On This Day July 16

1994
Jupiter struck by comet: The solar system's largest planet is struck by the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet, creating blasts equal to millions of large nuclear weapons.

1992
Ross Perot: The Texas billionaire "drops out" of the presidential race, although he was never actually a candidate. He reentered 2½ months later, during which he spent $10,000,000 maintaining his campaign organization and creating new advertisements.

1990
Discovery of another of Saturn's satellites, by Voyager II, is announced.

1975
First species removed from the endangered species list enacted in 1969: Three species of trout.

1973
Watergate: During Senate questioning it becomes known that most of Nixon's office conversations and phone calls had been recorded.

1969
First manned flight to land on the moon: Apollo 11 is launched, landing on the moon four days later. It also left behind a laser reflector which was used to prove the moon was 131.2 feet farther away than previously believed.

1945
First atomic blast: A plutonium device equivalent to 15,000 tons of TNT is detonated in Alamogordo, New Mexico. It was visible 180 miles away.

1862
Swift-Tuttle Comet is discovered by Louis Swift in New York. Horace Tuttle spotted it three days later in Massachusetts. It has a 1 in 10,000 chance of colliding with Earth in the year 2126 and a 1 in 3. If this occurs it will probably end civilization.

1862
Blacks in the military: First federal law allowing persons of African descent to serve in the U.S. military is introduced into Congress. It was signed into law by Pres. Lincoln the following day.

1790
U.S. Capitol: The site for the Capitol building is chosen by Major Pierre Charles L'Enfant, who then planned the basic layout of Washington D.C.

1971
Corey Feldman, American actor. Film: Gremlins (1984), Goonies (1985), Stand By Me (1986), and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990).

1968
Barry Sanders, American Hall of Fame football running back with the Detroit Lions, Heisman Trophy winner (1988).

1963
Phoebe Cates, American actress. Film: Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) and Gremlins (1984).

1952
Stewart Copeland, American drummer, with Police, Roxanne (1978), Message In A Bottle (1979, #1), Every Breath You Take (1983, #1).

1951
Dan Bricklin, computer scientist. He and Bob Frankston created VisiCalc, the first computer spreadsheet (1979).

1932
Max McGee, American football player. He scored the first Super Bowl touchdown (1967); playing for the Green Bay Packers, he caught an 18-yard pass and ran it in from the 19-yard line against the Kansas City Chiefs.

1924
Bess Myerson, American beauty contestant, actress. She was the first Jewish Miss America (1945).

1915 d. 2006
Barnard Hughes (Bernard Hughes), American Tony-Emmy-winning actor. TV: Guiding Light (Dr. Bruce Banning) and The Cavanaughs (Pop Cavanaugh).

1911 d. 1995
Ginger Rogers (Virginia McMath), American Oscar-winning actress, Fred Astaire's dance partner.

1907 d. 1995
Orville Redenbacher, American popcorn maker, co-creator of "snowflake" popcorn.

1907 d. 1990
Barbara Stanwyck (Ruby Stevens), American Emmy-winning actress. TV: Big Valley (Emmy, Victoria Barkley) and The Colbys (Constance Colby). In 1944 the IRS reported her as the highest-paid American woman.

1903 d. 1993
Mary Philbin, silent-film actress, co-starred with Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera (1925).

1890 d. 1959
Carl Ed, American cartoonist, creator of Harold Teen (1919) which was later made into movies.

1888 d. 1951
Shoeless Joe Jackson (Joseph Jefferson Jackson), American baseball player. He was banished for life from professional baseball for alleged role in throwing the 1919 World Series. "Say it ain't so, Joe! Say it ain't so!"

1888 d. 1964
Percy Kilbride, American actor. Film: Pa of the Ma and Pa Kettle films (1947-55).

1877 d. 1967
Béla Schick, Hungarian-born American pediatrician. He developed the Schick test (1913) for diphtheria, which led to effective inoculation against the disease.

1872 d. 1928
Roald Amundsen, Norwegian explorer, first to sail from the Atlantic to the Pacific using the Northwest Passage (1905), and discoverer of the South Pole (1911). He disappeared during a rescue mission to the Arctic.

1821 d. 1910
Mary Baker Eddy, founded the Church of Christ, Scientist (1879, Christian Science).

1748 d. 1810
Cyrus Griffin, 16th and last president of the Continental Congress (1788-89).

1746 d. 1826
Giuseppe Piazzi, Italian astronomer. He was the first to discover an asteroid (1801, Ceres).

1999 b. 1960
John F. Kennedy, Jr., American lawyer, son of Pres. John F. Kennedy. He, his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and sister-in-law Lauren Bessette were killed in a plane crash off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. The plane was piloted by Kennedy.

1992 b. circa 1908
"Gorgeous" George Arena, American wrestler, platinum-haired villain of the early days of TV wrestling.

1981 b. 1942
Harry Chapin, American folk-rock singer. Taxi (1972) and Cat's In The Cradle (1974, #1).

1960 b. 1893
John Phillips Marquand, American Pulitzer-winning author. Writings: The Late George Apley (1937, Pulitzer). He also created the Japanese detective Mr. Moto.

1882 b. 1818
Mary Todd Lincoln, American first lady, widow of Abraham Lincoln. She was declared insane and committed to an mental institution (1875), but was later released.

1828 b. 1741
Jean Antoine Houdon, French sculpture, created the bust of George Washington (1788) that now appears on the U.S. quarter.

1827 b. 1755
Josiah Spode II, English potter. He invented Fine Bone China (1800).

1216 b. 1161
Innocent III, Italian religious leader, 176th Pope (1198-1216).

July 16

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