What happened on February 15? There are more than 273 events that were made this day in history. Here are the important historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
Interesting Facts & Myths About February 15
February 15 is the 46th day of the year 2024. There are 320 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Thursday. This day falls under the 7th week of the year 2024.
On this day in Sardis, Mississippi 38666 sunrise occured at 06:43 AM and sunset occured at 05:43 PM (local time).
The zodiac sign of a person born on this day is Aquarius. The modern birthstone for this month is Amethyst while the mystical birthstone is Bloodstone.
According to the Chinese calendar, there are 349 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year (January 29, 2025).
Is your birthday coming up in two days? Are you not curious to find out who is sharing your special day? Discover all the April 27 famous birthdays. There are fun facts about that day that you must know. (Sponsored link)
Historical Events For February 15
- 590Khosrau II is crowned king of Persia.
- 1113Pope Paschal II issued a bull sanctioning the establishment of the Order of Hospitallers.
- 1493While on board the Niña, Christopher Columbus writes an open letter (widely distributed upon his return to Portugal) describing his discoveries and the unexpected items he came across in the New World.
- 1637Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor.
- 1764The city of St. Louis, Missouri is established.
- 1804The Serbian revolution begins.
- 1835The first constitutional law in modern Serbia is adopted.
- 1862American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant attacks Fort Donelson, Tennessee.
- 1879Women’s rights: American President Rutherford B. Hayes signs a bill allowing female attorneys to argue cases before the Supreme Court of the United States.
- 1898Spanish-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.
- 1906The British Labour Party is organised.
- 1909The Flores Theater fire in Acapulco, Mexico kills 250.
- 1933In Miami, Florida, Giuseppe Zangara attempts to assassinate President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt, but instead shoots Chicago mayor Anton J. Cermak, who dies of his wounds on March 6, 1933.
- 1942World 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.
- 1944World War II: The assault on Monte Cassino, Italy, begins.
- 1946ENIAC, the first electronic general-purpose computer, is formally dedicated at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
- 1949Gerald Lankester Harding and Roland de Vaux begin excavations at Cave 1 of the Qumran Caves, where they will eventually discover the first seven Dead Sea Scrolls.
- 1952King George VI is buried in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
- 1954Canada and the United States agree to construct the Distant Early Warning Line, a system of radar stations in the far northern Arctic regions of Canada and Alaska.
- 1961Sabena Flight 548 crashes in Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States figure skating team, several coaches and family members.
- 1965A new red-and-white maple leaf design is adopted as the flag of Canada, replacing the old Canadian Red Ensign banner.
- 1970A Dominican DC-9 crashes into the sea during takeoff from Santo Domingo, killing 102.
- 1971The decimalisation of British coinage is completed on Decimal Day.
- 1972José María Velasco Ibarra, serving as President of Ecuador for the fifth time, is overthrown by the military for the fourth time.
- 1972Sound recordings are granted U.S. federal copyright protection for the first time.
- 1976The 1976 Constitution of Cuba is adopted by national referendum.
- 1979Don Dunstan resigns as Premier of South Australia, ending a decade of sweeping social liberalisation.
- 1982The drilling rig Ocean Ranger sinks during a storm off the coast of Newfoundland, killing 84 workers.
- 1989Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan: The Soviet Union officially announces that all of its troops have left Afghanistan.
- 1991New Year’s Day in Chinese calendar. Start of the year of the Metal Sheep in Chinese astrology.
- 1991The Visegrád Agreement, establishing cooperation to move toward free-market systems, is signed by the leaders of Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland.
- 1994Standard of the President of Russia is established.
- 1996At the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China, a Long March 3 rocket, carrying an Intelsat 708, crashes into a rural village after liftoff, killing many people.
- 1999Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party, is arrested in Kenya.
- 2000Indian Point II nuclear power plant in New York State vents a small amount of radioactive steam when a steam generator fails.
- 2001First draft of the complete human genome is published in Nature.
- 2003Protests against the Iraq war take place in over 600 cities worldwide. It is estimated that between 8 million to 30 million people participate, making this the largest peace demonstration in history.
Who Were Born On February 15?
