November 15
November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining.
Events
- 655 - Battle of Winwaed: Penda of Mercia defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria.
- 1515 - Thomas Cardinal Wolsey invested as a Cardinal
- 1533 - Francisco Pizarro arrives in Cuzco, Peru.
- 1777 - American Revolutionary War: After 16 months of debate the Continental Congress approves the Articles of Confederation.
- 1791 - The first U.S Catholic college, Georgetown University, opens its doors.
- 1806 - Pike expedition: Lieutenant Zebulon Pike sees a distant mountain peak while near the Colorado foothills of the Rocky Mountains (it was later named Pikes Peak).
- 1854 - In Egypt, the Suez Canal, linking the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea, is given the needed royal concession by Said.
- 1864 - American Civil War: Union General William Tecumseh Sherman burns Atlanta, Georgia and starts Sherman's March to the Sea.
- 1889 - Brazil is declared a republic by Marechal Deodoro da Fonseca and Emperor Pedro II is deposed in a military coup.
- 1909 - The Milton Hershey School is founded in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
- 1920 - First assembly of the League of Nations is held in Geneva.
- 1926 - The NBC radio network opens with 24 stations.
- 1939 - In Washington, DC, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt lays the cornerstone of the Jefferson Memorial.
- 1941 - SS chief Heinrich Himmler orders the arrest and deportation to concentration camps of all homosexuals in Germany, with the exception of certain top Nazi officials.
- 1942 - World War II: Battle of Guadalcanal ends.
- 1943 - German SS leader Heinrich Himmler orders that Gypsies were to be put "on the same level as Jews and placed in concentration camps." (see Porajmos)
- 1948 - Louis Stephen St. Laurent succeeds William Lyon Mackenzie King as Prime Minister of Canada. King had the longest combined time (3 terms, 22 years in total) as Premier in Commonwealth of Nations history.
- 1949 - Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte executed for assassinating Mahatma Gandhi.
- 1956 - The first film starring Elvis Presley, Love Me Tender, opens.
- 1959 - Four members of the Herbert Clutter Family murdered at their farm outside Holcomb, Kansas.
- 1960 - The Polaris missile is test launched.
- 1961 - Roger Maris is voted the American League MVP (baseball)
- 1966 - Gemini program: Gemini 12 splashes down safely in the Atlantic Ocean.
- 1967 - The only fatality of the X-15 program occurs during the 191st flight when Air Force test pilot Michael J. Adams loses control of his aircraft, and is destroyed mid-air over the Mojave Desert.
- 1969 - Cold War: The Soviet submarine K-19 collides with the American submarine USS Gato in the Barents Sea.
- 1969 - Vietnam War: In Washington, DC, 250,000-500,000 protesters staged a peaceful demonstration against the war.
- 1969 - Dave Thomas opens the first Wendy's fast food restaurant in Dublin, Ohio.
- 1970 the Soviet Lunokhod 1 moon rover lands on the moon
- 1971 - Intel releases world's first commercial single-chip microprocessor, the 4004.
- 1976 - René Lévesque and the Parti Québécois take power to become the first Quebec government of the 20th century clearly in favour of independence.
- 1978 - A chartered DC-8 crashes near Colombo, Sri Lanka, killing 183.
- 1979 - A package from the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski begins smoking in the cargo hold of a flight from Chicago to Washington, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing.
- 1983 - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is founded.
- 1985 - A research assistant is injured as a package from the Unabomber addressed to a University of Michigan professor explodes.
- 1985 - The Anglo-Irish Agreement is signed at Hillsborough Castle by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Irish Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald.
- 1987 - Continental Airlines Flight 1713, a Douglas DC-9-14 jetliner, crashes in a snowstorm at Denver, Colorado Stapleton International Airport, killing 28 occupants, while 54 survive the crash.
- 1988 - In the Soviet Union, the unmanned Shuttle Buran is launched on her first and last space flight.
- 1988 - Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: An independent State of Palestine is proclaimed by the Palestinian National Council.
- 1989 - Sachin Tendulkar makes his Test cricket debut playing for India against Pakistan.
- 1990 - Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Atlantis launches with flight STS-38.
- 1990 - Producers acknowledge that Milli Vanilli, who won the 1990 "Best New Artist" Grammy Award, did not sing themselves on their album.
- 1996 - United Nations Resolution 1080 authorises Canada to lead the multi national force in Zaire.
- 2000 - A chartered Antonov AN-24 crashes after takeoff from Luanda, Angola killing more than 40 people
- 2001 - The Microsoft Xbox video game console launches in North America, along with the game Halo: Combat Evolved.
