October 16 Holidays

Global Cat Day was established by Alley Cat Allies in 2002 to advocate for the humane treatment of community cats — the un-owned outdoor cats that trap-neuter-return programs have been shown to stabilize and reduce feral cat populations more effectively than lethal removal. National Boss’s Day was created by Patricia Bays Haroski in 1958 and registered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — observed on October 16 unless that date falls on a weekend, in which case it shifts to the nearest weekday. National Mammography Day was established on the third Friday of October to encourage women to schedule mammograms during Breast Cancer Awareness Month — mammography remains the most effective screening tool for breast cancer, which affects 1 in 8 U.S. women. Dictionary Day marks October 16, 1758, the birthday of Noah Webster — the American lexicographer whose An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828) standardized American spelling and created a linguistic identity distinct from British English.