1. On August 16, 1857, Lieutenant Edward Fitzgerald Beale arrived in Arizona Territory with a caravan of camels, which were being tested for use in transportation in the arid Southwest. The experiment was ultimately unsuccessful, but Beale's journey remains notable in Arizona history.
2. On August 16, 1910, Arizona became the 48th state in the United States of America. The day is celebrated as Statehood Day in Arizona.
3. On August 16, 1934, a high school football game between Miami and Hayden was played in Superior, Arizona. The game went on despite heavy rain, and a flash flood caused by the storm swept through the stadium, killing seven people and injuring dozens more.
4. On August 16, 1952, a severe earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 struck near the Arizona-New Mexico border. The earthquake was felt across several states and caused significant damage to buildings in the affected areas.
5. On August 16, 1987, Arizona Governor Evan Mecham made controversial remarks about Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which had been established as a state holiday by his predecessor. Mecham suggested that the holiday was meant to either honor "King" or "the NAACP" rather than the civil rights leader, and his comments sparked widespread backlash.