A complete timeline of historical events, famous births, notable deaths, and holidays that occurred on August 15 throughout history.
121
Events
11
Births
3
Deaths
Empire of Trebizond surrenders to forces of Sultan Mehmed II, the last remnant of the Byzantine Empire to fall; Emperor David is exiled and later executed
Mayflower was an English square-rigged merchant sailing ship, active from before 1609 until 1622. Her tonnage was 180+, and she was 110 feet long and 25 feet in the beam, with several decks.
Second US National Women's Rights Convention convenes in Brinley Hall, Worcester, Massachusetts
Chinese Empress Dowager Cixi, her family, and court retainers flee Peking for Xi'an as foreign troops move through the capital in an attempt to quell the Boxer Rebellion
A dominion was a self-governing country that was part of the British Empire and then the British Commonwealth of Nations, especially in the first half of the 20th century.
Omagh bombing in Northern Ireland, the worst terrorist incident of The Troubles, kills 29 people and injures about 220
Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai is an Afghan former politician and economist who served as the 8th and last president of Afghanistan from 2014 until his government was overthrown by the Taliban in...
"The Sinking of the Lusitania" by Winsor McCay is produced; at 12 minutes long, it is the longest work of animation at that time
The Wizard of Oz, an American musical fantasy film adaptation of L. Frank Baum's book, premieres at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood; directed by Victor Fleming and King Vidor with a cast featuring Judy Garland (Dorothy), Ray Bolger (Scarecrow), Jack Haley (Tin Man), Bert Lahr (Cowardly Lion),
Woodstock Festival opens in Bethel, New York, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm; performers include Richie Havens, Tim Hardin, Ravi Shankar, Melanie, Arlo Guthrie, and Joan Baez
New Zealand's All Blacks play their first rugby test match against Australia's Wallabies at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the All Blacks win 22-3
Lionel of Antwerp (14), son of Edward III marries Elizabeth de Burgh (20), Countess of Ulster and last legitimate descendent of William de Burgh at the Tower of London
Marriage of King Christian II of Denmark to Isabella of Austria, granddaughter of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I is ratified at Copenhagen Castle (married by proxy 1514)
American rock singer-songwriter Buddy Holly (21) weds Puerto Rican-American record company receptionist María Santiago (25) at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Lubbock, Texas
Beginning of the five-day decisive Battle at Yarmuk: Muslim forces defeat the Byzantine army to take control of Syria for the first time
The Saracens conquer and destroy Taranto (southern Italy)
The cave city of Vardzia is consecrated by Queen Tamar of Georgia
Philip II of France marries Ingeborg, daughter of King Valdemar I of Denmark, in Amiens and requests an annulment immediately after on the grounds of non-consummation; the bride disputes
Güyük (Kuyuk), son and successor of Ogodei, formally elected Great Khan of the Mongols at Sira Ordu, five years after the death of his father
Construction of the new Cologne Cathedral in the Gothic style begins with the laying of the foundation stone by Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden (completed 1880)
Knights of St. John conquer Rhodes
Malatestiana Library, the first humanist civic library in Europe, opens in association with the Convent of San Francesco in Cesena, Italy [1]
"Mainz Psalter," the earliest dated book and the first to be printed in three colors, is completed
Sistine Chapel to Our Lady of the Assumption in Vatican City is consecrated with a Mass by Pope Sixtus IV [some sources cite August 9] [1]
Fernão Pires de Andrade (also spelled as Fernão Peres de Andrade; in contemporary sources, Fernam (Fernã) Perez Dandrade) (d.
Pedro Arias de Ávila (1440 – 6 March 1531; often Pedro Arias Dávila or Pedrarias Dávila) was a Spanish soldier and colonial administrator.
Ignatius of Loyola co-founds the Society of Jesus (Jesuit) religious order at Sanit Densi Church in Montmartre, France
Asunción is the capital and the largest city of Paraguay. The city stands on the eastern bank of the Paraguay River, almost at the confluence of this river with the Pilcomayo River.
