A closer look at key historic events that took place on May 16:
In 1986, Top Gun debuts
The action movie was an instant success, catapulted Tom Cruise into fame and became a cult classic.

[1986] V.A. – Top Gun (Complete Motion Picture Score) Deviant Art.

In 1975, Tabei Junko becomes the first woman to climb Mount Everest

Tabei Junko was a Japanese mountaineer who achieved the historic feat as part of a Japanese women’s expedition team. Beyond Mount Everest, she had a distinguished climbing career, completing ascents of many other challenging peaks around the world. She continued to be an advocate for environmental conservation and women’s participation in outdoor activities until her passing in 2016.

Junko Tabei 85. Jaan Künnap. Wikimedia Commons

In 1943, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising is suppressed

The uprising was a courageous act of resistance by Jewish inhabitants of the Warsaw Ghetto against the Nazi German forces who were conducting mass deportations of Jews to the Treblinka extermination camp. It began on April 19, when Jewish fighters launched an armed resistance against the Nazi troops who were attempting to liquidate the ghetto. The Nazis responded with overwhelming force, including tanks and artillery and, on May 16, succeeded in suppressing the uprising. The remaining Jewish fighters were either killed or captured, and the ghetto was subsequently razed to the ground.

Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Wikimedia Commons

In 1929, the first Academy Awards are presented

The first Oscars were held at a private dinner at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California. They were organized by the newly formed Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to honor outstanding achievements in the film industry. During this inaugural event, winners were announced in 12 categories based on voting by the Academy members.

The 1st Annual Academy Awards Presentations on May 16, 1929. Wikimedia Commons

In 1920, Joan of Arc is canonized

Joan of Arc, a young French peasant woman, claimed to have received divine visions instructing her to support Charles VII and help him claim the French throne. She subsequently played a significant role in the Hundred Years’ War between France and England in the 15th century. She was eventually captured by the English and put on trial for heresy and witchcraft. Despite her trial and execution in 1431, Joan of Arc became a symbol of French nationalism and a revered figure in history. Pope Benedict XV canonized her as a saint on May 16, 1920, and her feast day is celebrated every May 30.

This mosaic of the saint is by W. C. Symons and it was commissioned by the Catholic Women’s League in 1910. Flick

In 1866, the US introduces the nickel
This coin was authorized by the Coinage Act of 1865 and officially minted starting in 1866. The nickel was the first American coin to bear the portrait of a president, featuring the profile of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, on the front side.

Cent Nickel, 1866. Wikimedia Commons

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