever," attracting tens of thousands of people to the area in pursuit of wealth.

James Earl Ray convicted in 1978

In 1978, James Earl Ray, the man convicted of assassinating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., testified before a Capitol Hill hearing, claiming that he was not responsible for the crime. Ray stated that he had been framed by a mysterious figure known as “Raoul.”

State of emergency declared in Missouri in 2014

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon had declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, where police and protesters repeatedly clashed in the week since a Black 18-year-old, Michael Brown, was shot to death by a white police officer.