On This Day — May 15

Famous events, births, and deaths from May 15 in history, plus the public holidays, religious observances, sports, and national days happening on this date today.

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73 events · 217 births · 81 deaths recorded for May 15.

🕰️ Notable Events on May 15

2013 — An upsurge in violence in Iraq leaves more than 389 people dead over three days. Wikipedia ↗
2010 — Jessica Watson becomes the youngest person to sail, non-stop and unassisted around the world solo. Wikipedia ↗
2008 — California becomes the second U.S. state after Massachusetts in 2004 to legalize same-sex marriage after the state's own Supreme Court rules a previous ban unconstitutional. Wikipedia ↗
2004 — Arsenal F.C. go an entire league campaign unbeaten in the English Premier League, joining Preston North End F.C with the right to claim the title The Invincibles Wikipedia ↗
1997 — The United States government acknowledges the existence of the "Secret War" in Laos and dedicates the Laos Memorial in honor of Hmong and other "Secret War" veterans. Wikipedia ↗
1991 — Édith Cresson becomes France's first female premier. Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Soviet war in Afghanistan: After more than eight years of fighting, the Soviet Army begins to withdraw 115,000 troops from Afghanistan. Wikipedia ↗
1987 — The Soviet Union launches the Polyus prototype orbital weapons platform. It fails to reach orbit. Wikipedia ↗
1974 — Ma'alot massacre: Members of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine attack and take hostages at an Israeli school; a total of 31 people are killed, including 22 schoolchildren. Wikipedia ↗
1972 — Ryukyu Islands, under U.S. military governance since its conquest in 1945, hand over to Japanese control. Wikipedia ↗
1972 — In Laurel, Maryland, Arthur Bremer shoots and paralyzes Alabama Governor George Wallace while he is campaigning to become President. Wikipedia ↗
1970 — President Richard Nixon appoints Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington the first female United States Army generals. Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Philip Lafayette Gibbs and James Earl Green are killed at Jackson State University by police during student protests. Wikipedia ↗
1969 — People's Park: California Governor Ronald Reagan has an impromptu student park owned by the University of California at Berkeley fenced off from student anti-war protestors, sparking a riot. Wikipedia ↗
1966 — After a policy dispute, Prime Minister Nguyễn Cao Kỳ of South Vietnam's ruling junta launches a military attack on the forces of General Tôn Thất Đính, forcing him to abandon his command. Wikipedia ↗
1963 — Project Mercury: The launch of the final Mercury mission, Mercury-Atlas 9 with astronaut Gordon Cooper on board. He becomes the first American to spend more than a day in space, and the last American to go into space alone. Wikipedia ↗
1960 — The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 4. Wikipedia ↗
1958 — The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 3. Wikipedia ↗
1957 — At Malden Island in the Pacific Ocean, Britain tests its first hydrogen bomb in Operation Grapple. Wikipedia ↗
1948 — Following the expiration of The British Mandate for Palestine, the Kingdom of Egypt, Transjordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia invade Israel thus starting the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Wikipedia ↗
1945 — World War II: The Battle of Poljana, the final skirmish in Europe is fought near Prevalje, Slovenia. Wikipedia ↗
1943 — Joseph Stalin dissolves the Comintern (or Third International). Wikipedia ↗
1942 — World War II: In the United States, a bill creating the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) is signed into law. Wikipedia ↗
1941 — First flight of the Gloster E.28/39 the first British and Allied jet aircraft. Wikipedia ↗
1941 — Joe DiMaggio begins a 56-game hitting streak. Wikipedia ↗
1940 — USS Sailfish is recommissioned. It was originally the USS Squalus. Wikipedia ↗
1940 — World War II: After fierce fighting, the poorly trained and equipped Dutch troops surrender to Germany, marking the beginning of five years of occupation. Wikipedia ↗
1940 — McDonald's opens its first restaurant in San Bernardino, California. Wikipedia ↗
1934 — Kārlis Ulmanis establishes an authoritarian government in Latvia. Wikipedia ↗
1933 — All military aviation organizations within, or under the control of, the RLM of Germany were officially merged in a covert manner, to form its Wehrmacht military's air arm, the Luftwaffe. Wikipedia ↗
1932 — In an attempted coup d'état, the Prime Minister of Japan Inukai Tsuyoshi is assassinated. Wikipedia ↗
1929 — A fire at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio kills 123. Wikipedia ↗
1928 — Walt Disney character Mickey Mouse premieres in his first cartoon, "Plane Crazy". Wikipedia ↗
1925 — Al-Insaniyyah, the first Arabic communist newspaper, is founded. Wikipedia ↗
1919 — The Winnipeg general strike begins. By 11:00, almost the whole working population of Winnipeg had walked off the job. Wikipedia ↗
1919 — Greek occupation of Smyrna. During the occupation, the Greek army kills or wounds 350 Turks; those responsible are punished by Greek commander Aristides Stergiades. Wikipedia ↗
