October 15 in history — What Happened Today in History
Curious what October 15 in history holds? From 2018 back through the centuries, our timeline gathers everything that happened on October 15 — events, birthdays and deaths on one cozy page.
On this page, October 15 in history is arranged as a timeline of major events in reverse order, with birthdays and deaths in their own sections, plus a short FAQ about October 15 in history at the bottom.
Major Events on October 15 in History 40
- 2018
13-year-old American girl, Jayme Closs, is kidnapped from her Barron, Wisconsin home after her parents were both murdered.
- 2016
One hundred and ninety-seven nations amend the Montreal Protocol to include a phase-out of hydrofluorocarbons.
- 2013
The 7.2 Mw Bohol earthquake strikes the Philippines. At least 215 were killed.
- 2008
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes down 733.08 points, or 7.87%, the second worst percentage drop in the Dow's history.
- 2007
Seventeen activists in New Zealand are arrested in the country's first post-9/11 anti-terrorism raids.
- 2006
The 6.7 Mw Kiholo Bay earthquake rocks Hawaii, causing property damage, injuries, landslides, power outages, and the closure of Honolulu International Airport.
- 2003
China launches Shenzhou 5, its first crewed space mission.
- 2002
A Soyuz-U rocket carrying Foton-M No.1 fails after liftoff from Plesetsk Cosmodrome and crashes, killing one person and injuring eight others.
- 2001
NASA's Galileo spacecraft passes within 112 miles (180 km) of Jupiter's moon Io.
- 1997
The Cassini probe launches from Cape Canaveral on its way to Saturn.
- 1994
The United States, under the Clinton administration, returns Haiti's first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, to the island.
- 1991
The "Oh-My-God particle", an ultra-high-energy cosmic ray measured at 40,000,000 times that of the highest energy protons produced in a particle accelerator, is observed at the University of Utah HiRes observatory in Dugway Proving Ground, Utah.
All entries for October 15（+28）
- 1991
The leaders of the Baltic States, Arnold Rüütel of Estonia, Anatolijs Gorbunovs of Latvia and Vytautas Landsbergis of Lithuania, signed the OSCE Final Act in Helsinki, Finland.
- 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.
- 1989
Wayne Gretzky becomes the all-time leading points scorer in the NHL.
- 1987
Aero Trasporti Italiani Flight 460 crashes near Conca di Crezzo, Italy, killing all 37 people on board.
- 1987
A coup d'état in Burkina Faso overthrows and kills then President Thomas Sankara.
- 1979
Supporters of the Malta Labour Party ransack and destroy the Times of Malta building and other locations associated with the Nationalist Party.
- 1979
A coup d'état in El Salvador overthrows President Carlos Humberto Romero and begins the 12 year-long Salvadoran Civil War.
- 1970
During the construction of Australia's West Gate Bridge, a span of the bridge falls and kills 35 workers. The incident is the country's worst industrial accident to this day.
- 1966
The Black Panther Party is created by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale.
- 1965
Vietnam War: A draft card is burned during an anti-war rally by the Catholic Worker Movement, resulting in the first arrest under a new law.
- 1956
FORTRAN, the first modern computer language, is first shared with the coding community.
- 1954
Hurricane Hazel devastates the eastern seaboard of North America, killing 95 and causing massive floods as far north as Toronto.
- 1951
Mexican chemist Luis E. Miramontes completes the synthesis of norethisterone, the basis of an early oral contraceptive.
- 1944
World War II: Germany replaces the Hungarian government after Hungary announces an armistice with the Soviet Union.
- 1940
President Lluís Companys of Catalonia is executed by the Francoist government.
- 1939
The New York Municipal Airport (later renamed LaGuardia Airport) is dedicated.
- 1932
Tata Airlines (later to become Air India) makes its first flight.
- 1928
The airship Graf Zeppelin completes its first trans-Atlantic flight, landing at Lakehurst, New Jersey, United States.
- 1923
The German Rentenmark is introduced in Germany to counter hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic.
- 1910
Airship America is launched from New Jersey in the first attempt to cross the Atlantic by a powered aircraft.
- 1888
The "From Hell" letter allegedly sent by Jack the Ripper is received by investigators.
- 1864
American Civil War: The Union garrison of Glasgow, Missouri surrenders to Confederate forces.
- 1815
Napoleon begins his exile on Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean.
- 1793
Queen Marie Antoinette of France is tried and convicted of treason.
- 1783
The Montgolfier brothers' hot air balloon makes the first human ascent, piloted by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier.
- 1781
The Battle of Raft Swamp marks the last battle fought in North Carolina during the American Revolutionary War with a Patriot victory. It occurred four days before the British surrender at Yorktown.
