March 16

1802:

The United States Military Academy is established at West Point.

1812:

Battle of Badajoz (March 16 - April 6) - British and Portuguese forces besiege and defeat French garrison during Peninsular War.

1818:

Battle of Cancha Rayada - Spanish forces defeat Chileans under José de San Martín.

1916:

7th and 10th US cavalry regiments under John J. Pershing cross the border to join the hunt of Pancho Villa.

1938:

Hitler denounces disarmament clause of Versailles Treaty and accelerates German rearmament.

1939:

From Prague Castle Hitler proclaims Bohemia and Moravia (the former Czechoslovakia) to be a German protectorate.

1942:

First V-2 rocket test launch (exploded at liftoff).

1943:

Climax of the Battle of the Atlantic: 38 U-Boats attack 2 convoys, sinking 21 merchant ships (to 20 Mar 43)

1945:

World War II: The Battle of Iwo Jima ends but small pockets of Japanese resistance persist.

1945:

Würzburg, Germany is 90% destroyed, with 5,000 dead, in only 20 minutes by British bombers.

1968:

Vietnam War: In the My Lai massacre, between 350 and 500 Vietnamese villagers -- men, women, and children -- are killed by American troops.