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66 events on this timeline
  1. Byzantine Empire

    John II Komnenos

    Thursday Aug 15, 1118Constantinople, Byzantine Empire

    Alexios's son John II Komnenos succeeded him in 1118 and ruled until 1143. John was a pious and dedicated Emperor who was determined to undo the damage to the empire suffered at the Battle of Manzikert, half a century earlier.

  2. Crusades

    Pope Innocent III announced a new crusade "Fourth Crusade"

    Saturday Aug 15, 1198Vatican City

    In 1198, the recently elected Pope Innocent III announced a new crusade, organized by three Frenchmen: Theobald of Champagne; Louis of Blois; and Baldwin of Flanders. After Theobald's premature death, the Italian Boniface of Montferrat replaced him as the new commander of the campaign.

  3. Chocolate

    Christopher Columbus with the Cacao

    Friday Aug 15, 1502Spain

    Christopher Columbus encountered the cacao bean on his fourth mission to the Americas on August 15, 1502, when he and his crew seized a large native canoe that proved to contain among other goods for trade, cacao beans. His son Ferdinand commented that the natives greatly valued the beans, which he termed almonds, "for when they were brought on board ship together with their goods, I observed that when any of these almonds fell, they all stooped to pick it up, as if an eye had fallen."

  4. Napoleon

    Birth

    Tuesday Aug 15, 1769Ajaccio, Corsica, Kingdom of France

    Napoleon was born on 15 August 1769. His parents Carlo Maria di Buonaparte and Maria Letizia Ramolino maintained an ancestral home called "Casa Buonaparte" in Ajaccio. Napoleon was their fourth child and third son. A boy and girl were born first but died in infancy.

  5. Libraries

    Public Libraries Act 1850

    Thursday Aug 15, 1850London, England, United Kingdom

    Although by the mid-19th century England could claim 274 subscription libraries and Scotland, 266, the foundation of the modern public library system in Britain is the Public Libraries Act 1850.

  6. Disasters with highest death tolls

    1868 Ecuador Earthquakes

    Saturday Aug 15, 186807:30:00 PMEcuador

    The 1868 Ecuador earthquakes occurred at 19:30 UTC on August 15 and 06:30 UTC on 16 August 1868. They caused severe damage in the northeastern part of Ecuador and in southwestern Colombia. They had an estimated magnitude of 6.3 and 6.7 and together caused up to 70,000 casualties.

  7. World War 1

    Battle of Cer

    Saturday Aug 15, 1914Serbia

    The Battle of Cer was a military campaign fought between Austria-Hungary and Serbia in August 1914, starting three weeks into the Serbian Campaign, the initial military action of the First World War. It took place around Cer Mountain and several surrounding villages, as well as the town of Šabac. The battle was a part of the first Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia, began on the night of 15 August when elements of the Serbian 1st Combined Division encountered Austro-Hungarian outposts that had been established on the slopes of Cer Mountain earlier in the invasion. The clashes that followed escalated into a battle for control over several towns and villages near the mountain, especially Šabac.

  8. Charles de Gaulle

    De Gaulle was involved in fierce fighting in the First World War

    Saturday Aug 15, 1914Dinant, Belgium

    De Gaulle was involved in fierce fighting from the outset As a platoon commander, He received his baptism of fire on 15 August and was among the first to be wounded, receiving a bullet in the knee at the Battle of Dinant.

  9. Mother Teresa

    Religious life

    Wednesday Aug 15, 1928Üsküp, Kosovo Vilayet, Ottoman Empire (present-day Skopje, North Macedonia)

    Teresa was in her early years when she was fascinated by stories of the lives of missionaries and their service in Bengal; by age 12, she was convinced that she should commit herself to religious life. Her resolve strengthened on 15 August 1928 as she prayed at the shrine of the Black Madonna of Vitina-Letnice, where she often went on pilgrimages.

