Discover what happened on June 16 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

June 16

Discover what happened on June 16 with HISTORY&#8217;s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

What Happened on June 16 | HISTORY

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America’s Founding Fathers decided that one elected civilian—the U.S. president—would lead the executive branch of the federal government, a governmental structure that has remained in place for more than 200 years.

U.S. Presidents

Crime has been a dark and powerful undercurrent in human society throughout history. Uncover the facts behind some of the most daring robberies, brazen scams and brutal murders ever committed.

Crime

The Civil War was America's bloodiest and most divisive conflict, pitting the Union Army against the Confederate States of America. The war resulted in the deaths of more than 620,000 people, with millions more injured and the South left in ruins.

Civil War

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History.com Editors

Art history tells the complex story of human civilization through art, literature and design. It ranges from prehistoric art of the Neolithic period through Renaissance masterpieces, Impressionism, Modernism, the Bauhaus and contemporary art.

Art, Literature and Film History

Space exploration, one of the greatest technological achievements in human history, includes the Apollo missions, the Space Shuttles Columbia and Challenger, and people like Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong.

Space Exploration

Inventions from the telephone to the Model T and the computer have defined human history, and inventors like Leonardo da Vinci, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Eli Whitney and Alexander Graham Bell have transformed our society.

Inventions & Science

Though the 19th century saw the rise of populism, the labor movement and Jacksonian democracy, it also ushered in the Gilded Age, when men like Cornelius Vanderbilt and J. P. Morgan wielded vast control over politics and business.

19th Century

The Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union lasted for decades and resulted in anti-communist suspicions and international incidents that led two superpowers to the brink of nuclear disaster.

This Day In History: June 16

First roller coaster in America opens

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This Day in History Video: What Happened on June 16

Bob Dylan records “Like A Rolling Stone”

Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space

Leonid Brezhnev is elected Soviet president

Lincoln warns that America is becoming a “house divided”

Charlie Chaplin marries Oona O’Neill

SLA member captured after more than 20 years

Russian ballet star Rudolf Nureyev defects from USSR

Union thwarted at the Battle of Secessionville

Ford Motor Company incorporated

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