1. On June 16, 1963, Governor George C. Wallace made his famous "stand in the schoolhouse door" at the University of Alabama in an effort to block two African American students, Vivian Malone and James Hood, from enrolling. Wallace ultimately backed down after President John F. Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard and ordered them to ensure the students' admission.

2. On June 16, 1914, the first airplane built in Alabama made its inaugural flight. The Curtiss Model D "Pusher" was built by J.H. Gilmore and W.D. Straughn in a Birmingham garage and flew over the city's airport (now Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport).

3. June 16, 1953 marked the first documented tornado outbreak in Alabama history. Multiple tornadoes struck communities across the state, killing 13 people and causing extensive damage.

4. On June 16, 1875, Montgomery's first public school for African American children, named the "Colored People's School," opened its doors. The school was housed in a small building on Lawrence Street and was staffed by one teacher.

5. The African American writer and activist Zora Neale Hurston was born on June 16, 1891 in Notasulga, Alabama. Hurston is best known for her novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God," which is considered a masterpiece of African American literature.