Discover what happened on March 16 in history, along with notable celebrity birthdays and fun Days of the Year to celebrate.
What Happened on March 16 in History?
Important events on this day include Lansing being designated the capital of Michigan, the launch of the first liquid-fuel rocket by Robert H. Goddard, and the Dow Jones crossing the 10,000 mark for the first time.
MARCH 16 – TODAY IN HISTORY:
1802 – Congress established the West Point Military Academy in New York, NY.
1847 – Lansing was designated the State Capital of Michigan.
1850 – The novel “The Scarlet Letter,” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, was published for the first time.
1867 – The City of Grand Haven, MI was incorporated.
1882 – The Senate approved a treaty allowing the United States to join the Red Cross.
1883 – Susan Hayhurst graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy to become the first woman pharmacy graduate.
1912 – The Metal Office Furniture Company was organized after Peter Wege moved to Grand Rapids, MI. The company would eventually become known as Steelcase.
1915 – The Federal Trade Commission began operations.
1926 – The first liquid-fuel rocket was launched by physicist Robert H. Goddard at Auburn, MA.
1950 – Congress voted to remove federal taxes on oleo-margarine.
1958 – The Ford Motor Company produced its 50 millionth automobile — the Thunderbird. The company averaged almost a million cars a year since their founding.
1964 – Paul Hornung and Alex Karras were reinstated to the NFL after an 11-month suspension for betting on football games.
1964 – President Lyndon B. Johnson submitted to Congress a $1 billion war on poverty program.
1968 – General Motors produced its 100 millionth automobile — the Oldsmobile Toronado.
1968 – U.S. troops in Vietnam destroyed a village consisting mostly of women and children. The event is known as the My-Lai massacre.
1974 – The new Opryland auditorium in Nashville, TN was dedicated.
1984 – William Buckley, the CIA station chief in Beirut, was kidnapped by gunmen. He died while in captivity.
1985 – Terry Anderson, an Associated Press newsman, was taken hostage in Beirut. He was not released until December 4, 1991.
1988 – Indictments were issued for Lt. Colonel Oliver North, Vice Admiral John Poindexter of the National Security Council, and two others for their involvement in the Iran-Contra affair to defraud the United States.
1993 – In France, ostrich meat was officially declared fit for human consumption.
1994 – In Portland, OR, Tonya Harding pleaded guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution for covering up the attack on her skating rival Nancy Kerrigan. As punishment, she was fined $100,000 and banned from amateur figure skating.
1995 – NASA astronaut Norman Thagard became the first American to visit the Russian space station Mir.
1999 – The Dow Jones Industrial Average crossed the 10,000 mark for the first time. By the day’s end, the stock market slipped back to 9,939.
1999 – The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) presented the first Diamond Awards. The awards are given in recognition of albums and singles that have sold 10 million copies or more. The initial recipients included The Beatles, The Eagles, ZZ Top, Boston, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Metallica, Guns n’ Roses, AC/DC, Def Leppard, Elton John, Eric Clapton and Pink Floyd.
2020 – Michigan’s Governor, Gretchen Whitmer, ordered bars, restaurants, theaters and casinos to close and restricted gatherings to less than 50 people. She also expanded unemployment benefits as the number of infected cases in the state rose to 54.
2020 – The Holland, MI Tulip Time Festival, scheduled for May 2nd-10th, was cancelled.
2020 – Major League Baseball suspended the remainder of Spring Training and delayed the start of the regular season due to COVID-19.
