On this day: March 16

Player survives throat cut by skate blade during 1989 hockey game

On March 16, 1989, a hockey player suffered a severe throat laceration from a skate blade during a game but survived after immediate on-ice medical response and subsequent surgery. The incident highlighted arena safety and emergency protocols.

Jonestown’s First Fatalities from Forced Starvation, March 16, 1971

On March 16, 1971, followers of Jim Jones in his California Peoples Temple community in Ukiah experienced the first recorded deaths attributable to cult-enforced deprivation—two members who refused Jones’s directives and were allegedly denied food and medical care.

The My Lai Massacre, March 16, 1968

On March 16, 1968, U.S. Army soldiers killed hundreds of unarmed Vietnamese civilians in the hamlet of My Lai during the Vietnam War; the killings and subsequent cover-up became a pivotal moment in American and international responses to the war.

America's First Roller Coaster Debuts at Coney Island, 1884

On March 16, 1884, the first credited roller coaster in the United States opened at Coney Island’s West Brighton resort, introducing a gravity-driven amusement ride that would evolve into a hallmark of modern parks.