2015 facts for kids

Millennium:	3rd millennium
Centuries:	20th century – 21st century – 22nd century
Decades:	1980s 1990s 2000s – 2010s – 2020s 2030s 2040s
Years:	2012 2013 2014 – 2015 – 2016 2017 2018

2015 was a year filled with many important events around the world. It was a common year starting on Thursday in the Gregorian calendar.

Exciting Events of 2015

The Eurasian Economic Union started. This group helps Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan work together on political and economic matters.
Lithuania began using the euro currency. This made it the 19th country to join the Eurozone.
January 14:
- Giorgio Napolitano, the President of Italy, stepped down because of his age. Pietro Grasso became the new President.
- Two climbers, Kevin Jorgesen and Tommy Caldwell, made history. They were the first to successfully climb El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, California.
January 23:
- In Yemen, rebels took over the presidential palace. The President and Prime Minister resigned.
- The King of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, passed away at 90. His half-brother, Salman of Saudi Arabia, became the new king.
January 30: Zhelyu Zhelev, the first freely elected president of Bulgaria, died at 79.

Members of the Danish press react to a shooting in Denmark.

February 12: Leaders from Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and France agreed to a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine. They also decided to remove heavy weapons from the area.
February 14: A shooting happened in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Dawn became the first spacecraft to orbit a dwarf planet.

March 5 to March 8: Ancient cities in Iraq like Nimrud, Hatra, and Dur-Sharrukin were destroyed by a group called the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
March 6: NASA's Dawn spacecraft started orbiting Ceres. This made it the first spacecraft to visit a dwarf planet.
March 12: The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant joined forces with another group called Boko Haram.
March 24: An Airbus A320 plane from Germanwings crashed in the French Alps. All 150 people on board died.
March 25: A group of Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia started a military action in Yemen. They aimed to support the Yemeni government against rebels.

April 25: A very strong earthquake hit Nepal. It measured 7.8 on the Richter scale. More than 6,000 people died in Nepal, India, China, and Bangladesh.
April 29: The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that rubella (a disease) had been completely removed from the Americas.

People leaving an office after an earthquake hit Nepal.

May 1 to October 31: The Expo 2015 world fair was held in Milan, Italy.
May 2: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to her second child, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, in London, England.
May 11 to May 12: A painting by Pablo Picasso called Les Femmes d'Alger sold for US$179.3 million. A sculpture by Alberto Giacometti called L'Homme au doigt sold for US$141.3 million. Both set new world records for art prices.
May 12: A second major earthquake hit Nepal. It measured 7.3 on the Richter scale and caused 218 deaths across Nepal, India, and China.
May 23: Ireland voted to make same-sex marriage legal. It was the first country to do this by a public vote.

The White House lit up in rainbow colors to celebrate the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States.

June 2: FIFA President Sepp Blatter announced he would resign. This happened during a corruption investigation.
June 7 to June 8: The 41st G7 summit (a meeting of leaders from major countries) was held in Schloss Elmau, Bavaria.
June 25 to June 26: A group called ISIL claimed responsibility for four attacks around the world during the time of Ramadan.
June 26: The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that gay marriage was legal across the entire United States.
June 30: An Indonesian Air Force plane crashed into a neighborhood in Medan, killing 143 people.

Raúl Castro and Barack Obama worked to improve relations between the United States and Cuba.

July 1: Greece missed a payment to the International Monetary Fund. This was a first for a developed country in the IMF's history.
July 14:
- NASA's New Horizons spacecraft flew very close to Pluto. It was the first spacecraft ever to visit this distant world.
- Iran agreed to limits on its nuclear program. In return, international sanctions against Iran were eased.
July 20: Cuba and the United States fully restored their diplomatic relations. This ended 54 years of tension between the two nations.
July 24: Turkey started airstrikes against targets belonging to the PKK and ISIL.

August 5: Debris found on Réunion Island was confirmed to be from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. This plane had been missing since March 2014.
August 12: Former President of the United States Jimmy Carter was diagnosed with melanoma in his brain at age 90.
August 17: A bombing happened inside the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand. It killed 20 people and injured 125.

Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning monarch in United Kingdom history.

September 9: Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning monarch in the history of the United Kingdom.
September 10: Scientists announced the discovery of Homo naledi. This was a new species of early human found in South Africa.
September 18: The car company Volkswagen was accused of cheating on diesel emissions tests worldwide. This affected about 11 million vehicles.
September 24: A large crowd event during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, resulted in at least 2,200 deaths.
September 28: NASA announced that liquid water had been found on Mars.
September 30: Russia began air strikes in Syria to support the Syrian government.

October 19: The Liberal party won the Canadian federal elections. Justin Trudeau became the new Prime Minister.
October 23: Hurricane Patricia became the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere. It had winds of 200 mph.
October 26: A strong earthquake hit the Hindu Kush region. It caused 398 deaths in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India.
October 29: Paul Ryan became the new Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
October 31: Flight KGL9268, an Airbus A321 plane, crashed in Sinai. All 217 passengers and 7 crew members died.

A montage of images related to the November 2015 Paris attacks.

November 7: Chinese and Taiwanese presidents, Xi Jinping and Ma Ying-jeou, met formally for the first time.
November 13: Multiple terrorist attacks happened in Paris, France. A group called ISIS (ISIL) claimed responsibility, and 139 people died.
November 24: During the Syrian Civil War, Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet. This was the first time a NATO member had destroyed a Russian aircraft since the 1950s.
November 30: The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21) was held in Paris. Leaders from 147 nations attended.

December 12: A global climate change agreement was reached at the COP 21 summit. All countries agreed to reduce carbon emissions for the first time.
December 21: After a major corruption scandal, the FIFA committee suspended its president Sepp Blatter for 7 years, forcing him to resign.
December 22: SpaceX successfully landed a Falcon 9 rocket. This was the first reusable rocket to go into orbit and return.