On This Day
What Happened on January 16 in History
8 events that happened on January 16, oldest first. Every entry is written in our own words and links to its source.
Colonial America and the Revolution
1786
Virginia enacted Thomas Jefferson's Statute for Religious Freedom.
James Madison guided the bill through the legislature years after Jefferson drafted it. The statute explained why an established religion was dangerous and became a driving force behind the religion clauses of the First Amendment.
Source: firstamendment.mtsu.edu
The Young Republic and the Civil War Era
1883
Chester Arthur signed the Pendleton Act, creating a merit-based federal civil service.
The law named for Senator George Pendleton of Ohio set up a Civil Service Commission and made competitive examinations, not party loyalty, the basis for filling many federal jobs. Pressure for reform had grown after a disappointed office seeker assassinated President James Garfield.
Source: archives.gov; nps.gov
The Early 1900s and the World Wars
1919
The 18th Amendment, banning the manufacture and sale of liquor, was ratified, setting up Prohibition.
The amendment won approval from three-fourths of the states in just 11 months. It went into effect one year later.
Source: history.com; constitutioncenter.org
1938
Benny Goodman and his orchestra brought swing jazz to Carnegie Hall.
The concert marked a high point for jazz as music worthy of a hall long associated with classical performances.
1942
Actress Carole Lombard was killed when TWA Flight 3 crashed near Las Vegas.
Lombard, star of screwball comedies and wife of Clark Gable, was 33. The plane was flying from Las Vegas toward Los Angeles.
Source: history.com
The Cold War
1979
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, left the country after months of revolutionary protests.
The shah flew out of Tehran with his wife, calling the trip a vacation, and left Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar in charge. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned from exile on February 1, and the monarchy soon fell.
Source: history.com; jimmycarterlibrary.gov
1991
The United States and its allies began Operation Desert Storm to drive Iraq out of Kuwait.
A United Nations deadline for Iraq to leave Kuwait had passed at midnight Iraqi time. Coalition aircraft then began attacking targets in Iraq and occupied Kuwait.
Source: history.com; archive.nytimes.com
The Modern Era
2003
The space shuttle Columbia lifted off on STS-107, its final mission.
The seven astronauts carried out science research in orbit. Columbia and its crew were lost during reentry over Texas, minutes before the planned landing in Florida.
Source: nasa.gov