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On This Day in History — July 15
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Highlights of July 15
- 2018 — Croatian Mario Mandžukić scored the first own goal in a FIFA World Cup final in their defeat to France. Read more
- 2016 — The Peace at Home Council, a faction of the Turkish Armed Forces, staged a coup d'état attempt against the government and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Read more
- 2012 — South Korean rapper Psy (pictured) released his hit single "Gangnam Style". Read more
- 2009 — Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 crashed in northwestern Iran, killing all 168 people aboard. Read more
- 2009 — A .mw-parser-output .tooltip-dotted{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}Mw 7.8 earthquake struck a remote region of Fiordland, New Zealand, the country's largest earthquake magnitude since the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. Read more
- 1983 — Sega's first home video game console, the SG-1000 (pictured), was released in Japan. Read more
- 1943 — The all-female Emilia Plater Independent Women's Battalion was formed in the Soviet Union's First Polish Army. Read more
- 1870 — Following the transfer of Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company, Manitoba was established as a province of Canada. Read more
- 1815 — Aboard HMS Bellerophon, French emperor Napoleon surrendered to Royal Navy captain Frederick Lewis Maitland, concluding the Napoleonic Wars. Read more
- 1799 — French soldiers at Fort Julien, near the Egyptian port city of Rashid, uncovered the Rosetta Stone, which was essential in the decipherment of ancient Egyptian scripts. Read more
- 1410 — The Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeated the Teutonic Knights at the Battle of Grunwald, the decisive engagement of the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. Read more
Events
- 2018 — France win their second World Cup title, defeating Croatia 4–2. Read more
- 2016 — Factions of the Turkish Armed Forces attempt a coup. Read more
- 2014 — A train derails on the Moscow Metro, killing at least 24 and injuring more than 160 others. Read more
- 2012 — South Korean rapper Psy releases his hit single Gangnam Style. Read more
- 2009 — Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 crashes near Jannatabad, Qazvin, Iran, killing 168. Read more
- 2009 — Space Shuttle program: Endeavour is launched on STS-127 to complete assembly of the International Space Station's Kibō module. Read more
- 2006 — Twitter, later one of the largest social media platforms in the world, is launched. Read more
- 2003 — AOL Time Warner disbands Netscape. The Mozilla Foundation is established on the same day. Read more
- 2002 — "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh pleads guilty to supplying aid to the enemy and possession of explosives during the commission of a felony. Read more
- 2002 — The Anti-Terrorism Court of Pakistan sentences British-born Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh to death, and three others suspected of murdering The Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl to life. Read more
- 1998 — Sri Lankan Civil War: Sri Lankan Tamil MP S. Shanmuganathan is killed by a claymore mine. Read more
- 1996 — A Belgian Air Force C-130 Hercules carrying the Royal Netherlands Army marching band crashes on landing at Eindhoven Airport. Read more
- 1983 — An attack at Orly Airport in Paris is launched by Armenian militant organisation ASALA, leaving eight people dead and 55 injured. Read more
- 1983 — Nintendo and Sega enter the console market with the respective releases of the Famicom and SG-1000 in Japan. Read more
- 1979 — U.S. president Jimmy Carter gives his "malaise speech". Read more
- 1975 — Space Race: Apollo–Soyuz Test Project features the dual launch of an Apollo spacecraft and a Soyuz spacecraft on the first Soviet-United States human-crewed flight. It was the last launch of both an Apollo spacecraft, and the Saturn family of rockets. Read more
