August 15 facts for kids

August 15 is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 138 days remain until the end of the year. August 15th is a special day filled with many important events throughout history! From ancient battles to the opening of famous places and the birth of well-known people, this date has seen a lot. Let's explore some of the cool things that have happened on August 15th.

Historical Events

Early Times (Before 1600)

• 636 – A major battle called the Battle of Yarmouk started between the Byzantine Empire and the Rashidun Caliphate. This was a big moment in history.
• 778 – A famous battle, the Battle of Roncevaux Pass, happened between the army of Charlemagne and a Basque army.
• 1057 – King Macbeth was killed in the Battle of Lumphanan. You might know his name from Shakespeare's play!
• 1096 – The First Crusade officially began on this date, as planned by Pope Urban II.
• 1248 – The very first stone was laid for the amazing Cologne Cathedral in Germany. This huge church was built to hold special relics and took many, many years to finish!
• 1281 – The Mongolian fleet of Kublai Khan was destroyed by a huge storm, called a "divine wind," during their attempt to invade Japan. This happened for the second time!
• 1310 – The city of Rhodes was taken over by the Knights of St. John. They made the island their new home and became known as the Knights of Rhodes.
• 1483 – The famous Sistine Chapel in the Vatican was officially opened by Pope Sixtus IV. It's known for its incredible paintings.
• 1519 – Panama City, Panama was founded.
• 1537 – Asunción, Paraguay was founded.
• 1549 – The Jesuit priest Francis Xavier arrived in Japan, bringing Christianity to the country.
• 1592 – During the Imjin War, the Korean Navy, led by Yi Sun-sin, won a huge victory against the Japanese Navy at the Battle of Hansan Island.

Modern Times (1601-Present)

• 1843 – Tivoli Gardens, one of the oldest and most famous amusement parks in the world, opened in Copenhagen, Denmark.
• 1914 – The amazing Panama Canal opened for ships to pass through. This made travel between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans much faster!
• 1920 – The Polish–Soviet War saw the start of the Battle of Warsaw, also known as the "Miracle at the Vistula," where Poland won a key victory.
• 1935 – Famous American comedian Will Rogers and pilot Wiley Post sadly died in an airplane crash in Alaska.
• 1939 – The classic movie The Wizard of Oz premiered in Los Angeles, California.
• 1945 – Emperor Hirohito of Japan announced his country's surrender, effectively ending World War II. This also meant Korea gained its independence from Japan.
• 1947 – India gained its independence from British rule after nearly 190 years. It joined the Commonwealth of Nations.
• 1948 – The First Republic of Korea (South Korea) was officially created.
• 1950 – The largest earthquake ever recorded on land happened near the India–Myanmar border.
• 1960 – The Republic of the Congo became independent from France.
• 1961 – Border guard Conrad Schumann famously escaped from East Germany while on duty guarding the construction of the Berlin Wall.
• 1965 – The Beatles played a huge concert for almost 60,000 fans at Shea Stadium in New York City. This event is often seen as the start of "stadium rock."
• 1969 – The famous Woodstock Music & Art Fair opened in Bethel, New York, bringing together many top rock musicians.
• 1971 – Bahrain gained its independence from the United Kingdom.
• 1977 – The "Wow! signal" was received by a radio telescope in Ohio. It was a strong radio signal from deep space that got scientists very excited about the possibility of alien life!
• 1998 – Apple introduced the iMac computer, which was a big step for personal computers.
• 2005 – Israel's unilateral disengagement plan began, leading to the removal of all Israelis from the Gaza Strip.
• 2013 – The Smithsonian announced the discovery of the olinguito, a new type of carnivorous animal found in the Americas. It was the first new one found in 35 years!
• 2021 – Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, fell to the Taliban, leading to the reestablishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Famous Birthdays

Many interesting people were born on August 15th!

• 1195 – Anthony of Padua, a Portuguese priest and saint.
• 1769 – Napoleon Bonaparte, a famous French general and emperor.
• 1771 – Walter Scott, a well-known Scottish novelist and poet.
• 1858 – E. Nesbit, an English author who wrote many classic children's books.
• 1872 – Sri Aurobindo, an Indian spiritual leader and philosopher.
• 1892 – Louis de Broglie, a French physicist who won a Nobel Prize.
• 1896 – Gerty Cori, a Czech-American biochemist who won a Nobel Prize for her work in medicine.
• 1912 – Julia Child, a beloved American chef and author who taught many people to cook.
• 1925 – Oscar Peterson, a famous Canadian jazz pianist and composer.
• 1938 – Stephen Breyer, an American lawyer and judge who served on the Supreme Court.
• 1950 – Anne, Princess Royal of the United Kingdom.
• 1964 – Melinda Gates, an American businesswoman and philanthropist who co-founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
• 1972 – Ben Affleck, a well-known American actor and director.
• 1989 – Joe Jonas, an American singer-songwriter, known from the Jonas Brothers.
• 1990 – Jennifer Lawrence, a popular American actress.

Notable Deaths

Some famous people also passed away on August 15th.

• 1038 – Stephen I, the first king of Hungary.
• 1057 – Macbeth, the King of Scotland.
• 1935 – Will Rogers, the American actor and comedian, and Wiley Post, the American pilot, both died in a plane crash.
• 1936 – Grazia Deledda, an Italian novelist and poet who won a Nobel Prize.
• 1967 – René Magritte, a famous Belgian painter.
• 1975 – Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first President of Bangladesh.
• 1982 – Hugo Theorell, a Swedish biochemist who won a Nobel Prize for his work.
• 1990 – Viktor Tsoi, a popular Russian musician and actor.
• 2004 – Sune Bergström, a Swedish biochemist who won a Nobel Prize.
• 2021 – Gerd Müller, a legendary German footballer.

Holidays and Celebrations

August 15th is a day for many celebrations around the world!

• Armed Forces Day (Poland)
• Christian feast day:

* The Assumption of Mary, a very important day for Catholics. It's a public holiday in many countries like France, Italy, Spain, and Poland. * The Dormition of the Theotokos for Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. * Ferragosto in Italy. * Lady's Day in Ireland. * Mother's Day in Antwerp and Costa Rica. * National Acadian Day for Acadians. * Navy Day in Romania. * Virgin of Candelaria, a patron saint of the Canary Islands in Spain.

• Constitution Day (Equatorial Guinea)
• Founding of Asunción in Paraguay.
• Independence Day in Korea, celebrating independence from Japan in 1945.

* Gwangbokjeol in South Korea. * Jogukhaebangui nal in North Korea.

• Independence Day in India, celebrating independence from the United Kingdom in 1947.
• Independence Day in the Republic of the Congo, celebrating independence from France in 1960.
• National Day in Liechtenstein.
• National Day of Mourning (Bangladesh)
• The first day of Flooding of the Nile, or Wafaa El-Nil, in Egypt.
• The main day of Bon Festival in Japan, a time to honor ancestors.

* Awa Dance Festival in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan.

• Victory over Japan Day in the United Kingdom, remembering the end of World War II.

* End-of-war Memorial Day in Japan.

See also

In Spanish: 15 de agosto para niños