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Explore the historical events that shaped our world on February 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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The Greek philosopher Socrates is sentenced to death by drinking hemlock, following his trial in Athens. While there are some conflicting accounts of the exact date, February 15, 399 BCE is a commonly cited date for this event.
Death of Tiberius Gracchus, Roman politician and reformer.
Lupercalia festival during which Julius Caesar was assassinated in Rome.
Benedict V becomes Pope.
Baptism of Kievan Rus' ruler Vladimir the Great, leading to the Christianization of the region. The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church both canonized him as Saint Vladimir, around 1240.
During the Fourth Crusade Byzantine co-emperor Alexios IV is strangled and succeeded by Alexios V, who takes a hardline stance against the crusaders. The crusaders decide to take the city for themselves.
Galileo Galilei, Italian astronomer, mathematician, and physicist, is born in Pisa, Italy.
All-time high temperatures are recorded in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia.
The Western Australian gold rush begins, leading to significant gold discoveries in Kalgoorlie.
The USS Maine explodes and sinks in Havana Harbor, leading to the start of the Spanish-American War. More
The first "Teddy bear" goes on sale. Named after President Theodore Roosevelt, the stuffed bear was designed by Rose Michtom, wife of Morris Michtom, a Brooklyn, New York, resident who owned a candy shop where the first Teddy bear went on sale. More
President-Elect Franklin Delano Roosevelt narrowly escapes an assassination attempt shortly after giving a speech at Bayfront Park in Miami. The would-be assassin, Guiseppe Zangara, an unemployed bricklayer, fired 5 shots towards Roosevelt who was standing on stage, fatally wounding the Mayor of Chicago Anton Cermak and injuring four others. Zangara, was arrested, found guilty of murder , received the death penalty and was electrocuted on March 20, 1933. More
Canada adopts a new National flag. The new maple leaf flag originally proposed by George Stanley was made official was inaugurated in a public ceremony on Parliament Hill. More
Millions protest the impending invasion of Iraq. A coordinated day of protests was held across the world in which people in more than 600 cities expressed opposition to the imminent Iraq War. The demonstrations were believed to be the largest single day of anti-war protest in history. It was part of a series of protests and political events that had begun in 2002 and continued as the invasion, war, and occupation took place. More
A meteor explodes over Chelyabinsk, Russia, injuring over 1,000 people from its shockwave.
WHO approves the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, aiding global vaccination efforts.
