This Day in History on July 16th

A Brief History

This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on July 16th. For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event.

Digging Deeper

On July 16, 1439, the Parliament of King Henry VI of England issued a proclamation banning kissing.

On July 16, 1862, David Farragut was appointed a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy, the first officer to hold that rank.

On July 16, 1862, we commemorate the birthday of a significant African-American woman, Ida Wells (who first developed statistics on lynching in the US).

On July 16, 1862 and July 16, 1882, we commemorate the birthdays of two significant African-American women, Ida B. Wells (who first developed statistics on lynching in the US) and Violette Neatley Anderson (the first African-American woman to practice law before the United States Supreme Court).

On July 16, 1941, Major League Baseball had a new and enduring record, when The Yankee Clipper, Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio, hit in his 56th consecutive game, the longest batting streak in major league baseball history.

On July 16, 1945, Manhattan Project scientists held their breath as the clock ticked down to the first man-made nuclear blast in history.

On July 16, 1956, the last “Big Top” circus produced by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus ended its run in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and all subsequent circus productions would be held in arenas instead of the giant tents.

On July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 blasted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Question for students (and subscribers): Which event that occurred on today’s date would you like to learn more about? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.

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