On this day in history – May 16
1527 – Florence expels the Medici and re‑establishes itself as a republic, a key chapter in Italian Renaissance politics and republican ideas.
1568 – Mary, Queen of Scots flees to England after defeat in Scotland, setting up years of imprisonment and a major dynastic crisis in Britain and Europe.
1943 – The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising is finally crushed by Nazi forces, after weeks of resistance by Jewish fighters against deportation to extermination camps.
1960 – Physicist Theodore Maiman fires the first working laser in California, laying the groundwork for everything from fibre‑optic communications to barcode scanners and eye surgery.
1961 – General Park Chung Hee leads a coup d’état in South Korea, ushering in years of authoritarian rule that nonetheless coincide with rapid industrialisation.
1966 – China’s Communist Party issues the “May 16 Notice,” widely seen as the official starting gun for the Cultural Revolution, a decade‑long upheaval that reshaped Chinese society and politics.
Politics – Canada and US
Canada – biggest political story yesterday (May 15, 2026)
National political coverage has been dominated by debates over energy, pipelines, and Canada’s broader role in global energy markets, with the federal government pressed on how to balance climate goals with economic opportunity.
Canada – likely dominant story today (May 16, 2026)
Expect continued focus on federal energy and climate policy choices, especially any new signals from Ottawa on major pipeline or resource projects and how they align with Canada’s emissions commitments.
United States – biggest political story yesterday
U.S. political news is centred on tensions between Congress and the Trump administration, including efforts by some Republicans to reassert congressional authority over presidential decisions on foreign and security policy.
Worldwide – what yesterday will be remembered for
In global terms, yesterday will likely be remembered less for a single dramatic incident and more for a cluster of unfolding stories: geopolitical manoeuvring among major powers, contested elections and reforms in several countries, and ongoing climate‑ and energy‑policy decisions that will shape economies for years.
These trends may not produce “headline of the decade” moments in a single day, but their cumulative direction on democracy, alliances and the energy transition will have long‑term consequences.
Quotation of the day
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” – C.S. Lewis
Ottawa today – sky and gas
Sunrise and sunset – Ottawa, ON – May 16, 2026
Moon phase – Ottawa, May 16, 2026
New Moon in Taurus, with the Moon essentially 0% illuminated and travelling with the Sun across the daytime sky.
Regular gas price – Ottawa (recent level)
Recent data show Ottawa regular gasoline averaging around 1.80–2.00 CAD per litre in early–mid May, with an increase around 1.97 CAD/L flagged for the second week of the month; today’s exact pump price will vary by station and time of day.
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