Today June 15th 2009 this day in history Read more below to view events, deaths, births, Holidays observances and video clips. Last database updated: Jan 17th, 2009
Events
763 BC – Assyrians record a solar eclipse that will be used to fix the chronology of Mesopotamian history.
923 – Battle of Soissons: King Robert I of France is killed and King Charles the Simple is arrested by the supporters of Duke Rudolph of Burgundy.
1184 – King Magnus V of Norway is killed at the battle of Fimreite.
1215 – King John of England puts his seal to the Magna Carta.
1246 – With the death of Duke Frederick II, the Babenberg dynasty ends in Austria.
1389 – Battle of Kosovo: The Ottoman Empire defeats Serbs and Bosnians.
1520 – Pope Leo X threatens to excommunicate Martin Luther in papal bull Exsurge Domine.
1580 – Phillip II of Spain declares William the Silent to be an outlaw.
1667 – The first human blood transfusion is administered by Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys.
1752 – Benjamin Franklin proves that lightning is electricity.
1775 – American Revolutionary War: George Washington is appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.
1776 – Delaware Separation Day – Delaware votes to suspend government under the British Crown and separate officially from Pennsylvania.
1785 – Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier, co-pilot of the first-ever manned flight (1783), and his companion, Pierre Romain, become the first-ever casualties of an air crash when their hot air balloon explodes during their attempt to cross the English Channel.
1804 – New Hampshire approves the Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratifying the document.
1808 – Joseph Bonaparte becomes King of Spain.
1836 – Arkansas is admitted as the 25th U.S. state.
1844 – Charles Goodyear receives a patent for vulcanization, a process to strengthen rubber.
1846 – The Oregon Treaty establishes the 49th parallel as the border between the United States and Canada, from the Rocky Mountains to the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
1859 – Pig War: Ambiguity in the Oregon Treaty leads to the Northwestern Boundary Dispute between U.S. and British/Canadian settlers.
1864 – American Civil War: Siege of Petersburg begins.
1864 – Arlington National Cemetery is established when 200 acres (0.8 km²) around Arlington Mansion are officially set aside as a military cemetery by U.S. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton.
1867 – Atlantic Cable Quartz Lode gold mine located in Montana.
1877 – Henry Ossian Flipper becomes the first African American cadet to graduate from the United States Military Academy.
1888 – Crown Prince Wilhelm becomes Kaiser Wilhelm II and is the last emperor of the German Empire
1904 – A fire aboard the steamboat General Slocum in New York City s East River kills 1000.
1905 – Princess Margaret of Connaught marries Gustav, Crown Prince of Sweden.
1909 – Representatives from England, Australia and South Africa meet at Lord s and form the Imperial Cricket Conference.
1911 – Tabulating Computing Recording Corporation (IBM) is incorporated.
1913 – The Battle of Bud Bagsak in the Philippine concludes.
1916 – U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signs a bill incorporating the Boy Scouts of America, making them the only American youth organization with a federal charter.
1919 – John Alcock and Arthur Brown complete the first nonstop transatlantic flight at Clifden, County Galway, Ireland.
1920 – Duluth lynchings in Minnesota.
1934 – The U.S. s Great Smoky Mountains National Park is founded.
1944 – World War II: Battle of Saipan: The United States invades Saipan.
1944 – In the Saskatchewan general election, 1944, the CCF, led by Tommy Douglas, is elected and forms the first socialist government of North America.
1945 – The General Dutch Youth League (ANJV) is founded in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
1954 – UEFA (Union des Associations Européennes de Football) is formed in Basle, Switzerland.
1955 – The Eisenhower administration stages the first annual Operation Alert (OPAL) exercise, an attempt to assess the USA s preparations for a nuclear attack.
1962 – Students for a Democratic Society complete the Port Huron Statement.
1978 – King Hussein of Jordan weds American Lisa Halaby, who takes the name Queen Noor.
1985 – Rembrandt s painting Danaë is attacked by a man later judged insane; he threw sulfuric acid on the canvas and cut it twice with his knife.
1991 – Birth of the first federal political party in Canada that supports Quebec nationalism, le Bloc Québécois.
1992 – The United States Supreme Court rules in United States v. Álvarez-Machaín that it is permissible for the USA to forcibly extradite suspects in foreign countries and bring them to the USA for trial, without approval from those other countries.
1994 – Israel and Vatican City establish full diplomatic relations.
1996 – In Manchester, UK, a terrorist bomb injures over 200 people and devastates a large part of the city centre.