- 2002 - Hu Jintao becomes general secretary of the Communist Party of China.
- 2003 - The first day of the 2003 Istanbul Bombings takes place, to be followed by additional bombings on November 20.
- 2004 - New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey leaves office, three months after resigning due to a gay extra-marital affair. State Senator Richard Codey takes over as interim governor.
Births
- 1316 - King John I of France (d. 1316)
- 1397 - Pope Nicholas V (d. 1455)
- 1498 - Eleonore of Austria, Queen of Portugal and France (d. 1558)
- 1511 - Johannes Secundus, Dutch poet (d. 1536)
- 1556 - Jacques-Davy Duperron, French cardinal (d. 1618)
- 1559 - Archduke Albert of Austria, Governor of the Low Countries (d. 1621)
- 1607 - Madeleine de Scudéry, French writer (d. 1701)
- 1660 - Hermann von der Hardt, German historian (d. 1746)
- 1661 - Christoph von Graffenried, Swiss settler in Americas (d. 1743)
- 1692 - Eusebius Amort, German Catholic theologian (d. 1775)
- 1708 - William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, English politician (d. 1778)
- 1731 - William Cowper, English poet (d. 1800)
- 1738 - William Herschel, German-born astronomer (d. 1822)
- 1741 - Johann Kaspar Lavater, German philosopher (d. 1801)
- 1757 - Heinrich Christian Friedrich Schumacher, Danish surgeon, botanist and professor of anatomy (d. 1830)
- 1784 - Jerome Bonaparte, French King of Westphalia (d. 1860)
- 1859 - Christopher Hornsrud, Prime Minister of Norway (d.1960)
- 1862 - Gerhart Hauptmann, German dramatist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1946)
- 1874 - August Krogh, Danish zoophysiologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1949)
- 1879 - Lewis Stone, American actor (d. 1953)
- 1881 - Franklin Pierce Adams, American newspaper columnist (d. 1960)
- 1882 - Felix Frankfurter, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (d. 1965)
- 1886 - René Guénon, French-Egyptian author (d. 1951)
- 1887 - Marianne Moore, American poet (d. 1972)
- 1887 - Georgia O'Keeffe, American painter (d. 1986)
- 1889 - King Manuel II of Portugal (d. 1932)
- 1890 - Richmal Crompton, British author (d. 1969)
- 1891 - Averell Harriman, American businessman and politician (d. 1986)
- 1891 - Erwin Rommel, German field marshal (d. 1944)
- 1895 - Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia (d. 1918)
- 1895 - Antoni Słonimski, Polish writer (d. 1976)
- 1897 - Aneurin Bevan, British politician (d. 1960)
- 1897 - Sacheverell Sitwell, English writer (d. 1988)
- 1899 - Avdy Andresson, Estonian Minister of War in Exile (d. 1990)
- 1899 - Iskander Mirza, first President of Pakistan (d. 1969)
- 1903 - Stewie Dempster, New Zealand cricketer (d. 1974)
- 1905 - Mantovani, Italian-born composer, musician, and arranger (d. 1980)
- 1906 - Curtis LeMay, U.S. Air Force general (d. 1990)
- 1907 - Claus von Stauffenberg, German army colonel who plotted to assassinate Hitler (d. 1944)
- 1913 - Arthur Haulot, Belgian journalist and resistance fighter (d. 2005)
- 1919 - Joseph Wapner, U.S. jurist
- 1925 - Howard Baker, U.S. Senator from Tennessee and White House Chief of Staff
- 1925 - Yuli Daniel, Russian writer (d. 1988)
- 1929 - Ed Asner, American actor
- 1930 - J. G. Ballard, British author
- 1931 - Pascal Lissouba, Republic of the Congo politician
- 1931 - Mwai Kibaki Kenya's third president
- 1932 - Petula Clark, English singer
- 1932 - Clyde McPhatter, American singer (d. 1972)
- 1936 - Wolf Biermann, German writer
- 1937 - Little Willie John, American singer (d. 1968)
- 1937 - Yaphet Kotto, American actor
- 1940 - Sam Waterston, American actor
- 1942 - Daniel Barenboim, Argentine-born pianist and conductor
- 1945 - Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Norwegian singer (ABBA)
- 1947 - Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico
- 1951 - Beverly D'Angelo, American actress
- 1952 - Randy Savage, American professional wrestler
- 1954 - Aleksander Kwaśniewski, President of Poland
