A global ransomware attack called WannaCry infected over 200,000 computers in 150 countries
The cyberattack exploited a Windows vulnerability and affected hospitals, banks, and government agencies worldwide. Britain's National Health Service...
May 15 in History
Significant events that happened on this day.
Historical Events
2017
2011
A Russian man legally changed his name to 'iPhone 7' to win an iPhone 7
A Moscow radio station promised free iPhones to the first listeners who changed their names to 'iPhone 7.' One man actually went through with the lega...
2008
California became the second U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage
The California Supreme Court ruled that the state's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. Thousands of couples rushed to marry before Proposi...
1988
The Soviet Union began withdrawing troops from Afghanistan after nine years of occupation
MajorThis marked the beginning of the end of the Soviet-Afghan War, often called the Soviet Union's Vietnam. The withdrawal took nine months to complete an...
1987
A Japanese railway enthusiast managed to secretly drive a train for several stops
In Osaka, an obsessed train fan somehow accessed the conductor's cabin and drove a commuter train for multiple stops before anyone noticed. Passengers...
1972
A man named Michael O'Rourke hijacked an airplane and parachuted out with $500,000 in ransom
Following the infamous D.B. Cooper case, O'Rourke hijacked a flight from Los Angeles, collected half a million dollars, and jumped over Indiana. Unlik...
1963
Project Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper was launched into space for a 22-orbit mission
Cooper piloted the final Mercury mission, Faith 7, spending more than 34 hours in space. He became the first American to sleep in orbit and took the f...
1957
Britain successfully tested its first hydrogen bomb in the Pacific Ocean
MajorThe test at Malden Island made Britain the third nation to possess thermonuclear weapons, after the US and Soviet Union. The explosion was so powerful...
1940
The first McDonald's restaurant opened in San Bernardino, California
MajorBrothers Richard and Maurice McDonald opened their first restaurant, though it wasn't yet the fast-food empire we know today. The original menu includ...
1928
Mickey Mouse appeared in his first cartoon, 'Plane Crazy'
MajorWalt Disney's iconic character made his debut in a silent film shown as a test screening. Though 'Plane Crazy' came first, 'Steamboat Willie' released...
1905
Las Vegas was officially founded when 110 acres of land were auctioned off
The San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad auctioned land to create a stopover town in the Nevada desert. The first lots sold for $150 to $750...
1618
Johannes Kepler confirmed his third law of planetary motion
MajorKepler discovered that the square of a planet's orbital period is proportional to the cube of its semi-major axis. This breakthrough came after years...
1536
Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's second wife, was tried and convicted of treason
The Queen of England was accused of adultery, incest, and treason in a trial that was almost certainly rigged. She was convicted despite flimsy eviden...
1252
Pope Innocent IV issued a papal bull authorizing the use of torture in the Inquisition
The document 'Ad extirpanda' permitted torturing heretics to extract confessions, with the caveat that it shouldn't cause death or permanent injury. T...