All Events

Historical Events on October 15

  • Napoleon

    1815

    Emperor Napoleon I begins his exile on Saint Helena in the Atlantic Ocean.

  • American Civil War

    1863

    American Civil War: The H. L. Hunley, the first submarine to sink a ship, sinks during a test, killing its inventor, Horace L. Hunley.

  • Dreyfus affair

    1894

    The Dreyfus affair: Alfred Dreyfus is arrested for spying.

  • World War I

    1917

    World War I: At Vincennes outside Paris, Dutch dancer Mata Hari is executed by firing squad for spying for the German Empire.

  • World War II

    1945

    World War II: The former premier of Vichy France Pierre Laval is shot by a firing squad for treason.

  • Vietnam War

    1965

    Vietnam War: The Catholic Worker Movement stages an anti-war rally in Manhattan including a public burning of a draft card; the first such act to result in arrest under a new amendment to the Selective Service Act.

  • Wayne Gretzky

    1989

    Wayne Gretzky becomes the all-time leading points scorer in the NHL.

  • Mikhail Gorbachev

    1990

    Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to lessen Cold War tensions and open up his nation.

  • NASA

    2001

    NASA's Galileo spacecraft passes within 112 miles of Jupiter's moon Io.

All Births

Famous Birthdays on October 15

All Deaths

Famous Deaths on October 15

14. October

16. October