2020 – The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted by almost 3,000 points. The single day crash was greater than the one that kicked off the Great Depression.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON MARCH 16:
S. Stillman Berry – 139 years old (1887) – Marine zoologist (1984)
Sanford I. Weill – 93 years old (1933) – Banker, financier, and philanthropist
Ursula Goodenough – 83 years old (1943) – Biologist, zoologist, and author
Andrew S. Tanenbaum – 82 years old (1944) – Computer scientist and academic
J. Z. Knight – 80 years old (1946) – New Age teacher and author
Michael Owen Bruce – 78 years old (1948) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Erik Estrada – 77 years old (1949) – Actor
Elliott Murphy – 77 years old (1949) – American-French singer-songwriter and journalist
Ray Benson – 75 years old (1951) – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
Joe DeLamielleure – 75 years old (1951) – Football player
Richard Stallman – 73 years old (1953) – Computer scientist and programmer
Tim O'Brien – 72 years old (1954) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Nancy Wilson – 72 years old (1954) – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actress
Bob Ley – 71 years old (1955) – Sports anchor and reporter
Ozzie Newsome – 70 years old (1956) – Football player and executive
Clifton Powell – 70 years old (1956) – Actor, director, and producer
Jorge Ramos – 68 years old (1958) – Mexican-American journalist and author
Michael J. Bloomfield – 67 years old (1959) – Astronaut
Sebastian Currier – 67 years old (1959) – Composer and educator
Flavor Flav – 67 years old (1959) – Rapper and actor
Charles Hudson – 67 years old (1959) – Baseball player
Steve Marker – 67 years old (1959) – Musician
Patty Griffin – 62 years old (1964) – Singer-songwriter
Gore Verbinski – 62 years old (1964) – Director, producer, and screenwriter
Steve Armstrong – 61 years old (1965) – Wrestler
Cindy Brown – 61 years old (1965) – Basketball player
Tracy Bonham – 59 years old (1967) – Singer and violinist
John Darnielle – 59 years old (1967) – Musician and novelist
Lauren Graham – 59 years old (1967) – Actress and producer
Ronnie McCoury – 59 years old (1967) – Bluegrass mandolin player, singer and songwriter
Judah Friedlander – 57 years old (1969) – Comedian and actor
Alan Tudyk – 55 years old (1971) – Actor
Tim Kang – 53 years old (1973) – Actor
Vonda Ward – 53 years old (1973) – Boxer
Blu Cantrell – 50 years old (1976) – Singer-songwriter and producer
Brooke Burns – 48 years old (1978) – Fashion model, television personality, and actress
Tyler Arnason – 47 years old (1979) – Ice hockey player
Rashad Moore – 47 years old (1979) – Football player
Todd Heap – 46 years old (1980) – Football player
Danny Brown – 45 years old (1981) – Rapper
Curtis Granderson – 45 years old (1981) – Baseball player
Julia Letlow – 44 years old (1982) – Politician
Brian Wilson – 44 years old (1982) – Baseball player
Stephen Drew – 43 years old (1983) – Baseball player
Brandon League – 43 years old (1983) – Baseball player
Tramon Williams – 43 years old (1983) – Football player
Levi Brown – 42 years old (1984) – Football player
Alexandra Daddario – 40 years old (1986) – Actress
Toney Douglas – 40 years old (1986) – Basketball player
Kenny Dykstra – 40 years old (1986) – Wrestler
T. J. Jordan – 40 years old (1986) – Basketball player
Jhené Aiko – 38 years old (1988) – Singer-songwriter and rapper
Blake Griffin – 37 years old (1989) – Basketball player
Josh Johnson – 36 years old (1990) – Comedian and writer
Andre Young – 36 years old (1990) – Basketball player
Chris Boswell – 35 years old (1991) – Football player
Reggie Bullock – 35 years old (1991) – Basketball player
Wolfgang Van Halen – 35 years old (1991) – Bassist
Tim Hardaway Jr. – 34 years old (1992) – Basketball player
Brett Davern – 34 years old (1992) – Actor
Sierra McClain – 32 years old (1994) – Actress
Ajiona Alexus – 30 years old (1996) – Actress and singer
Tyrel Jackson Williams – 29 years old (1997) – Actor
Jalen Smith – 26 years old (2000) – Basketball player
Kyle Hamilton – 25 years old (2001) – Football player
DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR MARCH 16:
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For additional information check out websites like: www.on-this-day.com, www.born-today.com, www.famousbirthdays.com, www.daysoftheyear.com, and www.nationaldaycalendar.com.