Arequipa, also known by its nicknames of Ciudad Blanca (Spanish for "White City") and León del Sur (Spanish for "Lion of the South"), is a city in Peru and the capital of the eponymous province and...
Nine Years' War: Battle of Curlew Pass - Irish forces led by Hugh Roe O'Donnell successfully ambush English forces led by Sir Conyers Clifford, who are sent to relieve Collooney Castle
The Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635 was an extraordinarily powerful and devastating Atlantic hurricane that brushed Colonial Virginia and struck the New England Colonies in late August 1635.
Dutch ship "Sperwer" strands on Jeju, Korea
The League of the Rhine (also known as the Erster Rheinbund, First Rhine-Bund; or the Rheinische Allianz – Rhenish Alliance) was a defensive union of more than 50 German princes and their cities...
Confederation of the Rhine disbands
Spain, Germany, and France sign the Truce of Ratisbon, ending the War of the Reunions; it is meant to last 20 years, but it lasts only four
United Lutheran Church in the American colonies is organized
Battle of Liegnitz: Prussian forces defeat Austrian and Russian armies
The Affair of the Diamond Necklace (French: Affaire du collier de la reine, "Affair of the Queen's Necklace") was an incident from 1784 to 1785 at the court of King Louis XVI of France that involved...
Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast.
Race riots in Cincinnati, Ohio, are spurred by the city's threat to enforce restrictive residency requirements on Black residents; over 1,000 people (more than half of the Black population) leave, many bound for Canada
Gregory XVI issues encyclical on liberalism and religious indifferentism, titled "Mirari Vos"
National Black Convention meets in Buffalo, New York
M. Waldo Hanchett patents the dental chair
Butterfield Overland Mail (officially Overland Mail Company) was a stagecoach service in the United States operating from 1858 to 1861. It carried passengers and U.S.
Confederate submarine "CSS H.L. Hunley" arrives in Charleston on railroad cars from Mobile, Alabama, where it is built [1]
US Civil War: CSS Tallahassee captures six Yankee schooners off the New England coast
Battle of Lone Jack, Missouri: Fierce fighting between Union soldiers and Confederate forces, prompted by bushwhacker attacks, destroys the town of Lone Jack
The Representation of the People Act 1867 (30 & 31 Vict. c. 102), known as the Reform Act 1867 or the Second Reform Act, is an act of the British Parliament that enfranchised part of the urban male...
The Meiji government in Japan establishes six new ministries, including one for Shinto
The Kansas Pacific Railway (KP) was a historic railroad company that operated in the western United States in the late 19th century.
The Black Hills gold rush took place in Dakota Territory in the United States. It began in 1874 following the Custer Expedition and reached a peak in 1876–77. Rumors and poorly documented reports of...
American MLB pitcher Guy Hecker scores 7 runs in 1 game
San Sebastian Church in Manila, the first all-steel church in Asia, is officially inaugurated and blessed
The US is no longer allowed exclusive rights in the Bering Sea
Louisville's pitcher Henry Dowling struck out 5 times in a game
Arch Rock, a danger to San Francisco Bay shipping, is blasted with 30 tons of nitroglycerin
The 1905 Philadelphia Athletics season was a season in American baseball. The team finished first in the American League with a record of 92 wins and 56 losses, winning their second pennant.
First freight delivery tunnel system begins operation underneath Chicago
The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation incorporated and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. The company operates five divisions: Beauty (18% of 2024...
Yankee Guy Zinn sets a record by stealing home twice in a game
Journalist Albert Siegfried Bettelheim is convicted of murder in Georgia
Norway annexes Spitsbergen
Dutch Spakenburg football team forms
The United States occupation of Haiti began on July 28, 1915, when 330 U.S. Marines landed at Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after the National City Bank of New York (now Citibank) convinced U.S.
