This Day In History : March 16

1966 United States

Gemini 8 Launched

On March 16, 1966, NASA launched Gemini 8 with Neil Armstrong and David R. Scott aboard. The mission achieved the first successful docking of two spacecraft in orbit. However, a critical system failure led to an aborted mission, and the crew returned safely to Earth.

Also on This Day in History March 16

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

Births on This Day, March 16
  • 1789 Georg Ohm

    German physicist and mathematician who discovered Ohm's law

  • 1936 Raymond Damadian

    American physician who invented the MRI scanning machine

  • 1907 Alexander S. Wiener

    American physician who worked on immunohematology (Rh factor in blood)

  • 1925 Luis E. Miramontes

    Mexican chemist who co-invented the combined oral contraceptive pill

  • 1851 Martinus Beijerinck

    Dutch microbiologist and botanist who coined the word "virus"

Deaths on This Day, March 16
  • 1520 Martin Waldseemüller

    German cartographer who created first known map to name the New World America

  • 1925 August von Wassermann

    German bacteriologist who discovered a universal blood-serum test

  • 1838 Nathaniel Bowditch

    American mathematician, author and astronomer 

  • 1841 Félix Savart

    French physicist and surgeon who discovered the Law of Biot & Savart

  • 1992 Yves Rocard

    French physicist who helped develop the atomic bomb for France

2020

The DJIA falls by 2,997.10 Points in Historic 2020 Crash

On March 16, 2020, the Dow Jones Industrial Average experienced the largest single-day point drop in history, falling by 2,997.10 points. This unprecedented crash surpassed even the infamous Black Monday of 1929, reflecting the severe economic impact of the emerging COVID-19 pandemic.
1995

Mississippi Ratifies Thirteenth Amendment in 1995, Abolishing Slavery

On March 16, 1995, Mississippi formally ratified the Thirteenth Amendment, becoming the last state to approve the abolition of slavery. Although the amendment was adopted into the Constitution in 1865, this late ratification symbolized a long-overdue acknowledgment of the end of slavery.
1926

Robert Goddard Launches the First Liquid-Fuel Rocket in 1926

On March 16, 1926, Robert Goddard successfully launched the world's first liquid-fuel rocket in Auburn, Massachusetts. This groundbreaking achievement paved the way for modern rocketry and space exploration, demonstrating the potential of liquid propellants for achieving greater thrust and efficiency.
1882

US Senate Ratifies Treaty Establishing the Red Cross

On March 16, 1882, the US Senate ratified the treaty establishing the American Red Cross. This significant decision enabled the organization to provide essential humanitarian aid and disaster relief, following the principles of the International Red Cross Movement.
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