June 16

This Day in History

Also on This Day

Lead Story
First roller coaster in America opens, 1884
American Revolution
Patriot printer, publisher and postmistress, Mary Katharine Goddard, born, 1738
Automotive
Ford Motor Company incorporated, 1903
Civil War
Union thwarted at the Battle of Secessionville, 1862
Cold War
Russian ballet star Nureyev defects, 1961
Crime
SLA member captured after more than 20 years, 1999
Disaster
Tsunami ravages Japanese coast, 1896
General Interest
Leader of Hungarian uprising executed, 1958
First woman in space, 1963
Brezhnev is Soviet president, 1977
Hollywood
Charlie Chaplin marries Oona O’Neill, 1943
Literary
James Joyce meets his future wife, Nora, 1904
Music
Bob Dylan records "Like A Rolling Stone", 1965
Old West
Alaskan explorer Fred Fickett leaves Army, 1890
Presidential
Lincoln warns that America is becoming a "house divided", 1858
Sports
Lee Trevino wins his first U.S. Open, 1968
Vietnam War
Kennedy agrees to send instructors to train troops, 1961
More troops to be sent to Vietnam, 1965
Communists isolate Phnom Penh, 1970
World War I
Battle of the Piave River, 1918
World War II
Marshal Petain becomes premier of occupied France, 1940

Vietnam War

Jun 16, 1961:

Kennedy agrees to send instructors to train troops

Previous Day June 16 Calendar Next Day

Following a meeting between President John F. Kennedy and South Vietnam envoy Nguyen Dinh Thuan, an agreement is reached for direct training and combat supervision of Vietnamese troops by U.S. instructors. South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem had earlier asked Kennedy to send additional U.S. troops to train the South Vietnamese Army. U.S. advisers had been serving in Vietnam since 1955 as part of the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group. There would be only 900 U.S. military personnel in South Vietnam at the end of 1961, but in accordance with President Kennedy's pledge to provide American military assistance to South Vietnam, the number of U.S. personnel rose to 3,200 by the end of 1962. The number would climb until it reached 16,000 by the time of President Kennedy's assassination in November 1963.

Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!

Previous Day June 16 Calendar Next Day

This Week in History, Jun 16 - Jun 22

Jun 16, 1961
Kennedy agrees to send instructors to train troops
Jun 16, 1965
More troops to be sent to Vietnam
Jun 16, 1970
Communists isolate Phnom Penh
Jun 17, 1969
North Vietnamese reoccupy Ap Bia Mountain
Jun 17, 1972
Watergate burglars arrested
Jun 18, 1965
SAC B-52s are used for the first time in South Vietnam
Jun 18, 1966
Westmoreland requests more troops
Jun 19, 1965
Ky becomes premier of South Vietnam
Jun 19, 1968
South Vietnamese president signs general mobilization bill
Jun 20, 1964
Westmoreland becomes Commander of MACV
Jun 20, 1972
Abrams appointed as Army Chief of Staff
Jun 21, 1966
Rolling Thunder raids continue
Jun 21, 1969
Communists storm U.S. base near Tay Ninh
Jun 22, 1971
South Vietnamese fight for Fire Base Fuller
Jun 22, 1972
New troops sent to An Loc

Related Topics

What Happened on Your Birthday?

Pick a Date

Editor’s Picks

Bio.com

  • On This Day

    On This Day

    Read about notable birthdays and celebrity deaths at On This Day.

Shop HISTORY

See More