Nik Wallenda became the first person to walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope
The daredevil crossed the 1,800-foot span on a two-inch wire, 200 feet above the falls, in 25 minutes. ABC made him wear a safety tether for the telev...
June 15 in History
Significant events that happened on this day.
Historical Events
2012
1996
The IRA bombed Manchester, England, injuring over 200 people in the largest bomb on British soil since WWII
The massive truck bomb devastated Manchester's city center, causing over £700 million in damage. Remarkably, a 90-minute warning allowed police to eva...
1978
Jordan's King Hussein married 26-year-old American Lisa Halaby, who became Queen Noor
The Princeton-educated Arab-American became Jordan's queen and a major advocate for cross-cultural understanding. She was the king's fourth wife and g...
1977
Spain held its first free elections in 41 years after Franco's dictatorship
Spaniards voted in democratic elections for the first time since before the Civil War. The peaceful transition to democracy, known as the Spanish Tran...
1954
The UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) was founded in Basel, Switzerland
Initially formed by 25 European football associations, UEFA now governs football across 55 countries. It runs the Champions League, the world's most p...
1934
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established
This park straddling Tennessee and North Carolina became America's most visited national park. Unlike western parks, the government had to buy the lan...
1919
John Alcock and Arthur Brown completed the first non-stop transatlantic flight
MajorThe British aviators flew a modified WWI bomber from Newfoundland to Ireland in 16 hours. They faced fog, ice, and nearly crashed into the ocean multi...
1869
John Wesley Hyatt patented celluloid, the first synthetic plastic
Hyatt invented celluloid while trying to win a $10,000 prize for creating a substitute for ivory in billiard balls. His invention launched the plastic...
1846
The United States and Britain signed the Oregon Treaty, establishing the 49th parallel as the border
This treaty peacefully resolved a territorial dispute that had brought the nations to the brink of war. The slogan "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight" had ral...
1844
Charles Goodyear received a patent for vulcanized rubber
After years of experiments and financial hardship, Goodyear's discovery of how to make rubber durable and elastic transformed industry. He allegedly d...
1775
George Washington was appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army
MajorThe Continental Congress unanimously chose Washington to lead American forces against Britain. He accepted the position but refused a salary, asking o...
1667
The first human blood transfusion was performed by Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys in Paris
Denys transfused sheep's blood into a 15-year-old boy who was being bled as treatment for fever. Surprisingly, the boy survived, though the practice w...
1215
King John of England sealed the Magna Carta at Runnymede
MajorThis charter of rights limited royal power and established that even the king was subject to the law. It became one of the most important legal docume...