- 1974 — In Nicosia, Cyprus, Greek junta-sponsored nationalists launch a coup d'état, deposing Makarios III and installing Nikos Sampson as the president of Cyprus. Read more
- 1971 — The United Red Army is founded in Japan. Read more
- 1966 — Vietnam War: The United States and South Vietnam begin Operation Hastings to push the North Vietnamese out of the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone. Read more
- 1955 — Eighteen Nobel laureates sign the Mainau Declaration against nuclear weapons, later co-signed by thirty-four others. Read more
- 1954 — The Boeing 367-80, the prototype for both the Boeing 707 and C-135 series, takes its first flight. Read more
- 1946 — The State of North Borneo, now Sabah, Malaysia, is annexed by the United Kingdom. Read more
- 1942 — The Holocaust: Nazi Germany begins the deportation of 100,000 Jews from the occupied Netherlands to extermination camps. Read more
- 1927 — Massacre of July 15, 1927: Eighty-nine protesters are killed by Austrian police in Vienna. Read more
- 1922 — The Japanese Communist Party is established in Japan. Read more
- 1920 — Aftermath of World War I: The Parliament of Poland establishes Silesian Voivodeship before the Polish-German plebiscite. Read more
- 1918 — World War I: The Second Battle of the Marne begins near the River Marne with a German attack. Read more
- 1916 — In Seattle, Washington, William Boeing and George Conrad Westervelt incorporate Pacific Aero Products (later renamed Boeing). Read more
- 1910 — In his book Clinical Psychiatry, Emil Kraepelin gives a name to Alzheimer's disease, naming it after his colleague Alois Alzheimer. Read more
- 1888 — The stratovolcano Mount Bandai erupts, killing approximately 500 people in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Read more
- 1870 — Reconstruction Era of the United States: Georgia becomes the last of the former Confederate states to be readmitted to the Union. Read more
- 1870 — Canadian Confederation: Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory are transferred to Canada from the Hudson's Bay Company, and the province of Manitoba and the Northwest Territories are established from these vast territories. Read more
- 1862 — American Civil War: The CSS Arkansas, the most effective ironclad on the Mississippi River, battles with Union Navy ships commanded by Admiral David Farragut, severely damaging three ships and sustaining heavy damage herself. Read more
- 1849 — The first air raid in history occurs; Austria launches pilotless balloons against the city of Venice. Read more
- 1840 — The Great Powers of Europe conclude the convention of London in order to stabilise the Near East. Read more
- 1838 — Ralph Waldo Emerson delivers the Divinity School Address at Harvard Divinity School, discounting Biblical miracles and declaring Jesus a great man, but not God. The Protestant community reacts with outrage. Read more
- 1834 — The Spanish Inquisition is officially disbanded after nearly 356 years. Read more
- 1823 — A fire destroys the ancient Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, Italy. Read more
- 1815 — Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon Bonaparte surrenders aboard HMS Bellerophon. Read more
- 1806 — Pike Expedition: United States Army Lieutenant Zebulon Pike begins an expedition from Fort Bellefontaine near St. Louis, Missouri, to explore the west. Read more
- 1799 — The Rosetta Stone is found in the Egyptian village of Rosetta by French Captain Pierre-François Bouchard during Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign. Read more
- 1789 — French Revolution: Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, is named by acclamation Colonel General of the new National Guard of Paris. Read more
- 1741 — Aleksei Chirikov sights land in Southeast Alaska. He sends men ashore in a longboat, making them the first Europeans to visit Alaska. Read more
- 1738 — Baruch Laibov and Alexander Voznitsyn are burned alive in St. Petersburg, Russia. Vonitzin had converted to Judaism with Laibov's help, with the consent of Empress Anna Ivanovna. Read more
