This Day In History, July 16th.
Five Historical Events That Happened on July 16th.
The Islamic calendar begins in 622 when the Islamic Prophet Muhammad completes his journey from Mecca to Medina, also known as the Hijra.
The reciprocal excommunication of their respective heads, Patriarch Michael I Cerularius and Pope Leo IX, marks the official recognition of the Great Schism between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church in the year 1054.
The Mission San Diego de Alcala, the first Franciscan mission in the Alta California region of New Spain (current-day California, United States), was founded in 1769 by Father Junipero Serra.
1945 - As part of the Manhattan Project, the United States successfully tests the first atomic bomb at the Trinity test in Alamogordo, New Mexico.
1999: A aircraft disaster off the Massachusetts coast of Martha's Vineyard claims the lives of John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and her sister Lauren Bessette.
622 - The Islamic Prophet Muhammad completes his migration from Mecca to Medina, known as the Hijra, marking the beginning of the Islamic calendar.
The migration of the Prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina is known as the Hijra, which occurred in 622 CE. The Hijra took place in the Islamic month of Muharram, which is regarded as the beginning of the Islamic calendar, which is based on the lunar cycle and begins on the first day of that month. In many Muslim nations, the Islamic calendar is extensively utilized for religious purposes, including establishing the dates of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, and other significant Islamic holidays.
1054 - The Great Schism between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church is officially recognized by the mutual excommunication of their respective leaders, Patriarch Michael I Cerularius and Pope Leo IX.
The Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church divided as a result of The Great Schism, a pivotal moment in Christian history. The Schism was the result of centuries' worth of political, cultural, and theological contention between the two churches, including disputes over things like the use of icons in liturgy and the Pope's power.
The Schism was formally acknowledged in 1054 when their respective heads, Patriarch Michael I Cerularius of Constantinople and Pope Leo IX of Rome, were both excommunicated. Due to the long-lasting consequences of this event on the theological and cultural landscapes of Europe and the Middle East, two different branches of Christianity were founded and are still in existence today.
1769 - Father Junipero Serra founds the Mission San Diego de Alcala, the first Franciscan mission in the Alta California region of New Spain (now California, United States).
The establishment of a network of missions along the California coast during the Spanish colonial era is credited to Father Junipero Serra, a Spanish Franciscan friar. He established the first of the 21 missions he would found in California, Mission San Diego de Alcala, in 1769.
The missions were built with the intention of incorporating the local Native American inhabitants into Spanish colonial culture and converting them to Christianity. The colonization of California and the growth of Christianity in the area were both significantly aided by the missionary system. Many of the missions are still standing today and are well-liked tourist attractions that provide insights into early California's history and culture.
1945 - The United States successfully detonates the first atomic bomb during the Trinity test at Alamogordo, New Mexico, as part of the Manhattan Project.
The Trinity test, the first successful atomic bomb explosion, took place at Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945. The Manhattan Project, a top-secret American government initiative to create an atomic weapon during World War II, included the test.
A crucial turning point in contemporary history, the successful atomic bomb test had profound effects on world politics, science, and combat. Less than a month later, on August 6 and 9, two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan's Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ending World War II and bringing about the nuclear era. Nuclear proliferation, the arms race, and the possibility of nuclear war are only a few of the far-reaching effects of the creation and deployment of nuclear weapons.
1999 - John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and her sister Lauren Bessette die in a plane crash off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.
The tiny plane that John F. Kennedy Jr. was flying crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, on July 16, 1999, tragically killing him along with his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and her sister Lauren Bessette.
Given that he was the son of former President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, many Americans who had followed his public life were shocked to learn of John F. Kennedy Jr.'s passing. Pilot error was found to be the accident's cause after a thorough investigation into the plane crash. Many people grieved the passing of John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and Lauren Bessette, and their memory lives on.