October 16

 Holidays and Observances
(Alphabetical Order)

2026 Daily Holidays that fall on October 16, include:

• Department Store Day 
• Global Cat Day - (also known as National Feral Cat Day)
• Mammography Day - October 16, 2026 (Third Friday in October)
• National Boss Day - October 16, 2026 
• National Cut Up Your Credit Card Day 
  
• National Dictionary Day 
• National Feral Cat Day - (Also known as Global Cat Day)
• National Learn a Word Day 
• National Liqueur Day
• Steve Jobs Day
• World Anesthesia Day
• World Food Day 
• World Spine Day 
• World Student Day - October 16, 2026 (Third Friday in October)

2026 Weekly Holidays that include October 16, are:

• Biology Week - October 8-18, 2026
• Bone and Joint Health Action Week - October 12-20
• Drink Local Wine Week - October 11-17, 2026 (Second Full Week in October)
• Earth Science Week - October 11-17, 2026 (Second Full Week in October)
• Emergency Nurses Week - October 11-17, 2026
• Freedom From Bullies Week - October 12-18, 2026 (Third Full Week in October)
• Glastonbury Apple Harvest - October 16-18, 2026 (Third Weekend in October) Located in Glastonbury, Connecticut - See our Connecticut State Holidays Page
• Home Based Business Week - October 11-17, 2026 (Second Full Week of October)
• Improve Your Home Office Week - October 11-17, 2026 (Second Full Week of October)
• International Credit Union Week - October 11-17, 2026 (Week of International Credit Union Day)
• Mediation Week - October 11-17, 2026 (Third Week in October)
• Meditation Week - October 11-17, 2026 (Third Week in October)
• National Case Management Week - October 11-17, 2026 (Second Full Week of October)
• National Chestnut Week - October 11-17, 2026 (Second Full Week of October)
• National Food Bank Week - October 11-17, 2026 (Week that has Oct. 16th in it - World Food Day)
• National Home-based Business Week - October 11-17, 2026 (Week of October that includes the second Tuesday in October)
• National School Lunch Week - October 12-18, 2026 (Starts on Second Monday in October) 
• National Veterinary Technician Week - October 11-17, 2026 (Third Week of October)
• Navratri - October 11-20, 2026 (Hindu Holiday)
• Pet Peeve Week - October 11-17, 2026 (Second Full Week of October)
• School Lunch Week - October 12-16, 2026 (Second M-F Week of October)
• Take Your Medicine Americans Week - October 10-17
• Teen Read Week - October 11-17, 2026 (Week of Columbus Day)

2026 Monthly Holidays that include October 16, are:

There are too many monthly holidays to include here, so please check out our October Holidays page to see all of the holidays that are celebrated the entire month of October.

NOTE: If a date is a movable holiday, that is different every year, I'll include the year as well as the date rule above. Otherwise, the holiday falls on the same date each year.

Astrological Sign

The Astrological Sign for October 16 is Libra which spans from September 23 to October 23.

Birth Flower of the Month

The Birth Flower(s) for the Month of October is:

• Marigold is a Mediterranean native plant and has been prized for both its beauty and versatility. They come in a range of colors including white, gold, and yellow; however, probably the most popular is bright orange.

I used several flats of marigolds around all my vegetables that I was growing.  I also re-potted a bunch of hanging baskets with succulents and put some yellow marigolds in each one for some color.

Birthstone

The Birthstone(s) for October are:

• Opal gemstones are truly unique, because each individual gem is adorned with a one-of-a-kind color combination.
• Tourmaline is a favorite gemstone for many because it's available in a rainbow of beautiful colors.

