Let’s have a look at a few events that took place on 16 July across history.

16 July 1790

The American Congress declared Washington DC as the new and permanent capital of the United States of America. Washington DC was then a swampy, humid, muddy and mosquito-infested site on the Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia. Washington was the name given to the newly created federal “District of Columbia”, after the leader of the American Revolution and the country’s first President, George Washington (hence the name Washington DC). It was in 1793 that the first corners of the President’s mansion, that came to be known as White House, were laid.

16 July 1856

The law for rights of Hindu widows to remarry was instituted by Ishwar Chand Vidyasagar, on the request of Governor Lord Canning.

16 July 1909

Aruna Asaf Ali, the social worker and freedom fighter was born at Kalka, Haryana. Aruna Asaf Ali was an indian educator, political activist and publisher. She is remembered for hoisting the Indian National Flag at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay during the Quit India Movement.

16 July 1918

Czar Nicholas II and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks, bringing an end to the 300 year old Romanov imperial dynasty. The execution happened at Yekaterinburg, Russia.

16 July 1935

The World’s first Parking Meter, which was known as Park-o-Meter No. 1 was installed on this day. It was installed on the First Street and Robinson Avenue in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The parking meter was the brain child of Carl C Magee.

16 July 1969

Apollo 11, the first US lunar landing mission was launched at 0932hrs on its historic to the surface of the Moon. It took Apollo 11 76 hours to travel 240,000 miles and it entered the Lunar Orbit on 19 July. At 1346hrs the next day, the lunar module Eagle that was manned by Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buss” Aldrin separated from the command module and began its descent to the surface of the Moon. On 1618hrs Eagle touched down on the Moon.

16 July 1995

Jeff Bezos’ Amazon officially opened for business as an online bookseller. The first book billed at Amazon was a science book called Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies. Amazon managed to ship books to all 50 US states and to 45 countries in the first month of its operation. Bezos, whose motto was “Grow Big Fast” had a degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Princeton University. After his first job in New York, Bezos moved to Washington and founded Amazon. Interestingly Amazon opened to public on the same day on which Washington was designated the permanent capital of USA.

Source: HIstory, IndianAge