Major Events
- 1616 First non-aristocratic, free public school in Europe is opened in Frascati, Italy
- 1821 Act of Independence of Central America: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras & Nicaragua declare their independence from the Spanish Empire
- 1835 HMS Beagle with Charles Darwin on board reaches the Galapagos Islands
- 1916 First use of tanks in warfare, "Little Willies" at Battle of Flers-Courcelette, part of the Battle of the Somme
- 1928 Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin while studying influenza
- 1940 Battle of Britain Day: climax of the Battle of Britain, tide begins to turn as the Royal Air Force repulses a major Luftwaffe attack, losing 29 aircraft to the Germans' 57-61
- 1992 George Soros' Quantum Fund begins selling large amounts of pound sterling, labelled "the man who broke the Bank of England" when pound crashes out of the ERM next day
- More September 15 Events
Sep 15 in Film & TV
- 1949 "Lone Ranger" premieres on ABC-TV. Hi-yo, Silver! Away!
Sep 15 in Music
- 2005 "Be Without You" single released by Mary J. Blige (Billboard Song of the Year 2006, Grammy Award Best R&B Song, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance 2005)
Sep 15 in Sport
- 1960 Maurice Richard announces his retirement. He finishes his career with 544 goals, an NHL record at the time.
Did You Know?
The John Bull becomes the oldest operable steam locomotive in the world when the Smithsonian Institution operates it under its own power outside Washington, D.C.
Marco Polo
James Fenimore Cooper
William Howard Taft
Agatha Christie
Emmerson Mnangagwa
Prince Harry
Fay Wray
Oliver Stone
Tommy Lee Jones
Jessye Norman
Fausto Coppi
Ashley Cooper
Gaylord Perry
Abdul Qadir
Dan Marino
Famous Weddings
- 1794 4th US President James Madison (43) weds Dolley Madison (26) in Jefferson County, West Virginia
- 1949 Figure skater and actress Sonja Henie (36) weds Winthrop Gardner Jr.
- 1951 Actor Peter Sellers (26) weds actress Anne Howe in London, England
Famous Divorces
- 2023 Actors Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness announce they are separating after 27 years of marriage [1]
More September 15 Weddings
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Koos de la Rey
Thomas Wolfe
Johnny Ramone
Harry Dean Stanton
Fernando BoteroArticles, Photos and Quiz
Agatha Christie, The World's Best-Selling Novelist
Agatha Christie was born on this day. She went on to become the best-selling writer of all time, her novels having sold about 2 billion copies worldwide.
September 15, 1890
1st Use of Tanks in War
Battle of Flers–Courcelette.: Mark I tanks fill with petrol on the day tanks were first used in war, September 15, 1916
September 15, 1916