Americans make a clean sweep of the 3m diving medals with Marjorie Gestring, Katherine Rawls, and Dorothy Poynton-Hill at the Berlin Olympics
Comiskey Park was a ballpark in Chicago, Illinois, located in the Armour Square neighborhood on the near-south side of the city.
First edition of the Jewish Weekly newspaper in Amsterdam under Nazi occupation
Kovno Lithuanian Jews are herded into the Slobodka Ghetto
Five hostages are executed by Nazis in Sint-Michielsgestel
The Aleutian Islands campaign was a military campaign fought between 3 June 1942 and 15 August 1943 on and around the Aleutian Islands, part of the US Territory of Alaska, in the American Theater of...
During the Pacific War, Allied forces conducted air raids on Japan from 1942 to 1945, causing extensive destruction to the country's cities and killing between 241,000 and 900,000 people.
A riot ensues in San Francisco as the city celebrates the end of WWII
The DuMont Television Network (also the DuMont Network, DuMont Television, DuMont/Du Mont, or (incorrectly) Dumont ) was one of America's pioneer commercial television networks, rivaling NBC and CBS...
GLEEP (Graphite Low Energy Experimental Pile), the first experimental nuclear reactor in Western Europe, begins operation in Oxford, England
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone,...
WOTV TV channel 8 in Grand Rapids, MI (NBC) begins broadcasting
An earthquake occurred in the province of Sichuan, China at 14:28:01 China Standard Time on May 12, 2008.
19th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: Los Angeles 10, All-Stars 7 (88,316 attendees)
Hurricane Connie dissipates after killing 77 people on the US Eastern Seaboard and Mid-Atlantic states
David Simons reaches 30,942 meters in the Manhigh II balloon
25th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: All-Stars 35, Detroit 19 (70,000 attendees)
A UFO is sighted by three California patrolmen
Keiyo Road is specified as the first expressway in Japan
The New York Agreement, officially the Agreement between the Republic of Indonesia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands Concerning West New Guinea, is an agreement signed by the Kingdom of the...
Fulbert Youlou (19 July 1917 – 6 May 1972) was a Congolese nationalist leader and former Catholic priest who became the first President of the Republic of the Congo upon its independence in 1960. In...
Puerto Rican champion José Torres defeats American Eddie Cotton on points in Las Vegas to retain the WBC/WBA light-heavyweight boxing title
Pirate Radio Free London begins transmitting
Patricia Palinkas was the first woman to have played American football professionally in a predominantly male league.
Bahrain–United Kingdom relations are the bilateral relations between Bahrain and the United Kingdom.
The Black September Organization (BSO; Arabic: منظمة أيلول الأسود, romanized: Munaẓẓamat Aylūl al-Aswad) was a Palestinian militant organization, which was founded in September 1970.
France is one of the five nuclear-weapon states recognized by the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) but is not known to possess or develop any chemical or biological weapons.
A possible alien radio signal from deep space, later dubbed the "Wow!" signal, is received at Big Ear, Ohio State's radio telescope in Delaware
US House of Representatives approves (233-169) a 39-month extension for ERA
Andrew Jackson Young Jr. is an American politician, diplomat, and activist. Beginning his career as a pastor, Young was an early leader in the civil rights movement, serving as executive director of...
Robin Leamy of the US swims a record 7.98 kph for 50 m
Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. It has an area of 28,000 square kilometres (11,000 sq mi).
The PKK in Turkey starts a campaign of armed attacks against the Turkish military
First Iraqi air raid on Iran's main oil export terminal, Kharg Island
At the Pan Am Games in Indianapolis, USA and Cuba are tied with 2 outs in the 9th inning when Ty Griffin hits a home run, resulting in Cuba's first loss in 20 years of Pan Am competition
At 4 pm, LILCO consumers use a record 3,813 megawatts
The National Party (Afrikaans: Nasionale Party, NP), also known as the Nationalist Party, was a political party in South Africa from 1914 to 1997, which was responsible for the implementation of...
