On This Day in History — April 15

Highlights of April 15

• 2021 — A mass shooting at a FedEx Ground facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, killed nine and injured seven. Read more
• 2019 — A fire severely damaged Notre-Dame de Paris, destroying the cathedral's timber spire and much of the roof. Read more
• 2013 — Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev set off two pressure cooker bombs during the running of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring 264 others. Read more
• 2002 — Air China Flight 129 crashed on approach to Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, killing 129 people. Read more
• 1994 — At a GATT ministerial meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco, representatives of 123 countries and the European Communities signed an agreement to establish the World Trade Organization. Read more
• 1989 — The Hillsborough disaster, a human crush that caused 97 deaths in the worst disaster in British sporting history, occurred during an FA Cup match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in Sheffield. Read more
• 1989 — The death of former Chinese General Secretary Hu Yaobang triggered a series of events that led to the Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing. Read more
• 1958 — On Walter O'Malley's initiative, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants played the first Major League Baseball game on the U.S. West Coast. Read more
• 1957 — The Indiaman departed Victoria Coach Station, London, as part of the first UK–India bus service. Read more
• 1955 — American restaurateur Ray Kroc opened the ninth McDonald's franchise in Des Plaines, Illinois, an occasion considered to be the founding of the present corporation. Read more
• 1952 — The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered, strategic bomber operated by the U.S. Air Force for most of the aircraft's history, made its first flight. Read more
• 1947 — Jackie Robinson, the first African American to break the baseball color line, played his first game in Major League Baseball. Read more
• 1936 — Two Jews were killed near Tulkarm in Mandatory Palestine, an act widely viewed as the beginning of violence within the Arab revolt. Read more
• 1936 — The Great Arab Revolt in the British Mandate for Palestine began when unknown assailants attacked a convoy of trucks and killed two of the Jewish drivers. Read more
• 1927 — Torrential rains caused the Mississippi River to break out of its levee system in at least 145 places, resulting in the worst flooding in the history of the United States. Read more
• 1923 — Ten Japanese-American children were killed in a racially motivated arson attack on a school in Sacramento, California. Read more
• 1922 — U.S. senator John B. Kendrick introduced a resolution calling for an investigation of a secret land deal involving U.S. president Warren G. Harding's administration, leading to the Teapot Dome scandal. Read more
• 1912 — More than 1,500 people on the Titanic died when the passenger liner sank after colliding with an iceberg southeast of Newfoundland. Read more
• 1802 — English poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy encountered a "long belt" of daffodils near Ullswater, inspiring him to pen his best-known work, "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud". Read more
• 1755 — A Dictionary of the English Language by Samuel Johnson was first published, becoming one of the most influential dictionaries in the history of English. Read more
• 1738 — Serse, an opera by Baroque composer George Frideric Handel loosely based on Xerxes I of Persia, premiered in London. Read more
• 1632 — Thirty Years' War: A Swedish–German army defeated the forces of the Catholic League at the Battle of Rain, mortally wounding their commander Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly. Read more
• 1191 — Henry VI, King of Germany (pictured), was crowned Holy Roman Emperor. Read more
• 1071 — Byzantine–Norman wars: After a siege of almost three years, Italo-Norman forces conquered the city of Bari, the capital of the Catepanate of Italy, ending more than five centuries of Byzantine presence in the region. Read more
• 769 — The final session of the Lateran Council, convened to rectify abuses in the papal electoral process that had led to the elevation of the antipopes Constantine II and Philip, was held in Rome. Read more

