June 15
June 15 is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 199 days remain until the end of the year.
Events
- 763 BC - Assyrians record a solar eclipse that will be used to fix the chronology of Mesopotamian history.
- 923 - Battle of Soissons: King Robert I of France is killed and King Charles the Simple is arrested by the supporters of Duke Rudolph of Burgundy.
- 1184 - King Magnus V of Norway is killed at the battle of Fimreite.
- 1215 - King John of England puts his seal to the Magna Carta.
- 1219 - Dannebrog - oldest national flag in the world - and flag of Denmark. According to legend, fell from the sky during the Battle of Lyndanisse (now Tallinn) in Estonia, and turned the Danes' luck.
- 1246 - With the death of Duke Frederick II, the Babenberg dynasty ends in Austria.
- 1389 - Battle of Kosovo: The Ottoman Empire defeats Serbs and Bosnians.
- 1520 - Pope Leo X threatens to excommunicate Martin Luther in Exsurge Domine.
- 1580 - Phillip II of Spain declares William the Silent to be an outlaw.
- 1667 - The first human blood transfusion is administered by Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys.
- 1752 - Benjamin Franklin proves that lightning is electricity.
- 1775 - American Revolutionary War: George Washington is appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.
- 1776 - Delaware Separation Day - Delaware votes to suspend government under the British Crown and separate officially from Pennsylvania.
- 1785 - Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier, co-pilot of the first-ever manned flight (1783), and his companion, Pierre Romain, become the first-ever casualties of an air crash when their hot air balloon explodes during their attempt to cross the English Channel.
- 1804 - New Hampshire approves the Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratifying the document.
- 1808 - Joseph Bonaparte becomes King of Spain.
- 1836 - Arkansas is admitted as the 25th U.S. state.
- 1844 - Charles Goodyear receives a patent for vulcanization, a process to strengthen rubber.
- 1846 - The Oregon Treaty establishes the 49th parallel as the border between the United States and Canada, from the Rocky Mountains to the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
- 1859 - Pig War: Ambiguity in the Oregon Treaty leads to the "Northwestern Boundary Dispute" between U.S. and British/Canadian settlers.
- 1864 - American Civil War: Siege of Petersburg begins.
- 1864 - Arlington National Cemetery is established when 200 acres (0.8 km²) around Arlington Mansion are officially set aside as a military cemetery by U.S. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton.
- 1877 - Henry Ossian Flipper becomes the first African American cadet to graduate from the United States Military Academy.
- 1888 - Crown Prince Wilhelm becomes Kaiser Wilhelm II and is the last emperor of the German Empire
- 1904 - A fire aboard the steamboat General Slocum in New York City's East River kills 1000.
- 1905 - Princess Margaret of Connaught marries Gustav, Crown Prince of Sweden.
- 1909 - Representatives from England, Australia and South Africa meet at Lord's and form the Imperial Cricket Conference.
- 1911 - Tabulating Computing Recording Corporation (IBM) is incorporated.
- 1913 - The Battle of Bud Bagsak in the Philippine concludes.
- 1916 - U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signs a bill incorporating the Boy Scouts of America, making them the only American youth organization with a federal charter.
- 1919 - John Alcock and Arthur Brown complete first nonstop transatlantic flight at Clifden, County Galway, Ireland.
- 1920 - Duluth lynchings in Minnesota
- 1934 - The U.S.'s Great Smoky Mountains National Park is founded.
- 1944 - World War II: Battle of Saipan: The United States invades Saipan.
- 1944 - In the Saskatchewan general election, 1944, the CCF, led by Tommy Douglas, is elected and forms the first socialist government of North America.
- 1945 - The General Dutch Youth League (ANJV) is founded in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
- 1954 - UEFA (the Union des Associations Européennes de Football) is formed in Basle, Switzerland.
- 1955 - The Eisenhower administration stages the first annual "Operation Alert" (OPAL) exercise, an attempt to assess the USA's preparations for a nuclear attack.
- 1962 - Students for a Democratic Society complete the Port Huron Statement.
- 1978 - King Hussein of Jordan weds American Lisa Halaby, who takes the name Queen Noor.
- 1991 - Birth of the first federal political party in Canada that supports Quebec nationalism, the Bloc Québécois.
