December 16

Events

• 944: Byzantine emperor Romanus I Lekapenos is deposed by his own sons.
• 1803: The forces of Ali Pasha trap a group of Souliotes at Zaloggo. Rather than fall into the hands of the Albanian soldiers, some 60 women take part in the "Dance of Zalongo", throwing themselves over the cliff, one by one, when their dance is done.
• 1828: The first courts of modern Greece are established by Ioannis Kapodistrias.
• 1909: The Military Association invites Cretan politician, Eleftherios Venizelos, to Athens.
• 1949: Under Prime Minister Alexandros Diomedes, the martial law that was in place for the Hellenic Civil War was lifted in most areas of the country.

Births

• 1923: Modestos Panteli, EOKA fighter.
• 1935: Nikos Sampson, Junta-appointed "President" of Cyprus
• 1968: Petros Marinakis footballer for OFI, Olympiakos and CF Sevilla.

Deaths

• 1962: Dinos "Bouloukos" Andrianopoulos, forward for Olympiakos during the 1930s
• 1974: Kostas Varnalis, poet/writer