Today November 15th in history click read more below to view detail events, deaths, births, Holidays and observances, and video clips in hisotry. Please comments, last database updated: Jan 17th, 2009
Events
655 – Battle of Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria.
1315 – Battle of Morgarten the Schweizer Eidgenossenschaft ambushes the army of Leopold I.
1515 – Thomas Cardinal Wolsey is invested as a Cardinal
1532 – Commanded by Francisco Pizarro, Spanish conquistadors under Hernando de Soto meet Inca leader Atahualpa for the first time outside Cajamarca, arranging a meeting on the city plaza the following day
1533 – Francisco Pizarro arrives in Cuzco, the capital of the Inca Empire.
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 necessary royal concession.
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.
1920 – First assembly of the League of Nations is held in Geneva.
1926 – The NBC radio network opens with 24 stations.
1935 – Manuel L. Quezon is inaugurated as the second president of the Philippines.
1939 – In Washington, D.C., US President Franklin D. Roosevelt lays the cornerstone of the Jefferson Memorial.
1942 – World War II: First flight of the Heinkel He 219.
1942 – World War II: The Battle of Guadalcanal ends in a decisive Allied victory.
1943 – Holocaust: 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 are executed for assassinating Mahatma Gandhi.
1959 – Four members of the Herbert Clutter Family are murdered at their farm outside Holcomb, Kansas.
1960 – The Polaris missile is test launched.
1966 – Gemini program: Gemini 12 splashes down safely in the Atlantic Ocean.
1966 – A Boeing 727 carrying Pan Am Flight 708 crashes near Berlin, Germany, killing all three people on board.
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 which 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, D.C., 250,000-500,000 protesters staged a peaceful demonstration against the war, including a symbolic March Against Death.
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 Douglas 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. Recognised only by Turkey
1985 – A research assistant is injured when 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.
1988 – The first Fairtrade label, Max Havelaar, is launched in the Netherlands.
1990 – Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Atlantis launches with flight STS-38.
2000 – A chartered Antonov AN-24 crashes after takeoff from Luanda, Angola killing more than 40 people. New Jharkhand state came into existence in India.
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.
2005 – Boeing formally launches the stretched Boeing 747-8 variant with orders from Cargolux and Nippon Cargo Airlines.
2007 – A devastating Cyclone named Sidr hit Bangladesh, killing an estimated 5000 people and destroyed the world s largest mangrove forest, Sundarbans.
2008 – Red Bull Drifting World Championship
Births
1316 – 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)
1688 – Louis Bertrand Castel, French mathematician (d. 1757)
1692 – Eusebius Amort, German Catholic theologian (d. 1775)
1708 – William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1778)
1738 – William Herschel, German-born astronomer (d. 1822)
1741 – Johann Kaspar Lavater, German philosopher (d. 1801)
1746 – Joseph Quesnel, French Canadian composer and playwright (d. 1809)
1757 – Heinrich Christian Friedrich Schumacher, Danish surgeon (d. 1830)
1784 – Jerome Bonaparte, King of Westphalia (d. 1860)
1793 – Michel Chasles, French mathematician (d. 1880)
1835 – Sakamoto Ryoma, Japanese revolutionary (d. 1867)
1852 – Tewfik Pasha, Khedive of Egypt (d. 1892)
1859 – Christopher Hornsrud, Prime Minister of Norway (d. 1960)
1862 – Gerhart Hauptmann, German dramatist, Nobel laureate (d. 1946)
1874 – August Krogh, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate (d. 1949)
