History Main / Dangerous16thBirthday

* The parodic comedy HowToSurviveAZombieApocalypse features the main character's sixteenth birthday as the same day the outbreak started.

* In the comedic parody HowToSurviveAZombieApocalypse, the zombie outbreak begins the day she turns sixteen.

* In the comedic parody HowToSurviveAZombieApocalypse, the zombie outbreak begins the day she turns sixteen.

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* In "The Hunger Games" trilogy, a person in the districts can volunteer for "Tesserae," which means extra food rations and privileges in return for an extra entry in the draw to be reaped for the Games. Since many people are obliged to go this route to avoid their family starving, it's not quite as "voluntary" as it's painted. When she goes to off the Games, Katniss warns her sister Primrose against volunteering (this conversation is intended to show Katniss does not expect to survive, since Prim is well under the appropriate age at the time)

There are some Real World reasons why 16 is often chosen as The Age At Which Shit Happens. Although the hormonal hell known as puberty actually started a few years earlier, sixteen tends to be when the teenager finally has those changes under control and starts to act (somewhat) more like an adult, which is reflected in how teenagers' bodies sexually mature (on average) by 16; thus, in many cultures, 16 was the effective age of majority. Even though Western culture prefers to wait until 18 to confer legal adulthood, in the U.S. 16 is still the minimum age for a driver's license and many types of employment (both very important milestones of adulthood, independence, and/or general social status). On the flipside, in many jurisdictions 16 is the minimum age at which a minor accused of a crime may be tried and punished as an adult rather than through the juvenile justice system. And in Asian media, let's not forget that 16 is [[FourIsDeath four times four]].

There are some Real World reasons why 16 is often chosen as The Age At Which Shit Happens. Although the hormonal hell known as puberty actually started a few years earlier, sixteen tends to be when the teenager finally has those changes under control and starts to act (somewhat) more like an adult, which is reflected in how teenagers' bodies mature (on average) by 16; thus, in many cultures, 16 was the effective age of majority. Even though Western culture prefers to wait until 18 to confer legal adulthood, in the U.S. 16 is still the minimum age for a driver's license and many types of employment (both very important milestones of adulthood, independence, and/or general social status). On the flipside, in many jurisdictions 16 is the minimum age at which a minor accused of a crime may be tried and punished as an adult rather than through the juvenile justice system. And in Asian media, let's not forget that 16 is [[FourIsDeath four times four]].

* ''SoCalization'' aside, 16 is the age of consent in the majority of U.S. states, and in many other countries including the UK and Canada, and most of Australia.

There are some Real World reasons why 16 is often chosen as The Age At Which Shit Happens. Although the hormonal hell known as puberty actually started a few years earlier, sixteen tends to be when the teenager finally has those changes under control and starts to act (somewhat) more like an adult; thus, in many cultures, 16 was the effective age of majority. Even though Western culture prefers to wait until 18 to confer legal adulthood, in the U.S. 16 is still the minimum age for a driver's license and many types of employment (both very important milestones of adulthood, independence, and/or general social status). On the flipside, in many jurisdictions 16 is the minimum age at which a minor accused of a crime may be tried and punished as an adult rather than through the juvenile justice system. And in Asian media, let's not forget that 16 is [[FourIsDeath four times four]].

* ''[[SeltzerAndFriedberg Disaster Movie]]'' pokes fun of this. Will has a sweet sixteen party the same day the world ends, even though he is [[ChristmasCake 25]].

There are some Real World reasons why 16 is often chosen as The Age At Which Shit Happens. Although the hormonal hell known as puberty actually started a few years earlier, sixteen tends to be when the teenager finally has those changes under control and starts to act more like an adult (experience can wait for a few more years); thus, in many cultures, 16 was the effective age of majority. Even though Western culture prefers to wait until 18 to confer legal adulthood, but in the U.S., 16 is the minimum age for a driver's license and many types of employment (both very important milestones of adulthood, social status, and/or independence). On the flipside, in many jurisdictions 16 is the minimum age at which a minor accused of a crime may be tried and punished as an adult rather than through the juvenile justice system. And in Asian media, let's not forget that 16 is [[FourIsDeath four times four]].