- 1956 - Michael Hampton, American guitarist (Funkadelic)
- 1957 - Kevin Eubanks, American jazz guitarist
- 1963 - Benny Elias, Australian rugby player
- 1965 - Nigel Bond, English snooker player
- 1967 - Earl Stevens, E-40, American Rapper
- 1968 - Ol' Dirty Bastard, American rapper (d. 2004)
- 1969 - Shane Mack, American politician
- 1970 - Patrick Mboma, Cameroonian footballer
- 1979 - Josemi, Spanish footballer
- 1986 - Sania Mirza, Indian tennis player
- 1988 - Zena Grey, American actress
Deaths
- 655 - Penda, King of Mercia
- 1028 - Constantine VIII Byzantine Emperor (b. 960)
- 1136 - Margrave Leopold III of Austria (b. 1073)
- 1280 - Albertus Magnus, German theologian
- 1463 - Giovanni Antonio del Balzo Orsini, Prince of Taranto and Constable of Naples
- 1579 - Ferenc Dávid, Hungarian religious reformer (b. 1510)
- 1628 - Roque Gonzales, Paraguayan missionary (b. 1576)
- 1630 - Johannes Kepler, German astronomer and mathematician (b. 1571)
- 1670 - Comenius, Czech writer (b. 1592)
- 1691 - Aelbert Cuyp, Dutch painter (b. 1620)
- 1706 - Tsangyang Gyatso, 6th Dalai Lama (b. 1683)
- 1712 - James Douglas, 4th Duke of Hamilton, Scottish nationalist (b. 1658)
- 1712 - Charles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun, English politician (b. 1675)
- 1787 - Christoph Willibald Gluck, German composer (b. 1714)
- 1794 - John Witherspoon, American signer of the Declaration of Independence (b. 1723)
- 1795 - Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo, French painter (b. 1719)
- 1853 - Queen Maria II of Portugal (b. 1819)
- 1908 - Empress Dowager Cixi, Chinese ruler (b. 1835)
- 1910 - Wilhelm Raabe, German writer (b. 1831)
- 1916 - Henryk Sienkiewicz, Polish author, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1846)
- 1917 - Émile Durkheim, French sociologist (b. 1858)
- 1919 - Alfred Werner, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1866)
- 1954 - Lionel Barrymore, American actor (b. 1878)
- 1958 - Tyrone Power, American actor (b. 1914)
- 1959 - Charles Thomson Rees Wilson, Scottish physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1869)
- 1961 - Elsie Ferguson, American actress (b.1883)
- 1963 - Fritz Reiner, Hungarian conductor (b. 1988)
- 1965 - Dawn Powell, American poet (b. 1896)
- 1967 - Michael J. Adams, American test pilot (b. 1930)
- 1969 - Iskander Mirza, first President of Pakistan (b. 1899)
- 1971 - Rudolf Abel, Soviet spy (b. 1903)
- 1971 - Edie Sedgwick, American actress and model (b. 1943)
- 1978 - Margaret Mead, American anthropologist (b. 1901)
- 1983 - John Le Mesurier, British actor (b. 1912)
- 1990 - Alydar, American racehorse (b. 1975)
- 1994 - Elizabeth George Speare, award-winning American children's author (b. 1908)
- 1996 - Alger Hiss, American government official and alleged spy (b. 1904)
- 1998 - Stokely Carmichael, American civil rights activist (b. 1941)
- 2002 - Eddie Bracken, American actor (b. 1915)
- 2002 - Myra Hindley, English murderer (b. 1942)
- 2003 - Ray Lewis, Canadian athlete (b. 1910)
- 2003 - Dorothy Loudon, American actress (b. 1933)
- 2003 - Laurence Tisch, American businessman (b. 1923)
- 2004 - Elmer L. Andersen, Governor of Minnesota (b. 1909)
- 2004 - John Morgan, Canadian comedian (b. 1930)
- 2005 - Dr. Adrian Rogers, American Southern Baptist Minister and leader (b. 1931)
- 2005 - Arto Salminen, Finnish writer (b. 1959)
Holidays and observances
- Roman festivals - Festival in honor of Feronia (others say 13 November)
- R.C. Saints - Albert the Great
- Eastern Orthodoxy - Feast of Saint Philip the Apostle and the beginning of Winter Lent; also see November 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Austria - Saint Leopold's day -- no school in Vienna, Lower Austria and Upper Austria
- Brazil - Republic Proclamation Day (1889)
- Palestine - Independence Day (declared 1988)
- Norway - The official skolebrød-day on Sunnland skole
- USA - America Recycles Day
External links
November 14 - November 16 - October 15 - December 15 -- listing of all days