About the day » Tuesday August 16, 1938Calender converter

• Hendrik Arie Hdsz Hogewoning, Noordwijk († 2005)
• Geziena Margaretha Suk, Sappemeer († 1940)
• Clothilda Celestina De Belder, Niel († 1955)
• Clasina Ouwehand, Katwijk († 1942)
• Hedwig Leopold Jan DEREU, Eernegem († 1996)
• Ivonna Ligneel, Staden († 2025)
• Frieda Maria Jantje Kooren, Rotterdam
• Gustav Backhaus, Braunschweig († 2005)
• Cornelia Voorthuijsen, Amsterdam († 1939)
• Bertha Alida Kool, Schoonrewoerd, Zuid-Holland, Nederland († 2023)

• Albert Schuiring (47), Wagenborgen, gem. Termunten, Groningen, Nederland
• Arnoldus Schipper (60), Oud-Beijerland
• Christiaan Peter Roovers (70), Hilversum, Noord-Holland, Nederland
• Arend Veeter (76), Zijpe
• Alida de Vries (73)
• Catharina Wessels (61), Wageningen
• Albertus Boon (26), Rotterdam
• Bernadina Petronella Aleven (55), Angeren
• Apollonia Koster, Lisse
• Antonius Slendebroek (29), Arnhem, Gld, Nederland

• 1936 » Alan Hodgkinson, English footballer and coach († 2015)
• 1936 » Anita Gillette, American actress and singer
• 1937 » Boris Rõtov, Estonian chess player († 1987)
• 1937 » David Anderson, Canadian journalist, lawyer, and politician
• 1937 » David Behrman, American composer and producer
• 1937 » Ian Deans, Canadian politician († 2016)
• 1939 » Billy Joe Shaver, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1939 » Eric Weissberg, American singer, banjo player, and multi-instrumentalist
• 1939 » Seán Brady, Irish cardinal
• 1939 » Trevor McDonald, Trinidadian-English journalist and academic

• 1920 » Henry Daglish, Australian politician, 6th Premier of Western Australia (b. 1866)
• 1921 » Peter I of Serbia (b. 1844)
• 1938 » Andrej Hlinka, Slovak priest, journalist, and politician (b. 1864)
• 1938 » Robert Johnson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1911)
• 1945 » Takijirō Ōnishi, Japanese admiral (b. 1891)
• 1948 » Babe Ruth, American baseball player and coach (b. 1895)
• 1949 » Margaret Mitchell, American journalist and author (b. 1900)
• 1952 » Lydia Field Emmet, American painter and academic (b. 1866)
• 1956 » Bela Lugosi, Hungarian-American actor (b. 1882)
• 1957 » Irving Langmuir, American chemist and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1881)

• Koningin Wilhelmina (Huis van Oranje-Nassau) was from 1890 till 1948 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)
• In The Netherlands , there was from June 24, 1937 to July 25, 1939 the cabinet Colijn IV, with Dr. H. Colijn (ARP) as prime minister.
• The Netherlands had about 8.6 million citizens.
• February 18 » Second Sino-Japanese War: During the Nanking Massacre, the Nanking Safety Zone International Committee is renamed "Nanking International Rescue Committee", and the safety zone in place for refugees falls apart.
• March 3 » Oil is discovered in Saudi Arabia.
• March 27 » Second Sino-Japanese War: The Battle of Taierzhuang begins, resulting several weeks later in the war's first major Chinese victory over Japan.
• May 26 » In the United States, the House Un-American Activities Committee begins its first session.
• October 5 » In Nazi Germany, Jews' passports are invalidated.
• December 17 » Otto Hahn discovers the nuclear fission of the heavy element uranium, the scientific and technological basis of nuclear energy.

The temperature on August 16, 1938 was between 11.0 °C and 21.5 °C and averaged 17.0 °C. There was 0.4 mm of rain during 0.3 hours. There was 0.9 hours of sunshine (6%). The average windspeed was 4 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the southwest.