What are the important events that happened on May 15? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

May 15: Facts & Myths About This Day

May 15 is the 135^th day of the year 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 230 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Thursday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is May 2, 2025 – a Thursday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

When this day started, 485,352 hours has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.

Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘hectatriacontapentagon’ day.

Taurus is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Emerald is the modern birthstone for this month. Sapphire is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.

According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 278 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.

The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,528 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.

May 15 Historical Events

• 1648 –
  The Treaty of Westphalia signed.
• 1718 –
  James Puckle, a London lawyer, patents the world’s first machine gun.
• 1836 –
  Francis Baily observes “Baily’s beads” during an annular eclipse.
• 1862 –
  President Abraham Lincoln signs a bill into law creating the United States Bureau of Agriculture. It is later renamed the United States Department of Agriculture.
• 1904 –
  The Russian minelayer Amur laid a minefield about 15 miles off Port Arthur and sank Japan’s battleships Hatsuse, 15,000 tons, with 496 crew and “Yashima”.
• 1936 –
  Amy Johnson arrives back in England after a record-breaking return flight to Cape Town
• 1940 –
  USS Sailfish (SS-192) recommissioned, originally the USS Squalus.
• 1963 –
  Project Mercury: The launch of the final Mercury mission, Mercury-Atlas 9 with astronaut L. Gordon Cooper on board. He becomes the first American to spend more than a day in space.
• 1987 –
  The Soviet Union launches the Polyus prototype orbital weapons platform. It fails to reach orbit.
• 1997 –
  The United States government acknowledges the existence of the “Secret War” in Laos and dedicates the Laos Memorial in honor of Hmong and other “Secret War” veterans.

Who were born on May 15?

• 1854 –
  Ioannis Psycharis, Greek author and linguist (d. 1929)
• 1895 –
  Prescott Bush, American banker, politician and member of the Bush family (d. 1972)
• 1915 –
  Mario Monicelli, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 2010)
• 1923 –
  Richard Avedon, American photographer (d. 2004)
• 1925 –
  Roy Stewart, Jamacian-born British actor and fitness industry figure (d. 2008)
• 1953 –
  Mike Oldfield, British composer
• 1959 –
  Khaosai Galaxy, Thai boxer
• 1967 –
  John Smoltz, baseball player
• 1978 –
  David Krumholtz, American actor
• 1985 –
  Cristiane, Brazilian footballer

Who died on May 15?

• 1879 –
  Gottfried Semper, German architect (b. 1803)
• 1978 –
  Sir Robert Menzies, twelfth Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1894)
• 1989 –
  Johnny Green, American songwriter (b. 1908)
• 1991 –
  Andreas Floer, German mathematician (b. 1956)
• 1993 –
  Salah Ahmed Ibrahim, Sudanese writer, poet, and diplomat (b. 1933)
• 1994 –
  Gilbert Roland, Mexican actor (b. 1905)
• 1996 –
  Charles B. Fulton, American jurist (b. 1910)
• 2003 –
  George Francis, British gangster (b. 1940)
• 2005 –
  Alan B. Gold, Quebec Chief Justice (b. 1917)
• 2010 –
  Loris Kessel, Swiss racing driver (b. 1950)