1874 – Dimitrios Golemis, Greek athlete (d. 1941)
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 – Manuel II of Portugal (d. 1932)
1890 – Richmal Crompton, British author (d. 1969)
1891 – Averell Harriman, American businessman (d. 1986)
1891 – Erwin Rommel, German field marshal (d. 1944)
1895 – Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia (d. 1918)
1895 – Antoni Slonimski, Polish writer (d. 1976)
1897 – Aneurin Bevan, British politician (d. 1960)
1897 – Sacheverell Sitwell, English writer (d. 1988)
1899 – Avdy Andresson, Estonian statesman (d. 1990)
1899 – Iskander Mirza, first President of Pakistan (d. 1969)
1903 – Stewie Dempster, New Zealand cricketer (d. 1974)
1905 – Mantovani, Italian-born composer (d. 1980)
1906 – Curtis LeMay, U.S. Air Force general (d. 1990)
1907 – Claus von Stauffenberg, German, leader of failed plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler (d. 1944)
1913 – Guy Green, English film director (d. 2005)
1913 – Arthur Haulot, Belgian journalist (d. 2005)
1919 – Joseph Wapner, American judge
1925 – Howard Baker, American political advisor
1925 – Yuli Daniel, Russian writer (d. 1988)
1927 – Gregor Mackenzie, British politician (d. 1992)
1928 – C. W. McCall, American singer
1928 – John Orchard, British actor (d. 1995)
1929 – Ed Asner, American actor
1930 – J. G. Ballard, British author
1931 – Mwai Kibaki, President of Kenya
1931 – Pascal Lissouba, Congo politician
1932 – Petula Clark, English singer
1932 – Clyde McPhatter, American singer (d. 1972)
1932 – Alvin Plantinga, American philosopher
1936 – Wolf Biermann, German writer
1937 – Little Willie John, American singer (d. 1968)
1937 – Yaphet Kotto, American actor
1940 – Ulf Pilgaard, Danish actor
1940 – Sam Waterston, American actor
1942 – Daniel Barenboim, Argentine-born conductor and pianist
1945 – Roger Donaldson, Australian producer/director
1945 – Bob Gunton, American actor
1945 – Anni-Frid Frida Lyngstad, Norwegian (By Birth) singer (ABBA)
1947 – Bill Richardson, American politician
1951 – Beverly D Angelo, American actress
1952 – Zoltán Buday, Hungarian born actor
1952 – Randy Savage, American professional wrestler
1954 – Aleksander Kwasniewski, former President of Poland
1955 – Georgie Born, English academic, anthropologist and musician (Henry Cow)
1955 – Henry Corra, American documentarian
1956 – Michael Hampton, American guitarist (Funkadelic)
1956 – Brian Douglas Wells, American criminal (d. 2003)
1957 – Kevin Eubanks, American jazz guitarist
1957 – Ray McKinnon, American film actor/director
1961 – Ian Reid, Australian educator
1963 – Benny Elias, Australian rugby league footballer
1963 – Andrew Castle, English television presenter and former tennis professional
1965 – Nigel Bond, English snooker player
1965 – Stefan Pfeiffer, German swimmer
1966 – Rachel True, American actress
1967 – Pedro Borbón, Jr., Dominican baseball player
1967 – Greg Anthony, American basketball player
1967 – E-40, American rapper
1967 – François Ozon, French film director
1967 – Gustavo Poyet, Uruguayan footballer
1968 – Jennifer Charles, American singer/songwriter
1968 – Ol Dirty Bastard, American rapper (d. 2004)
1968 – Fausto Brizzi, Italian screenwriter and film director
1969 – Shane Mack, American politician
1970 – Jack Ingram, American singer and songwriter
1970 – Patrick Mboma, Cameroonian footballer
1971 – Jay Harrington, American actor
1972 – Jonny Lee Miller, English actor
1973 – Jesse Merz, American actor
1973 – Sydney Tamiia Poitier, American actress
1974 – Chad Kroeger, Canadian singer
1975 – Scott Henshall, British fashion designer
1975 – Yannick Tremblay, Canadian ice hockey player
1976 – Brandon DiCamillo, American comedian
1976 – Virginie Ledoyen, French actress
1977 – Sean Murray, American actor
1977 – Peter Phillips, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II
1977 – Logan Whitehurst, American musician (d. 2006)
1979 – Josemi, Spanish footballer
