June 15 facts for kids

June 15th is a day filled with many interesting events throughout history! From ancient times to modern days, this date has seen important treaties signed, new lands discovered, and groundbreaking inventions change the world. Many famous people were also born or passed away on this day. Let's explore some of the most notable moments and figures connected to June 15th.

June 15 is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 199 days remain until the end of the year.

Historical Events on June 15th

Ancient Times and Middle Ages

• 763 BC – Ancient Assyrians recorded a solar eclipse. This record later helped historians figure out the timeline of Mesopotamian history.
• 1215 – King John of England officially approved the Magna Carta. This important document limited the king's power and protected the rights of his subjects.
• 1219 – During the Northern Crusades, Danish forces won the Battle of Lindanise in modern-day Tallinn. This victory helped establish Danish rule in Estonia.
• 1300 – The city of Bilbao in Spain was founded.
• 1389 – The Ottoman Empire defeated Serbian and Bosnian armies in the Battle of Kosovo. This was a major battle in the history of the Balkans.
• 1502 – Explorer Christopher Columbus landed on the island of Martinique during his fourth voyage to the Americas.

1600s to 1900s

• 1607 – English colonists in Virginia finished building James's Fort. This fort was built to protect them from Spanish and Native American attacks.
• 1667 – The first human blood transfusion was performed by Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys. This was a huge step forward in medicine!
• 1752 – Benjamin Franklin famously proved that lightning is a form of electricity. He did this using a kite during a thunderstorm.
• 1776 – Delaware voted to separate from British rule and officially became independent from Pennsylvania.
• 1836 – Arkansas joined the United States as the 25th state.
• 1844 – Charles Goodyear received a patent for vulcanization. This process strengthens rubber, making it much more useful for things like tires.
• 1846 – The Oregon Treaty was signed. It set the border between the United States and British North America (now Canada) all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
• 1877 – Henry Ossian Flipper became the first African American cadet to graduate from the United States Military Academy.
• 1878 – Eadweard Muybridge took a series of photographs to prove that all four feet of a horse leave the ground when it runs. This study was a big step towards creating motion pictures.
• 1888 – Crown Prince Wilhelm became Kaiser Wilhelm II, the last Emperor of the German Empire. This year was known as the "Year of the Three Emperors" because of the quick succession of rulers.
• 1896 – One of the deadliest tsunamis in Japan's history struck, killing over 22,000 people.

1900s to Present Day

• 1904 – A terrible fire on the steamboat SS General Slocum in New York City killed about 1,000 people.
• 1916 – U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill officially creating the Boy Scouts of America.
• 1919 – John Alcock and Arthur Brown completed the first nonstop transatlantic flight. They flew from Newfoundland to Ireland.
• 1921 – Bessie Coleman earned her pilot's license, becoming the first female pilot of African-American descent.
• 1934 – The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established in the United States.
• 1940 – World War II: Operation Aerial began. Allied troops started to leave France after Germany took over Paris and most of the country.
• 1944 – World War II: The United States invaded Saipan, a key island in the Pacific.
• 1977 – After the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975, Spain held its first democratic elections.
• 1991 – Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines erupted. This was the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, killing over 800 people.
• 1996 – The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) set off a powerful truck bomb in Manchester, England. It caused huge damage and injured 200 people.
• 2001 – Leaders from China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan formed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. This group works together on security and economic issues.
• 2012 – Nik Wallenda became the first person to successfully tightrope walk directly over Niagara Falls.
• 2022 – Microsoft officially retired its Internet Explorer web browser after 26 years. Its new browser, Microsoft Edge, took its place.

Famous Birthdays on June 15th

Born Before 1900

• 1330 – Edward, the Black Prince, a famous English prince and military leader.
• 1479 – Lisa del Giocondo, believed to be the model for Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting, the Mona Lisa.
• 1843 – Edvard Grieg, a well-known Norwegian pianist and composer.
• 1872 – Thomas William Burgess, an English swimmer who was the second person to swim across the English Channel.
• 1878 – Margaret Abbott, an American golfer who was the first American woman to win an Olympic event.

