February 15
is the 46th day of the year in the
Gregorian Calendar. There are 319 days remaining (320 in
leap years).
*
399 BC - The philosopher
Socrates is sentenced to death.
*
590 -
Khosrau II crowned as king of
Persia*
1637 -
Ferdinand III becomes
Holy Roman Emperor.
*
1764 - The city of
St. Louis, Missouri is established.
*
1805 -
Harmony Society is officially formed.
*
1852 -
Great Ormond St Hospital for Sick Children,
London, admits its first patient.
*
1862 -
American Civil War:
General Ulysses S. Grant attacks
Fort Donelson,
Tennessee.
*
1879 -
Women's rights:
American President Rutherford B. Hayes signs a bill allowing female
attorneys to argue cases before the
Supreme Court of the United States.
*
1898 -
Spanish-American War: The
USS Maine explodes and sinks in
Havana harbor in
Cuba, killing more than 260. This event leads the
United States to declare war on
Spain.
*
1903 -
Morris Michtom and his wife
Rose introduce the first
teddy bear in
America.
*
1906 - The
British Labour Party is organized.
*
1933 - In
Miami, Florida,
Giuseppe Zangara attempts to assassinate
President-elect
Franklin D. Roosevelt, but instead shoots
Chicago, Illinois Mayor Anton J. Cermak, who dies of his wounds on
March 6,
1933.
*
1942 -
World War II: The
Fall of Singapore. Following an assault by
Japanese forces, the
British General Arthur Percival surrenders. About 80,000
Indian,
United Kingdom and
Australian soldiers become
prisoners of war, the largest surrender of
British-led military personnel in history. The
Sook Ching massacre begins.
*
1944 -
World War II: The assault on
Monte Cassino,
Italy begins.
*
1950 - The
Soviet Union and the
People's Republic of China sign a mutual defense treaty.
*
1952 -
King George VI is buried at
St George's Chapel on his
Windsor Castle estate.
*
1953 - Seventeen-year-old
Tenley Albright becomes the first
American to win the world
figure skating championship.
*
1961 - Sabena Flight 548 crashes in
Belgium, killing 73, including the entire
United States figure skating team and several coaches.
*
1965 - A new red-and-white
maple leaf design is adopted as the
flag of Canada, replacing the old
Canadian Red Ensign banner.
*
1970 - A
Dominican DC-9 crashes into the sea during takeoff from
Santo Domingo, killing 102.
*
1971 -
Decimalisation of
British coinage is completed on
Decimal Day.
* 1971 -
Decimalisation of
Irish coinage is completed on
Decimal Day.
*
1976 - The 1976
Constitution of Cuba is adopted by the national
referendum.
*
1980 -
Television One and
Television Two (formerly
South Pacific Television) under the newly formed
Television New Zealand goes to air for the first time.
*
1982 - The
drilling rig Ocean Ranger sinks during a storm off the coast of
Newfoundland, killing 84 rig workers.
*
1989 -
Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan: The
Soviet Union officially announces that all of its troops had left
Afghanistan.
*
1991 - The
Visegrád Agreement, establishing cooperation to move toward
free-market systems, is signed by the leaders of
Czechoslovakia,
Hungary and
Poland.
*
1994 -
Russia annexed
Tartarstan by intergrating it into its so-called
federation, start of
War of Independence and
War of Liberation*
1995 -
Hacking:
Kevin Mitnick is arrested by the
FBI and charged with breaking into some of the
United States' most
"secure" computer systems.
*
1999 -
Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the
terrorist organization
Kurdistan Workers Party, is arrested in
Kenya by
Turkish agents.
*
2000 -
Indian Point II nuclear power plant in
New York State vents a small amount of radioactive steam when a steam generator fails.
*
2002 - At the
Tri-State Crematory in
La Fayette, Georgia, investigators find uncremated bodies disposed of in the woods and buildings on the crematorium's property. The discovery reveals one of the worst incidents of abuse in the
funeral service industry.
*
2003 -
protests against the Iraq war occur in over 600 cities worldwide. Estimates from 8,000,000-30,000,000 make this the largest day of protest in history.
*
1458 -
Ivan the Young, Ruler of Tver (d.
1490)
*
1471 -
Piero di Lorenzo de' Medici, ruler of Florence (d.
1503)
*
1543 -
Charles II, Duke of Lorraine (d.
1608)
*
1564 -
Galileo Galilei, Italian astronomer and physicist (d.
1642)
*
1571 -
Michael Praetorius, German composer (d.
1621)
*
1620 -
François Charpentier, French archaeologist (d.
1702)
*
1705 -
Charles-André van Loo, French painter (d.
1765)
*
1710 - King
Louis XV of France (d.
1774)
*
1723 -
John Witherspoon, American signer of the Declaration of Independence (d.
1794)
*
1725 -
Abraham Clark, American signer of the Declaration of Independence (d.
