October 15......

October 15 is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 77 days remaining in the year.

EVENTS

● 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius makes his formal entry into Carthage, having conquered it from the Vandals.

● 1552 - Khanate of Kazan is conquered by troops of Ivan Grozny.

● 1582 - Pope Gregory XIII implements the Gregorian Calendar. In Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Spain, October 4 of this year is followed directly by October 15.

● 1764 - Edward Gibbon observes a group of friars singing in the ruined Temple of Jupiter in Rome, which inspires him to begin work on The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

● 1815 - Napoleon I of France begins his exile on St. Helena in the Atlantic Ocean.

● 1860 - Eleven-year-old Grace Bedell of Westfield, N.Y., wrote a letter to presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln, suggesting he could improve his appearance by growing a beard.

● 1863 - American Civil War: The first submarine to sink a ship, and first to sink an enemy warship, CSS H. L. Hunley sinks during a test, killing its inventor, Horace L. Hunley.

● 1878 - The Edison Electric Light Company begins operation.

● 1880 - Mexican soldiers kill Victorio, one of the greatest Apache military strategists.

● 1883 - The Supreme Court of the United States declares part of the Civil Rights Act of 1875 to be unconstitutional.

● 1894 - Alfred Dreyfus is arrested for spying - Dreyfus affair begins.

● 1898 - Zeta Tau Alpha is founded at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia.

● 1904 - The Russian Baltic Fleet leaves Reval, Estonia for Port Arthur during the Russo-Japanese War.

● 1904 - Theta Tau, the Professional Engineering Fraternity, is founded at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

● 1914 - The Clayton Antitrust Act was passed.

● 1917 - World War I: At Vincennes outside of Paris, Dutch dancer Mata Hari is executed by firing squad for spying for Germany.

● 1928 - The airship, the Graf Zeppelin completed its first trans-Atlantic flight, landing at Lakehurst, New Jersey, USA.

● 1932 - Tata Airlines (later to become Air India) makes its first flight.

● 1934 - The Soviet Republic of China collapses when Chiang Kai-shek's National Revolutionary Army successfully encircle Ruijin, forcing the fleeing Communists to begin the Long March.

● 1939 - The New York Municipal Airport (later renamed La Guardia Airport) is dedicated.

● 1940 - The Great Dictator, a satiric social commentary film by and starring Charlie Chaplin, is released.

● 1945 - World War II: The former premier of Vichy France Pierre Laval is shot by a firing squad for treason.

● 1946 - Nuremberg Trials: Hermann Göring poisons himself the night before his execution.

● 1951 - Television sitcom I Love Lucy premieres on CBS.

● 1951 - Mexican chemist Luis E. Miramontes synthetized the first oral contraceptive

● 1953 - British nuclear test Totem 1 detonated at Emu Field, South Australia.

● 1964 - It was announced that Soviet leader Nikita S. Khrushchev had been removed (retired) from office. He was succeeded as premier by Alexei N. Kosygin and as Communist Party secretary by Leonid I. Brezhnev. News of the sudden departure of flamboyant Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev comes as a surprise to the West.

● 1965 - Vietnam War: The National Coordinating Committee to End the War in Vietnam stages the first public burning of a draft card in the United States to result in arrest under a new law.

● 1966 - US President Lyndon B. Johnson signs a bill creating the United States Department of Transportation.

● 1969 - Vietnam War: Hundreds of thousands of people take part in National Moratorium antiwar demonstrations across the United States, including a candlelight march around the White House.

● 1970 - Thirty-five construction workers are killed when a section of the new West Gate Bridge in Melbourne collapses.

● 1970 - Anwar Sadat becomes president of Egypt

● 1971 - The start of the 2500 Year Celebration of Iran, celebrating the birth of Persia.

● 1976 - In the first debate between vice-presidential nominees, Democrat Walter F. Mondale and Republican Bob Dole faced off in Houston.

● 1976 - UDR men jailed for Showband killings; Two men from the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) are jailed for 35 years in connection with the murders of members of the Miami Showband.

