Europa
- Siege of Gibraltar Begins (1779)
On June 16, 1779, Spain declared war on Britain, initiating the Great Siege of Gibraltar. This event marked the start of a prolonged attempt by Spain (with French support) to recapture Gibraltar from British control—a key episode in the American Revolutionary War’s European theater. - Battle of Ligny (1815)
On June 16, 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte achieved his final military victory at the Battle of Ligny, defeating the Prussian army under Field Marshal Gebhard von Blücher in what is now Belgium. This battle occurred just two days before the decisive Battle of Waterloo, where Napoleon would be defeated by British and Prussian forces. - EURO 2008: Germany vs. Austria (2008)
On June 16, 2008, during the UEFA European Football Championship (EURO 2008), Germany’s captain Michael Ballack scored a decisive free-kick, securing Germany’s place in the quarter-finals and eliminating Austria from the tournament. - 1487: The War of the Roses ended with the Battle of Stoke, a pivotal conflict in English history.
- 1567: Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned in Lochleven Castle in Scotland.
- 1332: Birth of Isabella of England, Countess of Bedford, daughter of King Edward III, at Woodstock Palace.
America
- Abraham Lincoln’s “House Divided” Speech (1858)
On June 16, 1858, Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous “House Divided” speech in Springfield, Illinois, upon accepting the Illinois Republican Party’s nomination for U.S. Senate. Lincoln warned that the nation could not endure permanently half slave and half free, setting the tone for his political career and the national debate over slavery. - IBM Founded (1911)
The International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) was incorporated on June 16, 1911, as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company. IBM would go on to become a leading force in global technology and innovation. - First Roller Coaster in America Opens (1884)
The first American roller coaster, known as the Switchback Railway, opened at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York, on June 16, 1884. This marked the beginning of amusement park culture in the U.S.. - First Kidney Transplant (1950)
On June 16, 1950, Dr. Richard H. Lawler performed the first successful kidney transplant surgery at Chicago’s Little Company of Mary Hospital, a milestone in medical history. - Monterey Pop Festival Opens (1967)
The Monterey Pop Festival, a landmark event in the history of American music, began on June 16, 1967, in California. The festival featured legendary performances by Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin, and Ravi Shankar, marking the start of the “Summer of Love”. - Charleston Church Shooting (2015)
On June 16, 2015, a mass shooting took place at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, where nine African American churchgoers, including state senator Rev. Clementa Pinckney, were killed by a white supremacist. The event deeply shook the nation and reignited debates about racism and gun violence in America. - 1933: The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was created, helping to restore trust in the American banking system during the Great Depression.
- 1903: Ford Motor Company was founded by Henry Ford and associates, revolutionizing the automobile industry.
- 1943: Senator Harry S. Truman’s investigation into a secret defense plant led to heightened security around the Manhattan Project, the U.S. effort to develop the atomic bomb.
- 1865: Five prominent African American men from Richmond, Virginia, met with President Andrew Johnson to address grievances and advocate for fair treatment after emancipation.
Asia
- 632 – Yazdegerd III Becomes Shah of Persia
On June 16, 632, Yazdegerd III ascended the throne as the last ruler of the Sasanian dynasty in Persia (modern Iran). His reign marked the end of the ancient Persian Empire, as it would soon fall to the Islamic conquests. - 1407 – Capture of Hồ Dynasty Leaders in Vietnam
On June 16, 1407, during the Ming–Hồ War, retired King Hồ Quý Ly and his son King Hồ Hán Thương of Vietnam’s Hồ dynasty were captured by Ming armies, ending the Hồ dynasty’s rule and beginning a period of Chinese domination in Vietnam. - 1606 – Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev (India)
Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh Guru, was executed on June 16, 1606, by order of Mughal Emperor Jahangir. This martyrdom is a major event in Sikh history and is observed as Shaheedi Divas. - 1819 – Kutch Earthquake (India)
A devastating earthquake struck the Kutch region of India on June 16, 1819, killing over 1,500 people. - 2010 – Bhutan’s Tobacco Ban
On June 16, 2010, Bhutan became the world’s first country to implement a total ban on the cultivation, production, and sale of tobacco and tobacco products. - 2012 – Shenzhou 9 Launch (China)
China successfully launched the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft on June 16, 2012, carrying three astronauts, including Liu Yang, the first Chinese woman in space. - 2016 – Opening of Shanghai Disneyland (China)
Shanghai Disneyland Park, the first Disney park in mainland China, officially opened on June 16, 2016. - 1970 – Vietnam War: North Vietnamese Seize Train
On June 16, 1970, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces seized a freight train carrying rice and supplies, effectively cutting off the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh and escalating the regional conflict.
Africa
- Soweto Uprising (South Africa, 1976)
June 16 is one of the most significant dates in modern African history, marking the start of the Soweto Uprising in South Africa. On this day in 1976, thousands of Black schoolchildren in the township of Soweto organized a peaceful protest against the apartheid government’s policy mandating Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in schools—a policy widely seen as a tool of oppression and educational injustice. The students, mobilized by the South African Students Movement and supported by the Black Consciousness Movement, planned to march to Orlando Stadium. As they marched, their numbers swelled to an estimated 10,000–20,000. The protest was met with brutal police force: officers fired tear gas and live ammunition, resulting in chaos and the deaths of many children. Among the first killed were 15-year-old Hastings Ndlovu and 12-year-old Hector Pieterson, whose death became an enduring symbol of the struggle after a photograph of his body was published worldwide. The violence did not end that day; the uprising spread to other townships and continued for months, profoundly changing South Africa’s socio-political landscape. Official estimates of the death toll vary, with numbers ranging from 176 to over 700, and thousands more injured. - Legacy: Day of the African Child
In 1991, the Organisation of African Unity (now the African Union) designated June 16 as the Day of the African Child, in honor of the children killed in Soweto and to highlight the ongoing challenges faced by African children, especially regarding access to quality education and the protection of their rights. The day is now commemorated across Africa with events, discussions, and campaigns focused on children’s rights, education, and well-being. - In South Africa, June 16 is a public holiday known as Youth Day, recognizing the pivotal role played by young people in the country’s liberation from apartheid.
This day in history: 16 june