Mark David McGwire, nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 2001 for the Oakland Athletics and...
Genoa is the sixth-largest city in Italy and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria. As of 2025, 565,301 people live within the city's administrative limits.
South African President Nelson Mandela receives the Anne Frank Penning
Los del Río, also known as the Del Rios, are a Spanish Latin pop and dance duo formed in Dos Hermanas, Andalusia, in 1962.
Dan Wilson hits Seattle Mariners' 3,000th home run
Beni Ounif massacre in Algeria; approximately 29 people are killed at a fake roadblock near the Moroccan border, leading to temporary tensions with Morocco
Bay of Plenty defeats Auckland 33-26 in Rugby Union to win NZ's Ranfurly Shield for the first time in the shield's 102-year history after 28 unsuccessful challenges
An 8.0-magnitude earthquake off the Pacific coast devastates Ica and various regions of Peru, killing 514 and injuring 1,090
American breaststroker Rebecca Soni avenges her defeat to Leisel Jones of Australia in the 100 m by swimming a world record of 2:20.22 to beat Jones in the 200 m at the Beijing Olympics
Portugal leaves recession after three consecutive quarters of negative growth, with its GDP recovering by 0.3% in the second quarter of 2009
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division.
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. As of 2025 Greater Beirut has a population of 2.4 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the twelfth-largest city in the...
North Korea creates its own time zone, moving its clocks back half an hour to GMT+8.5
Anita Włodarczyk of Poland sets a world record of 82.29 m to win the women's hammer throw gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics; Zhang Wenxiu (China) wins silver, and Sophie Hitchon (Great Britain) wins bronze
A record 72,000 Americans (up 10%) are killed by drug overdoses in 2017, according to new figures from the Centers for Disease Control
60th annual finger wrestling (Fingerhakeln) championship takes place in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, southern Germany, as part of Partenkirchner Festival week
Deputy President William Ruto is declared the winner of the Kenyan presidential election, winning with just 50.5% of the vote and defeating former Prime Minister Raila Odinga [1]
Young activists win a landmark case, Held v Montana, with a judge ruling that the state of Montana must consider climate change when deciding to approve or renew fossil fuel projects [1]
The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and Israel, fought as part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflicts.
First-ever World Humanoid Robot Games begins in Beijing, China, with over 500 androids from 16 countries competing in various events such as football, martial arts, and dance [1] [2]
Walter Scott, Scottish novelist, known for scottish novelist, was born on 1771-08-15. Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian.
Harlow Curtice is born
Phyllis Schlafly, American activist, known for american activist, was born on 1924-08-15. Phyllis Stewart Schlafly was an American attorney and activist who was nationally prominent in conservatism.
Melinda Gates, American philanthropist, known for american philanthropist, was born on 1965-08-15. Melinda French Gates is an American philanthropist.
Abiy Ahmed is born
Ben Affleck, American actor and filmmaker, known for american actor and filmmaker, was born on 1973-08-15. Benjamin Géza Affleck is an American actor and filmmaker.
Anita Sarkeesian, American canadian-american feminist media critic, known for canadian-american feminist media critic, was born on 1984-08-15.
Jennifer Lawrence, American actress and producer, known for american actress and producer, was born on 1991-08-15. Jennifer Shrader Lawrence is an American actress and producer.
Oscar Peterson, Canadian musician, known for canadian jazz pianist, was born on 1925-08-15. Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer.
Jack Lynch is born
Stieg Larsson, Swedish writer, journalist, and activist, known for swedish writer, journalist, and activist, was born on 1954-08-15.
Wiley Post dies
Will Rogers, American humorist and entertainer, known for american humorist and entertainer, died on 1935-08-15.
