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Explore the historical events that shaped our world on April 15th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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Scipio Africanus defeats Hasdrubal at the Battle of Baecula during the Second Punic War, c. April, 208 BCE. It was another victory of Scipio Africanus over the Carthaginian armies in Spain, undermining Carthaginian's status on the Peninsula and improving Rome's authority. More
King Æthelred I of Wessex dies, c. April 15, 871, likely from injuries sustained at the Battle of Marton against the Danes. and his brother Alfred the Great becomes King of Wessex since Æthelred’s sons were too young to rule.
Emperor Henry VI is crowned Holy Roman Emperor on April 15, 1191, by Pope Celestine III on April 15, 1191, alongside his wife Constance of Sicily.in Rome.
Pope Innocent III excommunicates Count Raymond VI of Toulouse c. April, 1208, due to the Count's failure to suppress the Cathar heresy.
Pope Innocent III actually excommunicated Count Raymond VI of Toulouse multiple times for his failure to suppress the Cathar heresy and his alleged involvement in the murder of a papal legate,
Leonardo da Vinci, Italian polymath and painter was born on April 15, 1452, in Vinci, Italy. He is well know by the Mona Lisa, and the Last Supper as well as his notebooks detailing flying machines and human anatomy. More
Samuel Johnson's "A Dictionary of the English Language" is published in London in two volumes, on April 15, 1755. It took seven years to compile, containing over 40,000 words and more than 100,000 literary quotations and It was considered the largest work printed in England since the Bible.
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln dies at 7:22 a.m. on April 15, 1865, after being shot on the head the prior evening by John Wilkes Booth. President Andrew Johnson took the oath of office as the 17th president at 11am on April 15th. Booth was killed at the end of a 12-day chase. More
The British luxury passenger liner RMS Titanic sinks on April 15, 1912, only five days into its maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City, USA. Approximately, 1,500 people of the 2,240 aboard died when it sank almost three hours after it struck an iceberg.
Built by the Harland and Wolff shipbuilding company in Belfast, Ireland, it was the largest ship afloat at the time of its completion, with a length of 882.5 feet and a width of 92.5 feet Equipped with advanced safety features, including 16 watertight compartments and remotely activated watertight doors, leading to its reputation as "unsinkable". It was carrying 2,240 passengers and crew and approximately 1,500 people died when it sank almost three hours after it struck an iceberg. More
Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American to play Major League baseball, making his debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15 1947, playing first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers against the Boston Braves at Ebbets Field. Fifty years later, the league retired Jackie Robinson’s number 42, fifty years later, on April 15, 1997. More
Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald's franchise on April 15, 1955, in Des Plaines, Illinois, launching the corporation that became the world's largest fast-food chain. It was the first franchise for Kroc's company, McDonald's Systems, Inc and it featured a red and white tiled building with the Golden Arches. The first day sales were $366.12.
McDonald’s System, Inc. was the predecessor of McDonald’s Corp. Kroc initially acquired the exclusive franchise rights from the McDonalds brothers in 1954 and went on to buy the complete company in 1961 for $2.7 million. gaining full control of the name, trademarks, and operations, allowing him to expand without restrictions. More
Fidel Castro starts his eleven-day visit to the United States, on April 15, 1959, four months after his guerilla army took charge of Cuba. The trip, labeled a "Good will trip", was part of Castro’s publicity victory lap after toppling the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. touring the city with all the swagger of a rock star.
News cameras had stalked the young revolutionary as he toured the city and held babies, ate hotdogs and tossed peanuts to elephants at the Bronx Zoo. At one photo-op, he was pictured next to a group of American schoolchildren wearing fake Castro-style beards. By then, he had not made his political leanings public, although there were suspicions of his communistic leanings. Fidel Castro met with high-ranking U.S. government personnel during the trip, most notably Vice President Richard Nixon on April 25 at the Capitol. While President Eisenhower avoided a meeting by golfing in Georgia, other officials, including acting Secretary of State Christian Herter, met with him. More
Tens of thousands of Chinese students and civilians gathered in Tiananmen Square in Beijing on April 15, 1989, to protest for democracy and government accountability. The protests lasted until June 4, 1989, with a violent crackdown by the Chinese government. More
The tragedy at Hillsborough Stadium on April 15, 1989, in Sheffield, England, results in the deaths of 96 football fans due to overcrowding.
The Boston Marathon bombing occurs on April 15, 2013, killing three people and injuring hundreds. More
The 850-year-old Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, suffers a devastating fire on April 15, 2019, causing significant damage including the collapse of its iconic spire and most of the roof with significant interior damage. The cathedral underwent a major restoration and officially reopened on December 7, 2024. More