1911 — In Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States, the United States Supreme Court declares Standard Oil to be an "unreasonable" monopoly under the Sherman Antitrust Act and orders the company to be broken up. Wikipedia ↗
1911 — More than 300 Chinese immigrants are killed in the Torreón massacre when the forces of the Mexican Revolution led by Emilio Madero take the city of Torreón from the Federales. Wikipedia ↗
1905 — Las Vegas is founded when 110 acres (0.45 km2), in what later would become downtown, are auctioned off. Wikipedia ↗
1904 — Russo-Japanese War: The Russian minelayer Amur lays a minefield about 15 miles off Port Arthur and sinks Japan's battleships Hatsuse, 15,000 tons, with 496 crew and Yashima. Wikipedia ↗
1891 — Pope Leo XIII defends workers' rights and property rights in the encyclical Rerum novarum, the beginning of modern Catholic social teaching. Wikipedia ↗
1869 — Women's suffrage: In New York, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton form the National Woman Suffrage Association. Wikipedia ↗
1867 — Canadian Bank of Commerce opens for business in Toronto. The bank would later merge with Imperial Bank of Canada to become what is CIBC in 1961. Wikipedia ↗
1864 — American Civil War: Battle of New Market, Virginia: Students from the Virginia Military Institute fight alongside the Confederate Army to force Union General Franz Sigel out of the Shenandoah Valley. Wikipedia ↗
1862 — President Abraham Lincoln signs a bill into law creating the United States Bureau of Agriculture. It is later renamed the United States Department of Agriculture. Wikipedia ↗
1858 — Opening of the present Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London. Wikipedia ↗
1851 — The first Australian gold rush is proclaimed, although the discovery had been made three months earlier. Wikipedia ↗
1850 — The Bloody Island massacre takes place in Lake County, California, in which a large number of Pomo Indians are slaughtered by a regiment of the United States Cavalry. Wikipedia ↗
1850 — The Arana-Southern Treaty is ratified, ending "the existing differences" between Great Britain and Argentina. Wikipedia ↗
1849 — Troops of the Two Sicilies take Palermo and crush the republican government of Sicily. Wikipedia ↗
1848 — Serfdom is abolished in the Habsburg Galicia, as a result of the 1848 revolutions. The rest of monarchy followed later in the year. Wikipedia ↗
1836 — Francis Baily observes "Baily's beads" during an annular eclipse. Wikipedia ↗
1817 — Opening of the first private mental health hospital in the United States, the Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason (now Friends Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). Wikipedia ↗
1811 — Paraguay declares independence from Spain. Wikipedia ↗
1800 — King George III of the United Kingdom survives an assassination attempt by James Hadfield, who is later acquitted by reason of insanity. Wikipedia ↗
1796 — War of the First Coalition: Napoleon enters Milan in triumph. Wikipedia ↗
1793 — Diego Marín Aguilera flies a glider for "about 360 meters", at a height of 5-6 meters, during one of the first attempted manned flights. Wikipedia ↗
1792 — War of the First Coalition: France declares war on Kingdom of Sardinia. Wikipedia ↗
1791 — French Revolution: Maximilien Robespierre proposes the Self-denying Ordinance. Wikipedia ↗
1776 — American Revolution: The Fifth Virginia Convention instructs its Continental Congress delegation to propose a resolution of independence from Great Britain, paving the way for the United States Declaration of Independence. Wikipedia ↗
1730 — Robert Walpole effectively became the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Wikipedia ↗
1718 — James Puckle, a London lawyer, patents the world's first machine gun. Wikipedia ↗
1648 — The Treaty of Westphalia is signed. Wikipedia ↗
1618 — Johannes Kepler confirms his previously rejected discovery of the third law of planetary motion (he first discovered it on March 8 but soon rejected the idea after some initial calculations were made). Wikipedia ↗
1567 — Mary, Queen of Scots marries James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, her third husband. Wikipedia ↗
1536 — Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, stands trial in London on charges of treason, adultery and incest; she is condemned to death by a specially-selected jury. Wikipedia ↗
1525 — Insurgent peasants led by Anabaptist pastor Thomas Müntzer were defeated at the Battle of Frankenhausen, ending the German Peasants' War in the Holy Roman Empire. Wikipedia ↗
1252 — Pope Innocent IV issues the papal bull ad extirpanda, which authorizes, but also limits, the torture of heretics in the Medieval Inquisition. Wikipedia ↗
908 — The three-year-old Constantine VII, the son of Emperor Leo VI the Wise, is crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire by Patriarch Euthymius I at Constantinople. Wikipedia ↗
589 — King Authari marries Theodelinda, daughter of the Bavarian duke Garibald I. A Catholic, she has great influence among the Lombard nobility. Wikipedia ↗
392 — Emperor Valentinian II is assassinated while advancing into Gaul against the Frankish usurper Arbogast. He is found hanging in his residence at Vienne. Wikipedia ↗
