On This Day - What Happened On July 16 | Britannica

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Featured Event

1945 First atomic bomb exploded near Alamogordo, New Mexico The United States tested the first atomic bomb this day in 1945 near Alamogordo, New Mexico, and the following month dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, hastening the end of World War II. How were the first atomic bombs tested and used? Jack Aeby/Los Alamos National Laboratory

Featured Biography

Ginger Rogers American actress and dancer bornJuly 16, 1911Independence, MissouridiedApril 25, 1995 (aged 83)Rancho Mirage, California 1968 Barry Sanders American football player 1967 Will Ferrell American actor and writer 1911 Ginger Rogers American actress and dancer 1907 Barbara Stanwyck American actress 1872 Roald Amundsen Norwegian explorer See All Biographies On This Day

More Events On This Day

2017 American filmmaker George A. Romero—who was known for his horror films, notably Night of the Living Dead (1968), which launched a series of related movies—died at age 77. Test your knowledge of scary movies© ChinellatoPhoto/Shutterstock.com 2004 Chicago officially opened its Millennium Park, which featured fountains, eye-catching sculptures, and a large outdoor concert facility designed by architect Frank Gehry. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about Chicago architecture© Margie Hurwich/Shutterstock.com 2001 Jacques Rogge of Belgium was chosen to replace Juan António Samaranch as the president of the International Olympic Committee. Take our quiz about Olympic historyIan Walton/Getty Images 1999 John F. Kennedy, Jr., his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and her sister Lauren Bessette were killed in a plane crash off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, while en route to a family wedding. Is there a Kennedy curse?© Justin Ide/Newsmakers/Boston Herald—Hulton Archive/Getty Images 1979 Saddam Hussein became president of Iraq, and his brutal rule, which lasted 24 years, was marked by costly and unsuccessful wars with neighbouring countries as well as atrocities against the Iraqi people. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about the Middle EastJ. Pavlovsky/Sygma 1969 Apollo 11 lifted off from NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and four days later two of its astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, became the first humans to set foot on the Moon. Test your knowledge of space explorationKSC/NASA 1965 The Mont Blanc Tunnel officially opened, linking France and Italy; at the time, it was the world's longest vehicular tunnel, spanning 7.3 miles (11.7 km). Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about European history 1951 J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, which centred on the sensitive, rebellious adolescent Holden Caulfield, was published and later became a classic. Take our quiz about famous novelsLittle, Brown and Company/Hachette Book Group USA 1941 American baseball player Joe DiMaggio set an MLB record for most consecutive games (56) with a hit. How much do you know about baseball?Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1935 The world's first parking meters were installed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; the device, which sought to ease congestion, was designed by Carl C. Magee. Test your knowledge of inventors and their inventions 1882 First lady (1861–65) Mary Todd Lincoln—the wife of Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the United States—died at age 63. Take our quiz about first ladies of the United StatesLibrary of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC USZ 62 15325) 1862 Ida B. Wells-Barnett, an American journalist who led a crusade against lynching, was born in Holly Springs, Mississippi. How well do you know African American history?Courtesy of the Chicago History Museum 1377 Richard II was officially installed as king of England, almost a month after the death of his grandfather, Edward III. Test your knowledge of the kings of England© Photos.com/Jupiterimages 1054 Humbert of Silva Candida, cardinal and papal legate, excommunicated Michael Cerularius, patriarch of Constantinople, who retaliated by excommunicating the cardinal, which led to the schism between the churches of Rome and Constantinople. SIGN UP FOR History's Biggest Headlines Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! SIGN UP By clicking "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.