1. On February 16, 1915, the Arizona State Capitol was dedicated in Phoenix. The original building was designed by architects James Riely Gordon and Henry Trost in a neoclassical style with copper domes and marble columns.

2. In 1987, a fire destroyed the roof of the historic Orpheum Theatre in downtown Phoenix. However, the theatre was restored and reopened in 1997, making it one of the few remaining vaudeville era theatres in the country.

3. On February 16, 1937, a 28-car freight train derailed and crashed into a gas station in downtown Phoenix, killing ten people and injuring dozens more. The disaster resulted in new safety regulations for freight trains and improved emergency response procedures.

4. In 1942, during World War II, the US government opened the Gila River War Relocation Center near Sacaton, Arizona. Over 13,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated to the center and held there for three years before being allowed to leave.

5. On February 16, 1986, the Arizona Opera performed its first production, Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro," at the Phoenix Symphony Hall. The organization has since become a renowned regional opera company, presenting both classic and contemporary works.