What Happened on June 15

Significant Events

  • 763 BC Assyrians record a solar eclipse that will be used to fix the chronology of Mesopotamian history
  • 1215 King John signs Magna Carta at Runnymede, near Windsor, England
  • 1775 George Washington appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, the day after Congress establishes the force
  • 1896 Tsunami strikes Shinto festival on beach at Sanriku, Japan; 27,000 are killed, 9,000 injured and 13,000 houses destroyed
  • 1940 World War II: France surrenders to NAZI Germany, German troops occupy Paris
  • 1991 Climactic eruption of the Mount Pinatubo volcano in the Philippines, the second-largest volcanic eruption on Earth of the 20th century
  • 2015 Real estate mogul Donald Trump launches his campaign for US President
More Historical Events

Did You Know?

2 French balloonists die in world's 1st fatal aviation accident

On June 15, 1785

Famous Birthdays

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Would You Believe?

Near earth asteroid 2002 MN missed the Earth by 75,000 miles (120,000 km), about one-third of the distance between the Earth and the Moon

On June 15, 2002

Famous Weddings

  • 1777 First American flag seamstress Betsy Ross (25) weds mariner Joseph Ashburn
  • 1905 Princess Margaret of Connaught marries Gustav, Crown Prince of Sweden.
  • 1928 "King Kong" actress Fay Wray (20) weds playwright-screenwriter John Monk Saunders (30)
  • 1953 Sci-Fi author Arthur C. Clarke (35) weds Marilyn Torgenson in New York
  • 1966 English writer of blockbuster novels, Jackie Collins weds 2nd husband Oscar Lerman

Famous Divorces

  • 1978 US Senator Edward W. Brooke (58) divorces first wife Remigia Ferrari-Scacco after 31 years of marriage
  • 1989 Singer-songwriter Courtney Love (24) divorces vocalist James Moreland only 4 months after getting married
  • 2011 Actress and model Elizabeth Hurley (45) divorces businessman Arun Nayar due to husband's unreasonable behavior
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Famous Deaths

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June in History