What Happened on June 15
Important 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
Jun 15 in Film & TV
- 1878 World's first moving pictures caught on camera (used 12 cameras, each taking 1 picture) done to see if all 4 of a horse's hooves leave the ground
Jun 15 in Music
Jun 15 in Sport
- 1980 US Open Men's Golf, Baltusrol GC: Jack Nicklaus sets new tournament scoring record 272 (-8) to win his 4th Open title, 2 strokes ahead of Isao Aoki of Japan
Did You Know?
Dannebrog is the flag of Denmark and the oldest national flag in the world. According to legend, it fell from the sky during the Battle of Lyndanisse (now Tallinn) in Estonia, and turned the Danes' luck
On June 15, 1219
Famous Birthdays
Edward the Black Prince
(1330 - 1376)- Sam Giancana
(1908 - 1975) - Yuri Andropov
(1914 - 1984) - Xi Jinping
67 Years Old - Courteney Cox
56 Years Old - Ice Cube
51 Years Old
Edward the Black Prince
Sam Giancana
Yuri Andropov
Xi Jinping
Courteney Cox
Ice CubeWould 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)
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
James Knox Polk
Ella Fitzgerald
Casey KasemArticles, Photos and Quiz
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta, written in iron gall ink on parchment in medieval Latin
June 15, 1215Dannebrog - World's Oldest National Flag
According to legend the Dannebrog fell from the sky during the Battle of Lyndanisse in 1219
June 15, 1219Poll Tax Triggers the Peasants' Revolt
Wat Tyler, leader of the Peasants’ Revolt that rocked England, was stabbed and later beheaded on this day.
June 15, 1381First Moving Images
The first moving images ever captured, Sallie Gardner at a Gallop, taken in 1878 by Eadweard Muybridge
June 15, 1878Weekly Quiz for June 15-21
Test your knowledge of historical events and famous people in our multi-choice, weekly history quiz for June 15-21. Then challenge your friends!
June in History
A Beautiful Day in Moscow
Often depicted as grey and formal, the comrades of Soviet Russia let their hair down and held their first beauty pageant, changing the life of one schoolgirl.
June 12, 1988Cricket's T20 is Born. Howzat!?
Cricketing enthusiasts are fearful for the future of Test matches. The seeds of doubt were sewn on this day when the furiously fast T20 format was introduced.
June 13, 2003War Breaks Out Behind Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin sounds like a sentimental children's book. In fact, it is a hard-hitting exposé of the slavery trade and part cause of the American Civil War.
June 14, 1811Lomu – The Unstoppable Gentle Giant
Jonah Lomu was a phenomenon in Rugby Union – a man-mountain who inspired fear and respect in equal measure among his opponents.
June 18, 1995