2002 – Near earth asteroid 2002 MN missed the Earth by 75,000 miles (120,000 km), about one-third of the distance between the Earth and the Moon
Births
1330 – Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales (d. 1376)
1519 – Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset, illegitimate son of King Henry VIII of England (d. 1536)
1594 – Nicolas Poussin, French painter (d. 1665)
1623 – Cornelis de Witt, Dutch politician (d. 1672)
1624 – Hiob Ludolf, German orientalist (d. 1704)
1640 – Bernard Lamy, French mathematician (d. 1715)
1755 – Antoine François, comte de Fourcroy, French chemist (d. 1809)
1765 – Johann Gottlieb Friedrich von Bohnenberger, German mathematician (d. 1831)
1767 – Rachel Donelson Jackson, First Lady of the United States (d. 1828)
1777 – David Daniel Davis, British politician (d. 1841)
1789 – Josiah Henson, American slave and settlement founder (d. 1883)
1801 – Benjamin Raymond, Mayor of Chicago (d. 1883)
1805 – William Butler Ogden, first Mayor of Chicago (d. 1877)
1809 – François-Xavier Garneau, French-Canadian poet and historian (d. 1866)
1843 – Edvard Grieg, Norwegian composer (d. 1907)
1875 – Herman Smith-Johannsen, cross-country skier (d. 1987)
1882 – Ion Antonescu, Prime Minister of Romania (d. 1946)
1884 – Harry Langdon, American actor (d. 1944)
1888 – Ramón López Velarde, Mexican poet (d. 1921)
1894 – Nikolai Chebotaryov, Ukrainian mathematician (d. 1947)
1894 – Robert Russell Bennett, American composer and arranger (d. 1981)
1900 – Gotthard Günther, German philosopher (d. 1984)
1900 – Otto Luening, German-American composer (d. 1996)
1902 – Erik Erikson, psychoanalyst (d. 1994)
1906 – Léon Degrelle, Belgian SS officer (d. 1994)
1908 – Sam Giancana, American mafioso (d. 1975)
1910 – David Rose, American songwriter, composer and orchestra leader (d. 1990)
1911 – W.V. Awdry, British children s writer (d. 1997)
1914 – Yuri Andropov, Soviet politician (d. 1984)
1914 – Saul Steinberg, Romanian/American cartoonist (d. 1999)
1914 – Hilda Terry, American Cartoonist (d. 2006)
1915 – Thomas Huckle Weller, American virologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
1916 – Herbert Simon, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2001)
1917 – John Fenn, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
1917 – Lash La Rue, American actor (d. 1996)
1917 – Michalis Genitsaris, Greek singer and composer (d. 2005)
1920 – Alberto Sordi, Italian actor and director (d. 2003)
1920 – Alla Kazanskaya, Russian stage and film actress (d. 2008)
1921 – Errol Garner, American musician (d. 1977)
1922 – John Veale, English composer (d. 2006)
1924 – Ezer Weizman, Israeli politician (d. 2005)
1926 – Mac McGarry, American quiz show host
1926 – Shigeru Kayano, Japanese Ainu activist (d. 2006)
1927 – Ibn-e-Insha, Pakistani humourist and Urdu poet (d. 1978)
1927 – Hugo Pratt, Italian comic book creator (d. 1995)
1930 – Marcel Pronovost, Canadian professional ice hockey player
1932 – Mario Cuomo, American politician
1933 – Sergio Endrigo, Italian singer (d. 2005)
1933 – Mark Jones, English footballer (d. 1958)
1934 – Jerry Buss, American basketball team owner
1934 – Mikel Laboa, Basque singer and songwriter. (d. 2008)
1936 – Claude Brasseur, French actor
1936 – William Joseph Levada, American Catholic prelate
1937 – Waylon Jennings, American singer (d. 2002)
1938 – Billy Williams, baseball player
1939 – Ward Connerly, American political figure
1939 – Brian Jacques, British author
1941 – Harry Nilsson, American singer and composer (d. 1994)
1942 – John E. McLaughlin, former Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
1943 – Xaviera Hollander, Dutch author
1943 – Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, former Prime Minister of Denmark
1943 – Johnny Hallyday, French singer and actor
1943 – Muff Winwood, British songwriter and bassist (Spencer Davis Group)
1943 – Lee Shallat-Chemel, American television director