● 1981 - Professional cheerleader Krazy George Henderson leads what is thought to be the first audience wave in Oakland, California.

● 1987 - The Great Storm of 1987 hits France and England.

● 1987 - Fiji one step closer to a republic; The Queen accepts the resignation of the Governor-General of Fiji at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference in Vancouver.

● 1989 - Wayne Gretzky becomes the all time leading points scorer in the NHL surpassing Gordie Howe's career scoring record of 1,850 points.

● 1990 - Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to lessen Cold War tensions and open up his nation.

● 1990 - South Africa's Separate Amenities Act, which had barred blacks from public facilities for decades, was scrapped.

● 1991 - Following a bitter confirmation hearing that involved allegations of sexual misconduct, the United States Senate votes to confirm Judge Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court of the United States by one of the closest margins ever, 52-48.

● 1992 - In Russia, Andrei Chikatilo is found guilty of 52 serial murders.

● 1993 - Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk were named winners of the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to end apartheid.

● 1995 - The Carolina Panthers win their first-ever regular season game by defeating the New York Jets at Clemson Memorial Stadium in South Carolina.

● 1995 - Saddam Hussein gains 99.96% of votes in Iraq's presidential elections.

● 1997 - The first supersonic land speed record is set by Andy Green in ThrustSSC (United Kingdom).

● 1997 - The Cassini probe launches from Cape Canaveral on its way to Saturn.

● 1999 - The humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders was named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

● 1999 - Police award Silcott damages; The Metropolitan Police announces a huge out-of-court settlement to Winston Silcott, wrongly accused over the murder of a policeman during riots in north London in 1985.

● 2001 - NASA's Galileo spacecraft passes within 112 miles of Jupiter's moon Io.

● 2002 - ImClone Systems founder Sam Waksal pleaded guilty in New York in the biotech company's insider trading scandal.

● 2003 - China launches Shenzhou 5, its first manned space mission, becoming the third country to send a person into orbit.

● 2003 - Ilham Aliyev becomes President of Azerbaijan succeeding his father Heydar Aliyev.

● 2003 - The Staten Island Ferry boat Andrew J. Barberi collides with a pier at the St. George Ferry Terminal in Staten Island, killing 11 people and injuring 43 others (see 2003 Staten Island Ferry crash)

● 2003 - Terri Schiavo's feeding tube is removed following numerous failed petitions by her parents to prevent such action.

● 2004 - The Food and Drug Administration ordered that all antidepressants carry strong warnings that they ''increase the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior'' in children.

● 2005 - Iraqis voted to approve a constitution.

● 2005 - Riot in Toledo, Ohio breaks out during a National Socialist/Neo-Nazi protest; over 100 are arrested

● 2005 - Brett Hull retires from the NHL as third highest all-time goal scorer

BIRTHS

● 70 BC - Virgil, Roman poet (d. 19 BC)

● 1471 - Konrad Mutian, German humanist (d. 1526)

● 1542 - Akbar, Jellaladin Mahommed, Mughal Emperor (died 1605)

● 1608 - Evangelista Torricelli, Italian physicist and mathematician (d. 1647)

● 1686 - Allan Ramsay, Scottish poet (d. 1758)

● 1784 - Thomas Robert Bugeaud de la Piconnerie, French marshal (d. 1849)

● 1814 - Mikhail Lermontov, Russian author (d. 1841)

● 1829 - Asaph Hall, American astronomer (d. 1907)

● 1836 - James Tissot, French artist (d. 1902)

● 1840 - Honoré Mercier, politician and premier of Quebec (d. 1894)

● 1844 - Friedrich Nietzsche, influential German philosopher (d. 1900)

● 1858 - John Lawrence Sullivan, American professional boxer (d. 1918)

● 1872 - Wilhelm Miklas, Austrian president (d. 1956)

● 1872 - Edith Bolling Galt Wilson, American first lady (1913-1921) (d. 1961)

