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On This Day in History: October 15

Explore the historical events that shaped our world on October 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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BCE CE

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Oct. 15

1164, c. October 15

Thomas Becket fled from Northampton to France on October 15, 1164 after intense conflicts with King Henry II regarding the authority of the church. and the Constitutions of Clarendon, a set of laws issued by Henry II in January 1164 that aimed to increase royal authority over the Church.

Becket escaped disguised to France. He lived in exile for six years, receiving protection from King Louis VII of France and Pope Alexander III. He stayed in exile for six years until December 1170. He was murdered in the Cathedral on December 29, 1170, .

1582 CE, October 15

The Gregorian calendar, decreed by Pope Gregory XIII, becomes effective in all the Catholic countries of Europe with the day after Thursday October 4, 1582 becoming Friday, 15 October 1582.

The Spanish and Portuguese colonies followed somewhat later because of delay in communication. The Gregorian calendar is now widely used around the world. With the exception of Ethiopia, Nepal, Iran and Afghanistan, the Gregorian calendar is now the world's universal civil calendar, old style calendars remaining in use in religious or traditional contexts. More

1721 CE, October 15

Peter the Great of Russia establishes the city of Saint Petersburg as the new capital circa October 1721

1917 CE, October 15

Mata Hari is executed by the French on charges of spying for Germany during World War I. She was a dancer and courtesan whose name has become a synonym for the seductive female spy. She performed all over Europe telling the story that she was born in a sacred Indian temple and taught ancient dances by a priestess who gave her the name Mata Hari. Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod, née Zelle was actually born in the Netherlands. The nature and extent of her espionage activities remain uncertain, and her guilt widely contested. More

1928 CE, October 15

The German airship Graf Zeppelin, lands in Lakehurst, New Jersey, on October 15, 1928, after a four-day transatlantic flight from Germany. The first commercial passenger flight across the Atlantic, began in Friedrichshafen, Germany, took 111 hours and 44 minutes and carried 20 passengers.

1946 CE, October 15

WWI hero, addict and discredited Nazi leader Hermann Göring dies by suicide in prison after being found guilty during the Nuremberg Trials, convicted and sentenced to be hanged. He died by suicide before he could be executed by swallowing a cyanide tablet he had hidden from his guards. Hitler had designated Göring as his successor in 1939. More

1990 CE, October 15

The Nobel Committee gives President Gorbachev the main credit for bringing the Cold War between East and West by awarding him the Nobel Peace Prize. View all Nobel Peace Prizes

1993 CE, October 15

The Nobel Peace Prize for 1993 is awarded jointly to Nelson Mandela and Frederik Willem de Klerk "for their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa." View all Nobel Peace Prizes

2003 CE, October 15

China launches Shenzhou 5, the first Chinese manned space mission. Piloted by Yang Liwei orbiting Earth 14 times during the 21-hour and 23 minutes flight. He became the first Chinese launched into space with Chinese launch vehicle and spacecraft. The re-entry module landed safely in central Inner Mongolia making China the third country capable of sending humans to space and back independently, after Russia and the United States.