- 1651
Qing forces capture the island of Zhoushan. Zhu Yihai, Prince of Lu, resident of the island and regent of the Southern Ming, flees to Kinmen.
- 1582
Adoption of the Gregorian calendar begins, eventually leading to near-universal adoption.
Famous Birthdays on October 15 in History 25
- 2005
Christian, Crown Prince of Denmark
- 2000
Melki Sedek Huang, Indonesian activist and sex offender
- 1999
Bailee Madison, American-Canadian actress and singer
- 1999
Ben Woodburn, Welsh footballer
- 1998
Teuku Wariza Aris Munandar, Indonesian activist and politician
- 1996
Charly Musonda, Belgian footballer
- 1996
Grace Van Dien, American actress
- 1996
Zelo, South Korean rapper and dancer
- 1995
Jack Flaherty, American baseball player
- 1995
Jakob Pöltl, Austrian basketball player
- 1994
Lil' Kleine, Dutch rapper
- 1994
Babar Azam, Pakistani cricket player
All entries for October 15（+13）
- 1993
Richaun Holmes, American basketball player
- 1993
Roh Tae-hyun, South Korean singer and dancer
- 1992
Ncuti Gatwa, Rwandan-Scottish actor
- 1992
Teoscar Hernández, Dominican baseball player
- 1992
Vincent Martella, American actor
- 1991
Brock Nelson, American ice hockey player
- 1990
Jeon Ji-yoon, South Korean singer-songwriter and dancer
- 1989
Blaine Gabbert, American football player
- 1989
Anthony Joshua, British professional boxer
- 1988
Dominique Jones, American basketball player
- 1988
Mesut Özil, German footballer
- 1987
Ott Tänak, Estonian racing driver
- 1986
Lee Donghae, South Korean singer-songwriter
Notable Deaths on October 15 in History 25
- 2025
Jim Bolger, New Zealand businessman and politician, 35th Prime Minister of New Zealand (born 1935)
- 2024
Mike Jackson, English general (born 1944)
- 2021
David Amess, British politician, member of Parliament for Southend West (born 1952)
- 2018
Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, philanthropist, owner of the Seattle Seahawks (born 1953)
- 2017
Chinggoy Alonzo, Filipino theater, movie & television actor (born 1950)
- 2017
Deng Ken, Chinese politician, younger brother of former Paramount leader of China Deng Xiaoping (born 1911)
- 2014
Giovanni Reale, Italian philosopher and historian (born 1931)
- 2013
Donald Bailey, American drummer (born 1933)
- 2012
Claude Cheysson, French lieutenant and politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (born 1920)
- 2012
Erol Günaydın, Turkish actor and screenwriter (born 1933)
- 2012
Maria Petrou, Greek-English computer scientist and academic (born 1953)
- 2012
Norodom Sihanouk, Cambodian politician, 1st Prime Minister of Cambodia (born 1922)
All entries for October 15（+13）
- 2011
Betty Driver, English actress, singer, and author (born 1920)
- 2010
Richard C. Miller, American photographer (born 1912)
- 2010
Mildred Fay Jefferson, American physician and activist (born 1926)
- 2010
Johnny Sheffield, American actor (born 1931)
- 2009
Heinz Versteeg, Dutch-German footballer (born 1939)
- 2008
Edie Adams, American actress and singer (born 1927)
- 2008
Fazıl Hüsnü Dağlarca, Turkish soldier and poet (born 1914)
- 2008
Jack Narz, American game show host and announcer (born 1922)
- 2007
Piet Boukema, Dutch jurist and politician (born 1933)
- 2005
Jason Collier, American basketball player (born 1977)
- 2005
Matti Wuori, Finnish lawyer and politician (born 1945)
- 2004
Per Højholt, Danish poet (born 1928)
- 2003
Ben Metcalfe, Canadian journalist and activist (born 1919)
That is the story of October 15 in history. Bookmark this page and come back next year on October 15 to relive these world-changing moments — or take a random trip through time and see what happened on another day in history.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on October 15 in history?
The biggest event on October 15 in history is: 2018 — 13-year-old American girl, Jayme Closs, is kidnapped from her Barron, Wisconsin home after her parents were both murdered.. In total, 40 major events are recorded for this day.
Who was born on October 15?
25 famous people were born on October 15 in history, the best known being 2005 — Christian, Crown Prince of Denmark.
Who died on October 15?
25 notable people died on October 15 in history, including 2025 — Jim Bolger, New Zealand businessman and politician, 35th Prime Minister of New Zealand (born 1935).
Why should I read about October 15 in history?
Exploring October 15 in history helps you grasp the day's place in history in just a few minutes: events, birthdays and deaths in one read — perfect for students, teachers and curious minds.
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