1910 | 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919
1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929
1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939
1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949
1 Jan 1916
- Lieutenant R. B. Davis of the British Royal Naval Air Service was awarded the Victoria Cross for valour whilst flying a Nieuport fighter. ww2dbase [AC]
- Richard O'Connor was Mentioned in Despatches. ww2dbase [Richard O'Connor | CPC]
9 Jan 1916
- On the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey the last British ammunition dumps were blown up following the successful evacuation of the expeditionary force. ww2dbase [AC]
12 Jan 1916
- German aces Osward Boelcke and Max Immelmann were awarded the Pour le Mérite, Germany's highest decoration for military bravery. At the time both lieutenants had eight aerial victories. ww2dbase [AC]
- The first experimental tank moved under its own power in Britain. ww2dbase [AC]
14 Jan 1916
- The British Royal Flying Corps ordered that, in the face of opposition from German Fokker monoplanes, in future each reconnaissance aircraft must be escorted by a minimum of three fighters. ww2dbase [AC]
Australia
17 Jan 1916
United States
- President Woodrow Wilson appointed Frederic Harris the US Navy Bureau Chief of Yards and Docks. ww2dbase [Frederic Harris | CPC]
26 Jan 1916
- The world first tank "Big Willie" was driven out of the works of William Foster & Co. of Lincoln, England, United Kingdom by Charlie Maughan. Built in only ten weeks from scratch "Big Willie" was to be taken by rail to commence Army trials at Hatfield. ww2dbase [AC]
28 Jan 1916
Taiwan
- Rear Admiral Hisamori Taguchi was named the Chief of Staff of the Mako naval port at Pescadores islands, Taiwan. ww2dbase [Mako Guard District | Mako, Hoko | CPC]
1 Feb 1916
- Malaya was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Malaya | CPC]
2 Feb 1916
- British Chief Petty Officer Hill of the Royal Naval Air Service became the first man in history to be called a tank driver when he took the controls of the new invention at the official unveiling ceremony. ww2dbase [AC]
19 Feb 1916
- HMS Valiant was commissioned into service with Captain Maurice Woollcombe as her first commanding officer. ww2dbase [Valiant | CPC]
1 Mar 1916
- George Brett married Mary Devol, daughter of Major General Carroll Devol. ww2dbase [George Brett | CPC]
10 Mar 1916
France
- Lorraine was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Lorraine | CPC]
11 Mar 1916
- Nevada was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Nevada | CPC]
14 Mar 1916
- Francis Tuker was promoted to the rank of acting captain. ww2dbase [Francis Tuker | CPC]
15 Mar 1916
- Quintin Brand became a pilot under training with the special reserve of the British Royal Flying Corps. ww2dbase [Quintin Brand | CPC]
- Bruce Fraser was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-commander. ww2dbase [Bruce Fraser | CPC]
Japan
16 Mar 1916
- US military aircraft flew their first reconnaissance mission over foreign territory when the 1st Aero Squadron equipped with Curtiss JN-3s joined Army units retaliating after a raid by Mexican rebel "Pancho" Villa claimed the lives of 19 Americans. ww2dbase [AC]
18 Mar 1916
- Ernst Udet, flying a Fokker E.III aircraft, shot down his first opponent, a French Farman F.40 bomber. This victory led to his Iron Cross First Class medal. ww2dbase [Ernst Udet | CPC]
30 Mar 1916
- Quintin Brand received Royal Aero Club Certificate No. 3949. ww2dbase [Quintin Brand | CPC]
1 Apr 1916
Japan
- Masafumi Arima returned to Japan from his midshipman tour. ww2dbase [Masafumi Arima | CPC]
Korea
- Lieutenant General Tan Shirozu was named the chief of staff of the Japanese Chosen Army in occupied Korea. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The Chinkai naval base in southern Korea was upgraded to a Guard District by the Japanese Navy with Vice Admiral Kujuro Yamaguchi in command. ww2dbase [Chinkai Guard District | Chinkai, Gyeongsangnam | CPC]
2 Apr 1916
