May 15

is the 135th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (136th in leap years). There are 230 days remaining.

Events

1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the papal bull ad exstirpanda, which authorizes the torture of heretics in the Medieval Inquisition. Torture quickly gains widespread usage across Catholic Europe.
1514 - Jodocus Badius Ascensius publishes Christiern Pedersen's Latin version of Saxo’s Gesta Danorum, the oldest known version of that work.
1525 - The battle of Frankenhausen ends the Peasants' War.
1602 - Bartholomew Gosnold becomes the first European to see Cape Cod.
1618 - Johannes Kepler confirms his previously rejected discovery of the third law of planetary motion (he first discovered it on March 8 but soon rejected the idea after some initial calculations were made).
1701 - The War of the Spanish Succession begins.
1718 - James Puckle, a London lawyer, patents the world's first machine gun.
1756 - The Seven Years' War begins when England declares war on France.
1776 - American Revolution: Virginia convention instructs its delegates to propose a declaration of independence from Great Britain.
1795 - First Coalition: Napoleon I of France enters Milan in triumph.
1811 - Paraguay declares independence from Spain.
1836 - Francis Baily observes "Baily's beads" during an annular eclipse.
1849 - Troops of the Two Sicilies take Palermo and crush the republican government of Sicily.
1851 - Rama IV is crowned King of Thailand.
1858 - The third Royal Opera House officially opens in London.
1862 - President Abraham Lincoln signs a bill into law creating the United States Bureau of Agriculture (later renamed USDA).
1864 - American Civil War: Battle of Resaca, Georgia ends.
1864 - American Civil War: Battle of New Market, Virginia – Students from the Virginia Military Institute fight alongside the Confederate Army to force Union General Franz Sigel out of the Shenandoah Valley.
1869 - Woman's suffrage: In New York, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton form the National Woman Suffrage Association.
1897 - The Greek army retreats with heavy losses in Greco-Turkish War
1902 - In a field outside Grass Valley, California, Lyman Gilmore reportedly becomes the first person to fly a powered airplane (a steam-powered glider).
1905 - Las Vegas, Nevada, is founded when 110 acres (0.4 km²), in what later would become downtown, are auctioned off.
1910 - The last time a major earthquake happened on the Lake Elsinore Fault.
1911 - The United States Supreme Court declares Standard Oil to be an "unreasonable" monopoly under the Sherman Antitrust Act and orders the company to be dissolved.
1914 - Bolivia becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.
1918 - Finnish Civil War ends.
1918 - The US Post Office Department (later renamed the USPS) begins the first regular airmail service in the world (between New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC).
1919 - The Winnipeg General Strike began. By 11:00, virtually the entire working population of Winnipeg had walked off the job.
1919 - Greek invasion of Izmir, resulting in the massacre of hundreds of Turks by the Greek army. Hasan Tahsin fired the first gun of the Turkish War of Independence.
1928 - Release of the animated short "Plane Crazy", featuring the first appearances of Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
1929 - A fire at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio kills 123.
1930 - Aboard a Boeing tri-motor, Ellen Church becomes the first airline stewardess, on a flight from Oakland, California to Chicago, Illinois.
1932 - The May 15 Incident. In an attempted coup the Prime Minister of Japan Inukai Tsuyoshi is killed.
1934 - The United States Department of Justice offers a $25,000 reward for John Dillinger.
1934 - Kārlis Ulmanis establishes an authoritarian government in Latvia.
1940 - Nylon stockings go on sale for the first time in the United States.
1940 - World War II: After fierce fighting, the poorly trained and equipped Dutch troops have to surrender to Nazi Germany, marking the beginning of 5 years of occupation.*1941 - Baseball player Joe DiMaggio starts his record-breaking 56-game hitting streak.
1942 - World War II: In the United States, a bill creating the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) is signed into law.
1943 - Joseph Stalin dissolves the Comintern (or Third International).
1945 - Last skirmish of the Second World War in Europe fought near Prevalje, Slovenia.
1948 - Egypt, Transjordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia attack Israel.
1951 - The Polish cultural attache in Paris, Czesław Miłosz, asks the French government for political asylum.
1955 - Austrian Independence Treaty signed.
1955 - First ascent of Makalu, the world's fifth highest mountain.
1957 - Britain tests its first hydrogen bomb in Operation Grapple.
1958 - The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 3.
1960 - The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 4.
1963 - Mercury program: America launches the last mission of the program, Mercury 9 (on June 12 NASA Administrator James E. Webb told Congress the program was complete).
1964 - The Smothers Brothers give their first concert in Carnegie Hall in New York City.
1970 - The Beatles' last LP, Let It Be, is released in the United States.
1970 - President Richard Nixon appoints Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington the first female United States Army Generals.
1970 - Philip Lafayette Gibbs and James Earl Green killed at Jackson State University by police during student protests.
1972 - The island of Okinawa, under U.S. military governance since its conquest in 1945, reverts to Japanese control.
1972 - In Laurel, Maryland, Arthur Bremer shoots and paralyzes Alabama Governor George Wallace while Wallace is campaigning to be American President.
1978 - Lagumot Harris, having only been elected President less than a month before, is replaced as the leader of the republic of Nauru. He is succeeded by Hammer DeRoburt.
1988 - Soviet war in Afghanistan: After more than eight years of fighting, the Red Army begins its withdrawal from Afghanistan.
1990 - Portrait of Doctor Gachet by Vincent van Gogh is sold for a record $82.5 million, the most expensive painting at the time.
1991 - Edith Cresson becomes France's first female prime minister.
2004 - The largest known prime number at the time of its discovery, 2^24036583 − 1, is found by Josh Findley and the GIMPS collaborative effort.