221 — Liu Bei, Chinese warlord, proclaims himself emperor of Shu Han, the successor of the Han dynasty. Wikipedia ↗
A newly constructed temple in honour of the god Mercury was dedicated in ancient Rome on the Circus Maximus, between the Aventine and Palatine hills. To spite the senate and the consuls, the people awarded the dedication to a senior military officer, Marcus Laetorius. Wikipedia ↗

🎂 Notable Births on May 15

1997 — Ousmane Dembélé, French footballer Wikipedia ↗
1993 — Jeremy Hawkins, New Zealand rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
1990 — Jordan Eberle, Canadian ice hockey player. Wikipedia ↗
1990 — Lee Jong-hyun, Korean guitarist. Wikipedia ↗
1989 — Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, French footballer Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Indrek Kajupank, Estonian basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1987 — David Adams, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1987 — Michael Brantley, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1987 — Brian Dozier, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1987 — Mark Fayne, American ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
1987 — Ersan İlyasova, Turkish basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1987 — Leonardo Mayer, Argentinian tennis player Wikipedia ↗
1987 — Andy Murray, Scottish tennis player Wikipedia ↗
1986 — Thomas Brown, American football player Wikipedia ↗
1986 — Matías Fernández, Chilean footballer Wikipedia ↗
1986 — Adam Moffat, Scottish footballer Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Cristiane, Brazilian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Tania Cagnotto, Italian diver Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Laura Harvey, English football coach Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Denis Onyango, Ugandan goalkeeper Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Justine Robbeson, South African javelin thrower Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Jeff Deslauriers, Canadian ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Sérgio Jimenez, Brazilian race car driver Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Samantha Noble, Australian actress Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Beau Scott, Australian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Veronica Campbell-Brown, Jamaican sprinter Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Segundo Castillo, Ecuadorian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Rafael Pérez, Dominican baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Layal Abboud, Lebanese singer Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Patrice Evra, French footballer Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Justin Morneau, Canadian baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Zara Phillips, English horse rider Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Jamie-Lynn Sigler, American actress and singer Wikipedia ↗
1980 — Josh Beckett, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Adolfo Bautista, Mexican footballer Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Daniel Caines, English sprinter Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Chris Masoe, New Zealand rugby player Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Ryan Max Riley, American skier Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Robert Royal, American football player Wikipedia ↗
1978 — Amy Chow, American gymnast and pediatrician Wikipedia ↗
1978 — Dwayne De Rosario, Canadian soccer player Wikipedia ↗
1978 — Edu Gaspar, Brazilian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1978 — David Krumholtz, American actor Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Torraye Braggs, American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Mark Kennedy, Irish footballer Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Jacek Krzynówek, Polish footballer Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Ryan Leaf, American football player and coach Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Tyler Walker, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1975 — Ray Lewis, American football player and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
1975 — Ales Michalevic, Belarusian lawyer and politician Wikipedia ↗
1974 — Vasilis Kikilias, Greek basketball player and politician Wikipedia ↗
1974 — Matthew Sadler, English chess player and author Wikipedia ↗
1974 — Marko Tredup, German footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
1974 — Ahmet Zappa, American musician and writer Wikipedia ↗
1972 — Danny Alexander, Scottish politician, Secretary of State for Scotland Wikipedia ↗
1972 — David Charvet, French actor and singer Wikipedia ↗
1971 — Karin Lušnic, Slovenian tennis player Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Frank de Boer, Dutch footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Ronald de Boer, Dutch footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Desmond Howard, American football player and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Alison Jackson, English photographer, director, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Rod Smith, American football player Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Ben Wallace, English captain and politician Wikipedia ↗