● 1874 - Prince Alfred of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (d. 1899)

● 1878 - Paul Reynaud, French politician (d. 1966)

● 1880 - Marie C. C. Stopes, Scottish scientist and advocate of birth control (d. 1958)

● 1881 - P. G. Wodehouse, British comic novelist, short story writer, lyricist and playwright (d. 1975)

● 1882 - Charley O'Leary, American baseball player (d. 1941)

● 1888 - S.S. VanDine, American critic, editor and author of popular detective novels (d. 1939)

● 1893 - King Carol II of Romania (d. 1953)

● 1894 - Moshe Sharett, second Prime Minister of Israel (d. 1965)

● 1898 - Boughera El Ouafi, Algerian athlete (d. 1951)

● 1900 - Mervyn LeRoy, American film director (d. 1987)

● 1905 - C. P. Snow, British writer (d. 1980)

● 1906 - Hiram Leong Fong, American politician (d. 2004)

● 1907 - Varian Fry, American journalist (d. 1987)

● 1908 - John Kenneth Galbraith, Canadian economist (d. 2006)

● 1909 - Robert Trout, American reporter (d. 2000)

● 1909 - Jesse Leonard Greenstein, American astronomer (d. 2002)

● 1915 - Yitzhak Shamir, Israeli politician

● 1917 - Jan Miner, American actress (d. 2004)

● 1917 - Arthur Schlesinger Jr., American political commentator and historian

● 1920 - Mario Puzo, American novelist (d. 1999)

● 1920 - Henri Verneuil, French film director (d. 2002)

● 1923 - Italo Calvino. Italian writer (d. 1985)

● 1924 - Lee Iacocca, American industrialist and former Chrysler Chairman

● 1924 - Mark Lenard, American actor (d. 1996)

● 1925 - Mickey Baker, American guitarist (Mickey & Sylvia)

● 1926 - Michel Foucault, French philosopher (d. 1984)

● 1926 - Evan Hunter, American author (d. 2005)

● 1926 - Jean Peters, American actress (d. 2000)

● 1926 - Karl Richter, German conductor (d. 1981)

● 1930 - FM-2030, philosopher (d. 2000)

● 1931 - Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, President of India

● 1935 - Bobby Joe Morrow, American athlete

● 1935 - Barry McGuire, American singer (“Eve of Destruction”)

● 1937 - Linda Lavin, Actress (''Alice'')

● 1938 - Fela Kuti, Nigerian musician (d. 1997)

● 1938 - Marv Johnson, American R&B and soul singer (d. 1993)

● 1940 - Tommy Bishop, English rugby league player

● 1940 - Peter Doherty, Australian immunologist, Nobel laureate

● 1942 - Penny Marshall, American actress and director

● 1942 - Don Stevenson, Rock musician (Moby Grape)

● 1944 - Sali Berisha, President of Albania

● 1944 - David Trimble, Irish politician, Nobel laureate

● 1945 - Jim Palmer, baseball player and Hall Of Fame member

● 1946 - Richard Carpenter, American musician (The Carpenters)

● 1946 - Victor Banerjee, Actor

● 1948 - Chris de Burgh, Irish singer and songwriter

● 1953 - Tito Jackson, American musician (The Jackson Five)

● 1953 - Betsy Clifford, Canadian alpine skier

● 1954 - Peter Bakowski, Australian poet

● 1954 - Jere Burns, Actor

● 1955 - Kulbir Bhaura, British field hockey player

● 1955 - Tanya Roberts, Actress

● 1957 - Mira Nair, Indian director

● 1959 - Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York

● 1959 - Emeril Lagasse, American chef

● 1959 - Todd Solondz, American film director

● 1962 - Mark Reznicek, Rock musician

● 1964 - Roberto Vittori, Italian astronaut

● 1968 - Didier Deschamps, French football player

● 1969 - Vanessa Marcil, American actress

● 1969 - Dominic West, Actor (''The Wire'')