1794)
*
1739 -
Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart, French architect (d.
1813)
*
1759 -
Friedrich August Wolf, German philologist and archaeologist (d.
1824)
*
1803 -
John Sutter, California pioneer (d.
1880)
*
1809 -
Cyrus McCormick, American inventor (d.
1884)
* 1809 -
André Dumont, Belgian geologist (d.
1857)
*
1812 -
Charles Lewis Tiffany, American jeweler (d.
1902)
*
1815 -
Constantin von Tischendorf, German Biblical scholar (d.
1874)
*
1820 -
Susan B. Anthony, American feminist and suffragist (d.
1906)
*
1825 -
Carter Harrison, Sr., Mayor of Chicago (d.
1893)
*
1835 -
Demetrius Vikelas, Greek International Olympic Committee president (d.
1908)
*
1841 -
Manoel Ferraz de Campos Salles, President of Brazil (d.
1913)
*
1845 -
Elihu Root, American statesman and diplomat, recipient of the
Nobel Peace Prize (d.
1937)
*
1847 -
Robert Fuchs, Austrian composer (d.
1927)
*
1856 -
Emil Kraepelin, German psychiatrist (d.
1926)
*
1861 -
Charles Edouard Guillaume, French physicist,
Nobel Prize laureate (d.
1938)
*
1873 -
Hans von Euler-Chelpin, German-born chemist,
Nobel Prize laureate (d.
1964)
*
1874 -
Sir Ernest Shackleton, British polar explorer (d.
1922)
*
1882 -
John Barrymore, American actor (d.
1942)
*
1883 -
Sax Rohmer, English author (d.
1959)
*
1892 -
James Forrestal, first
United States Secretary of Defense (d.
1949)
*
1895 -
Earl Thomson, Canadian athlete (d.
1971)
*
1896 -
Arthur Shields, Irish actor (d.
1970)
*
1898 -
Totò, Italian actor, writer, and composer (d.
1967)
* 1898 -
Allen Woodring, American runner (d.
1982)
*
1899 -
Georges Auric, French composer (d.
1983)
* 1899 -
Gale Sondergaard, American actress (d.
1985)
*
1904 -
Antonin Magne, French cyclist (d.
1983)
*
1905 -
Harold Arlen, American composer (d.
1986)
*
1907 -
Jean Langlais, French composer and organist (d.
1991)
* 1907 -
Cesar Romero, American actor (d.
1994)
*
1909 -
Miep Gies, Dutch biographer of
Anne Frank* 1909 -
Guillermo Gorostiza Paredes, Spanish footballer (d.
1966)
*
1913 -
Erich Eliskases, Austrian/Argentine chess player (d.
1997)
*
1914 -
Hale Boggs, American politician (d.
1972)
* 1914 -
Kevin McCarthy, American actor
*
1916 -
Mary Jane Croft, American actress (d.
1999)
*
1918 -
Allan Arbus, American actor
*
1919 -
Andreas Papandreou,
Prime Minister of Greece (d.
1996)
*
1922 -
John Bayard Anderson, US Congressman and presidential candidate
*
1927 -
Harvey Korman, American actor and comedian
*
1929 -
Graham Hill, British race car driver (d.
1975)
* 1929 -
James Schlesinger, American politician
*
1930 -
Nico Minardos, American actor
*
1931 -
Claire Bloom, British actress
* 1931 -
Geoff Edwards, American television game show host
*
1934 -
Niklaus Wirth, Swiss computer scientist
*
1935 -
Susan Brownmiller, American feminist and writer
* 1935 -
Roger Chaffee, astronaut (d.
1967)
*
1939 -
Ole Ellefsæter, Norwegian cross-country skier
*
1940 -
John Hadl, American football player
* 1940 -
Hamzah Haz, Indonesian politician
*
1944 -
Mick Avory, British drummer (
The Kinks)
*
1945 -
John Helliwell, British musician (
Supertramp)
*
1946 -
Marisa Berenson, American actress
* 1946 -
Esko Seppänen, Finnish politician
*
1947 -
John Coolidge Adams, American composer
* 1947 -
Rusty Hamer, American actor (d.
1990)
* 1947 -
David Brown, American musician (
Carlos Santana)
*
1948 -
Ron Cey, baseball player
* 1948 -
Art Spiegelman, American cartoonist
*
1949 -
Ken Anderson, American football player
*
1951 -
Melissa Manchester, American singer
* 1951 -
Jane Seymour, British actress
*
1954 -
Matt Groening, American cartoonist
*
1955 -
Christopher McDonald, American actor
*
1957 -
Jimmy Spencer, American race car driver
*
1959 -
Ali Campbell, British vocalist/guitarist (
UB40)
* 1959 -
Brian Propp, Canadian
ice hockey player
*
1960 -
Mikey Craig, British musician (
Culture Club)
*
1964 -
Chris Farley, American actor and comedian (d.
