On this day: Notable events that occurred on 16 March in the past

Numerous historical events took place today, 16 March. American inventor Robert Hutchings Goddard launched the first liquid-propellant rocket successfully on this day in 1926.  Marines captured the Japanese island of Iwo Jima at the time of World War 2 on 16 March 1945. The unfortunate incident of the My Lai Massacre took place on this day in 1968. Mississippi ratified the Thirteenth Amendment of the US Constitution on 16 March 1995. The largest oil spill in the world took place in Brittany, France on this day in 1978. On 16 March 2014, Crimea voted to secede from Ukraine and join the Russian Federation in a popular referendum.

Let’s have a glance at the historical events that occurred today in detail:

1926 – The first successful liquid-propellant rocket was launched by Robert Hutchings Goddard

American inventor Robert Hutchings Goddard launched the first liquid-propellant rocket successfully on 16 March 1926. Goddard’s rocket was launched from Auburn, Massachusetts in the United States. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland was established on 1 May 1959 in memory of the brilliant scientist.

1945 – Japanese island of Iwo Jima was captured by US Marines

US Marines captured the Japanese island of Iwo Jima at the time of World War 2 on 16 March 1945. The Battle of Iwo Jima continued from 19 February to 16 March 1945. The Battle of Iwo Jima was a World War 2 conflict between the United States and the Empire of Japan.

1968 – My Lai Massacre

At the time of the Vietnam War, US troops dispatched on a search-and-destroy mission took the lives of as many as 500 unarmed villagers in the hamlet of My Lai on this day in 1968.

1978 – Largest oil spill in the world took place in France

The Amoco Cadiz tanker ran aground and broke in tow on this day in 1978. This released about 69 million gallons of light crude oil off the coast of Brittany in France, which was the largest oil spill in the world.

1995 – Thirteenth Amendment was ratified by Mississippi

Mississippi ratified the Thirteenth Amendment of the US Constitution on this day in 1995. The amendment abolished slavery, 130 years after it was added to the Constitution. But the Mississippi’s ratification was not made official until 2013.

2014 – Crimea voted to secede from Ukraine and join the Russian Federation

On 16 March 2014, Crimea voted to secede from Ukraine and joined the Russian Federation in a popular referendum. This happened despite the opposition from various countries. Later, the region was annexed by Russia.

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