On April 16, 73 A.D., Masada, a Jewish fortress, fell to the Romans after several months of siege, ending the Jewish Revolt.
On April 16, 1520, the citizens of Castile, Spain, rebelled against the rule of Charles V in what became known as the Revolt of the Comuneros. At its height, rebels controlled the heart of Castile, ruling the cities of Valladolid, Tordesillas and Toledo.
On April 16, 1862, the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act, a bill ending slavery in the District of Columbia, became law.
On April 16, 1912, Harriet Quimby became the first woman to fly an airplane across the English Channel.