World History

On July 16, 622, The Islamic Calendar Began
On July 16, 1942, The Vichy government ordered the mass arrest of 13,152 Jews who were deported to Auschwitz
On July 16, 1945, The US detonated a nuclear weapon in New Mexico
On July 16, 1965, The Mont Blanc Tunnel linking France and Italy opened
On July 16, 1979, President Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr of Iraq resigned and was replaced by Saddam Hussein

US History

On July 16, 1769, Junipero Serra founded the Mission San Diego de Acala, the first California mission
On July 16, 1790, The District of Columbia was established as the US Capitol
On July 16, 1935, Oklahoma City installed the world's first parking meter
On July 16, 1973, Alexander Butterfield told the US Senate about Nixon's tapes

Science

On July 16, 1969, Apollo 11, was launched

The Arts

Misc.

Birthdays of Note

1862 -- Ida B. Wells, journalist, editor and activist
1872 -- Roald Amundsen, explorer, first to south pole and first to reach both poles
1896 -- Trygve Lie, 1st Secretary-General of the United Nations
1946 -- Barbara Lee, politician. I'll just quote the wikipedia here -- Barbara Lee:

is the U.S. Representative for California's 13th congressional district, serving East Bay voters from 1998 to 2013 during a time when the region was designated California's 9th congressional district. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She was the first woman to represent the 9th district and is also the first woman to represent the 13th district. Lee was the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and was the Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Lee is notable as the only member of either house of Congress to vote against the authorization of use of force following the September 11, 2001 attacks.[1] This made her a hero among many in the anti-war movement.[2] Lee has been a vocal critic of the war in Iraq and supports legislation creating a Department of Peace.

Deaths of Note

1953 -- Hilaire Belloc, writer and historian
1985 -- Heinrich Boll, writer
1989 -- Herbert von Karajan, conductor

Rock history is full of 16s, but, then again

Sweet Little 16

Only 16

16 Candles

Happy Birthday Sweet 16

You're Sixteen, You're Beautiful (And You're Mine)

But then again
16 @ war