Gerd Müller, German footballer, known for german footballer, died on 2021-08-15. Gerd Müller was a German professional footballer.
Beginning of the five-day decisive Battle at Yarmuk: Muslim forces defeat the Byzantine army to take control of Syria for the first time
The Saracens conquer and destroy Taranto (southern Italy)
The cave city of Vardzia is consecrated by Queen Tamar of Georgia
Philip II of France marries Ingeborg, daughter of King Valdemar I of Denmark, in Amiens and requests an annulment immediately after on the grounds of non-consummation; the bride disputes
Güyük (Kuyuk), son and successor of Ogodei, formally elected Great Khan of the Mongols at Sira Ordu, five years after the death of his father
Construction of the new Cologne Cathedral in the Gothic style begins with the laying of the foundation stone by Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden (completed 1880)
Knights of St. John conquer Rhodes
Lionel of Antwerp (14), son of Edward III marries Elizabeth de Burgh (20), Countess of Ulster and last legitimate descendent of William de Burgh at the Tower of London
Malatestiana Library, the first humanist civic library in Europe, opens in association with the Convent of San Francesco in Cesena, Italy [1]
"Mainz Psalter," the earliest dated book and the first to be printed in three colors, is completed
Empire of Trebizond surrenders to forces of Sultan Mehmed II, the last remnant of the Byzantine Empire to fall; Emperor David is exiled and later executed
Sistine Chapel to Our Lady of the Assumption in Vatican City is consecrated with a Mass by Pope Sixtus IV [some sources cite August 9] [1]
Marriage of King Christian II of Denmark to Isabella of Austria, granddaughter of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I is ratified at Copenhagen Castle (married by proxy 1514)
Fernão Pires de Andrade (also spelled as Fernão Peres de Andrade; in contemporary sources, Fernam (Fernã) Perez Dandrade) (d.
Pedro Arias de Ávila (1440 – 6 March 1531; often Pedro Arias Dávila or Pedrarias Dávila) was a Spanish soldier and colonial administrator.
Ignatius of Loyola co-founds the Society of Jesus (Jesuit) religious order at Sanit Densi Church in Montmartre, France
Asunción is the capital and the largest city of Paraguay. The city stands on the eastern bank of the Paraguay River, almost at the confluence of this river with the Pilcomayo River.
Arequipa, also known by its nicknames of Ciudad Blanca (Spanish for "White City") and León del Sur (Spanish for "Lion of the South"), is a city in Peru and the capital of the eponymous province and...
Nine Years' War: Battle of Curlew Pass - Irish forces led by Hugh Roe O'Donnell successfully ambush English forces led by Sir Conyers Clifford, who are sent to relieve Collooney Castle
Mayflower was an English square-rigged merchant sailing ship, active from before 1609 until 1622. Her tonnage was 180+, and she was 110 feet long and 25 feet in the beam, with several decks.
The Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635 was an extraordinarily powerful and devastating Atlantic hurricane that brushed Colonial Virginia and struck the New England Colonies in late August 1635.
Dutch ship "Sperwer" strands on Jeju, Korea
The League of the Rhine (also known as the Erster Rheinbund, First Rhine-Bund; or the Rheinische Allianz – Rhenish Alliance) was a defensive union of more than 50 German princes and their cities...
Confederation of the Rhine disbands
Spain, Germany, and France sign the Truce of Ratisbon, ending the War of the Reunions; it is meant to last 20 years, but it lasts only four
United Lutheran Church in the American colonies is organized
Battle of Liegnitz: Prussian forces defeat Austrian and Russian armies
Walter Scott, Scottish novelist, known for scottish novelist, was born on 1771-08-15. Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian.
The Affair of the Diamond Necklace (French: Affaire du collier de la reine, "Affair of the Queen's Necklace") was an incident from 1784 to 1785 at the court of King Louis XVI of France that involved...
Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast.