- 1458Ivan the Young, Ruler of Tver (d. 1490)
- 1471Piero di Lorenzo de' Medici, ruler of Florence (d. 1503)
- 1564Galileo Galilei, Italian astronomer and physicist (d. 1642)
- 1571Michael Praetorius, German composer (d. 1621)
- 1620François Charpentier, French archaeologist (d. 1702)
- 1705Charles-André van Loo, French painter (d. 1765)
- 1710King Louis XV of France (d. 1774)
- 1725Abraham Clark, American founding father (d. 1794)
- 1734William Stacy, Continental Army officer, and pioneer to the Ohio Country (d. 1802)
- 1739Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart, French architect (d. 1813)
- 1748Jeremy Bentham, English philosopher (d. 1832)
- 1759Friedrich August Wolf, German archaeologist (d. 1824)
- 1792Floride Calhoun, Second Lady of the United States (d. 1866)
- 1809André Dumont, Belgian geologist (d. 1857)
- 1809Cyrus McCormick, American inventor (d. 1884)
- 1812Charles Lewis Tiffany, American jeweler (d. 1902)
- 1820Susan B. Anthony, American suffragist (d. 1906)
- 1825Carter Harrison, Sr., American politician (d. 1893)
- 1835Demetrius Vikelas, Greek author (d. 1908)
- 1840Titu Maiorescu, Romanian Prime Minister (d. 1917)
- 1841Manoel Ferraz de Campos Salles, Brazilian politician (d. 1913)
- 1845Elihu Root, American statesman, Nobel Prize Laureate (d. 1937)
- 1847Robert Fuchs, Austrian composer (d. 1927)
- 1849Sir Rickman Godlee, English surgeon (d. 1925)
- 1856Emil Kraepelin, German psychiatrist (d. 1926)
- 1861Alfred North Whitehead, English mathematician and philosopher (d. 1947)
- 1861Charles Edouard Guillaume, French physicist, Nobel Prize Laureate (d. 1938)
- 1873Hans von Euler-Chelpin, German chemist, Nobel Prize Laureate (d. 1964)
- 1874Sir Ernest Shackleton, Irish Antarctic explorer (d. 1922)
- 1877Louis Renault, French automobile executive (d. 1944)
- 1882John Barrymore, American actor (d. 1942)
- 1883Sax Rohmer, English author (d. 1959)
- 1890Robert Ley, Nazi official (d. 1945)
- 1891Dino Borgioli, Italian lyric tenor (d. 1960)
- 1892James Forrestal, American civil servant, 47th United States Secretary of the Navy and 1st United States Secretary of Defense (d. 1949)
- 1893Walter Donaldson, American songwriter (d. 1947)
- 1895Earl Thompson, Canadian athlete (d. 1971)
- 1896Arthur Shields, Irish actor (d. 1970)
- 1898Allen Woodring, American runner (d. 1982)
- 1898Totò, Italian actor and composer (d. 1967)
- 1899Gale Sondergaard, American actress (d. 1985)
- 1899Georges Auric, French composer (d. 1983)
- 1904Antonin Magne, French cyclist (d. 1983)
- 1905Harold Arlen, American composer (d. 1986)
- 1907Cesar Romero, American actor (d. 1994)
- 1907Jean Langlais, French composer and organist (d. 1991)
- 1908Sarto Fournier, Quebec politician (d. 1980)
- 1909Guillermo Gorostiza Paredes, Spanish footballer (d. 1966)
- 1909Miep Gies, Dutch biographer of Anne Frank (d. 2010)
- 1910Irena Sendler, Polish social worker (d. 2008)
- 1911Leonard Woodcock, American labor union official and diplomat (d. 2001)
- 1912George Mikes, Hungarian-born British author (d. 1987)
- 1913Erich Eliskases, Austrian chess player (d. 1997)
- 1914Hale Boggs, American politician (d. 1972)
- 1914Kevin McCarthy, American actor (d. 2010)
- 1916Mary Jane Croft, American actress (d. 1999)
- 1918Allan Arbus, American actor
- 1918Hank Locklin, American country music singer and songwriter (d. 2009)
- 1920Endicott Peabody, American politician and 62nd Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1997)
- 1921Radha Krishna Choudhary, Indian historian and writer (d. 1985)
- 1922John B. Anderson, American politician
- 1923Yelena Bonner, Russian human rights activist, widow of Andrei Sakharov
- 1927Harvey Korman, American actor and comedian (d. 2008)
- 1928Norman Bridwell, American author and cartoonist
- 1929Graham Hill, English race car driver (d. 1975)
- 1929James Schlesinger, American politician, 12th United States Secretary of Defense, 9th Director of Central Intelligence, and 1st Secretary of Energy
- 1930Nico Minardos, American actor
- 1931Claire Bloom, British actress
- 1931Geoff Edwards, American television game show host
- 1932Troy Kennedy Martin, Scottish film and television screenwriter (d. 2009)
- 1934Graham Kennedy, Australian actor (d. 2005)
- 1934Niklaus Wirth, Swiss computer scientist
- 1935Gene Hickerson, American football player (d. 2008)
- 1935Roger Chaffee, astronaut (d. 1967)
- 1935Susan Brownmiller, American feminist writer
- 1937Gregory Mcdonald, American author (d. 2008)
- 1939Gerd Bohnsack, German football manager
- 1939Ole Ellefsæter, Norwegian cross-country skier