- 1992 - The United States Supreme Court rules in US vs. Alvarez-Machain that it is permissible for the USA to abduct suspects in foreign countries and bring them to the USA for trial, without approval from those other countries.
- 1994 - Israel and Vatican City establish full diplomatic relations.
- 1996 - In Manchester, UK, a terrorist bomb injures over 200 people and devastates a large part of the city centre.
- 2002 - Near earth asteroid 2002 MN misses our planet by 75,000 miles (120,000 km) about one third the distance to the moon
- 2007 - Bob Barker's final episode as host of The Price is Right airs.
Births
- 1330 - Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales (d. 1376)
- 1594 - Nicolas Poussin, French painter (d. 1665)
- 1623 - Cornelis de Witt, Dutch politician (d. 1672)
- 1624 - Hiob Ludolf, German orientalist (d. 1704)
- 1640 - Bernard Lamy, French mathematician (d. 1715)
- 1755 - Antoine François, comte de Fourcroy, French chemist (d. 1809)
- 1765 - Johann Gottlieb Friedrich von Bohnenberger, German mathematician (d. 1831)
- 1767 - Rachel Donelson Jackson, First Lady of the United States (d. 1828)
- 1789 - Josiah Henson, American slave and settlement founder (d. 1883)
- 1801 - Benjamin Raymond, Mayor of Chicago (d. 1883)
- 1805 - William Butler Ogden, first Mayor of Chicago (d. 1877)
- 1809 - François-Xavier Garneau, French Canadian poet and historian (d. 1866)
- 1843 - Edvard Grieg, Norwegian composer (d. 1907)
- 1875 - Herman Smith-Johannsen, cross-country skier (d. 1987)
- 1882 - Ion Antonescu, Prime Minister of Romania (d. 1946)
- 1884 - Harry Langdon, American actor (d. 1944)
- 1888 - Ramón López Velarde, Mexican poet (d. 1921)
- 1894 - Nikolai Chebotaryov, Ukrainian mathematician (d. 1947)
- 1894 - Robert Russell Bennett, American composer and arranger (d. 1981)
- 1900 - Gotthard Günther, German philosopher (d. 1984)
- 1900 - Otto Luening, German-American composer (d. 1996)
- 1902 - Erik Erikson, psychoanalyst (d. 1994)
- 1906 - Léon Degrelle, Belgian SS officer (d. 1994)
- 1908 - Sam Giancana, American mafioso (d. 1975)
- 1910 - David Rose, American songwriter, composer and orchestra leader (d. 1990)
- 1911 - W.V. Awdry, British children's writer (d. 1997)
- 1914 - Yuri Andropov, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (d. 1984)
- 1914 - Saul Steinberg, Romanian-American cartoonist (d. 1999)
- 1915 - Thomas Huckle Weller, American virologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- 1916 - Herbert Simon, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2001)
- 1917 - John Fenn, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1917 - Lash La Rue, American actor (d. 1996)
- 1917 - Michalis Genitsaris, Greek singer and composer (d. 2005)
- 1920 - Alberto Sordi, Italian actor and director (d. 2003)
- 1921 - Errol Garner, American musician (d. 1977)
- 1922 - John Veale, English composer (d. 2006)
- 1924 - Ezer Weizman, 7th President of Israel (d. 2005)
- 1926 - Shigeru Kayano, Japanese Ainu activist (d. 2006)
- 1927 - Ibn-e-Insha, Pakistani humourist and Urdu poet (d. 1978)
- 1930 - Marcel Pronovost, professional ice hockey player
- 1932 - Mario Cuomo, Governor of New York
- 1933 - Sergio Endrigo, Italian singer (d. 2005)
- 1933 - Mark Jones, English footballer (d. 1958)
- 1936 - William Joseph Levada, American Catholic prelate
- 1937 - Waylon Jennings, American singer (d. 2002)
- 1938 - Billy Williams, baseball player
- 1939 - Ward Connerly, American political figure
- 1939 - Brian Jacques, British author
- 1941 - Harry Nilsson, American singer and composer (d. 1994)
- 1942 - John E. McLaughlin, former Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
