June 16 in History

• 1884

  June 16, 1884:

  One of the United States’ earliest amusement roller coasters, the Switchback Railway opens in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City.

• 1903

  June 16, 1903:

  Henry Ford establishes the Ford Motor Company with support from 11 investors.

• 1911

  June 16, 1911:

  The technology company, International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation is founded by Charles Ranlett Flint.

• 1943

  June 16, 1943:

  Famous actor Charlie Chaplin, at 54 years old, marries 18-year-old Oona O’Neill, an aspiring actress and the daughter of playwright Eugen O’Neill.

• 1959

  June 16, 1959:

  Actor George Reeves of “Superman” fame shoots himself to death.

• 1961

  June 16, 1961:

  Rudolf Nureyev, who would become a world-famous ballet star, defects from the USSR.

• 1963

  June 16, 1963:

  Valentina V. Tereshkova makes history as the first woman to go to space, aboard the Soviet spacecraft, Vostok 6.

• 1976

  June 16, 1976:

  The Soweto uprising in South Africa starts with black students protesting the government’s introduction of Afrikaans in all schools as a medium of instruction.

• 1995

  June 16, 1995:

  The superhero film, “Batman Forever” is released.

• 2012

  June 16, 2012:

  China sends its first woman, Liu Yang to space on the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft.