On July 16, 1945, the United States conducted the Trinity test, the first successful detonation of a nuclear weapon, in the New Mexico desert. The explosion was the culmination of the Manhattan Project and ushered in the atomic age.

The test transformed global politics, warfare, and international relations. Less than a month later, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, helping bring World War II to an end and beginning the nuclear era.

The Trinity test marked the beginning of the atomic age

On July 16, 1918, Tsar Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra, and their children were executed by Bolshevik forces in Yekaterinburg during the Russian Revolution. The killings ended more than three centuries of Romanov rule in Russia.

The execution became one of the most dramatic events of the twentieth century and symbolized the collapse of the Russian Empire and the rise of Soviet power.

The execution of the Romanov family ended centuries of imperial rule in Russia.

On July 16, 1979, Saddam Hussein became President of Iraq after Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr resigned. Although Saddam had long been the country's dominant political figure, his formal accession to the presidency marked the beginning of nearly 24 years of authoritarian rule.

His presidency was defined by the Iran-Iraq War, the invasion of Kuwait, the Gulf War, and the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that ultimately ended his regime. Saddam remains one of the Middle East's most controversial modern leaders.

Saddam Hussein assumed the presidency of Iraq on July 16, 1979.

On July 16, 1969, the massive Saturn V carried Apollo 11 into space, demonstrating the extraordinary capabilities of what remains one of the most powerful rockets ever successfully flown.

Standing 363 feet (111 meters) tall, the Saturn V enabled the United States to fulfill President John F. Kennedy's goal of landing humans on the Moon. Its engineering achievements continue to influence modern heavy-lift launch systems.

The Saturn V rocket launched Apollo 11 toward the Moon on July 16, 1969.