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
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
Sam Giancana
(1908 - 1975)
Yuri Andropov
(1914 - 1984)
Xi Jinping
65 Years Old
Helen Hunt
55 Years Old
Courteney Cox
54 Years Old
Ice Cube
49 Years Old
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
James Knox Polk
Ella Fitzgerald
Casey KasemJune 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, 1988
Cricket'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, 2003
Lomu – 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
'Gorgeous Gussie' Shocks Wimbledon
There is a strict dress code at Wimbledon and, as Gussie Moran discovered on this day in tennis history, tennis players break it at their peril.
June 20, 1949