1) On May 16, 1839, the Vermont State Legislature approved a bill to ban the sale and distribution of alcohol in the state, known as the Maine Law. This was a precursor to the national Prohibition movement and remained in effect until 1843.

2) In 1923, on May 16th, the Vermont state legislature ratified the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting women the right to vote. Vermont was one of the first states to ratify the amendment, which became law the following year.

3) On May 16, 1938, a group of skiers gathered on Mount Mansfield, Vermont's highest peak, to officially establish the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp at Smugglers' Notch. The CCC was a New Deal program that provided employment for young, unemployed men during the Great Depression, and helped build much of Vermont's state park infrastructure.

4) On May 16, 1864, during the Civil War, a group of Confederate soldiers raided the town of St. Albans, Vermont, just across the Canadian border. The raiders robbed banks, burned buildings, and killed several civilians before fleeing back to Canada. It was the northernmost land action of the Civil War and remains a controversial event in Vermont history.

5) In 1973, on May 16th, the Vermont Legislature became the first state in the country to pass a law decriminalizing abortion. The law allowed abortion in the first trimester and for medical reasons thereafter, and was a significant victory for the women's rights movement.