AUGUST 15 | Birthdays and Events
Famous Birthdays
People born on August 15
Napoleon Bonaparte
Died: May 5, 1821
French general and emperor who is considered to be one of history's greatest military commanders and political leaders.
Virginia Clemm Poe
Died: January 30, 1847
Wife of Edgar Allan Poe. She died of tuberculosis at the age of 24.
Walter Crane
Died: March 14, 1915
Artist and book illustrator who is considered to be the most influential children's book creators of his generation. He is known for the development of children nursery rhyme illustrations in books.
Keir Hardie
Died: September 26, 1915
Scottish politician and trade unionist who founded the Labour Party in the UK.
Florence Harding
Died: November 21, 1924
The 29th First Lady of the U.S. She was a skilled pianist and very outspoken in her views on women's rights, animal rights, and prohibition.
Mikao Usui
Died: March 9, 1926
Japanese spiritual leader who founded Reiki, a form of energy medicine and spiritual practice used as alternative therapy for the treatment of physical, emotional, and mental diseases.
George Klein
Died: November 4, 1992
Canadian inventor who made key contributions to the first electric wheelchairs, a novel microsurgical suturing device, and the international system for classifying ground-cover snow.
Julia Child
Died: August 13, 2004
Author and chef who introduced French cooking to the U.S.
August Kowalczyk
Died: July 29, 2012
Polish actor and director who was a survivor of a breakout of prisoners from Auschwitz Concentration Camp on June 10, 1942.
Eddie Little Sky
Died: September 5, 1997
One of the first Native American actors to play a Native American role (A Man Called Horse). He acted in 36 feature films and over 60 television shows throughout his career.
Jim Lange
Died: February 25, 2014
Radio broadcaster and game show host best known for his time hosting the Dating Game.
Bobby Helms
Died: June 19, 1997
Singer-songwriter and guitarist who had several radio hits, including Jingle Bell Rock, Fraulein, and My Special Angel.
Ketty Lester
Singer whose one hit wonder Love Letters hit the top 5 charts in the U.S. and UK.
Tom Johnston
Singer-songwriter and guitarist who founded the rock group the Doobie Brothers.
Anne, Princess Royal
Member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The Princess is a distinguished equestrian who was the first Royal to compete in the Olympics (1976).
James "J.T." Taylor
Lead singer for the R&B group Kool and the Gang.
Stieg Larsson
Died: November 9, 2004
Swedish journalist and author best known for writing the first trilogy in the Millennium series of crime novels.
Angela Bassett
Multi-award winning actress with lead roles in What's Love Got to Do with It, Waiting to Exhale, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, London Has Fallen, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Madonna Louise Ciccone
Pop singer who goes by the stage name Madonna. She is often referred to as the "Queen of Pop" music.
Melinda Gates
Co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She focuses on improving the lives of women and children in developing countries through healthcare, education, and technology initiatives.
Debra Messing
Actress best known for her role as Grace in the sitcom Will and Grace.
Ben Affleck
Award-winning actor, producer, and director whose career has spanned over 40 years. A few of his roles include Armageddon, The Sum of All Fears, Gone Baby Gone, and The Accountant.
Historical Events on August 15
Events that occurred on August 15 throughout history
The First Crusade, as set by Pope Urban II, begins.
Starting date of the First Crusade as set by Pope Urban II. The campaign successfully captured the state of Jerusalem three years later.
The foundation stone of Cologne Cathedral is laid.
Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden laid the foundation stone of the Cologne Cathedral, which was built to house the relics of the Three Wise Men. The Gothic-style Cathedral took 632 years to build and was finally completed on October 15, 1880.
Pope Sixtus IV consecrates the Sistine Chapel.
Pope Sixtus IV consecrates the Sistine Chapel. The Chapel was dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption during the first mass held in the building. The structure was built with dimensions matching the Temple of Solomon.
Panama City, Panama is founded.
Panama City, Panama is founded by the Spanish conquistador Pedro Arias Dávila. The city was the first permanent European settlement on the Pacific coast of the Americas.
The first recorded hurricane hits the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonies.
The first recorded hurricane hits the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonies. The hurricane was a Category 3 with sea swells exceeding 20 feet along the coast.
Tivoli Gardens amusement park opens in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Tivoli Gardens amusement park opens in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is currently the second oldest amusement park operating in the world.
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu, Hawaii, is dedicated.
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu, Hawaii is dedicated. Now known as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, the Cathedral is the oldest Roman Catholic cathedral in continuous use in the U.S.
Law enforcement removes Sioux Indians from the Black Hills.
Law enforcement removes Sioux Indians from the Black Hills in South Dakota after gold was found. The land was a coerced land cession via the newly signed Indian Appropriations Act of 1876. After refusing to sell sacred land, Congress cut off food and rations until a minority of Sioux leaders signed an 1877 act relinquishing the hills.
Procter and Gamble unveils Crisco shortening.
Procter and Gamble unveils their latest product--Crisco shortening. It was the first fully vegetable-oil-based shortening, derived from hydrogenated cottonseed oil.
The New York World newspaper reveals that the Imperial German government purchased phenol from Thomas Edison.
The New York World newspaper reveals that the Imperial German government purchased excess phenol from Thomas Edison. Phenol, or carbolic acid, could be used to make explosives for the war effort. The chemical was diverted to Bayer for aspirin production.
Will Rogers and Wiley Post are killed during takeoff in Barrow, Alaska.
Will Rogers and Wiley Post are killed in their aircraft during takeoff in Barrow, Alaska. The aircraft crashed into a shallow lagoon after developing engine problems, which resulted in engine failure.
The Wizard of Oz premieres in Los Angeles, California.
The Wizard of Oz premieres at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California. The movie starred Judy Garland as Dorothy and featured vibrant Technicolor and advanced special effects for a movie during that time.
The Beatles play to nearly 60,000 fans at Shea Stadium in New York City.
The Beatles play to nearly 60,000 fans at Shea Stadium in New York City. Tickets sold out in less than 20 minutes. The concert event was later regarded as the birth of stadium rock.
The Woodstock Festival opens in New York.
The Woodstock Music and Art Fair opens in Bethel, New York. Often referred to as Woodstock, the festival lasted three days and attracted over 460,000 people. It was one of the largest music festivals in history and said to be a defining moment in the 1960s counterculture movement.
Patricia Palinkas becomes the first woman to play in a professional football game.
Patricia Palinkas becomes the first woman to play professionally in an American football game. She was the holder for her husband, Orlando Panthers place-kicker Steve Palinkas, in preseason game against the Bridgeport Jets.
President Richard Nixon announces Phase One of his New Economic Policy.
President Richard Nixon announces Phase One of his New Economic Policy, beginning with a 90-day freeze on wages, prices, and rents. The Policy was intended to be an emergency measure aimed to stop runaway inflation and protect the U.S. dollar.
Apple introduces the iMac computer.
Apple introduces the iMac computer. The iMac G3 was all-in-one desktop cost $1,299. Some of the changes included removal of the floppy disc and replacing it with USB ports, and a 15-inch display.
The Smithsonian announces the discovery of a carnivorous species.
The Smithsonian announces the discovery of the olinguito (Bassaricyon neblina). This new carnivorous species was the first species of mammalian order found in the Western Hemisphere in 35 years. A tree-dwelling creature belonging to the raccoon family weighs about two pounds and has rust-colored fur, and eats primarily fruit, plants, and insects.