February 15 in History

Historical Events on February 15

590

Khosrau II is crowned king of Persia.
706

Byzantine emperor Justinian II has his predecessors Leontios and Tiberios III publicly executed in the Hippodrome of Constantinople.
1113

Pope Paschal II issues a bill sanctioning the establishment of the Order of Hospitallers.
1214

During the Anglo-French War (1213-1214), an English invasion force lands at La Rochelle in France.
1493

While 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.
1637

Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor.
1690

Constantin Cantemir, Prince of Moldavia, and the Holy Roman Empire sign a secret treaty in Sibiu, stipulating that Moldavia would support the actions led by the House of Habsburg against the Ottoman Empire.
1764

The city of St. Louis is established in Spanish Louisiana (now in Missouri, USA).
1798

The Roman Republic is proclaimed after Louis-Alexandre Berthier, a general of Napoleon, had invaded the city of Rome five days earlier.
1804

The Serbian Revolution begins.
1835

The first constitutional law in modern Serbia is adopted.
1862

American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant attacks Fort Donelson, Tennessee.
1870

Stevens Institute of Technology is founded in New Jersey, USA and offers the first Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering.
1879

Women's rights: US President Rutherford B. Hayes signs a bill allowing female attorneys to argue cases before the Supreme Court of the United States.
1891

Allmänna Idrottsklubben (AIK) (Swedish Sports Club) is founded.
1898

The battleship USS Maine explodes and sinks in Havana harbor in Cuba, killing 274. This event leads the United States to declare war on Spain.
1901

The association football club Alianza Lima is founded in Lima, Peru, under the name Sport Alianza.
1909

The Flores Theater fire in Acapulco, Mexico kills 250.
1921

Kingdom of Romania establishes its legation in Helsinki.
1923

Greece becomes the last European country to adopt the Gregorian calendar.
1925

The 1925 serum run to Nome: The second delivery of serum arrives in Nome, Alaska.
1933

In Miami, Giuseppe Zangara attempts to assassinate US President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt, but instead shoots Chicago mayor Anton J. Cermak, who dies of his wounds on March 6, 1933.
1942

World War II: 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.
1944

World War II: The assault on Monte Cassino, Italy begins.
1944

World War II: The Narva Offensive begins.
1945

World War II: Third day of bombing in Dresden.
1946

ENIAC, the first electronic general-purpose computer, is formally dedicated at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
1949

Gerald 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.
1952

King George VI of the United Kingdom is buried in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
1954

Canada 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.
1961

Sabena Flight 548 crashes in Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States figure skating team along with several of their coaches and family members.
1965

A new red-and-white maple leaf design is adopted as the flag of Canada, replacing the old Canadian Red Ensign banner.
1971

The decimalisation of British coinage is completed on Decimal Day.
1972

Sound recordings are granted U.S. federal copyright protection for the first time.
1972

José María Velasco Ibarra, serving as President of Ecuador for the fifth time, is overthrown by the military for the fourth time.
1982

The drilling rig Ocean Ranger sinks during a storm off the coast of Newfoundland, killing 84 workers.
1989

Soviet war in Afghanistan: The Soviet Union officially announces that all of its troops have left Afghanistan.
1991

The Visegrád Agreement, establishing cooperation to move toward free-market systems, is signed by the leaders of Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland.
1992

Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is sentenced in Milwaukee to life in prison.
1996

At 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.
2001

The first draft of the complete human genome is published in Nature.
2003

Protests against the Iraq war take place in over 600 cities worldwide. It is estimated that between eight million to 30 million people participate, making this the largest peace demonstration in history.
2012

Three hundred sixty people die in a fire at a Honduran prison in the city of Comayagua.
2013

A meteor explodes over Russia, injuring 1,500 people as a shock wave blows out windows and rocks buildings. This happens unexpectedly only hours before the expected closest ever approach of the larger and unrelated asteroid 2012 DA14.

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