  10. Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Invasion of Southern France

    Tuesday Aug 15, 1944Southern France

    Two months later (August 15), the invasion of Southern France took place, and control of forces in the southern invasion passed from the AFHQ to the SHAEF. Many thought that victory in Europe would come by summer's end, but the Germans did not capitulate for almost a year.

  11. Second Sino-Japanese War

    Japanese Emperor Hirohito capitulated to the Allies

    Wednesday Aug 15, 1945Japan

    In less than two weeks the Kwantung Army, which was the primary Japanese fighting force,consisting of over a million men but lacking in adequate armor, artillery, or air support, had been destroyed by the Soviets. Japanese Emperor Hirohito officially capitulated to the Allies on August 15, 1945.

  12. World War II

    Japan surrendered

    Wednesday Aug 15, 1945Japan

    In addition to the bombing of the two bombings, the Soviets, pursuant to the Yalta agreement, invaded Japanese-held Manchuria and quickly defeated the Kwantung Army, which was the largest Japanese fighting force, These two events persuaded previously adamant Imperial Army leaders to accept surrender terms. The Red Army also captured the southern part of Sakhalin Island and the Kuril Islands. On 15 August 1945, Japan surrendered.

  13. Hirohito

    Broadcast the recording of the Emperor's Surrender Speech

    Wednesday Aug 15, 1945Tokyo, Japan

    On August 15 a recording of the Emperor's surrender speech ("Gyokuon-hōsō", literally "Jewel Voice Broadcast") was broadcast over the radio (the first time the Emperor was heard on the radio by the Japanese people) announcing Japan's acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration. During the historic broadcast, the Emperor stated: "Moreover, the enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb, the power of which to do damage is, indeed, incalculable, taking the toll of many innocent lives. Should we continue to fight, not only would it result in an ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation, but also it would lead to the total extinction of human civilization.

  14. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

    Disapproved Independence

    Friday Aug 15, 1947India

    In August 1947 the British partitioned the land with India and Pakistan each achieving independence on terms that Gandhi disapproved.

  15. Korean War

    Republic of Korea (South Korea)

    Sunday Aug 15, 1948South Korea

    The Republic of Korea (South Korea) was established on 15 August 1948.

  16. Neil Armstrong

    His First Flight In a Rocket-Powered Aircraft

    Thursday Aug 15, 1957Edwards Air Force Base, California, U.S.

    His first flight in a rocket-powered aircraft was on August 15, 1957, in the Bell X-1B, to an altitude of 11.4 miles (18.3 km). On landing, the poorly designed nose landing gear failed, as had happened on about a dozen previous flights of the Bell X-1B.

  17. Cypriot intercommunal violence

    Republic of Cyprus was proclaimed

    Monday Aug 15, 1960Cyprus

    On August 15, 1960, the Republic of Cyprus was proclaimed.

  18. The Beatles

    The Opening Concert of The third US tour

    Sunday Aug 15, 1965Shea Stadium, New York, U.S.

    The group's third US tour opened with a performance before a world-record crowd of 55,600 at New York's Shea Stadium on 15 August 1965 – "perhaps the most famous of all Beatles' concerts", in Lewisohn's description

  19. 1973 oil crisis

    President Richard Nixon orders 90-day nationwide freeze on all wages, prices, salaries and rents

    Sunday Aug 15, 1971U.S.

    U.S. Government institutes Phase I price controls. Invoking the powers granted to the president by the Economic Stabilization Act of 1970, President Richard Nixon orders a 90-day nationwide freeze on all wages, prices, salaries, and rents.

  20. Disasters with highest death tolls

    Lake Monoun Disaster

    Wednesday Aug 15, 198410:30:00 PMCameroon

    Several people reported hearing a loud noise on August 15, 1984 around 22:30. A gas cloud reportedly emanated from a crater in the eastern part of the lake. The victims were said to have skin burns, which reports later clarified as "skin damage" such as discoloration. Survivors reported that the whitish, smoke-like cloud smelled bitter and acidic. The death toll from this disaster is estimated to be 37 people.