Births

1567 - (baptism) Claudio Monteverdi, Italian composer (d. 1643)
1720 - Maximilian Hell, Slovakian astronomer (d. 1792)
1773 - Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, Austrian statesman (d. 1859)
1786 - General Dimitris Plapoutas, a Revolutionary during the Greek War of Independence (d. 1864)
1817 - Debendranath Tagore, Indian religious reformer (d. 1905)
1848 - Viktor Vasnetsov, Russian painter (d. 1926)
1856 - L. Frank Baum, American author (d. 1919)
1857 - Williamina Fleming, Scottish-born astronomer (d. 1911)
1859 - Pierre Curie, French physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1906)
1862 - Arthur Schnitzler, Austrian dramatist and narrator (d. 1931)
1890 - Katherine Anne Porter, American author (d. 1980)
1891 - Mikhail Bulgakov, Russian writer (d. 1940)
1891 - Fritz Feigl, Austria-born chemist (d. 1971)
1892 - Jimmy Wilde, boxer (d. 1969)
1895 - William D. Byron, U.S. Congressman (d. 1941)
1898 - Arletty, French model and actress (d. 1992)
1899 - Jean-Etienne Valluy, French general (d. 1970)
1902 - Richard J. Daley, Mayor of Chicago (d. 1976)
1905 - Joseph Cotten, American actor (d. 1994)
1909 - James Mason, English actor (d. 1984)
1910 - Constance Cummings, British actress (d. 2005)
1911 - Max Frisch, Swiss author (d. 1991)
1911 - Herta Oberheuser, Nazi doctor (d. 1978)
1914 - Tenzing Norgay, Nepalese Sherpa (d. 1986)
1914 - Turk Broda, Ice hockey goaltender
1915 - Paul Samuelson, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate
1918 - Eddy Arnold, American singer
1922 - Jakucho Setouchi, Japanese writer and Buddhist nun
1923 - Richard Avedon, American photographer (d. 2004)
1923 - John Lanchbery, English composer (d. 2003)
1926 - Anthony Shaffer, English playwright (d. 2001)
1926 - Peter Shaffer, English playwright
1930 - Jasper Johns, American painter
1931 - Ken Venturi, American golfer
1936 - Anna Maria Alberghetti, Italian-born actress
1936 - Hugh Romney, American clown and activist
1936 - Ralph Steadman, British cartoonist
1936 - Paul Zindel, American writer (d. 2003)
1937 - Madeleine Albright, U.S. Secretary of State
1937 - Trini López, American musician
1940 - Lainie Kazan, American actress and singer
1940 - Don Nelson, NBA Coach
1941 - K.T. Oslin, American musician
1944 - Ulrich Beck, German sociologist
1945 - Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza
1945 - Lasse Berghagen, Swedish singer
1948 - Brian Eno, English musician and record producer
1951 - Chazz Palminteri, American actor, writer and director
1951 - Jonathan Richman, American musician
1951 - Frank Wilczek, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
1953 - George Brett, baseball player
1953 - Mike Oldfield, English composer
1955 - Melinda Culea, American actress
1956 - Dan Patrick, American sportscaster
1958 - Ron Simmons, American professional wrestler
1959 - Andrew Eldritch, English singer and songwriter (The Sisters of Mercy)
1959 - Kaokor Galaxy, Thai boxer
1961 - Katrin Cartlidge, British actress (d. 2002)
1962 - Melle Mel, American musician
1965 - Raí, Brazilian footballer
1967 - John Smoltz, baseball player
1969 - Emmitt Smith, American football player
1970 - Desmond Howard, American football player
1970 - Rod Smith, American football player
1970 - Frank de Boer, Dutch football player
1970 - Ronald de Boer, Dutch football player
1972 - David Charvet, French actor
1974 - Andrew Johns, Australian rugby player
1974 - Ahmet Zappa, American musician
1975 - Ray Lewis, American football player
1976 - Torraye Braggs, American basketball player
1976 - Tyler Walker, baseball player
1976 - Jacek Krzynówek, Polish footballer
1978 - Amy Chow, American gymnast
1978 - Edu, Brazilian footballer
1980 - Josh Beckett, baseball player
1981 - Jamie-Lynn Sigler, American actress
1982 - Veronica Campbell, Jamaican athlete
1982 - Jessica Sutta, American dancer, singer and actress (The Pussycat Dolls)
1982 - Segundo Castillo, Ecuadorian footballer
1983 - Devin Bronson, American guitarist (Avril Lavigne)
1987 - Jennylyn Mercado, Filipino actress and singer
1990 - Gerald Santos, Filipino actor and singer

