1. On August 16, 1870, Fort Ellis was established near the present-day town of Bozeman. The fort served as a base of operations against the native tribes who resisted the invasion of their land by European settlers. Today, the fort is a historic site managed by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

2. On August 16, 1877, the Nez Perce War came to an end when the remaining members of Chief Joseph's tribe surrendered to General Nelson Miles at the Bear Paw Battlefield in present-day Blaine County. The Nez Perce were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands in Oregon and Idaho and sent to a reservation in Oklahoma.

3. On August 16, 1929, the first airmail flight to Helena, Montana, arrived from Salt Lake City, Utah. The pilot, Jack Knight, flew a Ford Trimotor biplane and landed on a dirt runway at the Helena airport. Airmail service revolutionized communication and commerce in Montana and helped to connect the state with the rest of the country.

4. On August 16, 1934, the Anaconda Copper Mining Company strikers clashed with the Montana National Guard and scabs hired by the company in the streets of Butte. The strike had begun weeks earlier as miners demanded better pay and working conditions. The conflict became violent and resulted in the deaths of two strikers and one National Guard member.

5. On August 16, 1972, Montana Senator Mike Mansfield was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Richard Nixon. Mansfield, a Democrat from Butte, had served in the Senate for over 30 years and had become known for his advocacy of civil rights, environmental protection, and peaceful diplomacy. The Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor in the United States.