  21. Tony Blair

    Omagh bombing

    Saturday Aug 15, 1998Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland

    Following the Omagh bombing on 15 August 1998, by members of the Real IRA opposed to the peace process, which killed 29 people and wounded hundreds, Blair visited the County Tyrone town and met with victims at Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.

  22. Apple Inc.

    A New all-in-one Computer

    Saturday Aug 15, 1998U.S.

    On August 15, 1998, Apple introduced a new all-in-one computer reminiscent of the Macintosh 128K: the iMac. The iMac design team was led by Ive, who would later design the iPod and the iPhone.

  23. Diego Maradona

    La Noche del 10

    Monday Aug 15, 2005Buenos Aires, Argentina

    On 15 August 2005, Maradona made his debut as host of a talk-variety show on Argentine television, La Noche del 10 ("The Night of the no. 10"). His main guest on opening night was Pelé; the two had a friendly chat, showing no signs of past differences. However, the show also included a cartoon villain with a clear physical resemblance to Pelé. In subsequent evenings, he led the ratings on all occasions but one. Most guests were drawn from the worlds of football and show business, including Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane, but also included interviews with other notable friends and personalities such as Cuban leader Fidel Castro and boxers Roberto Durán and Mike Tyson. Maradona gave each of his guests a signed Argentina jersey, which Tyson wore when he arrived in Brazil, Argentina's biggest rivals.

  24. Xiaomi

    MIUI

    Sunday Aug 15, 2010Anningzhuang Rd, Haidian District, Beijing, China

    On 16 August 2010, Xiaomi officially launched its first Android-based firmware MIUI. It resembles Samsung's TouchWiz and Apple's iOS.

  25. Google LLC

    Google made Its Largest-Ever Acquisition

    Monday Aug 15, 2011Chicago, Illinois, U.S

    On August 15, 2011, Google made its largest-ever acquisition to date when it announced that it would acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion This purchase was made in part to help Google gain Motorola's considerable patent portfolio on mobile phones and wireless technologies, to help protect Google in its ongoing patent disputes with other companies, mainly Apple and Microsoft, and to allow it to continue to freely offer Android.

  26. Conflict in Myanmar

    Northern Alliance insurgents attacked a military college

    Thursday Aug 15, 2019Myanmar

    On 15 August 2019, Northern Alliance insurgents attacked a military college in Nawnghkio Township, killing 15. Further clashes occurred in the following days, with Myanmar's military warning there could be a full-scale war if the Northern Alliance did not halt their attacks.

  27. Lionel Messi

    Estádio da Luz earthquake

    Saturday Aug 15, 2020Lisbon, Portogal

    Messi suffered his worst defeat as a player as Bayern Munich beat Barcelona 8–2 in a one-off tie in Lisbon, leading to another disappointing exit from the Champions League.

  28. Miriam Bella's death

    Thursday Aug 15, 1619Kraków

    The head of the Jewish community of Krakw has passed away.

  29. Ferdinando Bertoni Birth

    Wednesday Aug 15, 1725Salò

    The Italian composer Ferdinando Bertoni was born in Lombardy in 1813.

  30. Thomas Norris was baptized

    Tuesday Aug 15, 1741Wiltshire

    The English singer and composer Thomas Norris was christened in the year 1741.

  31. Louis XI was crowned King of France in 1461

    Thursday Aug 15, 1461Reims

    Louis XI was crowned King of France after his father died.

  32. Hubertus Quellinus Birth

    Thursday Aug 15, 1619Antwerp

    A Flemish artist, born in Antwerp, Hubertus Quellinus, is known for his cartoons.

  33. Ignaz von Seyfried Birth

    Thursday Aug 15, 1776Vienna

    The Austrian composer Ignaz von Seyfried was born in Vienna in 1776.