1969 — Hideki Irabu, Japanese-American baseball player (d. 2011) Wikipedia ↗
1969 — Emmitt Smith, American football player and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
1968 — Cecilia Malmström, Swedish academic and politician, 15th European Commissioner for Trade Wikipedia ↗
1968 — Sophie Raworth, English journalist and broadcaster Wikipedia ↗
1967 — Simen Agdestein, Norwegian chess grandmaster and football player Wikipedia ↗
1967 — Laura Hillenbrand, American journalist and author Wikipedia ↗
1967 — John Smoltz, American baseball player and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
1965 — André Abujamra, Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1965 — Scott Tronc, Australian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Danish lawyer and politician, 40th Prime Minister of Denmark Wikipedia ↗
1962 — Lisa Curry, Australian swimmer Wikipedia ↗
1960 — Rhonda Burchmore, Australian actress, singer, and dancer Wikipedia ↗
1960 — Rob Bowman, American director and producer Wikipedia ↗
1960 — R. Kuhaneswaran, Sri Lankan politician Wikipedia ↗
1960 — Rimas Kurtinaitis, Lithuanian basketball player and coach Wikipedia ↗
1959 — Khaosai Galaxy, Thai boxer and politician Wikipedia ↗
1959 — Luis Pérez-Sala, Spanish race car driver Wikipedia ↗
1959 — Beverly Jo Scott, American-Belgian singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1958 — Jason Graae, American musical theater actor Wikipedia ↗
1958 — Ron Simmons, American football player and wrestler Wikipedia ↗
1957 — Meg Gardiner, American-English author and academic Wikipedia ↗
1957 — Juan José Ibarretxe, Spanish politician Wikipedia ↗
1957 — Kevin Von Erich, American football player and wrestler Wikipedia ↗
1956 — Andreas Loverdos, Greek lawyer and politician, Greek Minister of Labour Wikipedia ↗
1956 — Dan Patrick, American television anchor and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
1956 — Kevin Greenaugh, American nuclear engineer Wikipedia ↗
1955 — Mohamed Brahmi, Tunisian politician (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
1955 — Lia Vissi, Cypriot singer-songwriter and politician Wikipedia ↗
1954 — Diana Liverman, English-American geographer and academic Wikipedia ↗
1954 — Caroline Thomson, English journalist and broadcaster Wikipedia ↗
1953 — George Brett, American baseball player and coach Wikipedia ↗
1953 — Athene Donald, English physicist and academic Wikipedia ↗
1953 — Mike Oldfield, English-Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer Wikipedia ↗
1952 — Chazz Palminteri, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1951 — Dennis Frederiksen, American singer-songwriter (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
1951 — Chris Ham, English political scientist and academic Wikipedia ↗
1951 — Frank Wilczek, American mathematician and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate Wikipedia ↗
1950 — Jim Bacon, Australian politician, 41st Premier of Tasmania (d. 2004) Wikipedia ↗
1950 — Jim Simons, American golfer (d. 2005) Wikipedia ↗
1949 — Frank L. Culbertson Jr., American captain, pilot, and astronaut Wikipedia ↗
1949 — Robert S.J. Sparks, English geologist and academic Wikipedia ↗
1948 — Yutaka Enatsu, Japanese baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1948 — Brian Eno, English singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer Wikipedia ↗
1948 — Kathleen Sebelius, American politician, 44th Governor of Kansas Wikipedia ↗
1947 — Graeham Goble, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer Wikipedia ↗
1946 — Thadeus Nguyễn Văn Lý, Vietnamese priest and activist Wikipedia ↗
1945 — Michael Dexter, English hematologist and academic Wikipedia ↗
1945 — Jerry Quarry, American boxer (d. 1999) Wikipedia ↗
1944 — Bill Alter, American police officer and politician Wikipedia ↗
1944 — Ulrich Beck, German sociologist and academic (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
1943 — Paul Bégin, Canadian lawyer and politician Wikipedia ↗
1943 — Freddie Perren, American songwriter, producer, and conductor (d. 2004) Wikipedia ↗
1942 — Lois Johnson, American singer-songwriter (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
1942 — Jusuf Kalla, Indonesian businessman and politician, 10th Vice President of Indonesia Wikipedia ↗
1942 — Doug Lowe, Australian politician, 35th Premier of Tasmania Wikipedia ↗
1942 — K. T. Oslin, American singer-songwriter and actress Wikipedia ↗
1941 — Jaxon, American illustrator and publisher, co-founded the Rip Off Press (d. 2006) Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Roger Ailes, American businessman (d. 2017) Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Lainie Kazan, American actress and singer Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Don Nelson, American basketball player and coach Wikipedia ↗
1939 — Dorothy Shirley, English high jumper and educator Wikipedia ↗
1938 — Mireille Darc, French actress, director, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1938 — Nancy Garden, American author (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
1937 — Madeleine Albright, Czech-American politician and diplomat, 64th United States Secretary of State Wikipedia ↗