Race riots in Cincinnati, Ohio, are spurred by the city's threat to enforce restrictive residency requirements on Black residents; over 1,000 people (more than half of the Black population) leave, many bound for Canada
Gregory XVI issues encyclical on liberalism and religious indifferentism, titled "Mirari Vos"
National Black Convention meets in Buffalo, New York
M. Waldo Hanchett patents the dental chair
Second US National Women's Rights Convention convenes in Brinley Hall, Worcester, Massachusetts
Butterfield Overland Mail (officially Overland Mail Company) was a stagecoach service in the United States operating from 1858 to 1861. It carried passengers and U.S.
Confederate submarine "CSS H.L. Hunley" arrives in Charleston on railroad cars from Mobile, Alabama, where it is built [1]
US Civil War: CSS Tallahassee captures six Yankee schooners off the New England coast
Battle of Lone Jack, Missouri: Fierce fighting between Union soldiers and Confederate forces, prompted by bushwhacker attacks, destroys the town of Lone Jack
The Representation of the People Act 1867 (30 & 31 Vict. c. 102), known as the Reform Act 1867 or the Second Reform Act, is an act of the British Parliament that enfranchised part of the urban male...
The Meiji government in Japan establishes six new ministries, including one for Shinto
The Kansas Pacific Railway (KP) was a historic railroad company that operated in the western United States in the late 19th century.
The Black Hills gold rush took place in Dakota Territory in the United States. It began in 1874 following the Custer Expedition and reached a peak in 1876–77. Rumors and poorly documented reports of...
American MLB pitcher Guy Hecker scores 7 runs in 1 game
San Sebastian Church in Manila, the first all-steel church in Asia, is officially inaugurated and blessed
The US is no longer allowed exclusive rights in the Bering Sea
Harlow Curtice is born
Louisville's pitcher Henry Dowling struck out 5 times in a game
Chinese Empress Dowager Cixi, her family, and court retainers flee Peking for Xi'an as foreign troops move through the capital in an attempt to quell the Boxer Rebellion
Arch Rock, a danger to San Francisco Bay shipping, is blasted with 30 tons of nitroglycerin
New Zealand's All Blacks play their first rugby test match against Australia's Wallabies at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the All Blacks win 22-3
The 1905 Philadelphia Athletics season was a season in American baseball. The team finished first in the American League with a record of 92 wins and 56 losses, winning their second pennant.
First freight delivery tunnel system begins operation underneath Chicago
The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation incorporated and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. The company operates five divisions: Beauty (18% of 2024...
Yankee Guy Zinn sets a record by stealing home twice in a game
Journalist Albert Siegfried Bettelheim is convicted of murder in Georgia
Jack Lynch is born
"The Sinking of the Lusitania" by Winsor McCay is produced; at 12 minutes long, it is the longest work of animation at that time
Phyllis Schlafly, American activist, known for american activist, was born on 1924-08-15. Phyllis Stewart Schlafly was an American attorney and activist who was nationally prominent in conservatism.
Norway annexes Spitsbergen
Oscar Peterson, Canadian musician, known for canadian jazz pianist, was born on 1925-08-15. Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer.
Dutch Spakenburg football team forms
The United States occupation of Haiti began on July 28, 1915, when 330 U.S. Marines landed at Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after the National City Bank of New York (now Citibank) convinced U.S.
Wiley Post dies
Will Rogers, American humorist and entertainer, known for american humorist and entertainer, died on 1935-08-15.
Americans make a clean sweep of the 3m diving medals with Marjorie Gestring, Katherine Rawls, and Dorothy Poynton-Hill at the Berlin Olympics
The Wizard of Oz, an American musical fantasy film adaptation of L. Frank Baum's book, premieres at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood; directed by Victor Fleming and King Vidor with a cast featuring Judy Garland (Dorothy), Ray Bolger (Scarecrow), Jack Haley (Tin Man), Bert Lahr (Cowardly Lion),
Comiskey Park was a ballpark in Chicago, Illinois, located in the Armour Square neighborhood on the near-south side of the city.