Events

• 2026 — Twelve people and the perpetrator are killed and twelve others injured in a mass shooting at a school in Onikişubat, Turkey. Read more
• 2021 — A mass shooting occurs at a FedEx Ground facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, killing nine and injuring seven. Read more
• 2019 — The cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris in France is seriously damaged by a large fire. Read more
• 2014 — In the worst massacre of the South Sudanese Civil War, more than 400 civilians are gunned down after seeking refuge in houses of worship as well as hospitals. Read more
• 2013 — Two bombs explode near the finish line at the Boston Marathon in Boston, Massachusetts, killing three people and injuring over 500 others. Read more
• 2013 — A wave of bombings across Iraq kills at least 75 people. Read more
• 2002 — Air China Flight 129 crashes on approach to Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, killing 129 people. Read more
• 1994 — Marrakesh Agreement relating to foundation of World Trade Organization is adopted. Read more
• 1989 — Hillsborough disaster: A human crush occurs at Hillsborough Stadium, home of Sheffield Wednesday, in the FA Cup Semi-final, resulting in the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans. Read more
• 1989 — Upon Hu Yaobang's death, the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 begin in China. Read more
• 1986 — The United States launches Operation El Dorado Canyon, its bombing raids against Libyan targets in response to a discotheque bombing in West Germany that killed two U.S. servicemen. Read more
• 1970 — During the Cambodian Civil War, massacre of the Vietnamese minority results in 800 bodies flowing down the Mekong river into South Vietnam. Read more
• 1969 — The EC-121 shootdown incident: North Korea shoots down a United States Navy aircraft over the Sea of Japan, killing all 31 on board. Read more
• 1960 — At Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, Ella Baker leads a conference that results in the creation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, one of the principal organizations of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. Read more
• 1955 — McDonald's restaurant dates its founding to the opening of a franchised restaurant by Ray Kroc, in Des Plaines, Illinois. Read more
• 1952 — First flight of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. Read more
• 1947 — Jackie Robinson debuts for the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking baseball's color line. Read more
• 1945 — Bergen-Belsen concentration camp is liberated. Read more
• 1942 — World War II: The George Cross is awarded "to the island fortress of Malta" by King George VI. Read more
• 1941 — World War II: In the Belfast Blitz, 200 bombers of the German Luftwaffe attack Belfast, killing some 1,000 people. Read more
• 1936 — First day of the Arab revolt in Mandatory Palestine. Read more
• 1923 — Insulin becomes generally available for use by people with diabetes. Read more
• 1923 — Racially motivated Nihon Shōgakkō fire lit by a serial arsonist kills 10 children in Sacramento, California. Read more
• 1922 — U.S. Senator John B. Kendrick of Wyoming introduces a resolution calling for an investigation of a secret land deal, which leads to the discovery of the Teapot Dome scandal. Read more
• 1920 — Two security guards are murdered during a robbery in South Braintree, Massachusetts. Anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti would be convicted of and executed for the crime, amid much controversy. Read more
• 1912 — The British passenger liner RMS Titanic sinks in the North Atlantic at 2:20 a.m., two hours and forty minutes after hitting an iceberg. Only 712 of 2,207 passengers and crew on board survive. Read more
• 1900 — Philippine–American War: Filipino guerrillas launch a surprise attack on U.S. infantry and begin a four-day siege of Catubig, Philippines. Read more
• 1896 — Closing ceremony of the Games of the I Olympiad in Athens, Greece. Read more
• 1892 — The General Electric Company is formed. Read more
• 1865 — President Abraham Lincoln dies after being shot the previous evening by actor John Wilkes Booth. Vice President Andrew Johnson becomes president. Read more
• 1861 — President Abraham Lincoln calls for 75,000 militiamen to quell the insurrection that soon became the American Civil War. Read more
• 1817 — Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc found the American School for the Deaf (then called the Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons), the first American school for deaf students, in Hartford, Connecticut. Read more
• 1755 — Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language is published in London. Read more
• 1738 — Serse, an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel, receives its premiere performance in London, England. Read more
• 1736 — Foundation of the short-lived Kingdom of Corsica. Read more
• 1715 — The Pocotaligo Massacre triggers the start of the Yamasee War in colonial South Carolina. Read more
• 1642 — Irish Confederate Wars: A Confederate Irish militia is routed in the Battle of Kilrush when it attempts to halt the progress of a Royalist Army. Read more
• 1632 — Battle of Rain: Swedes under Gustavus Adolphus defeat the Holy Roman Empire during the Thirty Years' War. Read more
• 1450 — Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English forces, ending English domination in Northern France. Read more
• 1277 — The Mamluk Sultanate defeats the Mongols in the battle of Elbistan. Read more
• 1191 — Henry VI, King of Germany, is crowned Holy Roman Emperor by pope Celestine III. Read more
• 1071 — Bari, the last Byzantine possession in southern Italy, is surrendered to the Norman Robert Guiscard. Read more
• 1071 — The sharif of Mecca changes the khutbah from the Shiite Fatimid caliph in Cairo to the Sunni Abbasid Caliph in Bagdhad. Read more
• 769 — The Lateran Council ends by condemning the Council of Hieria and anathematizing its iconoclastic rulings. Read more