- 1939Robert Hansen, American serial killer
- 1940Hamzah Haz, Indonesian politician
- 1940John Hadl, American football player
- 1941Brian Holland, American songwriter and producer
- 1941Florinda Bolkan, Brazilian actress
- 1943Griselda Blanco, Colombian drug queen, Medellín Cartel
- 1944Mick Avory, British drummer (The Kinks)
- 1945Douglas Hofstadter, American academic and writer
- 1945John Helliwell, British musician (Supertramp)
- 1946Esko Seppänen, Finnish politician
- 1947Ádám Nádasdy, Hungarian linguist and poet
- 1947David Brown, American musician (Santana) (d. 2000)
- 1947John Coolidge Adams, American composer
- 1947Marisa Berenson, American actress
- 1947Rusty Hamer, American actor (d. 1990)
- 1948Art Spiegelman, American cartoonist
- 1948Ron Cey, American baseball player
- 1948Tino Insana, American voice actor
- 1949Hans Graf, Austrian conductor
- 1949Ken Anderson, American football player
- 1950Hark Tsui, Hong Kong film director
- 1951Jane Seymour, British actress
- 1951Melissa Manchester, American singer
- 1953Tony Adams, Irish film producer (d. 2005)
- 1954Armand Parmentier, Belgian athlete
- 1954Matt Groening, American cartoonist
- 1955Christopher McDonald, American actor
- 1955Janice Dickinson, American Ex-Supermodel
- 1956Hitoshi Ogawa, Japanese racing driver (d. 1992)
- 1957Gul Mohammed, shortest mature human ever, at 22.5 in. (d. 1997)
- 1957Jimmy Spencer, American race car driver
- 1957Steve Farhood, American boxing historian and analyst
- 1958Chrystine Brouillet, Quebec novelist
- 1958Matthew Ward, American singer, (Second Chapter of Acts), songwriter and author
- 1959Ali Campbell, British singer and songwriter (UB40)
- 1959Brian Propp, Canadian hockey player
- 1959Hugo Savinovich, Ecuadorian wrestler
- 1960Darrell Green, American football player
- 1960Mikey Craig, British musician (Culture Club)
- 1960Roman Kostrzewski, Polish heavy metal musician
- 1964Chris Farley, American actor and comedian (d. 1997)
- 1964Leland D. Melvin, NASA astronaut
- 1964Mark Price, American basketball player
- 1967Craig Simpson, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1967Jane Child, Canadian musician
- 1967Kelley Menighan Hensley, American actress
- 1968Axelle Red, Belgian singer and songwriter
- 1968Mieke Suys, Belgian triathlete
- 1969Bryan Williams, American record executive and rapper
- 1969Josh Marshall, American journalist
- 1971Alex Borstein, American actress
- 1971Ray Sefo, New Zealand kickboxer
- 1971Renée O'Connor, American actress and director
- 1972Jaromír Jágr, Czech hockey player
- 1973Amy Van Dyken, American swimmer
- 1973Kateřina Neumannová, Czech cross country skier
- 1973Sarah Wynter, Australian actress
- 1974Alexander Wurz, Austrian race car driver
- 1974Gina Lynn, American porn actress
- 1974Miranda July, American performance artist
- 1974Tomi Putaansuu, Finnish singer (Lordi)
- 1974Ugueth Urbina, Venezuelan Major League Baseball player
- 1975Brendon Small, American comedian and animator
- 1975Serge Aubin, Canadian hockey player
- 1976Óscar Freire, Spanish cyclist
- 1976Brandon Boyd, American musician (Incubus)
- 1976Giorgos Karagoutis, Greek basketball player
- 1976Ronnie Vannucci Jr., American musician (The Killers)
- 1977Brooks Wackerman, American musician
- 1978Kimberly Goss, American singer and musician (Sinergy)
- 1978Tuan Le, American poker player
- 1978Yiruma, Internationally known pianist
- 1979Alenka Kejžar, Slovenian swimmer
- 1979Gordon Shedden, Scottish race car driver
- 1979Josh Low, English footballer
- 1979Scott Severin, Scottish footballer
- 1980Conor Oberst, American singer and songwriter (Bright Eyes)
- 1980Josh Sole, New Zealand-born Italian rugby player
- 1981Diego Martínez, Mexican footballer
- 1981Heurelho Gomes, Brazilian footballer
- 1981Jenna Morasca, American model
- 1981Matt Hoopes, American musician (Relient K)
- 1981Olivia, American singer
- 1982Alex Nodari, Italian footballer
- 1982Shameka Christon, American basketball player
- 1983Ashley Tesoro, American actress and singer
- 1983Don Cowie, Scottish footballer
- 1983Philipp Degen, Swiss footballer
- 1983Russell Martin, Canadian baseball player
- 1984Doda, Polish singer (Virgin)
- 1986Gabriel Paletta, Argentine footballer
- 1986Valeri Bojinov, Bulgarian footballer
- 1987Jarrod Sammut, Australian rugby league player
- 1988Hironori Kusano, Japanese singer
- 1988Jarryd Hayne, Australian rugby league player
- 1988Tim Mannah, Australian rugby league player
- 1990Erwin Sak, Polish footballer
- 1998Zachary Gordon, American actor
Who Died On February 15?
