✦ DateLore

On This Day · The 288th day of the year

October 15

A look at October 15 through the almanac — historic events, famous birthdays including Virgil and Temür Khan, and the day's notable deaths and observances.

♎ZodiacLibra ◈BirthstoneOpal ❀Birth flowerMarigold
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Events

10 notable moments
  1. 2018

    Kidnapping of Jayme Closs

    13-year-old American girl, Jayme Closs, is kidnapped from her Barron, Wisconsin home after her parents were both murdered.

    2018 double homicide and
  2. 1965

    Vietnam War

    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.

    1955–1975 war in Southeast
  3. 1954

    Hurricane Hazel

    Hurricane Hazel devastates the eastern seaboard of North America, killing 95 and causing massive floods as far north as Toronto.

    Category 4 Atlantic hurricane
  4. 1944

    World War II

    World War II: Germany replaces the Hungarian government after Hungary announces an armistice with the Soviet Union.

    1939–1945 global conflict
  5. 1940

    Lluís Companys

    President Lluís Companys of Catalonia is executed by the Francoist government.

    Spanish lawyer and politician
  6. 1932

    Air India

    Tata Airlines (later to become Air India) makes its first flight.

    National airline of India
  7. 1888

    From Hell letter

    The "From Hell" letter allegedly sent by Jack the Ripper is received by investigators.

    Letter allegedly written by
  8. 1864

    American Civil War

    American Civil War: The Union garrison of Glasgow, Missouri surrenders to Confederate forces.

    1861–1865 conflict in the
  9. 1815

    Napoleon

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

    French general and emperor
  10. 1651

    Qing dynasty

    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.

    Manchu-led dynasty of China
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Famous birthday twins

Born on October 15

Virgil

b. -70

Roman poet (died 19 BC)

Temür Khan

b. 1265

Emperor Chengzong of Yuan

Akbar

b. 1542

Mughal emperor

Friedrich Nietzsche

b. 1844

German composer, poet, and philosopher

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

b. 1931

Indian engineer, academic, and politician, 11th President of India

Elena Dementieva

b. 1981

Russian tennis player

Michel Foucault

b. 1926

French historian and philosopher

Mikhail Lermontov

b. 1814

Russian author, poet, and painter

Deaths

  • 2001Zhang Xueliang, Chinese general and warlord
  • 2000Konrad Emil Bloch, Polish-American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1946Hermann Göring, German general and Nazi politician, convicted Nuremburg war criminal
  • 1940Lluís Companys, Catalan lawyer and politician, President of Catalonia
  • 1243Hedwig of Silesia, Polish saint
  • -55Lucretius, Roman poet and philosopher (born 98 BC)

Holidays & observances

  • —Breast Health Day (Europe)
  • —Christian feast day: Bruno of Querfurt
  • —Christian feast day: Cúan of Ahascragh
  • —Christian feast day: Teresa of Ávila
  • —Christian feast day: Thecla of Kitzingen
  • —Christian feast day: October 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • —National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (United States)
  • —Shwmae Su'mae Day (Wales)

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