Born on April 15

• 2001 — Shanti Dope, Filipino rapper Read more
• 1998 — Sexyy Red, American rapper Read more
• 1997 — Ashleigh Gardner, Australian cricketer Read more
• 1997 — Maisie Williams, English actress Read more
• 1995 — Leander Dendoncker, Belgian footballer Read more
• 1994 — Brodie Grundy, Australian rules football player Read more
• 1994 — Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Bahamian sprinter Read more
• 1993 — Felipe Anderson, Brazilian footballer Read more
• 1992 — Remo Freuler, Swiss footballer Read more
• 1992 — John Guidetti, Swedish footballer Read more
• 1992 — Jeremy McGovern, Australian rules football player Read more
• 1991 — Daiki Arioka, Japanese idol, singer, and actor Read more
• 1991 — Javier Fernández López, Spanish figure skater Read more
• 1990 — Emma Watson, English actress Read more
• 1989 — Darren Nicholls, Australian rugby league player Read more
• 1988 — Blake Ayshford, Australian rugby league player Read more
• 1988 — Steven Defour, Belgian footballer Read more
• 1988 — Chris Tillman, American baseball pitcher Read more
• 1986 — Tom Heaton, English footballer Read more
• 1986 — Sylvain Marveaux, French footballer Read more
• 1985 — Ryan Hamilton, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
• 1984 — Antonio Cromartie, American football player Read more
• 1984 — Cam Janssen, American ice hockey player Read more
• 1984 — Daniel Paille, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
• 1983 — Alice Braga, Brazilian actress Read more
• 1983 — Matt Cardle, English singer-songwriter and guitarist Read more
• 1983 — Dudu Cearense, Brazilian footballer Read more
• 1983 — Andreas Fransson, Swedish skier (died 2014) Read more
• 1983 — Ilya Kovalchuk, Russian ice hockey player Read more
• 1983 — Martin Pedersen, Danish cyclist Read more
• 1982 — Michael Aubrey, American baseball player Read more
• 1982 — Anthony Green, American singer-songwriter Read more
• 1982 — Albert Riera, Spanish footballer and manager Read more
• 1982 — Seth Rogen, Canadian-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter Read more
• 1981 — Andrés D'Alessandro, Argentinian footballer Read more
• 1980 — Patrick Carney, American drummer, musician, and producer Read more
• 1980 — James Foster, English cricketer Read more
• 1980 — Raül López, Spanish basketball player Read more
• 1980 — Willie Mason, New Zealand-Australian rugby league player Read more
• 1980 — Billy Yates, American football player Read more