- 1145Pope Lucius II
- 1621Michael Praetorius, German composer (b. 1571)
- 1637Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1578)
- 1738Matthias Braun, Czech sculptor (b. 1684)
- 1775Peter Dens, Flemish Catholic theologian (b. 1690)
- 1781Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, German author and philosopher (b. 1729)
- 1818Friedrich Ludwig, Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen, Prussian general (b. 1746)
- 1835Henry Hunt, British politician (b. 1773)
- 1839François-Marie-Thomas Chevalier de Lorimier, Quebec notary (b. 1803)
- 1842Archibald Menzies, Scottish naturalist and surgeon (b. 1754)
- 1844Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1757)
- 1847Germinal Pierre Dandelin, Belgian mathematician (b. 1794)
- 1848Hermann von Boyen, Prussian field marshal (b. 1771)
- 1849Pierre François Verhulst, Belgian mathematician (b. 1804)
- 1857Mikhail Glinka, Russian composer (b. 1804)
- 1869Mirza Ghalib, Indian poet (b. 1796)
- 1905Lew Wallace, Union general in the American Civil War and novelist (b. 1827)
- 1911Theodor Escherich, German pediatrician (b. 1859)
- 1924Lionel Monckton, English composer for the musical theatre (b. 1861)
- 1928H. H. Asquith, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1852)
- 1932Minnie Maddern Fiske, American actress (b. 1865)
- 1939Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, Russian painter (b. 1878)
- 1956Vincent de Moro-Giafferi, French criminal attorney (b. 1878)
- 1959Owen Willans Richardson, British physicist, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1879)
- 1961Bradley Lord, American figure skater (b. 1939)
- 1961Laurence Owen, American figure skater (b. 1944)
- 1964Robert L. Thornton, American businessman and politician (b. 1880)
- 1965Nat King Cole, American singer and musician (b. 1919)
- 1966Camilo Torres Restrepo, Colombian Roman Catholic priest, member of the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group (b. 1929)
- 1966Gerard Ciołek, Polish architect (b. 1909)
- 1970Sir Hugh Dowding, commander of RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain (b. 1882)
- 1971Dimitrios Loundras, Greek gymnast (b. 1885)
- 1973Tim Holt, American actor (b. 1919)
- 1973Wally Cox, American actor (b. 1924)
- 1974Kurt Atterberg, Swedish composer (b. 1887)
- 1981Karl Richter, German conductor (b. 1926)
- 1981Mike Bloomfield, American musician (b. 1943)
- 1984Ethel Merman, American singer and actress (b. 1908)
- 1988Richard Feynman, American physicist, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1918)
- 1992María Elena Moyano, Peruvian activist (b. 1960)
- 1992William Schuman, American composer (b. 1910)
- 1996Lucio Agostini, Canadian composer and conductor (b. 1913)
- 1996McLean Stevenson, American actor (b. 1929)
- 1996Tommy Rettig, American actor (b. 1941)
- 1998Georgios Mylonas, Greek politician (b. 1919)
- 1998Louie Spicolli, American professional wrestler (b. 1971)
- 1999Big L, American rapper (b. 1974)
- 1999Henry Way Kendall, American physicist, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1926)
- 2002Howard K. Smith, American journalist (b. 1914)
- 2002Kevin Smith, New Zealand actor (b. 1963)
- 2004Jan Miner, American actress (b. 1917)
- 2004Jens Evensen, Norwegian minister and jurist (b. 1917)
- 2005Pierre Bachelet, French singer and songwriter (b. 1944)
- 2005Samuel T. Francis, American journalist (b. 1947)
- 2007Ray Evans, American songwriter (b. 1915)
- 2007Walker Edmiston, American actor (b. 1926)
- 2008Amnon Netzer, Iranian-Israeli historian (b. 1934)
- 2008Ashley Callie, South African actress (b. 1976)
- 2009Dr. Diether H. Haenicke, university president (b. 1935)
- 2009Joe Cuba, Puerto-Rican musician (b. 1931)
- 2010Jeanne M. Holm, American, first woman to receive general’s stars in the USAF (b. 1921)
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