What Happened on August 15
Significant Events
- 1461 Empire of Trebizond surrenders to forces of Sultan Mehmet II - last Byzantine Empire remnant to fall. Emperor David exiled and later murdered.
- 1620 Mayflower sets sail from Southampton, England, with 102 Pilgrims
- 1900 The Boxer Rebellion: In China, the Empress, her family and court retainers flee while foreign troops move through Peking in an attempt to quell the rebellion
- 1947 India gains independence from Great Britain, remains a dominion until 1950
- 1969 Woodstock Music & Art Fair opens in New York State on Max Yasgur's Dairy Farm
- 1998 Omagh bombing in Northern Ireland, the worst terrorist incident of The Troubles, kills 29 people and injures about 220
Did You Know?
King Duncan I of Scotland killed in battle against his first cousin and rival Macbeth (not murdered in his sleep as in Shakespeare's play). The latter does succeed him as King.
On August 15, 1040
Famous Birthdays
Napoléon Bonaparte
(1769 - 1821)
Oscar Peterson
(1925 - 2007)
Stieg Larsson
(1954 - 2004)
Melinda Gates
53 Years Old
Ben Affleck
45 Years Old
Jennifer Lawrence
27 Years Old
Would You Believe?
North Korea creates its own time zone -moving its clocks back half an hour to GMT+8.5
On August 15, 2015
Famous Weddings
- 1958 Singer Buddy Holly weds receptionist Maria Santiago
- 1985 Anti-apartheid lawyer Bulelani Ngcuka marries in South Africa
- 1992 Actress Susan Anton marries actor Jeff Lester
- 2004 Fashion designer and socialite Nicky Hilton (21) weds businessman Todd Andrew Meister (33) at The Vegas Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada
- 2009 Charmed actress Alyssa Milano (39) weds CAA agent David Bugliari in Bernardsville, New Jersey
Macbeth
Will Rogers
Paul Lukas
Sheikh Mujibur RahmanAugust in History
Why Mata Hari Was Not the Spy You Thought She Was
The controversial life and death of Mata Hari, the glamorous WWI double agent, executed in 1917, has recently been reassessed in the light of new evidence.
August 7, 1876
Ship Of Gold Sails Into Oblivion
A frigate with more than 150 souls on board, as well as nearly three tons of gold, sailed out of Melbourne on this day – never to be seen again.
August 12, 1853
First Faltering Steps of Jane Eyre
With hope, pride – and some subterfuge – Charlotte Brontë sent her hefty manuscript of Jane Eyre to publishers in London on this day, then crossed her fingers.
August 15, 1847
A Kiss For Adolf Hitler
A woman spectator leaned over and kissed Adolf Hitler at the Berlin Olympic Games on this day. Hitler pretended to be amused, but his guards were to suffer.
August 15, 1936