1997)
*
1971 -
Renée O'Connor, American actress and director
*
1972 -
JaromÃr Jágr, Czech hockey player
*
1973 -
Kateřina Neumannová, Czech cross country skier
* 1973 -
Amy Van Dyken, American swimmer
* 1973 -
Sarah Wynter, Australian actress
*
1974 -
Seattle Slew, American racehorse (d.
2002)
* 1974 -
Ugueth Urbina, Venezuelan
Major League Baseball player
*1974 -
Tomi Putaansuu,
Finnish singer (
Lordi)
*
1976 -
Brandon Boyd, American musician (
Incubus)
*
1976 -
Ronnie Vannucci Jr., American drummer (
The Killers)
* 1976 -
Ã"scar Freire, Spanish cyclist
*
1978 -
Tuan Le, American poker player]
* 1978 -
Kimberly Goss, American singer and musician (
Sinergy)
*
1979 -
Alenka Kejžar, Slovenian swimmer
*1979 -
Josh Low, English footballer
*
1980 -
Conor Oberst, American singer and songwriter (
Bright Eyes)
*
1981 -
Matt Hoopes, American musician (
Relient K)
* 1981 -
Olivia Longott, American R&B singer
*
1983 -
Meera Jasmine, National-Award-winning Indian actress
*
1984 -
Dorota Rabczewska, Polish singer (
Virgin)
*
380 -
Peter II,
Patriarch of Alexandria*
1145 -
Pope Lucius II*
1621 -
Michael Praetorius, German composer (b.
1571)
*
1637 -
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor (b.
1578)
*
1738 -
Matthias Braun, Czech sculptor (b.
1684)
*
1775 -
Peter Dens, Belgian Catholic theologian (b.
1690)
*
1781 -
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, German author and philosopher (b.
1729)
*
1818 -
Friedrich Ludwig, Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen, Prussian general (b.
1746)
*
1835 -
Henry Hunt, British politician (b.
1773)
*
1847 -
Germinal Pierre Dandelin, Belgian mathematician (b.
1794)
*
1848 -
Hermann von Boyen, Prussian field marshal (b.
1771)
*
1849 -
Pierre François Verhulst, Belgian mathematician (b.
1804)
*
1857 -
Mikhail Glinka, Russian composer (b.
1804)
*
1869 -
Mirza Ghalib, A famous
Indian Muslim poet of
Urdu and
Farsi (b.
1796)
*
1911 -
Theodor Escherich, German pediatrician (b.
1859)
*
1932 -
Minnie Maddern Fiske, Broadway actress (b.
1865)
*
1939 -
Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, Russian painter (b.
1878)
*
1959 -
Owen Willans Richardson, British physicist,
Nobel Prize laureate (b.
1879)
*
1964 -
Robert L. Thornton, American businessman, philanthropist, and Mayor of Dallas, Texas (b.
1880)
*
1965 -
Nat King Cole, American singer and musician (b.
1919)
*
1966 -
Gerard Ciołek, Polish architect and historian of gardens (b.
1909)
*
1973 -
Wally Cox, American actor (b.
1924)
* 1973 -
Tim Holt, American actor (b.
1919)
*
1974 -
Kurt Atterberg, Swedish composer (b.
1887)
*
1981 -
Mike Bloomfield, American musician (b.
1944)
* 1981 -
Karl Richter, German conductor (b.
1926)
*
1984 -
Ethel Merman, American singer and actress (b.
1908)
*
1988 -
Richard Feynman, 10:34 p.m. at UCLA Medical Center, American physicist,
Nobel Prize laureate (b.
1918)
*
1996 -
Tommy Rettig, American actor (b.
1941)
* 1996 -
McLean Stevenson, American actor (b.
1929)
*
1998 -
Louie Spicolli, Wrestler
*
1999 -
Big L (Lamont Coleman), American rapper (b.
1974)
* 1999 -
Henry Way Kendall, American physicist,
Nobel Prize laureate (b.
1926)
*
2002 -
Howard K. Smith, American journalist (b.
1914)
* 2002 -
Kevin Smith, New Zealand actor (b.
1963)
*
2004 -
Jens Evensen, Norwegian minister and International Court of Justice judge (b.
1917)
* 2004 -
Jan Miner, American actress (b.
1917)
*
2005 -
Samuel Francis, American journalist (b.
1947)
*
Flag Day in
Canada*
National Day in
Serbia*
John Frum Day in
Vanuatu [
1]
*
Lupercalialiturgical feasts
*
Candlemas in
Russia and other
Eastern Orthodox countries
*
Saint Siegfried of Sweden*
Saints Faustin and Jovita*
Saint Georgia*
Blessed Claude de la Colombière*
Gummy Bear Day in
United States*
BBC: On This Day*
NY Times: On this day*
On this day in CanadaFebruary 14 -
February 16 -
January 15 -
March 15 --
listing of all days
