On this day, June 16, Several incidents and events were held in past years. On 16 June, Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to travel in space in 1963. Decades later, this day witnessed the first ever countrywide tobacco ban in Bhutan in 2010. Take a look at the key events held on this day in the past.
Valentina Tereshkova becomes first woman to travel in space in 1963
Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova scripted history and became the first woman and the youngest person to fly in space at the time (she was 26 years old) on 16 June, 1963. Tereshkova was born on March 6, 1937, in the village of Maslennikovo, Russia. Before being selected as a cosmonaut, Tereshkova used to work in a textile factory and was involved in parachuting. Tereshkova was chosen from over 400 applicants to join the Soviet space program. Her background in parachuting was one of the criteria for selection, as the early space capsules returned to Earth via parachute descent.
Nationwide tobacco ban in Bhutan in 2010
India’s neighbour, Bhutan, imposed a nationwide ban on tobacco products and their consumption on June 16, 2010. Before imposing a blanket ban, the Himalayan country implemented the Tobacco Control Act in 2004. The decision to ban tobacco products sale and their consumption was motivated by concerns over public health and spiritual beliefs rooted in Buddhism, which emphasises the importance of maintaining a healthy body and mind.
Guru Arjan Dev Martyrdom Day
Guru Arjan Dev Martyrdom Day is also known as Shaheedi Diwas and is observed by Sikh community across the world on 16 June. According to Nanakshahi calendar, the the Shaheed Diwas is observed on the sixteenth day of the lunar month of Jeth in the Nanakshahi calendar, which usually falls in May or June. Guru Arjan Dev was born on April 15, 1563, in Goindval, Punjab, which is now in present-day India. He was the youngest son of Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru, and Mata Bhani.
Incorporation of Ford Motor Company in 1903
The Ford Motor Company was incorporated on 16 June, 1903. The motor company was founded by Henry Ford and other group of investors, which included John and Horace Dodge.
More than hundred years later, Ford continues to be one of the greatest automobile companies and the most profitable companies across the world. It is one of the largest family-controlled companies in the world.
