Today in US History on March 16: West Point established, Robert F. Kennedy runs for president, My Lai massacre

From the founding of America’s first military academy to pivotal moments in politics, war, and scientific innovation, March 16 has seen several notable events in US and world history. Here’s a look at some of the key milestones associated with this date.

1802 - US Military Academy established

In 1802, President Thomas Jefferson signed a measure authorizing the creation of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. Established by Congress to train young men in military science and leadership, it became the first military school in the United States and remains widely known simply as West Point.


1926 - First liquid-fueled rocket launched

American scientist Robert H. Goddard successfully launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket. The rocket flew about 184 feet (56 meters), marking a milestone in the development of modern rocketry and space exploration.

Also Read: Today in US History on March 15: Maine becomes 23rd state, Washington defuses Newburgh plot, and birth of RBG

1935 - Hitler begins rearming Germany

Adolf Hitler ordered Germany to rearm and resume military conscription, directly violating the restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles following World War I.

1968 - Robert F. Kennedy announces presidential run

During a turbulent election year, Robert F. Kennedy, then a US senator from New York, announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.

1968 - My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War

In one of the darkest episodes of the Vietnam War, US Army soldiers searching for Viet Cong fighters killed roughly 500 unarmed villagers in two hamlets of Son My village. The incident became known as the My Lai massacre and later sparked widespread outrage when details emerged.

Other notable events on March 16

In a nationally televised address in 1972 , President Richard Nixon called for a halt to court-ordered school busing policies designed to achieve racial desegregation. William Buckley, the CIA station chief in Beirut, was abducted by militants linked to Hezbollah in 1984. He was later tortured and killed in captivity in 1985. In 1836 delegates approved the Constitution of the Republic of Texas, which legalized slavery in the newly formed republic.