Died on April 15

• 2026 — José Santamaría, Uruguayan-Spanish footballer and manager (born 1929) Read more
• 2025 — Wink Martindale, American DJ, radio personality, and TV personality (born 1933) Read more
• 2024 — Whitey Herzog, American professional baseball outfielder and manager (born 1931) Read more
• 2024 — Josip Manolić, Croatian politician, prime minister, and speaker of the Chamber of Counties (born 1920) Read more
• 2022 — Bilquis Edhi, Pakistani philanthropist and wife of Abdul Sattar Edhi (born 1947) Read more
• 2022 — Henry Plumb, British politician and farmer (born 1925) Read more
• 2022 — Liz Sheridan, American actress (born 1929) Read more
• 2018 — R. Lee Ermey, American actor (born 1944) Read more
• 2018 — Vittorio Taviani, Italian film director and screenwriter (born 1929) Read more
• 2017 — Clifton James, American actor (born 1920) Read more
• 2017 — Emma Morano, Italian supercentenarian, last person verified born in the 1800s (born 1899) Read more
• 2015 — Jonathan Crombie, Canadian-American actor and screenwriter (born 1966) Read more
• 2015 — Surya Bahadur Thapa, Nepalese politician, 24th Prime Minister of Nepal (born 1928) Read more
• 2014 — John Houbolt, American engineer and academic (born 1919) Read more
• 2014 — Eliseo Verón, Argentinian sociologist and academic (born 1935) Read more
• 2013 — Benjamin Fain, Ukrainian-Israeli physicist and academic (born 1930) Read more
• 2013 — Richard LeParmentier, American-English actor and screenwriter (born 1946) Read more
• 2013 — Jean-François Paillard, French conductor (born 1928) Read more
• 2012 — Paul Bogart, American director and producer (born 1919) Read more
• 2012 — Dwayne Schintzius, American basketball player (born 1968) Read more
• 2011 — Vittorio Arrigoni, Italian journalist, author, and activist (born 1975) Read more
• 2010 — Jack Herer, American author and activist (born 1939) Read more
• 2010 — Michael Pataki, American actor and director (born 1938) Read more
• 2009 — Clement Freud, German-English journalist, academic, and politician (born 1924) Read more
• 2009 — László Tisza, Hungarian-American physicist and academic (born 1907) Read more
• 2009 — Salih Neftçi, Turkish economist and author (born 1947) Read more
• 2008 — Krister Stendahl, Swedish bishop, theologian, and scholar (born 1921) Read more
• 2007 — Brant Parker, American illustrator (born 1920) Read more
• 2004 — Mitsuteru Yokoyama, Japanese illustrator (born 1934) Read more
• 2002 — Damon Knight, American author and critic (born 1922) Read more
• 2002 — Byron White, American football player, lawyer, and jurist, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (born 1917) Read more
• 2001 — Joey Ramone, American singer-songwriter (born 1951) Read more
• 2000 — Edward Gorey, American poet and illustrator (born 1925) Read more
• 1999 — Harvey Postlethwaite, English engineer (born 1944) Read more
• 1998 — William Congdon, American-Italian painter and sculptor (born 1912) Read more
• 1998 — Pol Pot, Cambodian general and politician, 29th Prime Minister of Cambodia (born 1925) Read more
• 1993 — Leslie Charteris, English author and screenwriter (born 1907) Read more
• 1993 — John Tuzo Wilson, Canadian geophysicist and geologist (born 1908) Read more
• 1990 — Greta Garbo, Swedish-American actress (born 1905) Read more
• 1989 — Hu Yaobang, Chinese soldier and politician, former General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (born 1915) Read more

Holidays & observances

Christian feast day: Abbo II of Metz; Christian feast day: Blessed César de Bus; Christian feast day: Father Damien (Catholic and Episcopal Church); Christian feast day: Hunna; Christian feast day: Paternus of Avranches; Christian feast day: April 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Day of the Sun (North Korea); Father Damien Day (Hawaii); Hillsborough Disaster Memorial (Liverpool, England); Jackie Robinson Day (United States); National American Sign Language Day (United States); Pohela Boishakh (Bengali New Year; India); Tax Day, the official deadline for filing an individual tax return (or requesting an extension). (United States, Philippines); Universal Day of Culture

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