History Today

Today in History — June 16

1963

16 June 1963: Valentina Tereshkova Becomes First Woman in Space

On June 16, 1963, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova made history by becoming the first woman to travel into space. Launched aboard the Vostok 6 spacecraft, she orbited Earth 48 times over the course of nearly…

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1775

14 June 1775: Continental Army Established

On June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress authorized the creation of the Continental Army, establishing what would become the United States Army and marking a decisive step toward organized military resistance against British rule. This…

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1971

13 June 1971: Pentagon Papers Published by New York Times

On June 13, 1971, The New York Times began publishing the Pentagon Papers, a classified government study that revealed the true extent of American involvement in Vietnam and exposed years of official deception about the…

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