First edition of the Jewish Weekly newspaper in Amsterdam under Nazi occupation
Kovno Lithuanian Jews are herded into the Slobodka Ghetto
Five hostages are executed by Nazis in Sint-Michielsgestel
The Aleutian Islands campaign was a military campaign fought between 3 June 1942 and 15 August 1943 on and around the Aleutian Islands, part of the US Territory of Alaska, in the American Theater of...
During the Pacific War, Allied forces conducted air raids on Japan from 1942 to 1945, causing extensive destruction to the country's cities and killing between 241,000 and 900,000 people.
A riot ensues in San Francisco as the city celebrates the end of WWII
The DuMont Television Network (also the DuMont Network, DuMont Television, DuMont/Du Mont, or (incorrectly) Dumont ) was one of America's pioneer commercial television networks, rivaling NBC and CBS...
A dominion was a self-governing country that was part of the British Empire and then the British Commonwealth of Nations, especially in the first half of the 20th century.
GLEEP (Graphite Low Energy Experimental Pile), the first experimental nuclear reactor in Western Europe, begins operation in Oxford, England
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone,...
WOTV TV channel 8 in Grand Rapids, MI (NBC) begins broadcasting
An earthquake occurred in the province of Sichuan, China at 14:28:01 China Standard Time on May 12, 2008.
19th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: Los Angeles 10, All-Stars 7 (88,316 attendees)
Stieg Larsson, Swedish writer, journalist, and activist, known for swedish writer, journalist, and activist, was born on 1954-08-15.
Hurricane Connie dissipates after killing 77 people on the US Eastern Seaboard and Mid-Atlantic states
David Simons reaches 30,942 meters in the Manhigh II balloon
American rock singer-songwriter Buddy Holly (21) weds Puerto Rican-American record company receptionist María Santiago (25) at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Lubbock, Texas
25th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: All-Stars 35, Detroit 19 (70,000 attendees)
A UFO is sighted by three California patrolmen
Keiyo Road is specified as the first expressway in Japan
The New York Agreement, officially the Agreement between the Republic of Indonesia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands Concerning West New Guinea, is an agreement signed by the Kingdom of the...
Fulbert Youlou (19 July 1917 – 6 May 1972) was a Congolese nationalist leader and former Catholic priest who became the first President of the Republic of the Congo upon its independence in 1960. In...
Melinda Gates, American philanthropist, known for american philanthropist, was born on 1965-08-15. Melinda French Gates is an American philanthropist.
Puerto Rican champion José Torres defeats American Eddie Cotton on points in Las Vegas to retain the WBC/WBA light-heavyweight boxing title
Pirate Radio Free London begins transmitting
Woodstock Festival opens in Bethel, New York, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm; performers include Richie Havens, Tim Hardin, Ravi Shankar, Melanie, Arlo Guthrie, and Joan Baez
Patricia Palinkas was the first woman to have played American football professionally in a predominantly male league.
Bahrain–United Kingdom relations are the bilateral relations between Bahrain and the United Kingdom.
The Black September Organization (BSO; Arabic: منظمة أيلول الأسود, romanized: Munaẓẓamat Aylūl al-Aswad) was a Palestinian militant organization, which was founded in September 1970.
Ben Affleck, American actor and filmmaker, known for american actor and filmmaker, was born on 1973-08-15. Benjamin Géza Affleck is an American actor and filmmaker.
France is one of the five nuclear-weapon states recognized by the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) but is not known to possess or develop any chemical or biological weapons.
A possible alien radio signal from deep space, later dubbed the "Wow!" signal, is received at Big Ear, Ohio State's radio telescope in Delaware
Abiy Ahmed is born
US House of Representatives approves (233-169) a 39-month extension for ERA
Andrew Jackson Young Jr. is an American politician, diplomat, and activist. Beginning his career as a pastor, Young was an early leader in the civil rights movement, serving as executive director of...
