1. On July 16, 1790, a group of Cherokee chiefs signed the Treaty of New York, which resulted in the loss of Cherokee land and led to the forced removal of thousands of Cherokee people from their homes.

2. On July 16, 1862, Union troops under General Ambrose Burnside captured Roanoke Island off the coast of North Carolina, which gave the Union control of the surrounding waters and helped to enforce the naval blockade of the Confederacy.

3. On July 16, 1894, the first state forestry agency in the United States was established in North Carolina, which helped to promote sustainable forest management and conservation.

4. On July 16, 1969, astronaut James McDivitt, a native of Chicago, Illinois, stopped in North Carolina on his way to Cape Canaveral, Florida, to participate in the Apollo 11 moon landing mission.

5. On July 16, 2011, the Carolina RailHawks professional soccer team defeated the English Premier League's West Ham United 3-1 in an exhibition match in Cary, North Carolina, which helped to promote the growth of soccer in the state.