This Day In History : June 16

2010 Bhutan

Bhutan becomes the first country to totally ban tobacco

On June 16, 2010, Bhutan, a small Himalayan kingdom, implemented a landmark tobacco ban, becoming the first country in the world to enact such a comprehensive prohibition on the sale and use of tobacco products.

Also on This Day in History June 16

Discover what happened on June 16 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, June 16
  • 1896 Jean Peugeot

    French auto manufacturer who invented Peugeot automobiles

  • 1889 Nelson Doubleday

    American publisher who was the founder of Doubleday Books

  • 1902 Barbara McClintock

    American cytogeneticist, who lead in the development of maize cytogenetics (Nobel Prize 1983)

  • 1902 George Gaylord Simpson

    American paleontologist and expert on extinct mammals and their intercontinental migrations

  • 1910 Richard Maling Barrer

    New Zealand chemist and the founding father of zeolite chemistry

Deaths on This Day, June 16
  • 1959 George Reeves

    America Actor and Director (Superman)

  • 1858 John Snow

    English physician who studied cholera and is considered the 'Father of modern epidemiology'

  • 1925 Chittaranjan Das

    Indian lawyer, politician and activist (founded Swaraj Party)

  • 1977 Wernher von Braun

    German-American rocket scientist (Germany - V1 and V2, US -Saturn V, NASA), and Disney space consultant

  • 1981 John S Knight

    American journalist and publisher (Knight Newspapers)

1903

Henry Ford incorporates The Ford Motor Company

On June 16, 1903, Henry Ford and other prospective stockholders in the Ford Motor Company met in Detroit to sign the official paperwork required to create a new corporation.
1884

The first roller coaster opens in New York's Coney Island amusement park

The first roller coaster, known as the Switchback Railway, opened on June 16, 1884, at Coney Island amusement park in Brooklyn, New York, United States. Designed by LaMarcus Adna Thompson, the Switchback Railway was a simple wooden structure with a track that stretched 600 feet (183 meters) long and featured two parallel tracks.
1915

The foundation of the British Women's Institute

The Women's Institute (WI) was founded in the United Kingdom on June 16, 1915, with the establishment of the first branch in Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Anglesey, Wales. The organization was created to provide women with educational opportunities, promote community involvement, and support rural development.  
1977

Oracle Corporation incorporated

Oracle Corporation is incorporated in Redwood Shores, California, as Software Development Laboratories (SDL) by Larry Ellison, Bob Miner and Ed Oates
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