July 15 in History

Significant events that happened on this day.

Historical Events

2020

A man in Oregon was arrested for violating quarantine to buy Pokemon cards at Target

The 26-year-old had tested positive for COVID-19 and was under mandatory isolation when police found him shopping for collectible cards. When question...

2006

Twitter experienced its first major outage, going down for several days

The social media platform, only four months old at the time, crashed during the South by Southwest festival due to overwhelming usage. The company's e...

1983

Nintendo released the Famicom console in Japan, later known as the NES in America

The gaming system nearly failed at launch due to faulty chips causing games to freeze, requiring Nintendo to recall and replace thousands of units. De...

1975

The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project saw American and Soviet spacecraft dock in orbit

Major

In the midst of the Cold War, astronauts and cosmonauts shook hands 140 miles above Earth, symbolizing détente between superpowers. The crews shared m...

1965

Mariner 4 transmitted the first close-up photographs of Mars

The grainy black-and-white images shattered romantic notions of Martian canals and civilizations, revealing instead a cratered, moon-like surface. Sci...

1954

Boeing 367-80, the prototype for the 707, made its first flight

The 'Dash 80' revolutionized air travel by proving jets could be commercially viable for passenger service. Test pilot Tex Johnston famously performed...

1918

The Second Battle of the Marne began, marking the start of Germany's final defeat in World War I

Major

This was the last major German offensive on the Western Front. Over 85,000 soldiers died in the battle, which turned the tide decisively in favor of t...

1904

The first Buddhist temple in the United States opened in Los Angeles

The Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple was established by Japanese immigrants, marking a significant milestone in American religious diversity. The templ...

1869

Margarine was patented by French chemist Hippolyte Mège-Mouriès

Created in response to Napoleon III's contest for a cheap butter substitute for the armed forces and lower classes, the original recipe used beef tall...

1815

Napoleon Bonaparte surrendered to British forces aboard HMS Bellerophon

Major

After his defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon attempted to escape to America but was cornered at Rochefort. He surrendered to Captain Maitland, reportedly sa...

1799

The Rosetta Stone was discovered by French soldiers near the town of Rosetta in Egypt

Major

This granodiorite stele containing the same decree in three scripts became the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics. French scholar Jean-François...

1606

Rembrandt van Rijn was born in Leiden, Netherlands

Major

The Dutch Golden Age painter would become one of history's greatest artists, known for masterpieces like 'The Night Watch' and his revolutionary use o...