Famous people born on August 16 — and what else happened that day
If your birthday is August 16, you share it with James Cameron, Madonna, Steve Carell — and you were born under Leo, the sign of the warm, confident, and born for the spotlight.
Birthday basics for August 16
Leo ♌
Zodiac sign
Peridot
Birthstone
Gladiolus
Birth flower
228th
Day of the year
August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years), with 137 days still to come.
Famous people born on August 16
James Cameron — Canadian filmmaker who directed Titanic and Avatar (born 1954).
Madonna — American singer known as the Queen of Pop (born 1958).
Steve Carell — American actor and comedian who starred in The Office (born 1962).
Also sharing the day:
Charles Bukowski (b. 1920) — German-American poet and novelist of gritty Los Angeles life.
Frank Gifford (b. 1930) — American football star turned longtime Monday Night Football broadcaster.
Angela Bassett (b. 1958) — American actress acclaimed for What's Love Got to Do with It and Black Panther.
August 16 in history
1896 — Gold was discovered on Bonanza Creek in the Yukon, sparking the Klondike Gold Rush.
1954 — The first issue of Sports Illustrated magazine was published.
1960 — Joseph Kittinger parachuted from a balloon over 19 miles up, a record that stood for 52 years.
1858 — Queen Victoria and President James Buchanan exchanged greetings over the new transatlantic telegraph cable.
1930 — Fiddlesticks, the first cartoon with both sound and color, was released.
1960 — Cyprus gained its independence from the United Kingdom.
August 16 birthday questions
What zodiac sign is August 16?
Anyone born on August 16 is a Leo — warm, confident, and born for the spotlight.
What is the birthstone for August 16?
The birthstone for a August 16 birthday is Peridot, and the birth flower is the Gladiolus.
Who is the most famous person born on August 16?
James Cameron is among the best known — Canadian filmmaker who directed Titanic and Avatar (born 1954).
What happened on August 16?
In 1896, Gold was discovered on Bonanza Creek in the Yukon, sparking the Klondike Gold Rush.
What day of the year is August 16?
August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years), with 137 days still to come.
Make their day unforgettable
Know someone born on August 16? See the full story of their exact birthday — the headlines, the #1 song, what things cost — and turn it into a personalized front-page newspaper they can keep.