Famous Birthdays

• 1854 - Oscar Wilde, Irish playwright, poet, and novelist (The Picture of Dorian Grey) (d. 1900)
• 1925 - Angela Lansbury, English-American actress, singer and producer (Murder She Wrote)
• 1946 - Suzanne Somers, American actress and producer (Three's Company)

Famous Deaths

• 1793 - Marie Antoinette, Austrian born queen consort of Louis XVI of France (b. 1755)
• 1997 - James A. Michener, American author (Tales of the South Pacific) (b. 1907)

Famous Weddings and Divorces

• 1986 - Marie Osmond marries Brian Blosil
• 1924 - Margaret Mitchell, American writer who wrote Gone with the Wind divorces her 1st husband Berrien Upshaw

Quote of the Day

October 16 is Global Cat Day - (also known as National Feral Cat Day)

Healthy Diet Habit Tip of the Day 
or a Recipe of the Day

October 16 is World Food Day!

Healthy Recipes are a Lifestyle Solution for fast food in our lives. Many of us eat out for over half of our daily meals. We are busy, tired, and the thought of making a meal does not make sense, when grab and go fast food is so available and cheap. Our kids love fast food, and we aim to please. This is not a healthy diet habit. Kerry's recipe section will focus on quick, healthy meals.

Check out Kerry's Healthy Recipes on her Healthy Diet Habits website! We are currently in the process of migrating Kerry's Healthy Recipes to our Holiday Recipes hub.

Season

October 16th falls within the Fall Season in the Northern Hemisphere.

Fall is full of all things pumpkin, leaves falling, and fun holidays and get-togethers with friends and family as we enter the Holiday Season and celebrate Halloween, and Thanksgiving. With Fall ending on December 20, 2026, it draws us near to Christmas and the New Year celebrated in the winter season!

Check out our Fall Season page for information about Fall, Fall Dates, Major Fall Holidays and Observances, Major Fall Festivals, Fun Facts About Fall, Fall Food Tips, Fall Gardening, Fall Preparation (Cars, Clothes, Garden, Home), Fall Quotes, and Fall Weather info.

Kerry has put together some great information and tips on fall foods: 

• Fall Cooking

• Fall Foods

• Fall Snacks

• Fall Weight Loss Tips

Fall is all about pumpkins, so please also check out our pumpkin pages:

• Pumpkins

• Pumpkin Carving 

• Pumpkin Recipes

If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, this day falls in the Spring Season 

• Spring Weight Loss Tips 

This Day in History

• 1780 - The Great Hurricane of 1780 ends after its sixth day and leaves between 20,000 and 24,000 residents of the Lesser Antilles dead
• 1793 - During the French Revolution, Queen Marie Antoinette is executed
• 1834 - Much of the Palace of Westminster in London burns in a fire
• 1841 - Queen's University is founded in the Province of Canada
• 1847 - The novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is published in London
• 1859 - John Brown leads a raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia
• 1875 - Brigham Young University is founded in Provo, Utah
• 1882 - The Nickel Plate Railroad opens
• 1919 - Adolf Hitler gives his first publish speech at a meeting of the German Worker's Party
• 1923 - The Walt Disney Company is founded
• 1947 - The Philippines takes over the administration of the Turtle Islands and the Mangsee Islands from the U.K.
• 1964 - China detonates its first nuclear weapon
• 1978 - Pope John Paul II becomes the first non-Italian pontiff since 1523
• 1995 - The Skye Bridge in Scotland is opened for the first time

This Day in Music

• 1982 - I Will Always Love You by Dolly Parton hits #1 for the second time
• 1991 - The Blood Sugar Sex Magik tour by the Red Hot Chili Peppers starts with a show in Madison, Wisconsin and opening acts by Smashing Pumpkins and Pearl Jam
• 1992 - Ignition is the second album released by The Offspring
• 2003 - Apple launches a Windows version of their iTunes store, previously only available on Macs
• 2012 - Darius Rucker is inducted into the Grand Ole Opry

Smashing Pumpkins - 1979

This Day in Sports

• 1936 - BBWAA votes Lou Gehrig AL MVP
• 1949 - Red Byron wins the 1st NASCAR Sprint Cup
• 1993 - Aretha Franklin sings the U.S. National Anthem in Toronto before Game 1 of the World Series

Word of the Day from Wiktionary

Wishing You a Great Day Today!