On This Day in History for August 15
Events in History
- 636 Beginning of the five-day decisive Battle at Yarmuk: Muslim forces defeat the Byzantine army to take control of Syria for the first time
- 778 Battle of Roncevaux Pass: Roland, commander of the rearguard of Charlemagne's army is defeated by the Basques
- 927 The Saracens conquer and destroy Taranto
- 1185 The cave city of Vardzia is consecrated by Queen Tamar of Georgia
- 1193 Philip II of France marries Ingeborg, daughter of King Valdemar I of Denmar in Amiens, requests annulment immediately after on grounds of non-consummation (bride deputes)
- 1246 Güyük (Kuyuk), son and successor of Ogodei, formally elected Great Khan of the Mongols at Sira Ordu, five years after the death of his father
- 1248 Construction of the new Cologne Cathedral in the Gothic style begins with the laying of the foundation stone by Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden (completed 1880)
- 1308 Knights of St John conquer Rhodes
- More Events in History
Napoléon Bonaparte
Jack Lynch
Phyllis Schlafly
Stieg Larsson
Melinda Gates
Abiy AhmedWeddings in History
- 1515 King Christian II of Denmark marriage ratified to Isabella of Austria, granddaughter to Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I at Copenhagen Castle (married by proxy 1514)
- 1985 Anti-apartheid lawyer Bulelani Ngcuka marries in South Africa
- 2004 Fashion designer and socialite Nicky Hilton (21) weds businessman Todd Andrew Meister (33) at The Vegas Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada
More Weddings & Divorces in History
Macbeth
Wiley Post
Sheikh Mujibur RahmanAugust in History
America's Last Public Hanging
The last man to be publicly hanged in the United States met his fate on this day in history. It was a squalid affair watched by about 10,000 people.
August 14, 1936
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
Omagh Bombing
A man and a child (who both survived) stand next to the car bomb in Omagh, Northern Ireland, that exploded shortly after, killing 29 people. The photographer did not survive.
August 15, 1998