Date·Lore

On This Day · The 46th day of the year

February 15

February 15 carries 10 recorded events spanning between 1002 and 2013. At an assembly at Pavia of Lombard nobles, Arduin of Ivrea is restored to his domains and crowned King of Italy.

♒ZodiacAquarius ◈BirthstoneAmethyst ❀Birth flowerViolet

Compiled & reviewed by · Last reviewed July 13, 2026

What happened on February 15?

February 15 is the 46th day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 1002 and 2013. Famous people born on February 15 include Galileo Galilei, Totò and Graham Hill.

The shape of the day

February 15's record stretches 1,011 years, from 1002 to 2013. Its center of gravity is the 20th century, and politics and nation-building recur.

Aquarius is the sign for February 15 — read more on the Aquarius page, or see February's birthstone & birth flower.

Released on February 15

Movies, games, albums & shows

2024

  • Game Hawked

Release data from TMDB & IGDB.

Events

10 notable moments
  1. 1002

    Pavia

    At an assembly at Pavia of Lombard nobles, Arduin of Ivrea is restored to his domains and crowned King of Italy.

  2. 1113

    Pope Paschal II

    Pope Paschal II issues Pie Postulatio Voluntatis, recognizing the Order of Hospitallers.

  3. 1923

    Greece

    Greece becomes the last European country to adopt the Gregorian calendar.

  4. 1933

    Miami

    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.

  5. 1940

    Paul Creston

    Paul Creston's Saxophone Sonata is officially premiered at the Carnegie Chamber Hall by saxophonist Cecil Leeson, who had commissioned it, and the composer.

  6. 1942

    World War II

    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.

  7. 1949

    Gerald Lankester Harding

    Gerald Lankester Harding and Roland de Vaux begin excavations at Cave 1 of the Qumran Caves, where they will eventually discover the first seven Dead Sea Scrolls.

  8. 1961

    Sabena Flight 548

    Sabena Flight 548 crashes in Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States figure skating team along with several of their coaches and family members.

  9. 2010

    Halle train collision

    Two trains collide in the Halle train collision in Halle, Belgium, killing 19 and injuring 171 people.

  10. 2013

    Chelyabinsk meteor

    A meteor explodes over Russia, injuring 1,500 people as a shock wave blows out windows and rocks buildings. This happens unexpectedly only hours before the expected closest ever approach of the larger and unrelated asteroid 2012 DA14.

Famous birthday twins

Born on February 15

Galileo Galilei

b. 1564

Italian astronomer, physicist, and mathematician

Totò

b. 1898

Italian actor, singer, and screenwriter

Graham Hill

b. 1929

English racing driver and businessman

Miep Gies

b. 1909

Austrian-Dutch humanitarian, helped hide Anne Frank and her family

Louis XV

b. 1710

of France

George Mikes

b. 1912

Hungarian-English journalist and author

Matt Groening

b. 1954

American animator, producer, and screenwriter

Tomislav Nikolić

b. 1952

Serbian politician, 4th President of Serbia

Deaths

  • 2014Thelma Estrin
  • 1988Richard Feynman
  • 1848Hermann von Boyen
  • 1781Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
  • 706Tiberius III
  • 706Leontius

Holidays & observances

  • —Christian feast day: Blessed Michał Sopoćko
  • —Christian feast day: Claude de la Colombière
  • —Christian feast day: Faustinus and Jovita
  • —Christian feast day: Oswiu
  • —Christian feast day: Quinidius
  • —Christian feast day: Sigfrid of Sweden
  • —Christian feast day: Thomas Bray (Episcopal Church)
  • —Christian feast day: Walfrid

Historical facts, event summaries, and biographical lines above are adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. DateLore adds curation, structure, and original editorial commentary. DateLore is not affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation.

About the author

Roman Tailor compiles and reviews every date on DateLore. He's the writer and editor behind the site's editorial essays and the day-by-day almanac. Corrections and questions are welcome — read more about DateLore or get in touch.

Born on this day?

Make your birthday card.

Drop in your birth year and we'll work out your exact age, the day of the week you were born, your Chinese zodiac, your generation, and the countdown to your next candle.