1. On June 16, 1775, Fort Moultrie was completed on Sullivan's Island near Charleston. It was constructed of palmetto logs, which ultimately proved to be a key factor in the American victory against the British fleet in 1776.

2. In 1858, the Columbia Typographical Society was organized in Columbia, South Carolina. It was one of the earliest labor unions in the state and played a significant role in the union movement in the South.

3. June 16, 1944 saw the tragic death of 31 sailors in the sinking of the USS Tabberer off the coast of South Carolina. 55 crew members were rescued, including the commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Henry Lee Plage, who went on to receive the Navy Cross for his heroic efforts.

4. In 1963, civil rights activist Medgar Evers was assassinated outside his home in Jackson, Mississippi. The event occurred just one day before June 17, which had been designated as a statewide holiday in South Carolina in honor of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

5. On June 16, 2015, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley signed a bill to remove the Confederate battle flag from the Statehouse grounds, following the tragic shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. The flag had been a symbol of controversy in the state for many years and was widely seen as a reminder of the state's troubled racial past.