- 1943 - Xaviera Hollander, Dutch author
- 1943 - Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, Prime Minister of Denmark
- 1943 - Johnny Hallyday, French singer and actor
- 1943 - Muff Winwood, British songwriter, producer and bassist (Spencer Davis Group)
- 1945 - Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Philippine senator
- 1945 - Nicola Pagett, British actress
- 1946 - Noddy Holder, British singer (Slade)
- 1946 - Demis Roussos, Greek singer
- 1947 - John Hoagland, American photographer
- 1947 - Lee Purcell, American actress
- 1948 - Mike Holmgren, American football coach
- 1949 - Dusty Baker, baseball player and manager
- 1949 - Simon Callow, British actor
- 1949 - Russell Hitchcock, Member of Air Supply
- 1949 - Jim Varney, American actor (d. 2000)
- 1950 - Lakshmi Mittal, Indian industrialist
- 1951 - Steve Walsh, American singer (Kansas)
- 1952 - Sandra Cassel, American actress
- 1953 - Rita Lee, Playboy Playmate
- 1954 - James Belushi, American actor
- 1954 - Paul Rusesabagina, Manager of Hôtel des Mille Collines during the Rwandan genocide
- 1954 - Beverley Whitfield, Australian swimmer (d. 1996)
- 1955 - Julie Hagerty, American actress
- 1955 - David Kennedy, a member of the Kennedy family (d. 1984)
- 1956 - Ava Cadell, American actress/sex therapist
- 1956 - Robin Curtis, American actress
- 1956 - Polly Draper, American actress
- 1957 - Seppo Pääkkönen, Finnish actor
- 1958 - Wade Boggs, baseball player
- 1958 - Riccardo Paletti, Italian racing driver (d. 1982)
- 1959 - Eileen Davidson, American actress
- 1960 - Michèle Laroque, French actress
- 1960 - Marieke van Doorn, Dutch field hockey player
- 1961 - Kai Eckhardt, German musician (Garaj Mahal)
- 1961 - Dave McAuley, Northern Irish boxer
- 1961 - Yoshimi Iwasaki, Japanese singer/actress
- 1962 - Andrea Rost, Hungarian soprano
- 1963 - Helen Hunt, American actress
- 1963 - Blanca Portillo, Spanish actress
- 1963 - Nigel Walker, Welsh athlete and rugby union player
- 1964 - Courteney Cox, American actress
- 1964 - Michael Laudrup, Danish footballer
- 1965 - Adam Smith, American politician
- 1966 - Idalis DeLeon, American actress/singer
- 1967 - Yuji Ueda, Japanese voice actor
- 1968 - Oh Dal-su, South Korean actor
- 1969 - Ice Cube, American rapper
- 1969 - Oliver Kahn, German footballer
- 1969 - Cédric Pioline, French tennis player
- 1969 - Maurice Odumbe, Kenyan cricket Player
- 1970 - Leah Remini, American actress
- 1970 - Gaëlle Méchaly, French soprano
- 1971 - Edwin Brienen, Dutch director
- 1971 - Bif Naked, Canadian musician
- 1971 - Nathan Astle, New Zealand cricket Player
- 1972 - Justin Leonard, American golfer
- 1972 - Andy Pettitte, American baseball player
- 1972 - Marcus Hahnemann, American footballer
- 1972 - Hank Von Helvete, Turbonegro Frontman
- 1973 - Neil Patrick Harris, American actor
- 1973 - Tore André Flo, Norwegian footballer
- 1973 - Pia Miranda, Australian actress
- 1973 - Greg Vaughan, American actor
- 1975 - Elizabeth Reaser, American actress
- 1975 - Rachel Wacholder, American beach volleyballer
- 1976 - Gary Lightbody, Irish musician (Snow Patrol)
- 1977 - Nina Liu, Australian actress
- 1978 - Wilfred Bouma, Dutch footballer
- 1978 - Zach Day, American baseball player
- 1979 - Yulia Nestsiarenka, Belarusian athlete
- 1979 - Julia Schultz, American model
- 1980 - Mary Carey, American pornographic actress
- 1980 - Christopher Castile, American actor
- 1980 - Almudena Cid, Spanish gymnast
- 1980 - Cara Zavaleta, American model
- 1981 - Jeremy Reed, American baseball player
- 1981 - Billy Dean Martin, American musician (Good Charlotte)
