June 16 in history — What Happened Today in History

US President Ronald Reagan awards the Congressional Gold Medal to Ken Taylor, Canada's former ambassador to Iran, for helping six Americans escape from Iran during the hostage crisis of 1979–81; he is the first foreign citizen bestowed the honor.

Oracle Corporation is incorporated in Redwood Shores, California, as Software Development Laboratories (SDL), by Larry Ellison, Bob Miner and Ed Oates.

Soweto uprising: A non-violent march by 15,000 students in Soweto, South Africa, turns into days of rioting when police open fire on the crowd.

The largest single-site hydroelectric power project in Canada is inaugurated at Churchill Falls Generating Station.

Soviet Space Program: Vostok 6 mission: Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space.

In an attempt to resolve the Buddhist crisis in South Vietnam, a Joint Communique is signed between President Ngo Dinh Diem and Buddhist leaders.

While on tour with the Kirov Ballet in Paris, Rudolf Nureyev defects from the Soviet Union.

Imre Nagy, Pál Maléter and other leaders of the 1956 Hungarian Uprising are executed.

In a futile effort to topple Argentine President Juan Perón, rogue aircraft pilots of the Argentine Navy drop several bombs upon an unarmed crowd demonstrating in favor of Perón in Buenos Aires, killing 364 and injuring at least 800. At the same time on the ground, some soldiers attempt to stage a coup but are suppressed by loyal forces.

Members of the Malayan Communist Party kill three British plantation managers in Sungai Siput; in response, British Malaya declares a state of emergency.

World War II: Marshal Henri Philippe Pétain becomes Chief of State of Vichy France (Chef de l'État Français).

The Soviet Union occupies Lithuania, which will eventually become the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR).

The National Industrial Recovery Act is passed in the United States, allowing businesses to avoid antitrust prosecution if they establish voluntary wage, price, and working condition regulations on an industry-wide basis.

Sovnarkom establishes decree time in the USSR.

Artek, the most famous Young Pioneer camp of the Soviet Union, is established.

General election in the Irish Free State: The pro-Treaty Sinn Féin party wins a large majority.

IBM founded as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company in Endicott, New York.

Eugen Schauman assassinates Nikolay Bobrikov, Governor-General of Finland.

Irish author James Joyce begins a relationship with Nora Barnacle and subsequently uses the date to set the actions for his novel Ulysses; this date is now traditionally called "Bloomsday".

The Ford Motor Company is incorporated.

Roald Amundsen leaves Oslo, Norway, to commence the first east–west navigation of the Northwest Passage.

A treaty annexing the Republic of Hawaii to the United States is signed; the Republic would not be dissolved until a year later.

The first purpose-built roller coaster, LaMarcus Adna Thompson's "Switchback Railway", opens in New York's Coney Island amusement park.

The Victoria Hall theatre panic in Sunderland, England, kills 183 children.

The Universities Tests Act 1871 allows students to enter the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Durham without religious tests (except for those intending to study theology).

Abraham Lincoln delivers his House Divided speech in Springfield, Illinois.

The Papal conclave of 1846 elects Pope Pius IX, beginning the longest reign in the history of the papacy.

The formation of the London Working Men's Association gives rise to the Chartist Movement.

Park Bo-gum, South Korean actor

Gnash, American singer, songwriter, rapper, DJ and record producer

Maik Brückner, German politician

Vladimir Morozov, Russian swimmer

Joe McElderry, English singer-songwriter

Siya Kolisi, South African rugby player

Matt Moylan, Australian rugby league player

John Newman, English musician, singer, songwriter and record producer

Odion Ighalo, Nigerian footballer

Keshia Chanté, Canadian singer

Jermaine Gresham, American football player

Diana DeGarmo, American singer-songwriter and actress

Per Ciljan Skjelbred, Norwegian footballer

Tony Gwynn, American baseball player and coach (born 1960)

Cándido Muatetema Rivas (born 1960), Equatoguinean politician and diplomat, Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea

Sam Farber, American businessman, co-founded OXO (born 1924)

Hans Hass, Austrian biologist and diver (born 1919)

Khondakar Ashraf Hossain, Bangladesh poet and academic (born 1950)

Norman Ian MacKenzie, English journalist and author (born 1921)

Ottmar Walter, German footballer (born 1924)

Nils Karlsson, Swedish skier (born 1917)

Jorge Lankenau, Mexican banker and businessman (born 1944)

Sławomir Petelicki, Polish general (born 1946)

Susan Tyrrell, American actress (born 1945)

Östen Mäkitalo, Swedish engineer and academic (born 1938)

Marc Bazin, Haitian lawyer and politician, 49th President of Haiti (born 1932)