16 September in history.

1987

Saving the ozone layer. Countries signed the Montreal Protocol to phase out chemicals harming the ozone layer. It is working: the ozone hole is slowly healing.

Wikipedia: Montreal Protocol

Photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

More from 16 September

1. 

   1959

   The photocopier

   Xerox showed the Xerox 914, the first easy-to-use plain paper photocopier.

   Wikipedia: Xerox 914

   Photo: DanielPenfield / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

2. 

   1976

   Shavarsh Karapetyan's rescue

   Champion swimmer Shavarsh Karapetyan dived again and again into a cold, dark reservoir in Yerevan and saved 20 people from a sunken trolleybus.

   Wikipedia: Shavarsh Karapetyan

   Photo: Канал Люди / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

3. 

   1979

   Rapper's Delight

   The Sugarhill Gang released "Rapper's Delight", which brought hip hop to radio around the world.

   Wikipedia: Rapper's DelightWikipedia: The Sugarhill Gang

   Photo: Sugarhill Records (Sugar Hill Records) / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

4. 

   2021

   An all-civilian crew in orbit

   Inspiration4 launched four people with no professional astronauts aboard into orbit for three days.

   Wikipedia: Inspiration4

   Photo: U.S. Space Force Photo by Staff Sgt. JT Armstrong / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Moments chosen for discovery, creativity and courage. Each one links to a source where you can read more; photos are credited to their owners.