- 1640 — The first university of Finland, the Royal Academy of Turku, is inaugurated in Turku. Read more
- 1482 — Muhammad XI is crowned the twenty-second and last Nasrid king of Granada. Read more
- 1410 — Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War: Battle of Grunwald: The allied forces of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeat the army of the Teutonic Order. Read more
- 1381 — John Ball, a leader in the Peasants' Revolt, is hanged, drawn and quartered in the presence of King Richard II of England. Read more
- 1240 — Swedish–Novgorodian Wars: A Novgorodian army led by Alexander Nevsky defeats the Swedes in the Battle of the Neva. Read more
- 1207 — King John of England expels Canterbury monks for supporting Archbishop Stephen Langton. Read more
- 1149 — The reconstructed Church of the Holy Sepulchre is consecrated in Jerusalem. Read more
- 1099 — First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final assault of a difficult siege. Read more
- 756 — An Lushan Rebellion: Emperor Xuanzong of Tang is ordered by his Imperial Guards to execute chancellor Yang Guozhong by forcing him to commit suicide or face a mutiny. General An Lushan has other members of the emperor's family killed. Read more
- 70 — First Jewish–Roman War: Titus and his armies breach the walls of Jerusalem. (17th of Tammuz in the Hebrew calendar). Read more
- 484 BC — Dedication of the Temple of Castor and Pollux in ancient Rome. Read more
Born on July 15
- 2008 — Iain Armitage, American actor Read more
- 2005 — JuJu Watkins, American basketball player Read more
- 1999 — Mohamed Sobhy, Egyptian footballer Read more
- 1998 — Noah Gragson, American racing driver Read more
- 1997 — Jil Teichmann, Swiss tennis player Read more
- 1997 — Anthony Cirelli, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
- 1996 — Vivianne Miedema, Dutch football player Read more
- 1994 — Mason Dye, American actor Read more
- 1993 — Håvard Nielsen, Norwegian footballer Read more
- 1993 — Harrison Rhodes, American racing driver Read more
- 1993 — Masataka Yoshida, Japanese baseball player Read more
- 1992 — Tobias Harris, American basketball player Read more
- 1992 — Wayde van Niekerk, South African sprinter Read more
- 1992 — Porter Robinson, American DJ and singer-songwriter Read more
- 1991 — Danilo, Brazilian footballer Read more
- 1991 — Derrick Favors, American basketball player Read more
- 1991 — Evgeny Tishchenko, Russian boxer Read more
- 1991 — Nuria Párrizas Díaz, Spanish tennis player Read more
- 1990 — Olly Alexander, English singer and actor Read more
- 1990 — Zach Bogosian, American ice hockey player Read more
- 1990 — Damian Lillard, American basketball player Read more
- 1990 — Tyler Young, American racing driver Read more
- 1989 — Alisa Kleybanova, Russian tennis player Read more
- 1989 — Anthony Randolph, American basketball player Read more
- 1989 — Tristan Wilds, American actor and singer-songwriter Read more
- 1988 — Aimee Carrero, American actress Read more
- 1986 — Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, American actor Read more
- 1986 — Tyler Kennedy, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
- 1986 — Kareem Rahma, Egyptian-American comedian, artist, and media entrepreneur Read more
- 1984 — Angelo Siniscalchi, Italian footballer Read more
- 1984 — Veronika Velez-Zuzulová, Slovak skier Read more
- 1983 — Salvatore Iovino, American racing driver Read more
- 1983 — Nelson Merlo, Brazilian racing driver Read more
- 1983 — Heath Slater, American wrestler Read more
- 1982 — Julien Canal, French racing driver Read more
- 1982 — Neemia Tialata, New Zealand rugby player Read more
- 1982 — Aída Yéspica, Venezuelan model and actress Read more
- 1981 — Alou Diarra, French footballer Read more
- 1981 — Petros Klampanis, Greek bassist and composer Read more
- 1981 — Marius Stankevičius, Lithuanian footballer Read more
Died on July 15
- 2021 — Peter R. de Vries, Dutch investigative journalist and crime reporter (born 1956) Read more
- 2017 — Martin Landau, American film and television actor (born 1928) Read more
- 2015 — Masahiko Aoki, Japanese-American economist and academic (born 1938) Read more
