Historical Events
- -17] Explosions & fire on French ship Grandcamp
- Fire aboard French-flagged cargo ship SS Grandchamp, docked at Port of Texas City, Texas and loaded with 2,300 tons of ammonium nitrate causes massive explosion and spreads to nearby ships and oil facilities; deadliest industrial accident in US history kills 581, including all but one member of the city's fire departments
- Lens to provide zoom effects demonstrated (NYC)
Famous Birthdays
- Gerry Rafferty, Scottish guitarist and vocalist (Stealers Wheel - "Stuck In The Middle With You"; solo -"Baker Street"), born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland (d. 2011)
- Johnny Grier, American football official (1981-2004; first African-American referee in NFL history 1988), born in Charlotte, North Carolina (d. 2022)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (77 years old)
American Basketball Hall of Fame center (6 x NBA champion; NBA Finals MVP 1971, 85; 6 × NBA MVP; 19 × NBA All-Star), born in New York City
- Lee Kerslake, British drummer (Uriah Heep; Ozzy Osbourne), born in Winton, Bournemouth, Dorset, England (d. 2020)
Famous Deaths
- Rudolf Höss, German commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp, dies at 45
1947 Highlights
About April 16, 1947
Day of the Week: Wednesday
How Long Ago? 77 years and 3 days
Leap Year: No
Generation: Baby Boomer
Chinese Zodiac: Pig
Star Sign: Aries