  34. Byzantine Empire

    John II Komnenos

    Thursday Aug 15, 1118Constantinople, Byzantine Empire

    Alexios's son John II Komnenos succeeded him in 1118 and ruled until 1143. John was a pious and dedicated Emperor who was determined to undo the damage to the empire suffered at the Battle of Manzikert, half a century earlier.

  35. Crusades

    Pope Innocent III announced a new crusade "Fourth Crusade"

    Saturday Aug 15, 1198Vatican City

    In 1198, the recently elected Pope Innocent III announced a new crusade, organized by three Frenchmen: Theobald of Champagne; Louis of Blois; and Baldwin of Flanders. After Theobald's premature death, the Italian Boniface of Montferrat replaced him as the new commander of the campaign.

  36. Chocolate

    Christopher Columbus with the Cacao

    Friday Aug 15, 1502Spain

    Christopher Columbus encountered the cacao bean on his fourth mission to the Americas on August 15, 1502, when he and his crew seized a large native canoe that proved to contain among other goods for trade, cacao beans. His son Ferdinand commented that the natives greatly valued the beans, which he termed almonds, "for when they were brought on board ship together with their goods, I observed that when any of these almonds fell, they all stooped to pick it up, as if an eye had fallen."

  37. Napoleon

    Birth

    Tuesday Aug 15, 1769Ajaccio, Corsica, Kingdom of France

    Napoleon was born on 15 August 1769. His parents Carlo Maria di Buonaparte and Maria Letizia Ramolino maintained an ancestral home called "Casa Buonaparte" in Ajaccio. Napoleon was their fourth child and third son. A boy and girl were born first but died in infancy.

  38. Libraries

    Public Libraries Act 1850

    Thursday Aug 15, 1850London, England, United Kingdom

    Although by the mid-19th century England could claim 274 subscription libraries and Scotland, 266, the foundation of the modern public library system in Britain is the Public Libraries Act 1850.

  39. Disasters with highest death tolls

    1868 Ecuador Earthquakes

    Saturday Aug 15, 186807:30:00 PMEcuador

    The 1868 Ecuador earthquakes occurred at 19:30 UTC on August 15 and 06:30 UTC on 16 August 1868. They caused severe damage in the northeastern part of Ecuador and in southwestern Colombia. They had an estimated magnitude of 6.3 and 6.7 and together caused up to 70,000 casualties.

  40. World War 1

    Battle of Cer

    Saturday Aug 15, 1914Serbia

    The Battle of Cer was a military campaign fought between Austria-Hungary and Serbia in August 1914, starting three weeks into the Serbian Campaign, the initial military action of the First World War. It took place around Cer Mountain and several surrounding villages, as well as the town of Šabac. The battle was a part of the first Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia, began on the night of 15 August when elements of the Serbian 1st Combined Division encountered Austro-Hungarian outposts that had been established on the slopes of Cer Mountain earlier in the invasion. The clashes that followed escalated into a battle for control over several towns and villages near the mountain, especially Šabac.

  41. Charles de Gaulle

    De Gaulle was involved in fierce fighting in the First World War

    Saturday Aug 15, 1914Dinant, Belgium

    De Gaulle was involved in fierce fighting from the outset As a platoon commander, He received his baptism of fire on 15 August and was among the first to be wounded, receiving a bullet in the knee at the Battle of Dinant.

  42. Mother Teresa

    Religious life

    Wednesday Aug 15, 1928Üsküp, Kosovo Vilayet, Ottoman Empire (present-day Skopje, North Macedonia)

    Teresa was in her early years when she was fascinated by stories of the lives of missionaries and their service in Bengal; by age 12, she was convinced that she should commit herself to religious life. Her resolve strengthened on 15 August 1928 as she prayed at the shrine of the Black Madonna of Vitina-Letnice, where she often went on pilgrimages.

