What happened on this day in history: George Reeves dies, Tupac Shakur is born, and more events that occurred on June 16th throughout history.
1883: The Victoria Hall Theatre Disaster Kills 183 Children
Children attending a variety show at Victoria Hall in Sunderland, England, suddenly stampede toward the exits after being promised free toys. They came across a bolted, slightly ajar door, which resulted in hundreds of children being crushed under the others. In the end, 183 died and the disaster inspired emergency exits and “push bar” emergency doors.
1959: George Reeves Dies
ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty ImagesGeorge Reeves played Superman between 1952 and 1958.
George Reeves dies in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 45. Dark-haired and handsome, Reeves was best known for playing Superman in the 1950s series Adventures of Superman. Police ruled his death a suicide by gunshot, but others have claimed over the years that he was actually murdered.
1963: Valentina Tereshkova Becomes The First Woman In Space
Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman to go to space. An accomplished parachutist, she embarked on the historic voyage in a vessel called Vostok 6, which spent 71 hours in space and orbited Earth 48 times. Female astronauts didn’t return to space until the 1980s.
1971: Tupac Shakur Is Born
Wikimedia CommonsTupac Shakur in 1991.
Lesane Parish Crooks, later known as Tupac Shakur, is born in New York City. An actor and rapper, Shakur is considered one of the most influential artists of all time. He was tragically killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas at the age of 25 — though some conspiracy theories state that he’s actually still alive.
2008: Caylee Anthony Goes Missing
Caylee Anthony, the two-year-old daughter of Casey Anthony, disappears in Orlando, Florida. Police soon became suspicious of Casey after witnesses reportedly last saw her driving off with Caylee. Additionally, Casey never reported her daughter missing. Authorities quickly arrested Casey after holes in her story became apparent.
Then, in December of 2008, police found Caylee’s remains in a wooded area near Casey’s family home. The toddler’s death was ruled a homicide. But in a shocking turn of events, a jury found Casey not guilty of the murder of her daughter.
