August 15th in History

The USS Ancon becomes the first ship to transit the Panama Canal, August 15, 1914

Today in History

  • The Mongolian fleet of Kublai Khan is destroyed by a “divine wind” (kamikaze) for the second time as it attempts to invade Japan (1281)
  • The Tivoli Gardens amusement park opens in Copenhagen (1843)
  • The Panama Canal opens to traffic. The cargo ship USS Ancon becomes the first ship to transit the canal (1914)
  • The Wizard of Oz premiers at Grauman’s Chinese Theater (1939)
  • The Showa Emperor (Hirohito) of Japan announces the unconditional surrender of Japan in a pre-recorded radio address (1945)
  • India and Pakistan gain independence (1947)
  • The Republic of Korea (South Korea) is established (1948)
  • The Beatles play to 60,000 fans at Shea Stadium, considered the birth of stadium rock (1965)
  • The Woodstock Music and Art Fair opens (1969)
  • Richard Nixon takes the US off the gold standard (1971)
  • The radio telescope Big Ear receives the “Wow! signal” from deep space (1977)

Birthdays

  • Napoleon Bonaparte, emperor (1769)
  • Sir Walter Scott, novelist (1771)
  • Thomas De Quincey, journalist and opium eater (1785)
  • John Chisum, cattle baron (1824)
  • E. Nesbit, children’s author (1858)
  • Charles Comiskey, baseball player, team owner, and park namesake (1859)
  • Ethel Barrymore, actress (1879)
  • Edna Ferber, author (1885)
  • Louis de Broglie, physicist (1892)
  • Julia Child, chef (1912)
  • Wendy Hiller, actress (1912)
  • Huntz Hall, actor (1919)
  • Rose Marie, actress (1923)
  • Phyllis Schaflly, activist (1924)
  • Mike Connors, actor (1925)
  • Oscar Peterson, jazz pianist (1925)
  • Nicholas Roeg, filmmaker (1928)
  • Mike Seeger, folk musician (1933)
  • Jimmy Webb, singer-songwriter (1946)
  • Anne, Princess Royal of the UK (1950)
  • Stieg Larsson, author (1954)
  • Gary Kubiak, football coach (1961)
  • Melinda Gates, philanthropist (1964)
  • Debra Messing, actress (1968)
  • Ben Affleck, actor and filmmaker (1972)
  • Natasha Henstridge, actress (1974)

Deaths

  • Roland, military leader (778)
  • Macbeth, king of Scotland (1057)
  • Wiley Post, pilot (1935)
  • Will Rogers, comedian (1935)
  • René Magritte, painter (1967)
  • Ernie Bushmiller, cartoonist (1982)
  • John Cameron Swayze, television journalist and Timex spokesperson (1995)
  • Harry Harrison, author (2012)

Holidays and Observances

  • Armed Forces Day (Poland)
  • Constitution Day (Equatorial Guinea)
  • Founding of Asunción Day (Paraguay)
  • Gwangbokjeol (South Korea)
  • Jogukhaebangui Nai (North Korea)
  • Independence Day (India)
  • Independence Day (Republic of Congo)
  • National Day (Liechtenstein)
  • National Mourning Day (Bangladesh)
  • Wafaa El-Nil (Egypt, Coptic Church)
  • Victory over Japan (VJ) Day (United Kingdom)

August 15 is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years). There are 138 days remaining until the end of the year.