What Happened on February 15
Important Events
- 399 BC Philosopher Socrates is sentenced to death by the city of Athens for corrupting the minds of the youth of the city and for impiety
- 590 Khosrau II, the last great Sasanian king is crowned King of Persia
- 1763 Austria, Prussia & Saxony sign the Treaty of Hubertusburg, marking the end of the French and Indian War and of the Seven Years' War
- 1986 Ferdinand Marcos wins rigged presidential election in the Philippines
- 2001 First draft of the complete human genome is published in the journal "Nature"
- 2003 An estimated 6-11 million people around the world take to the streets to protest against war with Iraq
Feb 15 in Film & TV
- 2005 YouTube, Internet site on which videos may be shared and viewed by others, is launched in the United States
Feb 15 in Music
- 1941 Duke Ellington first records "Take the A Train"
Feb 15 in Sport
- 1932 As a member of gold medal winning US 4-man bobsleigh team at Lake Placid, Eddie Eagan (boxing gold Antwerp 1920) becomes only Olympian to win gold medals at both summer & winter Games in different sports
Did You Know?
Did You Know?1st Teddy Bear introduced in America, made by Morris & Rose Michtom
On February 15, 1903
Famous Birthdays
- Galileo Galilei
(1564 - 1642) - Cyrus McCormick
(1809 - 1884) - Susan B. Anthony
(1820 - 1906) - Ernest Shackleton
(1874 - 1922) - Cesar Romero
(1907 - 1994) - Matt Groening
67 Years Old
Galileo Galilei
Cyrus McCormick
Susan B. Anthony
Ernest Shackleton
Cesar Romero
Matt GroeningWould You Believe?
Longest dream (REM sleep) on record, Bill Carskadon, Chicago (2:23)
On February 15, 1967
Famous Weddings
- 1867 Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky (45) weds Anna Snitkina at Trinity Cathedral in Saint Petersburg, Russia
- 1919 Author Maurice Maeterlinck (56) weds actress Renée Dahon (27) in Nice, France
- 1943 Model Bettie Page (19) weds high school sweetheart Billy Neal in Gallatin, Tennessee
Ferdinand II
Henry Addington
H. H. Asquith
Nat King Cole
Kevin SmithArticles, Photos and Quiz
We Can Do It!
American wartime propaganda poster produced by J. Howard Miller in 1943 for Westinghouse Electric
February 15, 1943Nat King Cole's Struggle With Racism
Sure, he had unique talent and a golden voice, but as Nat King Cole, who died on this day, was to discover, that wasn't enough for American racists.
February 15, 1965Soviets Leave Afghanistan
Last Soviet troops withdraw from their war in Afghanistan
February 15, 1989Angel of the North
The Angel of the North sculpture by Antony Gormley in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England
February 15, 1998Weekly Quiz for February 10 - 16
Who was awarded the 1st ever gold record? Which invaders sacked Baghdad in 1258, ending the Abbasid Caliphate? Which city condemned Socrates to death in 399 BC?
February in History
Ancient Dresden Reduced to Rubble
The blanket bombing of Dresden in East Germany which began on this day, cost thousands of lives and remains highly controversial.
February 13, 1945Last Adventure of Captain Cook
Explorer James Cook was the first European to set foot on Hawaii, where he was thought to be a god. But he would never leave the island alive.
February 14, 1779A Deadly Bite, Or King Tut's Revenge?
It was one of the most spectacular archaeological finds – but was the disturbed Tutankhamun a sleeping tiger?
February 16, 1923Britain Joins the European Community
British MPs voted on this day to join the European Communities, as it was then known. It was to be a thorny issue, finally leading to ‘Brexit’ in 2020.
February 17, 1972