- 1984 - Tim Lincecum, American baseball player
- 1985 - Nadine Coyle, Northern Irish singer (Girls Aloud)
- 1988 - Miku Ishida, Japanese teen idol
Deaths
- 923 - Robert I of France (b. c. 865)
- 991 - Empress Theophanu
- 1073 - Emperor Go-Sanjō of Japan (b. 1034)
- 1246 - Duke Frederick II of Austria (b. 1219)
- 1341 - Andronicus III Palaeologus, Eastern Roman Emperor (b. 1297)
- 1381 - John Cavendish, Lord Chief Justice of England
- 1381 - Wat Tyler, English rebel
- 1383 - John VI Cantacuzenus, Byzantine Emperor
- 1389 - Prince Lazar, Serbian Orthodox saint (b. 1329)
- 1467 - Philip III, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1396)
- 1521 - Tamás Bakócz. Hungarian Catholic cardinal and statesman (b. 1442)
- 1614 - Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton, English politician (b. 1540)
- 1679 - Guillaume Courtois, French painter (b. 1628)
- 1724 - Henry Sacheverell, English churchman and politician (b. 1674)
- 1750 - Marguerite De Launay, Baronne Staal, French writer (b. 1684)
- 1768 - James Short, Scottish mathematician and optician (b. 1710)
- 1772 - Louis-Claude Daquin, French composer (b. 1694)
- 1849 - James Knox Polk, 11th President of the United States (b. 1795)
- 1858 - Ary Scheffer, Dutch-French painter (b. 1795)
- 1888 - Emperor Friedrich III of Germany (b. 1831)
- 1889 - Mihai Eminescu, Romanian poet (b. 1850)
- 1917 - Kristian Birkeland, Norwegian physicist (b. 1867)
- 1934 - Alfred Bruneau, French composer (b. 1857)
- 1941 - Evelyn Underhill, British writer (b. 1875)
- 1941 - Otfrid Foerster, German neurologist (b. 1873)
- 1962 - Alfred Cortot, Swiss pianist (b. 1877)
- 1965 - E. A. Speiser, American Bible scholar (b. 1902)
- 1965 - Steve Cochran, American actor (b. 1917)
- 1968 - Sam Crawford, baseball player (b. 1880)
- 1968 - Wes Montgomery, American jazz guitarist (b. 1925)
- 1971 - Wendell Meredith Stanley, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
- 1976 - Jimmy Dykes, baseball player and manager (b. 1896)
- 1983 - Srirangam Srinivasarao, also known as Sri Sri, Telugu poet (b. 1910)
- 1984 - Meredith Willson, American composer (b. 1902)
- 1985 - Andy Stanfield, American athlete (b. 1927)
- 1989 - Victor French, American actor (b. 1934)
- 1989 - Maurice Bellemare, French Canadian politician (b. 1912)
- 1991 - Arthur Lewis, British economist, Nobel laureate (b. 1915)
- 1991 - Happy Chandler, American politician and Commissioner of Baseball (b. 1898)
- 1993 - John Connally, American politician (b. 1917)
- 1993 - James Hunt, English race car driver (b. 1947)
- 1994 - Manos Hadjidakis, Greek composer (b. 1925)
- 1995 - John Vincent Atanasoff, American computer pioneer (b. 1903)
- 1996 - Ella Fitzgerald, American singer (b. 1917)
- 1996 - Dick Murdoch, professional wrestler (b. 1946)
- 2002 - Choi Hong Hi, founder of Taekwon-Do (b. 1918)
- 2003 - Hume Cronyn, Canadian actor (b. 1911)
- 2006 - Raymond Devos, French humourist (b. 1922)
- 2006 - Herb Pearson, New Zealand cricketer (b. 1910)
- 2007 - Claudia Cohen, American gossip columnist and socialite (b. 1950)
- 2007 - Sherri Martel, American professional wrestler and valet (b. 1958)
Holidays and observances
- Commemoration of Evelyn Underhill (Anglican mystic and poet)
- Roman Empire – ninth and final day of the Vestalia in honor of Vesta
- Flag Day in Denmark
- Malawi Freedom Day
Liturgical feasts
- Augustine of Hippo's feast in many Eastern Orthodox Churches
- Saint Vitus (observed with Sts. Modestus and Crescentia), patron of actors and epileptics
- Saint Landelin (7th century)
- Saint Edburga of Winchester (d. 960)
- Saint Germaine Cousin, (d. 1601), patron of shepherdesses and of victims of child abuse