What are the important events that happened on August 15? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
August 15: Facts & Myths About This Day
August 15 is the 228th day of the year 2024 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 138 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Thursday.
Under the Julian calendar, this day is August 2, 2024 – a Thursday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?
When this day started, 28,728,000 minutes 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 ‘dihectaicosaoctagon’ day.
Leo is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Peridot is the modern birthstone for this month. Diamond is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.
According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 167 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 4,255 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.
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August 15 Historical Events
- 927 –The Saracens conquer and destroy Taranto.
- 1511 –Afonso de Albuquerque of Portugal conquers Malacca, the capital of the Sultanate of Malacca.
- 1540 –Arequipa, Peru, is founded.
- 1935 –Will Rogers and Wiley Post are killed after their aircraft develops engine problems during takeoff in Barrow, Alaska.
- 1942 –World War II: Operation Pedestal – The SS Ohio reaches the island of Malta barely afloat carrying vital fuel supplies for the island’s defenses.
- 1945 –World War II: Japan surrenders to end the war.
- 1952 –A flash flood drenches the town of Lynmouth, England, killing 34 people.
- 1963 –President Fulbert Youlou is overthrown in the Republic of Congo, after a three-day uprising in the capital.
- 1975 –Bangladesh’s founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is killed along with most members of his family during a military coup.
- 2007 –An 8.0-magnitude earthquake off the Pacific coast devastates Ica and various regions of Peru killing 514 and injuring 1,090.
Who were born on August 15?
- 1432 –Luigi Pulci, Italian poet (d. 1484)
- 1771 –Sir Walter Scott, Scottish novelist and poet (d. 1832)
- 1856 –Ivan Franko, Ukrainian writer (d. 1916)
- 1872 –Sri Aurobindo, Indian writer and philosopher (d. 1950)
- 1924 –Robert Bolt, English playwright and screenwriter (d. 1995)
- 1930 –Ageeda Paavel, Estonian freedom fighter
- 1944 –Dimitris Sioufas, Greek lawyer and politician
- 1948 –George Ryton, British engineer
- 1972 –Ben Affleck, American actor
- 1975 –Brendan Morrison, Canadian hockey player
Who died on August 15?
- 1118 –Alexius I Comnenus, Byzantine Emperor (b. 1048)
- 1196 –Conrad II, Duke of Swabia (b. 1173)
- 1274 –Robert de Sorbon, French theologian and educator (b. 1201)
- 1528 –Odet de Foix, Vicomte de Lautrec, French military leader (b. 1485)
- 1995 –John Cameron Swayze, American journalist (b. 1906)
- 1999 –Sir Hugh Casson, British architect and artist (b. 1910)
- 2003 –Gösta Sundqvist, Finnish songwriter and singer (heart attack) (b. 1957)
- 2006 –Rick Bourke, Australian rugby league player (b. c. 1955)
- 2007 –John Gofman, American Manhattan Project scientist and advocate (b. 1918)
- 2008 –Leroy Sievers, American journalist (b. 1955)
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