- Charles Burnett was promoted to the temporary rank of major and was made the commanding officer of No. 36 Squadron. ww2dbase [Charles Burnett | CPC]
12 Apr 1916
- Francis Tuker stepped down from the rank of acting captain. ww2dbase [Francis Tuker | CPC]
18 Apr 1916
- Royal Sovereign was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Royal Sovereign | CPC]
20 Apr 1916
- The Escadrille Américaine (latterly the Escadrille Lafayette) was established as a US volunteer unit flying Nieuport II aircraft with the French Aéronautique Militaire on the Western Front in WW1. ww2dbase [AC]
- Ferdinand Schörner was awarded the Military Merit Cross 3rd class of Austria-Hungary. ww2dbase [Ferdinand Schörner | CPC]
Japan
- Masafumi Arima departed for an overseas tour. ww2dbase [Masafumi Arima | CPC]
United Kingdom
27 Apr 1916
- The Pre-dreadnought battleship HMS Russell was wrecked after hitting a mine off Malta. ww2dbase [AC]
- Friedrich Christiansen was awarded the Iron Cross First Class and Knights Cross with Swords of the House Order of Hohenzollern. ww2dbase [Friedrich Christiansen | CPC]
1 May 1916
- Oklahoma was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Oklahoma | CPC]
2 May 1916
Japan
- Kenkichi Ueda was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. ww2dbase [Kenkichi Ueda | CPC]
6 May 1916
Japan
- Morihiro was born in Tokyo, Japan. ww2dbase [Morihiro | Tokyo | CPC]
13 May 1916
- Kasuga was relieved as the flagship of Destroyer Squadron 3. ww2dbase [Kasuga | CPC]
14 May 1916
- Quintin Brand became a pilot with the No. 1 Squadron of the British Royal Flying Corps. ww2dbase [Quintin Brand | CPC]
16 May 1916
- The Sykes-Picot agreement was signed in which Sir Mark Sykes of Great Britain and George Picot of France obtained from Russia agreement as to how the Ottoman Empire would be divided up after the war. In exchange for British and French territorial gains, Russia would take control of the Turkish Armenian provinces and northern Kurdistan. ww2dbase [AC]
20 May 1916
United States
- Henry Arnold was made a supply officer at the US Army Signal Corps Aviation School at Rockwell Field in San Diego, California, United States. ww2dbase [Henry Arnold | San Diego, California | CPC]
22 May 1916
- British fighter ace Captain Albert Ball of the Royal Flying Corps was credited with his first two aerial victories. ww2dbase [AC]
23 May 1916
- George Patton was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant. ww2dbase [George Patton | CPC]
25 May 1916
- Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class medal. ww2dbase [Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller | CPC]
- Kurt Fricke was awarded Friedrich August Cross 2nd Class of Oldenburg. ww2dbase [Kurt Frike | CPC]
1 Jun 1916
- Quintin Brand was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant. ww2dbase [Quintin Brand | CPC]
5 Jun 1916
- British Secretary of State for War, Field Marshal Lord Kitchener, was drowned when the ship in which he was travelling to on a diplomatic mission to Russia (HMS Hampshire) hit a mine laid by the German U-boat U-75. ww2dbase [AC]
10 Jun 1916
- Lieutenant (junior grade) Walden Ainsworth, US Navy, married Katharine Gardner in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ww2dbase [Walden Ainsworth | DS]
12 Jun 1916
- Pennsylvania was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Pennsylvania | CPC]
14 Jun 1916
- Kurt Fricke was awarded Hanseatic Cross of the Hanseatic City States. ww2dbase [Kurt Frike | CPC]
15 Jun 1916
- Tetsuzo Iwamoto was born in Karafuto, Japan. ww2dbase [Tetsuzo Iwamoto | CPC]
18 Jun 1916
- German pilot Oberleutnant Max Immelmann, "The Eagle of Lille", was killed when his Fokker E.III aircraft was shot down by a British Fe.2b aircraft of No. 25 Squadron RFC flown by Second Lieutenant McCubbin and Corporal J. H. Walker. ww2dbase [AC]
23 Jun 1916
- Victor Emmanuel Chapman, flying with the Escadrille Lafayette volunteer group, became the first American pilot to be killed in action when he was shot down near Verdun, France. ww2dbase [AC]
25 Jun 1916
Korea