Robin Leamy of the US swims a record 7.98 kph for 50 m
Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. It has an area of 28,000 square kilometres (11,000 sq mi).
The PKK in Turkey starts a campaign of armed attacks against the Turkish military
Anita Sarkeesian, American canadian-american feminist media critic, known for canadian-american feminist media critic, was born on 1984-08-15.
First Iraqi air raid on Iran's main oil export terminal, Kharg Island
At the Pan Am Games in Indianapolis, USA and Cuba are tied with 2 outs in the 9th inning when Ty Griffin hits a home run, resulting in Cuba's first loss in 20 years of Pan Am competition
At 4 pm, LILCO consumers use a record 3,813 megawatts
The National Party (Afrikaans: Nasionale Party, NP), also known as the Nationalist Party, was a political party in South Africa from 1914 to 1997, which was responsible for the implementation of...
Mark David McGwire, nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 2001 for the Oakland Athletics and...
Jennifer Lawrence, American actress and producer, known for american actress and producer, was born on 1991-08-15. Jennifer Shrader Lawrence is an American actress and producer.
Genoa is the sixth-largest city in Italy and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria. As of 2025, 565,301 people live within the city's administrative limits.
South African President Nelson Mandela receives the Anne Frank Penning
Los del Río, also known as the Del Rios, are a Spanish Latin pop and dance duo formed in Dos Hermanas, Andalusia, in 1962.
Dan Wilson hits Seattle Mariners' 3,000th home run
Omagh bombing in Northern Ireland, the worst terrorist incident of The Troubles, kills 29 people and injures about 220
Beni Ounif massacre in Algeria; approximately 29 people are killed at a fake roadblock near the Moroccan border, leading to temporary tensions with Morocco
Bay of Plenty defeats Auckland 33-26 in Rugby Union to win NZ's Ranfurly Shield for the first time in the shield's 102-year history after 28 unsuccessful challenges
An 8.0-magnitude earthquake off the Pacific coast devastates Ica and various regions of Peru, killing 514 and injuring 1,090
American breaststroker Rebecca Soni avenges her defeat to Leisel Jones of Australia in the 100 m by swimming a world record of 2:20.22 to beat Jones in the 200 m at the Beijing Olympics
Portugal leaves recession after three consecutive quarters of negative growth, with its GDP recovering by 0.3% in the second quarter of 2009
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division.
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. As of 2025 Greater Beirut has a population of 2.4 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the twelfth-largest city in the...
North Korea creates its own time zone, moving its clocks back half an hour to GMT+8.5
Anita Włodarczyk of Poland sets a world record of 82.29 m to win the women's hammer throw gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics; Zhang Wenxiu (China) wins silver, and Sophie Hitchon (Great Britain) wins bronze
A record 72,000 Americans (up 10%) are killed by drug overdoses in 2017, according to new figures from the Centers for Disease Control
60th annual finger wrestling (Fingerhakeln) championship takes place in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, southern Germany, as part of Partenkirchner Festival week
Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai is an Afghan former politician and economist who served as the 8th and last president of Afghanistan from 2014 until his government was overthrown by the Taliban in...
Gerd Müller, German footballer, known for german footballer, died on 2021-08-15. Gerd Müller was a German professional footballer.
Deputy President William Ruto is declared the winner of the Kenyan presidential election, winning with just 50.5% of the vote and defeating former Prime Minister Raila Odinga [1]
Young activists win a landmark case, Held v Montana, with a judge ruling that the state of Montana must consider climate change when deciding to approve or renew fossil fuel projects [1]
The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and Israel, fought as part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflicts.
First-ever World Humanoid Robot Games begins in Beijing, China, with over 500 androids from 16 countries competing in various events such as football, martial arts, and dance [1] [2]