What Happened on July 16?

July 16 is Apollo 11 launch day, when the giant Saturn V rocket began the first mission to land people on the Moon. It also marks the Trinity atomic test of 1945.

• 1862 — David Farragut becomes the U.S. Navy's first admiral

  During the Civil War, Congress created the Navy's highest new rank and gave it to David Glasgow Farragut, hero of the capture of New Orleans. Read the full story →

• 1935 — World's first parking meter installed in Oklahoma City

  On July 16, 1935, Oklahoma City placed the first Park-O-Meter on a downtown street to manage crowded parking spaces. Read the full story →

• 1945 — Trinity: the world's first atomic bomb test

  Before dawn in the New Mexico desert, Manhattan Project scientists tested the world's first atomic device — the moment the nuclear age began. Read the full story →

• 1951 — The Catcher in the Rye is published

  J.D. Salinger's novel about teenager Holden Caulfield hit shelves and became one of the most influential American books ever written. Read the full story →

• 1969 — Apollo 11 launches for the first Moon landing mission

  At 9:32 a.m. EDT, a Saturn V rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center carrying Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins toward the first Moon landing. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Roald Amundsen (1872–1928) · Ginger Rogers (1911–1995) · Orville Redenbacher (1907–1995) · Barbara Stanwyck (1907–1990)

Days & observances

National Cherry Day · World Snake Day · National Corn Fritters Day · National Personal Chef Day