- A Shinto ceremony was held at the site of the future General Government Building in Keijo (now Seoul), Korea to bless the construction work. ww2dbase [Keijo General Government Building | Keijo | CPC]
28 Jun 1916
- Kurt Fricke was awarded Iron Cross 1st Class. ww2dbase [Kurt Frike | CPC]
1 Jul 1916
- George Brett was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant. ww2dbase [George Brett | CPC]
17 Jul 1916
United States
22 Jul 1916
Russia
- Boris Shaposhnikov was awarded the Order of Saint Stanislaus, 3rd Class with Swords and Bow. ww2dbase [Boris Shaposhnikov | CPC]
31 Jul 1916
- Robert Saundby forced down a German Eindekker aircraft but was slightly injured in the fighting. ww2dbase [Robert Saundby | CPC]
3 Aug 1916
United Kingdom
- Lieutenant William Leefe Robinson RFC, flying a BE.2c, destroyed the German airship Schütte-Lanz St.11. As a result of this victory, large scale airship raids on London, England, United Kingdom were effectively dissuaded, and Robinson would receive the Victoria Cross in the following month. ww2dbase [England | AC]
Photo(s) dated 3 Aug 1916
5 Aug 1916
- Major L. W. B. Rees RFC was awarded the Victoria Cross for valour whilst flying an Airco DH.2 fighter. ww2dbase [AC]
14 Aug 1916
Denmark
- Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. ww2dbase [Heinrich | Copenhagen | CPC]
16 Aug 1916
Germany
- Hamburger Werft AG was established in Hamburg, Germany. Some documents indicated the founding date to be 25 Aug 1916 instead. ww2dbase [Deutsche Werft Hamburg | Hamburg | AG]
18 Aug 1916
- Repulse was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Repulse | CPC]
Korea
- General Yoshifuru Akiyama was named the commanding officer of the Japanese Chosen Army in occupied Korea, relieving Seigo Inokuchi. ww2dbase [CPC]
23 Aug 1916
Japan
- Masafumi Arima was assigned to Shikishima. ww2dbase [Masafumi Arima | CPC]
24 Aug 1916
- HMS Valiant collided with HMS Warspite, causing some damage. ww2dbase [Valiant | CPC]
United States
28 Aug 1916
Japan
- Chuichi Nagumo's marriage certificate was made official. ww2dbase [Chuichi Nagumo | CPC]
29 Aug 1916
- The US Navy ordered the construction of what was to be submarine R-1. ww2dbase [R-1 | CPC]
- Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class medal. ww2dbase [Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller | CPC]
- William Halsey was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander. ww2dbase [William Halsey | CPC]
- William Leahy was promoted to the rank of commander. ww2dbase [William Leahy | CPC]
United States
- The construction for future submarine R-5 was ordered. ww2dbase [R-5 | CPC]
- The order for submarine R-14 was issued. ww2dbase [R-14 | CPC]
1 Sep 1916
- Renown was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Renown | CPC]
- The keel of British battlecruiser Hood was laid down. ww2dbase [Hood | CPC]
2 Sep 1916
- George Brett transferred to the Aviation Section of the US Army Signal Corps. ww2dbase [George Brett | CPC]
12 Sep 1916
- Kasuga was made the flagship of Destroyer Squadron 3. ww2dbase [Kasuga | CPC]
15 Sep 1916
- The French submarine Foucault was sunk by an Austrian Löhner flying-boat. ww2dbase [AC]
18 Sep 1916
- HMS Valiant completed repairs for the damaged incurred during a collision with HMS Warspite in the previous month. ww2dbase [Valiant | CPC]
23 Sep 1916
United Kingdom
- Eleven German Zeppelin airships raided England, United Kingdom, with three heading for London. LZ 76 (L-33) was forced to land after being damaged by anti-aircraft fire, and LZ 74 (L-32) was attacked by Second Lieutenant F. Sowrey, causing it to burst into flames. ww2dbase [England | AC]
United States
- Henry Arnold was promoted to the rank of captain. ww2dbase [Henry Arnold | CPC]
1 Oct 1916
- Charles Burnett was promoted to the rank of captain. ww2dbase [Charles Burnett | CPC]
12 Oct 1916
- British pilot Raymond Collishaw, later the highest-scoring Royal Navy Air Service ace, gained the first of his 60 aerial victories. ww2dbase [AC]
13 Oct 1916
- Omar Bradley was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant. ww2dbase [Omar Bradley | CPC]
17 Oct 1916
- USS Arizona was commissioned into service with Captain John McDonald in command. ww2dbase [Arizona | CPC]
19 Oct 1916
United States
21 Oct 1916
- The Austrian Prime Minister Karl Stürgkh was assassinated by Friedrich Adler, the son of the Socialists' leader. Adler was never brought to trial. ww2dbase [AC]
24 Oct 1916
- Heinrich Hoffmann's wife Therese gave birth to their son Heinrich. ww2dbase [Heinrich Hoffmann | CPC]
28 Oct 1916
- German fighter Ace Hauptmann Osward Boelcke was killed when the wing of his Albatros scout was struck by the undercarriage of another Albatros flown by Leutnant Boehme. ww2dbase [AC]
1 Nov 1916
Russia
- Boris Shaposhnikov was awarded the Order of St. Anna, 2nd Class. ww2dbase [Boris Shaposhnikov | CPC]
2 Nov 1916
Japan
- Prince Hirohito was made the Crown Prince of Japan. ww2dbase [Showa | CPC]
16 Nov 1916
United States
- USS Arizona departed Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York, United States for shakedown training. ww2dbase [Arizona | Brooklyn, New York | CPC]
21 Nov 1916
- Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria died. He was succeeded by Charles, son of the Archduke Otto. One of Charles's first actions on becoming Emperor was to issue a declaration that he wished to end Austria's participation in the war. ww2dbase [AC]
26 Nov 1916
United States
- Henry Arnold took his first solo flight since his leave of absence from the Aviation Section of the US Army Signal Corps in 1912. ww2dbase [Henry Arnold | CPC]
27 Nov 1916
- Erwin Rommel married Lucia Maria Mollin in Danzig. ww2dbase [Erwin Rommel | CPC]
28 Nov 1916
United Kingdom
- A German L.V.G. C.II aircraft flown by Deck Offizier R. Brandt dropped six bombs near Victoria railway station in central London, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [London, England | AC]
1 Dec 1916
- Chuichi Nagumo was attached to the Fourth Fleet. ww2dbase [Chuichi Nagumo | CPC]
China
- Admiral Teijiro Kuroi succeeded Vice Admiral Takeshi Takarabe as the commanding officer of the Ryojun Military Port (previously known as Port Arthur; now Lushunkou, Liaoning Province, China), Kwantung Leased Territory in northeastern China. ww2dbase [Ryojun Guard District | Lushunkou, Liaoning | CPC]
Japan
- Destroyer Kashi was launched at Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan. ww2dbase [Maizuru Naval Arsenal | Kashi | Maizuru, Kyoto | CPC]
- Prince Hiroyasu was promoted to the rank of vice admiral. ww2dbase [Hiroyasu | CPC]
- Masafumi Arima was promoted to the rank of ensign. ww2dbase [Masafumi Arima | CPC]
- Captain Chikatami Honda was named the commanding officer of Settsu, and Settsu was placed in reserve at Kure, Japan for a scheduled period of refitting. ww2dbase [Kure Naval Arsenal | Settsu | Kure, Hiroshima | CPC]
- Rear Admiral Tsuyoshi Kimura was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. ww2dbase [Maizuru Naval Arsenal | Maizuru, Kyoto | CPC]
- Minoru Ota was promoted to the rank of lieutenant (jg) and began the Gunnery School Basic Course. ww2dbase [Minoru Ota | CPC]
Korea
Taiwan
- Vice Admiral Tatsuo Matsumura was named the commanding officer of the Mako naval port at Pescadores islands, Taiwan. ww2dbase [Mako Guard District | Mako, Hoko | CPC]
6 Dec 1916
- Yekaterina Budanova was born in Konoplanka, Smolensk, Russia. ww2dbase [Yekaterina Budanova | CPC]
10 Dec 1916
Photo(s) dated 10 Dec 1916
12 Dec 1916
- General Robert Nivelle was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the French Army. ww2dbase [AC]
16 Dec 1916
United States
19 Dec 1916
Photo(s) dated 19 Dec 1916
21 Dec 1916
United Kingdom
- The construction of the first prototype Medium Mark A Whippet tank began in Britain. ww2dbase [Medium Mark A Whippet | CPC]
24 Dec 1916
United States
- USS Arizona arrived at Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York, United States for post-shakedown overhaul. ww2dbase [Arizona | Brooklyn, New York | CPC]
31 Dec 1916
- Battlecruiser Glorious was completed. ww2dbase [Glorious | AC]
Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis
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