Browse Historical Events by Day: What Happened on June 16th?

The Battle of Fimreite takes place in Norway, where King Sverre Sigurdsson defeats the forces of Magnus Erlingsson, securing his rule.

Senatorial candidate Abraham Lincoln addresses more than 1,000 delegates at the Illinois Republican Convention in Springfield, delivering a warning that the nation was facing a crisis that could destroy the Union. Paraphrasing a passage from the New Testament: “a house divided against itself cannot stand.” The issue dividing the nation was slavery and the extent of federal power over individual states’ rights. More

The House passes the Joint Resolution proposing the 14th Amendment to the Constitution and submits it to the states. On July 28, 1868, the 14th amendment was declared, in a certificate of the Secretary of State, ratified by the necessary 28 of the 37 States, and became part of the supreme law of the land. More

The Ford Motor Company was officially incorporated. Founder Henry Ford and 12 investors launched his venture in a converted factory on Mack Avenue in Detroit. It was his third attempt at establishing an automotive business. At the time, the company could only produce a few cars a day. More

Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space. Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to travel to space when, as part of the Vostok 6 mission. During her Vostok 6 solo mission, she orbited Earth 48 times and spent almost three days in space (two days, 23 hours, and 12 minutes). Tereshkova remains the only female astronaut or cosmonaut to make a solo space journey, the youngest woman to fly to space and the first civilian to journey to space. More