- 2015 — Wan Li, Chinese politician, 4th Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China (born 1916) Read more
- 2015 — Aubrey Morris, British actor (born 1926) Read more
- 2015 — Dave Somerville, Canadian singer (born 1933) Read more
- 2014 — Óscar Acosta, Honduran author, poet, and diplomat (born 1933) Read more
- 2014 — James MacGregor Burns, American historian, political scientist, and author (born 1918) Read more
- 2014 — Edward Perl, American neuroscientist and academic (born 1926) Read more
- 2014 — Robert A. Roe, American soldier and politician (born 1924) Read more
- 2013 — Ninos Aho, Syrian-American poet and activist (born 1945) Read more
- 2013 — Henry Braden, American lawyer and politician (born 1944) Read more
- 2013 — Tom Greenwell, American lawyer and judge (born 1956) Read more
- 2013 — Earl Gros, American football player (born 1940) Read more
- 2013 — Noël Lee, Chinese-American pianist and composer (born 1924) Read more
- 2013 — Meskerem Legesse, Ethiopian runner (born 1986) Read more
- 2013 — John T. Riedl, American computer scientist and academic (born 1962) Read more
- 2012 — Boris Cebotari, Moldovan footballer (born 1975) Read more
- 2012 — Tsilla Chelton, Israeli-French actress (born 1919) Read more
- 2012 — Grant Feasel, American football player (born 1960) Read more
- 2012 — David Fraser, English general (born 1920) Read more
- 2012 — Celeste Holm, American actress and singer (born 1917) Read more
- 2012 — Yoichi Takabayashi, Japanese director and screenwriter (born 1931) Read more
- 2011 — Friedrich Wilhelm Schnitzler, German landowner and politician (born 1928) Read more
- 2011 — Googie Withers, British-Australian actress (born 1917) Read more
- 2010 — James E. Akins, American politician and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (born 1926) Read more
- 2008 — György Kolonics, Hungarian canoe racer (born 1972) Read more
- 2006 — Robert H. Brooks, American businessman, founder of Hooters and Naturally Fresh, Inc. (born 1937) Read more
- 2006 — Alireza Shapour Shahbazi, Iranian archaeologist and academic (born 1942) Read more
- 2003 — Roberto Bolaño, Chilean novelist, short-story writer, poet, and essayist (born 1953) Read more
- 2003 — Elisabeth Welch, American actress and singer (born 1904) Read more
- 2001 — C. Balasingham, Sri Lankan lawyer and civil servant (born 1917) Read more
- 2000 — Louis Quilico, Canadian opera singer and educator (born 1925) Read more
- 1998 — S. Shanmuganathan, Sri Lankan politician (born 1960) Read more
- 1997 — Justinas Lagunavičius, Lithuanian basketball player (born 1924) Read more
- 1997 — Gianni Versace, Italian fashion designer, founded Versace (born 1946) Read more
- 1992 — Hammer DeRoburt, Nauruan educator and politician, 1st President of Nauru (born 1922) Read more
- 1992 — Chingiz Mustafayev, Azerbaijani journalist and author (born 1960) Read more
- 1991 — Bert Convy, American actor, singer, and game show host (born 1933) Read more
- 1990 — Zaim Topčić, Yugoslav and Bosnian writer (born 1920) Read more
Holidays & observances
Christian feast day:
Abhai (Syriac Orthodox Church); Christian feast day:
Anne-Marie Javouhey; Christian feast day:
Bernhard II, Margrave of Baden-Baden; Christian feast day:
Bonaventure; Christian feast day:
Ceslaus; Christian feast day:
Dispersion of the Apostles (formerly by the Catholic Church); Christian feast day:
Donald of Ogilvy; Christian feast day:
Edith of Polesworth; Christian feast day:
Blessed Inácio de Azevedo; Christian feast day:
Plechelm; Christian feast day:
Quriaqos and Julietta (Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox); Christian feast day:
Swithun; Christian feast day:
Vladimir the Great (Eastern Orthodox; Catholic Church); Christian feast day:
July 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); EU Day for the Victims of the Global Climate Crisis (European Union, worldwide); Feast of Saint Rosalia (Palermo, Sicily); Meänmaa Flag Day (Meänmaa); Statehood Day (Ukraine)
Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “July 15”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.