  43. Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Invasion of Southern France

    Tuesday Aug 15, 1944Southern France

    Two months later (August 15), the invasion of Southern France took place, and control of forces in the southern invasion passed from the AFHQ to the SHAEF. Many thought that victory in Europe would come by summer's end, but the Germans did not capitulate for almost a year.

  44. Second Sino-Japanese War

    Japanese Emperor Hirohito capitulated to the Allies

    Wednesday Aug 15, 1945Japan

    In less than two weeks the Kwantung Army, which was the primary Japanese fighting force,consisting of over a million men but lacking in adequate armor, artillery, or air support, had been destroyed by the Soviets. Japanese Emperor Hirohito officially capitulated to the Allies on August 15, 1945.

  45. World War II

    Japan surrendered

    Wednesday Aug 15, 1945Japan

    In addition to the bombing of the two bombings, the Soviets, pursuant to the Yalta agreement, invaded Japanese-held Manchuria and quickly defeated the Kwantung Army, which was the largest Japanese fighting force, These two events persuaded previously adamant Imperial Army leaders to accept surrender terms. The Red Army also captured the southern part of Sakhalin Island and the Kuril Islands. On 15 August 1945, Japan surrendered.

  46. Hirohito

    Broadcast the recording of the Emperor's Surrender Speech

    Wednesday Aug 15, 1945Tokyo, Japan

    On August 15 a recording of the Emperor's surrender speech ("Gyokuon-hōsō", literally "Jewel Voice Broadcast") was broadcast over the radio (the first time the Emperor was heard on the radio by the Japanese people) announcing Japan's acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration. During the historic broadcast, the Emperor stated: "Moreover, the enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb, the power of which to do damage is, indeed, incalculable, taking the toll of many innocent lives. Should we continue to fight, not only would it result in an ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation, but also it would lead to the total extinction of human civilization.

  47. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

    Disapproved Independence

    Friday Aug 15, 1947India

    In August 1947 the British partitioned the land with India and Pakistan each achieving independence on terms that Gandhi disapproved.

  48. Korean War

    Republic of Korea (South Korea)

    Sunday Aug 15, 1948South Korea

    The Republic of Korea (South Korea) was established on 15 August 1948.

  49. Neil Armstrong

    His First Flight In a Rocket-Powered Aircraft

    Thursday Aug 15, 1957Edwards Air Force Base, California, U.S.

    His first flight in a rocket-powered aircraft was on August 15, 1957, in the Bell X-1B, to an altitude of 11.4 miles (18.3 km). On landing, the poorly designed nose landing gear failed, as had happened on about a dozen previous flights of the Bell X-1B.

  50. Cypriot intercommunal violence

    Republic of Cyprus was proclaimed

    Monday Aug 15, 1960Cyprus

    On August 15, 1960, the Republic of Cyprus was proclaimed.

  51. The Beatles

    The Opening Concert of The third US tour

    Sunday Aug 15, 1965Shea Stadium, New York, U.S.

    The group's third US tour opened with a performance before a world-record crowd of 55,600 at New York's Shea Stadium on 15 August 1965 – "perhaps the most famous of all Beatles' concerts", in Lewisohn's description

  52. 1973 oil crisis

    President Richard Nixon orders 90-day nationwide freeze on all wages, prices, salaries and rents

    Sunday Aug 15, 1971U.S.

    U.S. Government institutes Phase I price controls. Invoking the powers granted to the president by the Economic Stabilization Act of 1970, President Richard Nixon orders a 90-day nationwide freeze on all wages, prices, salaries, and rents.

  53. Disasters with highest death tolls

    Lake Monoun Disaster

    Wednesday Aug 15, 198410:30:00 PMCameroon

    Several people reported hearing a loud noise on August 15, 1984 around 22:30. A gas cloud reportedly emanated from a crater in the eastern part of the lake. The victims were said to have skin burns, which reports later clarified as "skin damage" such as discoloration. Survivors reported that the whitish, smoke-like cloud smelled bitter and acidic. The death toll from this disaster is estimated to be 37 people.

