We share “This Day in History” every day to help make our readers well-rounded and informed. It offers a chance to learn, appreciate our culture, make better decisions, and see the world from a wider perspective. Through understanding past events, we aim to help readers engage more with the present and future.
  • 16th March 1802
    United States Military Academy established in West Point, New York.
  • 16th March 1958
    Ford Motor Company produced its 50 millionth automobile, the Thunderbird, averaging almost a million cars a year since the company's founding.
  • 16th March 1968
    Bill Graham opens the Fillmore East concert hall in New York City.
  • 16th March 1970
    Elton John's first US hit, "Your Song," entered the Billboard Hot 100 charts.
  • 16th March 1974
    Robert K. Preston, a US Army private, stole a helicopter from Fort Meade, flew to Washington, DC, and hovered for 6 minutes over the White House before being forced down.
  • 16th March 1975
    Chuck Wepner fights Muhammad Ali for the world heavyweight boxing title. Wepner inspired the movie "Rocky."
  • 16th March 1976
    Arkansas Razorbacks win the NCAA men's basketball championship, defeating the University of Kentucky Wildcats 71-58.
  • 16th March 1984
    Billy Joel releases the album "An Innocent Man," featuring hits like "Uptown Girl" and "The Longest Time."
  • 16th March 1985
    Mike Tyson makes his professional boxing debut, defeating Hector Mercedes by first-round TKO.
  • 16th March 1988
    Country music superstar Garth Brooks releases his self-titled debut album.
  • 16th March 1996
    Twister, a film about storm chasers starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, premiered in the United States.
  • 16th March 2008
    Philippines formally asks China to stop building structures in the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.
  • 16th March 2010
    Arkansas House of Representatives passes a resolution recognizing Conway, Arkansas, as the birthplace of legendary musician Johnny Cash.
  • 16th March 2014
    Ellen DeGeneres hosts the 86th Academy Awards ceremony, famously taking a selfie with several A-list celebrities.
  • 16th March 2015
    Run-D.M.C. becomes the first rap group to receive a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
  • 16th March 2016
    North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signs House Bill 2, also known as the "bathroom bill," into law, sparking controversy and protests.
  • 16th March 2017
    Beauty and the Beast, a live-action adaptation of Disney's animated classic, premieres in Los Angeles.
  • 16th March 2018
    Disney announces it will donate $1 million of proceeds from Black Panther to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
  • 16th March 2019
    Ariana Grande becomes the youngest artist to ever headline the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
  • 16th March 2020
    The Indian Wells tennis tournament, one of the largest outside of the Grand Slams, is canceled due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.

NOTE: WHILE THE EVENTS LISTED ABOVE ARE FACTUAL, SOME SPECIFICS ARE ADDED BASED ON GENERALIZED KNOWLEDGE AND MAY NOT HAVE OCCURRED EXACTLY ON THAT DATE.
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