1944 – Robert Keppel, American criminologist
1945 – Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Philippine senator
1945 – Nicola Pagett, British actress
1945 – Lawrence Wilkerson, American retired military officer
1946 – Noddy Holder, British singer (Slade)
1946 – Demis Roussos, Greek singer
1947 – John Hoagland, American photographer
1947 – Lee Purcell, American actress
1948 – Mike Holmgren, American football coach
1949 – Dusty Baker, baseball player and manager
1949 – Simon Callow, British actor
1949 – Russell Hitchcock, Australian singer (Air Supply)
1949 – Jim Varney, American actor (d. 2000)
1950 – Lakshmi Mittal, Indian industrialist
1951 – Steve Walsh, American singer (Kansas)
1953 – Rita Lee, American model and Playboy Playmate
1954 – James Belushi, American actor
1954 – Paul Rusesabagina, Rwandan hotel manager
1954 – Beverley Whitfield, Australian swimmer (d. 1996)
1955 – Julie Hagerty, American actress
1955 – David Kennedy, Kennedy family member (d. 1984)
1956 – Ava Cadell, American actress
1956 – Robin Curtis, American actress
1956 – Polly Draper, American actress
1957 – Seppo Pääkkönen, Finnish actor
1958 – Wade Boggs, American baseball player
1958 – Riccardo Paletti, Italian racing driver (d. 1982)
1959 – Eileen Davidson, American actress
1959 – Alan Brazil, British footballer
1960 – Michèle Laroque, French actress
1960 – Marieke van Doorn, Dutch field hockey player
1961 – Kai Eckhardt, German musician (Garaj Mahal)
1961 – Dave McAuley, Northern Irish boxer
1961 – Yoshimi Iwasaki, Japanese singer/actress
1961 – Scott Norton, American professional wrestler
1962 – Andrea Rost, Hungarian soprano
1963 – Mario Gosselin, Quebec ice hockey player
1963 – Helen Hunt, American actress
1963 – Blanca Portillo, Spanish actress
1963 – Nigel Walker, Welsh athlete and rugby union player
1964 – Courteney Cox, American actress
1964 – Michael Laudrup, Danish footballer
1965 – Annelies Bredael, Belgian rower
1965 – Adam Smith, American politician
1966 – Idalis DeLeon, American actress/singer
1967 – Yuji Ueda, Japanese voice actor
1968 – Oh Dal-su, South Korean actor
1969 – Ice Cube, American rapper
1969 – Oliver Kahn, German footballer
1969 – Cédric Pioline, French tennis player
1969 – Maurice Odumbe, Kenyan cricketer
1970 – Leah Remini, American actress
1970 – Gaëlle Méchaly, French soprano
1970 – Christian Bauman, American novelist and essayist
1971 – Edwin Brienen, Dutch director
1971 – Jake Busey, American actor
1971 – Bif Naked, Canadian musician
1971 – Nathan Astle, New Zealand cricketer
1972 – Justin Leonard, American golfer
1972 – Andy Pettitte, American baseball player
1972 – Marcus Hahnemann, American soccer player
1972 – Hank Von Helvete, Turbonegro Frontman
1973 – Neil Patrick Harris, American actor
1973 – Tore André Flo, Norwegian footballer
1973 – Pia Miranda, Australian actress
1973 – Greg Vaughan, American actor
1975 – Elizabeth Reaser, American actress
1975 – Rachel Wacholder, American beach volleyballer
1976 – Gary Lightbody, Northern Irish musician (Snow Patrol)
1977 – Nina Liu, Australian actress
1977 – Michael Doleac, American basketball player
1978 – Wilfred Bouma, Dutch footballer
1978 – Zach Day, American baseball player
1979 – Yulia Nestsiarenka, Belarusian athlete
1979 – Julia Schultz, American model
1979 – Charles Zwolsman Jr., Dutch racing driver
1980 – Mary Carey, American pornographic actress
1980 – Christopher Castile, American actor
1980 – Almudena Cid Tostado, Spanish gymnast
1980 – Cara Zavaleta, American model
1981 – William Dean Martin, American musician (Good Charlotte)
1981 – Jeremy Reed, American baseball player
1981 – Jordi Vilasuso, American actor
1982 – Abdur Razzak, Bangladeshi cricketer
1982 – Haley Scarnato, American singer
1983 – Derek Anderson, American football player
1983 – Julia Fischer, German violinist
1983 – Laura Imbruglia, Australian musician
1984 – Tim Lincecum, American baseball player
1984 – Luke Hodge, AFL player for Hawthorn