There are Real World reasons why 16 is often chosen as The Age At Which Shit Happens. Most teenagers emerge from the nitty-gritty physical/hormonal changes of puberty by 16 and start acting more like (inexperienced) adults. Thus, in many cultures, 16 was the effective age of majority. Western culture prefers to wait until 18 to confer legal adulthood but in the U.S., 16 is the minimum age for a driver's license as well as the minimum age for many types of employment--both major steps towards independence. On the flip side, in many jurisdictions 16 is the minimum age at which a minor accused of a crime may be tried and punished as an adult rather than through the juvenile justice system. And in Asian media, let's not forget that 16 is [[FourIsDeath four times four]].

From a media perspective, 16 is a transition age from works specifically intended for tween/teen consumers towards the mainstream adult audience. In the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series, each year's installment is noticeably darker and aimed at a higher reading level than the last, with Book 6 marking the point at which the writing style and tone draw level with mainstream adult fantasy novels.

Often overlaps with TheHerosBirthday.

There are Real World reasons why 16 is often chosen as The Age At Which Shit Happens. Most teenagers emerge from the nitty-gritty physical/hormonal changes of puberty by 16 and start acting more like (inexperienced) adults. Thus, in many cultures, 16 was the effective age of majority. Western culture prefers to wait until 18 to confer legal adulthood but in the U.S., 16 is the minimum age for a driver's license as well as the minimum age for many types of employment--both major steps towards independence. On the flip side, in many jurisdictions 16 is the minimum age at which a minor accused of a crime may be tried and punished as an adult rather than through the juvenile justice system.

* The {{Slasher Movie}}s ''Sweet Sixteen'' and ''Film/MySuperPsychoSweet16'' (no relation).

** Another Disney Channel movie, ''SixteenWishes'', features the main character inadvertently setting up a dangerous 16th birthday for herself.

* In ''VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'', on Link's 16th birthday a strange mark appeared on his left hand, [[spoiler: the triforce]], and thus the adventure begins!

* ''DeltoraQuest'' (and it's anime adaptation) has Lief beginning his quest to find the seven gems to free Deltora on his sixteenth birthday.

* In the ''Beautiful Creatures'' series, Casters (At least in Lena's family) get claimed Light or Dark on their sixteenth birthday.

There are Real World reasons why 16 is often chosen as The Age At Which Shit Happens. Most teenagers emerge from the nitty-gritty physical/hormonal changes of puberty by 16 and start acting more like (inexperienced) adults. Thus, in many cultures, 16 was the effective age of majority. Western culture prefers to wait until 18 to confer legal adulthood but in the U.S., 16 is the minimum age for a driver's license as well as the minimum age for many types of employment--both major steps towards independence. On the flip side, in many jurisdictions 16 is the minimum age at which a minor accused of a crime may be tried and punished as an adult rather than through the (supposedly corrective, not punitive) juvenile justice system.

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]
* Evie Garland of ''OutOfThisWorld'' finds out on her sixteenth birthday that she's half alien on her father's side and possesses the ability to freeze time.

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'': Raven has a dangerous unnamed birthday when she was destined to become Trigon's portal to Earth. In fact [[ComicBook/TeenTitans the comics]] had ''entire groups of Titans'' gaining powers/powerups at sixteen.

* In ''Literature/{{Gone}}'', the kids disappear on their ''fifteenth'' birthdays.

* ''MassEffect'': If you choose the "Colonist" background for your character, Shepard is sixteen years old when his/her home colony of Mindoir is attacked by slavers and his/her parents killed.

* In the DCU, {{Batman}} [[IDidWhatIHadToDo ruthlessly]] manipulated [[{{Robin}} Tim Drake]], the current Robin, into believing [[HeWhoFightsMonsters the fall of one of their friends]] would result in a BadFuture ten years down the line, effectively alienating Tim from everyone else.