This Day in History: June 16

1779: Spain declares war on Great Britain

In support of France and the USA, Spain declares war on Great Britain, initiating the Great Siege of Gibraltar, which lasts for three years, seven months, and two weeks.

1858: Abraham Lincoln accepts Illinois Republican Party's nomination for the Senate

While accepting the Illinois Republican Party's nomination for the Senate, Abraham Lincoln famously says, "A house divided against itself cannot stand."

1904: Bloomsday

June 16, 1904, is the date of events that occur in James Joyce's novel "Ulysses," which is celebrated as Bloomsday by Joyce enthusiasts around the world.

1960: Premiere of Alfred Hitchcock's film "Psycho"

The horror-thriller film "Psycho," directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Anthony Perkins and Vera Miles, is premiered. The shower scene from the film is widely regarded as one of the most iconic murder scenes in cinema history.

1963: Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space

Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman to journey into space, completing 48 orbits onboard the spaceship "Vostok 6" before returning safely to Earth. She is later declared a "Hero of the Soviet Union" and receives the United Nations Gold Medal of Peace.

1976: Soweto Uprising

In South Africa, an estimated 20,000 schoolchildren protest against the introduction of Afrikaans as the language of instruction in their schools. The police fire into the crowd, killing hundreds of students, sparking the Soweto Uprising, which is commemorated on Youth Day each year.

2010: Bhutan's total tobacco ban

Bhutan becomes the first country in the world to impose a country-wide ban on the cultivation, harvesting, production, and sale of tobacco and tobacco products. While smoking in private is still allowed, it is virtually impossible to obtain tobacco products legally in the South Asian country.

2000: Israel complies with UN Security Council Resolution 425

After 22 years, Israel complies with UN Security Council Resolution 425, which calls for a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon. Israel withdraws from all of Lebanon, except for the disputed Sheba Farms.