Historical eventDecember 161773
American Revolution
American Revolution: A group of colonists threw chests of tea into Boston Harbor (pictured) to protest British taxation without representation.
In context
- When
- Thursday, December 16 1773253 years ago
- Category
- Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
- Era
- 18th century · 1770s
- Recorded from
- Wikipedia “On this day” feed
Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.
At a glance
Dates: 1775 – 1783.
Place: Thirteen Colonies, United States.
Type: revolution and political movement.
Catalyst / how it started
Origins This section needs more citations . Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . ( September 2025 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this message ) For a chronological guide, see Timeline of the American Revolution . Further information: Colonial history of the United States See also: List of 18th-century wars involving the Thirteen Colonies After the Glorious Revolution in England ,
What happened
The American Revolution (1765–1789) was a political movement in the Thirteen Colonies of Great Britain. It began as a rebellion and turned into a revolution eventually creating the sovereign United States, which was the outcome of the associated American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). The Second Continental Congress, as the provisional government, established the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as its commander-in-chief in 1775. The following year,
December 16 through the years
Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.
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Also in 1773
- January 17James CookOn James Cook's second voyage, his vessel HMS Resolution became the first vessel to cross the Antarctic Circle.
- April 19Partition SejmThe Polish Partition Sejm met to discuss the First Partition of Poland, carried out the previous year by Russia, Prussia and Austria.
- October 13Charles MessierFrench astronomer Charles Messier discovered the Whirlpool Galaxy (pictured), an interacting, grand design spiral galaxy located an estim…
Sources
- Wikipedia article (text, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 for adapted text · how we source this
Cite this page
“American Revolution”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/american-revolution-1773-december-16, accessed October 28, 2026.
Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.
Questions about this entry
When did American Revolution happen?
December 16 1773 — 253 years ago, on a Thursday.
Where does this text come from?
Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.
How do I cite this page?
Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.
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