Reuters historical calendar - November 16

London, Nov 15 (Reuters) Following are some of the major events to have occurred on November 16 since 1900: 1918 - With the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian empire, Hungary was proclaimed an independent republic.

1933 - The United States and the Soviet Union established diplomatic relations.

1959 - The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical ''The Sound of Music'' premiered in New York, starring Mary Martin.

1960 - Clark Gable, American film actor, died at 59. Best known for his portrayal of Rhett Butler in ''Gone with the Wind'', he had just finished filming ''The Misfits'' with Marilyn Monroe.

1965 - The Soviet Union launched its Venus III spacecraft toward Venus. It arrived in March 1966, becoming the first spacecraft to land on another planet.

1989 - Former East German leader Erich Honecker was told by the Communist Party's new chief to give up his seat in East Berlin's parliament in a purge of the old guard.

1995 - A U.N. tribunal charged Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and his military commander Ratko Mladic with genocide.

REUTERS SP BST1013