1979 – Brett Lancaster, Australian cyclist
1980 – Ace Young, American singer
1981 – Lorena Ochoa, Mexican golfer
1981 – Drew Hodgdon, American football player
1982 – D. J. Fitzpatrick, National Football League kicker
1982 – Joe Kowalewski, American football player
1982 – Lofa Tatupu, National Football League
1983 – DJ Skee, American DJ/Personality
1983 – Laura Smet, French actress
1983 – Fernando Verdasco, Spanish tennis player
1986 – Sania Mirza, Indian tennis player
1987 – Isaiah Osbourne, English footballer
1987 – Ian Hecox, Member of Smosh
1988 – Zena Grey, American actress
1990 – Kanata Hongo, Japanese actor
1991 – Shailene Woodley, American Actress
1993 – Saaya Irie, Japanese Actress, singer
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, bishop, and philosopher
1463 – Giovanni Antonio del Balzo Orsini, Prince of Taranto and Constable of Naples
1544 – King Jungjong of Joseon (b. 1506)
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)
1819 – Daniel Rutherford, Scottish chemist and physician (b. 1749)
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 laureate (b. 1846)
1917 – Émile Durkheim, French sociologist (b. 1858)
1919 – Alfred Werner, German chemist, Nobel laureate (b. 1866)
1919 – Mohammad Farid, an influential Egyptian political figure (b. 1868)
1949 – Narayan Apte, conspirator against Mahatma Gandhi (b. 1911)
1949 – Nathuram Godse, conspirator against Mahatma Gandhi (b. 1910)
1954 – Lionel Barrymore, American actor (b. 1878)
1958 – Tyrone Power, American actor (b. 1914)
1959 – Charles Thomson Rees Wilson, Scottish physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1869)
1961 – Elsie Ferguson, American actress (b. 1883)
1963 – Fritz Reiner, Hungarian conductor (b. 1888)
1965 – Dawn Powell, American poet (b. 1896)
1966 – Dimitrios Tofalos, Greek weightlifter (b. 1877)
1967 – Michael J. Adams, American test pilot (b. 1930)
1971 – Rudolf Abel, Soviet spy (b. 1903)
1976 – Jean Gabin, French actor (b. 1904)
1978 – Margaret Mead, American anthropologist (b. 1901)
1982 – Martin De Alzaga, Argentine racing driver (b. 1901)
1983 – Charlie Grimm, American baseball player (b. 1898)
1983 – John Le Mesurier, English actor (b. 1912)
1988 – Billo Frómeta, Dominican orchestra conductor, arranger and composer (b. 1915)
1990 – Alydar, American racehorse (b. 1975)
1994 – Elizabeth George Speare, American author (b. 1908)
1996 – Alger Hiss, American government official and alleged spy (b. 1904)
1997 – Saul Chaplin, American composer and musical director (b. 1912)
1998 – Stokely Carmichael, American civil rights activist (b. 1941)
1998 – Ludvik Danek, Czechoslovak discus thrower (b. 1937)
2002 – Myra Hindley, English murderess (b. 1942)
2003 – Speedy West, Country Music Hall of Fame Steel Guitarist (b. 1924)
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)
2006 – Ana Carolina Reston, Brazilian model (b. 1985)
2006 – David K. Wyatt, American historian (b. 1937)
2007 – Joe Nuxhall, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1928)
Holidays and observances
Roman festivals – Festival in honor of Feronia (others say 13 November)
Roman Catholic Saints – Albert the Great, Saint Zechariah, Saint Leopold, Abibus of Edessa, Hugh Faringdon, Saint Malo, Saint Mechell, Didier of Cahors
Eastern Orthodoxy – Feast of Saint Philip the Apostle and the beginning of Winter Lent
Austria – Saint Leopold s day — no school in Vienna, Lower Austria and Upper Austria
Belgium – King s Feast, not an official holiday, but some state institutions are closed; Day of the German-speaking Community of Belgium, observed only in the German-speaking Community (since 1990), not in the rest of Belgium.
Brazil – Republic Proclamation Day (1889)
Palestine – Independence Day (declared 1988)
United States – America Recycles Day
Japan – Shichi-Go-San – traditional rite of passage and festival day for three and seven year-old girls and three and five year-old boys