Deaths

1036 - Emperor Go-Ichijō of Japan (b. 1008)
1157 - Yury Dolgoruky, Russian prince
1174 - Nur ad-Din, ruler of Syria (b. 1118)
1381 - Eppelein von Gailingen, German robber baron
1470 - Charles VIII of Sweden (b. 1409)
1585 - Niwa Nagahide, Japanese warlord (b. 1535)
1591 - Dmitry Ivanovich, Tsarevich (b. 1582)
1609 - Giovanni Croce, Italian composer (b. 1557)
1634 - Hendrick Avercamp, Dutch painter (b. 1585)
1698 - Marie Champmeslé, French actress (b. 1642)
1699 - Edward Petre, English Jesuit and privy councilor (b. 1631)
1714 - Roger Elliott, British general and Governor of Gibraltar
1740 - Ephraim Chambers, English encyclopaedist (b. 1680)
1760 - Alaungpaya, King of Burma (b. 1711)
1773 - Alban Butler, English Catholic priest and writer (b. 1710)
1782 - Marquis of Pombal, Prime Minister of Portugal (b. 1699)
1886 - Emily Dickinson, American poet (b. 1830)
1924 - Paul-Henri-Benjamin d'Estournelles de Constant, French diplomat, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1852)
1935 - Kazimir Malevich, Ukrainian artist (b. 1878)
1937 - Phillip Snowden, British politician (b. 1864)
1940 - Menno ter Braak , Dutch author and polemicist (b. 1902 )
1948 - Father Edward Flanagan, American priest and founder of Boys Town (b. 1886)
1956 - Austin Osman Spare, English magician (b. 1886)
1967 - Edward Hopper, American painter (b. 1882)
1971 - Sir Tyrone Guthrie, English director, producer, and writer (b. 1900)
1986 - Theodore H. White, American writer (b. 1915)
1989 - Johnny Green, American songwriter (b. 1908)
1991 - Andreas Floer, German mathematician (b. 1956)
1994 - Gilbert Roland, Mexican actor (b. 1904)
1995 - Eric Porter, British actor (b. 1928)
1996 - Charles B. Fulton, American jurist (b. 1910)
1998 - Earl Manigault, American basketball player (b. 1944)
2003 - June Carter Cash, American musician and singer (b. 1929)
2003 - George Francis, British gangster (b. 1940)
2003 - Rik Van Steenbergen, Belgian cyclist (b. 1924)
2005 - Les Bartley, lacrosse coach (b. 1954)
2005 - Alan B. Gold, Chief justice of the Quebec Superior Court (b. 1917)
2006 - Joyce Ballantyne Brand, artist (b. 1918)

Gourt Home::Gourt :: May 15

Events

Births

Deaths

Holidays and observances

Liturgical Feast days

External links