Born After 1900

• 1902 – Erik Erikson, a German-American psychologist known for his theories on human development.
• 1911 – Wilbert Awdry, the English author who created The Railway Series, which became the basis for Thomas the Tank Engine.
• 1914 – Yuri Andropov, a powerful Russian politician who led the Soviet Union.
• 1915 – Thomas Huckle Weller, an American biologist who won a Nobel Prize for his work on polio.
• 1916 – Herbert A. Simon, an American political scientist and economist who won a Nobel Prize.
• 1917 – John Fenn, an American chemist who won a Nobel Prize.
• 1920 – Alberto Sordi, a very popular Italian actor and director.
• 1924 – Ezer Weizman, an Israeli general and the 7th President of Israel.
• 1932 – Mario Cuomo, an American lawyer and politician who served as the 52nd Governor of New York.
• 1937 – Waylon Jennings, a famous American country singer-songwriter.
• 1941 – Neal Adams, a highly influential American comic book artist.
• 1941 – Harry Nilsson, an American singer-songwriter.
• 1943 – Johnny Hallyday, a very popular French singer and actor.
• 1946 – Noddy Holder, an English rock singer and musician, known as the lead singer of Slade.
• 1946 – Demis Roussos, a Greek singer-songwriter.
• 1949 – Simon Callow, a well-known English actor and director.
• 1949 – Jim Varney, an American actor and comedian, famous for playing Ernest P. Worrell.
• 1953 – Xi Jinping, the current President of China.
• 1954 – Jim Belushi, an American actor and comedian.
• 1955 – Julie Hagerty, an American actress.
• 1958 – Wade Boggs, a famous American baseball player.
• 1963 – Helen Hunt, a popular American actress and director.
• 1964 – Courteney Cox, an American actress, famous for her role in Friends.
• 1964 – Michael Laudrup, a famous Danish footballer and manager.
• 1969 – Ice Cube, a well-known American rapper, producer, and actor.
• 1969 – Oliver Kahn, a famous German football (soccer) goalkeeper.
• 1970 – Leah Remini, an American actress and producer.
• 1973 – Neil Patrick Harris, a popular American actor and singer.
• 1992 – Mohamed Salah, a world-famous Egyptian footballer.
• 1996 – Aurora, a popular Norwegian singer-songwriter.

Notable Deaths on June 15th

Passed Away Before 1900

• 923 – Robert I of France, a King of France.
• 1184 – Magnus Erlingsson, a King of Norway.
• 1381 – Wat Tyler, the leader of the Peasants' Revolt in England.
• 1389 – Murad I, an Ottoman Sultan.

Passed Away After 1900

• 1941 – Evelyn Underhill, an English writer and mystic.
• 1945 – Count Albert von Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein, an Austrian diplomat.
• 1968 – Wes Montgomery, a highly influential American jazz guitarist.
• 1971 – Wendell Meredith Stanley, an American biochemist who won a Nobel Prize.
• 1984 – Meredith Willson, an American playwright and composer, known for The Music Man.
• 1991 – Arthur Lewis, a Saint Lucian economist who won a Nobel Prize.
• 1993 – James Hunt, a famous English racing driver and Formula One champion.
• 1995 – John Vincent Atanasoff, an American physicist who helped invent the first electronic digital computer.
• 1996 – Ella Fitzgerald, a legendary American jazz singer, often called the "First Lady of Song."
• 2002 – Choi Hong Hi, a South Korean general and martial artist who founded Taekwondo.
• 2003 – Hume Cronyn, a Canadian-American actor.
• 2013 – Kenneth G. Wilson, an American physicist who won a Nobel Prize.
• 2014 – Casey Kasem, a famous American radio host and voice actor.
• 2019 – Franco Zeffirelli, a renowned Italian film director.
• 2023 – Glenda Jackson, an English actress and politician.

Holidays and Observances

• Arbor Day (Costa Rica)
• Christian feast day:
  • Abraham of Clermont (or of St Cyriacus)
  • Alice (or Adelaide) of Schaerbeek)
  • Augustine of Hippo (Eastern Orthodox Church)
  • Blessed Albertina Berkenbrock
  • Blessed Clement Vismara
  • Edburga of Winchester
  • Evelyn Underhill (Church of England and The Episcopal Church)
  • Germaine Cousin
  • Landelin (of Crespin or of Lobbes)
  • Trillo
  • Vitus (Guy), Modestus and Crescentia
  • June 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Day of Valdemar and Reunion Day (Flag Day) (Denmark)
• Engineer's Day (Italy)
• Global Wind Day (international)
• National Beer Day (United Kingdom)
• National Salvation Day (Azerbaijan)

See also

In Spanish: 15 de junio para niños