  54. Tony Blair

    Omagh bombing

    Saturday Aug 15, 1998Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland

    Following the Omagh bombing on 15 August 1998, by members of the Real IRA opposed to the peace process, which killed 29 people and wounded hundreds, Blair visited the County Tyrone town and met with victims at Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.

  55. Apple Inc.

    A New all-in-one Computer

    Saturday Aug 15, 1998U.S.

    On August 15, 1998, Apple introduced a new all-in-one computer reminiscent of the Macintosh 128K: the iMac. The iMac design team was led by Ive, who would later design the iPod and the iPhone.

  56. Diego Maradona

    La Noche del 10

    Monday Aug 15, 2005Buenos Aires, Argentina

    On 15 August 2005, Maradona made his debut as host of a talk-variety show on Argentine television, La Noche del 10 ("The Night of the no. 10"). His main guest on opening night was Pelé; the two had a friendly chat, showing no signs of past differences. However, the show also included a cartoon villain with a clear physical resemblance to Pelé. In subsequent evenings, he led the ratings on all occasions but one. Most guests were drawn from the worlds of football and show business, including Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane, but also included interviews with other notable friends and personalities such as Cuban leader Fidel Castro and boxers Roberto Durán and Mike Tyson. Maradona gave each of his guests a signed Argentina jersey, which Tyson wore when he arrived in Brazil, Argentina's biggest rivals.

  57. Xiaomi

    MIUI

    Sunday Aug 15, 2010Anningzhuang Rd, Haidian District, Beijing, China

    On 16 August 2010, Xiaomi officially launched its first Android-based firmware MIUI. It resembles Samsung's TouchWiz and Apple's iOS.

  58. Google LLC

    Google made Its Largest-Ever Acquisition

    Monday Aug 15, 2011Chicago, Illinois, U.S

    On August 15, 2011, Google made its largest-ever acquisition to date when it announced that it would acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion This purchase was made in part to help Google gain Motorola's considerable patent portfolio on mobile phones and wireless technologies, to help protect Google in its ongoing patent disputes with other companies, mainly Apple and Microsoft, and to allow it to continue to freely offer Android.

  59. Conflict in Myanmar

    Northern Alliance insurgents attacked a military college

    Thursday Aug 15, 2019Myanmar

    On 15 August 2019, Northern Alliance insurgents attacked a military college in Nawnghkio Township, killing 15. Further clashes occurred in the following days, with Myanmar's military warning there could be a full-scale war if the Northern Alliance did not halt their attacks.

  60. Lionel Messi

    Estádio da Luz earthquake

    Saturday Aug 15, 2020Lisbon, Portogal

    Messi suffered his worst defeat as a player as Bayern Munich beat Barcelona 8–2 in a one-off tie in Lisbon, leading to another disappointing exit from the Champions League.

  61. Miriam Bella's death

    Thursday Aug 15, 1619Kraków

    The head of the Jewish community of Krakw has passed away.

  62. Ferdinando Bertoni Birth

    Wednesday Aug 15, 1725Salò

    The Italian composer Ferdinando Bertoni was born in Lombardy in 1813.

  63. Thomas Norris was baptized

    Tuesday Aug 15, 1741Wiltshire

    The English singer and composer Thomas Norris was christened in the year 1741.

  64. Louis XI was crowned King of France in 1461

    Thursday Aug 15, 1461Reims

    Louis XI was crowned King of France after his father died.

  65. Hubertus Quellinus Birth

    Thursday Aug 15, 1619Antwerp

    A Flemish artist, born in Antwerp, Hubertus Quellinus, is known for his cartoons.

  66. Ignaz von Seyfried Birth

    Thursday Aug 15, 1776Vienna

    The Austrian composer Ignaz von Seyfried was born in Vienna in 1776.