February 15 in History

Historical Events on February 15

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

1764 The city of St. Louis is established in Spanish Louisiana (now in Missouri, USA).

1862 American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant attacks Fort Donelson, Tennessee.

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.

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.

1945 World War II: Third day of bombing in Dresden.

1989 Soviet war in Afghanistan: The Soviet Union officially announces that all of its troops have left Afghanistan.

2001 The first draft of the complete human genome is published in Nature.

All Events

Famous Birthdays on February 15

1564 Galileo Galilei

1710 Louis XV of France

1820 Susan B. Anthony

1970 Shepard Fairey

All Births

Famous Deaths on February 15

1637 Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor

1905 Lew Wallace

1928 H. H. Asquith

1988 Richard Feynman

All Deaths

Choose Another Date