1. On August 16, 1780, during the American Revolution, the Battle of Camden took place in Kershaw County, South Carolina. The battle resulted in a decisive victory for the British army, led by General Charles Cornwallis, over American forces led by General Horatio Gates.

2. August 16, 1861, marked the beginning of the First Battle of Manassas, also known as the First Battle of Bull Run, in Virginia during the Civil War. South Carolina was a major contributor of troops to the Confederacy and many soldiers from the state fought in this battle.

3. On August 16, 1890, construction began on the original Ravenel Bridge in Charleston, South Carolina. At the time of its completion in 1896, it was the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world and remained the longest in the United States until the 1960s.

4. August 16, 1910, marked the birth of South Carolina native and civil rights activist, Jonathan Jasper Wright. He was the first African American to be elected to the South Carolina Supreme Court and played a major role in the fight for equality and justice during the tumultuous civil rights era.

5. On August 16, 1960, the women's suffrage movement achieved a major victory as Governor Fritz Hollings officially certified the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which granted women the right to vote. South Carolina became the 38th state to ratify the amendment, making it law.