● 1970 - Eric Benét, American R&B singer

● 1971 - Andy Cole, British footballer

● 1971 - Jason Arhndt, American wrestler

● 1972 - Sandra Kim, Belgian singer

● 1975 - Ginuwine, American singer

● 1976 - Yoon Son-ha, South Korean actress

● 1977 - Erin McKeown, American musician

● 1977 - David Trézéguet, French football player

● 1977 - Patricio Urrutia, Ecuadorian footballer

● 1979 - Paul Robinson, English football player

● 1979 - Māris Verpakovskis, Latvian football player

● 1980 - Tom Boonen, Belgian cyclist

● 1981 - Elena Dementieva, Russian tennis player

● 1981 - Guo Jingjing, Chinese diver

● 1981 - Keyshia Cole, R&B singer

● 1984 - Shayne Ward, English singer

● 1990 - Jordan Johnson, American singer

● 1992 - Vincent Martella, Actor (''Everybody Hates Chris'')

● 2005 - Prince Christian of Denmark

DEATHS

● 412 - Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria

● 898 - Lambert, Holy Roman Emperor

● 1002 - Otto-Henry, Duke of Burgundy (b. 946)

● 1326 - Walter de Stapledon, English bishop (b. 1261)

● 1389 - Pope Urban VI

● 1564 - Vesalius, Flemish anatomist (b. 1514)

● 1715 - Humphry Ditton, English mathematician (b. 1675)

● 1730 - Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, French explorer (b. 1658)

● 1788 - Samuel Greig, Scottish-Russian admiral (b. 1735)

● 1810 - Alfred Moore, American judge (b. 1755)

● 1811 - Nathaniel Dance-Holland, English painter (b. 1735)

● 1819 - Sergey Vyazmitinov, Russian general and statesman (b. 1744)

● 1820 - Karl Philipp Fürst zu Schwarzenberg, Austrian field marshal (b. 1771)

● 1837 - Ivan Dmitriev, Russian statesman and poet (b. 1760)

● 1880 - Victorio, Apache leader

● 1891 - Gilbert Arthur a Beckett, English writer (b. 1837)

● 1900 - Zdeněk Fibich, Czech composer (b. 1850)

● 1917 - Mata Hari, Dutch dancer and spy (b. 1876)

● 1918 - Shirdi Sai Baba, Indian guru (b. circa 1838)

● 1934 - Raymond Poincaré, French statesman (b. 1860)

● 1945 - Pierre Laval, Prime Minister of Vichy France (executed) (b. 1883)

● 1946 - Hermann Göring, German air force commander (suicide) (b. 1893)

● 1948 - Edythe Chapman, American actress (b. 1863)

● 1959 - Lipót Fejér, Hungarian mathematician (b. 1880)

● 1960 - Clara Kimball Young, American actress (b. 1890)

● 1964 - Cole Porter, American composer (b. 1891)

● 1976 - Carlo Gambino, American Gangster (b. 1902)

● 1980 - Mikhail Lavrentyev, Russian physicist and mathematician (b. 1900)

● 1988 - Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, English composer and pianist (b. 1892)

● 2000 - Konrad Emil Bloch, German-born biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1912)

● 2001 - Zhang Xueliang, Chinese ruler of Manchuria (b. 1901)

● 2003 - Bertram N. Brockhouse, Canadian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1918)

● 2003 - Ben Metcalfe, Canadian environmental activist (b. 1919)

● 2005 - Jason Collier, American basketball player (b. 1977)

● 2005 - Matti Wuori, Finnish politician (b. 1945)

HOLIDAYS AND OBSERVANCES

● Roman festivals - the Equirria or October equus: sacrifice of a horse to Mars

● Roman Catholic. Saint:
● Saint Teresa of Avila

● United States - White Cane Safety Day

● United States - Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day

● French Republican Calendar - Amaryllis (Amaryllis) Day, twenty-fourth day in the Month of Vendémiaire


Click on this LINK to see original Wikipedia list with many having links with details.

Additional facts taken from:

The BBC Take on the day

On this day in the New York Times

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