1985 – Nadine Coyle, Northern Irish singer (Girls Aloud)
1988 – Miku Ishida, Japanese teen idol
Deaths
923 – Robert I of France (b. 866)
991 – Empress Theophanu
1073 – Emperor Go-Sanjo of Japan (b. 1034)
1246 – Duke Frederick II of Austria (b. 1219)
1341 – Andronikos III Palaiologos, Byzantine Emperor (b. 1297)
1381 – John Cavendish, Lord Chief Justice of England
1381 – Wat Tyler, English rebel
1383 – John VI Cantacuzenus, Byzantine Emperor
1389 – Murad I, Ottoman Sultan (b. 1326)
1389 – Prince Lazar, Serbian Orthodox saint (b. 1329)
1467 – Philip III, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1396)
1521 – Tamás Bakócz. Hungarian Catholic cardinal and statesman (b. 1442)
1614 – Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton, English politician (b. 1540)
1679 – Guillaume Courtois, French painter (b. 1628)
1724 – Henry Sacheverell, English churchman and politician (b. 1674)
1750 – Marguerite De Launay, Baronne Staal, French writer (b. 1684)
1768 – James Short, Scottish mathematician and optician (b. 1710)
1772 – Louis-Claude Daquin, French composer (b. 1694)
1844 – Thomas Campbell, Scottish poet (b. 1777)
1849 – James Knox Polk, 11th President of the United States (b. 1795)
1858 – Ary Scheffer, Dutch-French painter (b. 1795)
1888 – Emperor Friedrich III of Germany (b. 1831)
1889 – Mihai Eminescu, Romanian poet (b. 1850)
1917 – Kristian Birkeland, Norwegian physicist (b. 1867)
1934 – Alfred Bruneau, French composer (b. 1857)
1941 – Evelyn Underhill, British writer (b. 1875)
1941 – Otfrid Foerster, German neurologist (b. 1873)
1961 – Giulio Cabianca, Italian racing driver (b. 1923)
1962 – Alfred Cortot, Franco-Swiss pianist (b. 1877)
1965 – E. A. Speiser, American Bible scholar (b. 1902)
1965 – Steve Cochran, American actor (b. 1917)
1968 – Sam Crawford, baseball player (b. 1880)
1968 – Wes Montgomery, American jazz guitarist (b. 1925)
1971 – Wendell Meredith Stanley, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
1976 – Jimmy Dykes, baseball player and manager (b. 1896)
1983 – Srirangam Srinivasarao, also known as Sri Sri, Telugu poet (b. 1910)
1984 – Meredith Willson, American composer (b. 1902)
1985 – Andy Stanfield, American athlete (b. 1927)
1985 – Robert Stethem, U.S. Navy Seabee diver murdered by terrorists on TWA Flight 847 (b. 1961)
1989 – Victor French, American actor (b. 1934)
1989 – Maurice Bellemare, Canadian politician (b. 1912)
1991 – Arthur Lewis, British economist, Nobel laureate (b. 1915)
1991 – Happy Chandler, American politician and Commissioner of Baseball (b. 1898)
1993 – John Connally, American politician (b. 1917)
1993 – James Hunt, English race car driver and 1976 F1 world champion (b. 1947)
1994 – Manos Hadjidakis, Greek composer (b. 1925)
1995 – John Vincent Atanasoff, American computer pioneer (b. 1903)
1996 – Ella Fitzgerald, American singer (b. 1917)
1996 – Dick Murdoch, professional wrestler (b. 1946)
2000 – Jules Roy, French writer (b. 1907)
2001 – Henri Alekan, French cinematographer (b. 1909)
2002 – Choi Hong Hi, founder of Taekwon-Do (b. 1918)
2003 – Hume Cronyn, Canadian actor (b. 1911)
2005 – Suzanne Flon, French actress (b. 1918)
2006 – Raymond Devos, French humourist (b. 1922)
2006 – Herb Pearson, New Zealand cricketer (b. 1910)
2007 – Claudia Cohen, American gossip columnist and socialite (b. 1950)
2007 – Sherri Martel, American professional wrestler and valet (b. 1958)
2008 – Stan Winston, American special effects and makeup artist, and film director (b. 1946)
Holidays and observances
Commemoration of Evelyn Underhill (Anglican mystic and poet)
Roman Empire – ninth and final day of the Vestalia in honor of Vesta
Flag Day in Denmark
Augustine of Hippo s feast in many Eastern Orthodox Churches
Saint Vitus (observed with Sts. Modestus and Crescentia), patron of actors and epileptics
Saint Landelin (7th century)
Saint Edburga of Winchester (d. 960)
Saint Germaine Cousin, (d. 1601), patron of shepherdesses and of victims of child abuse
