1. On September 16, 1780, a major battle of the Revolutionary War occurred in North Carolina known as the Battle of Charlotte. Patriot militia forces, led by Col. William R. Davie, successfully repelled a British attack on the city of Charlotte.

2. In 1908, the first flight in North Carolina history occurred on September 16. Wilbur Wright took to the air in a airplane he had built himself at a field near Kitty Hawk.

3. On September 16, 1920, the deadliest hurricane in North Carolina history made landfall. The storm, known as the Great Miami Hurricane, caused widespread destruction and resulted in over 100 fatalities in the state.

4. On September 16, 1960, the first sit-in in North Carolina occurred at the Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro. Four African American college students protested the establishment's segregation policy and sparked a movement of nonviolent civil disobedience.

5. The North Carolina Zoological Park, one of the largest and most diverse zoos in the world, opened its doors to the public on September 16, 1976. Located in Asheboro, the zoo is home to over 1,600 animals representing more than 250 species.