On this day: 15 August

Selected events and births on 15 August, from Wikipedia’s “On this day”.

Events

• 1261 – Michael VIII Palaiologos was crowned Byzantine emperor in Constantinople. Read more: Michael VIII Palaiologos List of Byzantine emperors Constantinople
• 1947 – Jawaharlal Nehru took office as the first prime minister of India, a post he held for 16 years. Read more: Jawaharlal Nehru Prime Minister of India
• 1948 – The Republic of Korea was established with Syngman Rhee as its first president. Read more: History of South Korea Syngman Rhee
• 1963 – President Fulbert Youlou was overthrown in the Republic of Congo, after a three-day uprising in the capital. Read more: Fulbert Youlou Trois Glorieuses (1963)
• 1977 – Big Ear, a radio telescope at Ohio State University, received a strong, apparently extraterrestrial radio signal that became known as the Wow! signal (printout pictured). Read more: Ohio State University Radio Observatory Radio telescope Ohio State University

Born on this day

• 1938 – Stephen Breyer, American lawyer and jurist, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Read more: Stephen Breyer Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
• 1943 – Eileen Bell, Northern Irish civil servant and politician, 2nd Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly Read more: Eileen Bell Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly
• 1964 – Melinda French Gates, American businesswoman and philanthropist, co-founded the Gates Foundation Read more: Melinda French Gates Gates Foundation
• 1992 – Baskaran Adhiban, Indian chess player Read more: Adhiban Baskaran
• 1993 – Clinton N'Jie, Cameroonian footballer Read more: Clinton N'Jie
• 1993 – Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, English footballer Read more: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
• 1994 – Lasse Vigen Christensen, Danish footballer Read more: Lasse Vigen Christensen
• 1994 – Kosuke Hagino, Japanese swimmer Read more: Kosuke Hagino
• 1995 – Chief Keef, American rapper Read more: Chief Keef
• 1995 – Setyana Mapasa, Indonesian-Australian badminton player Read more: Setyana Mapasa
• 1999 – Paola Reis, BMX rider Read more: Paola Reis
• 2003 – Juanlu Sánchez, Spanish footballer Read more: Juanlu Sánchez

Text from Wikipedia: Selected anniversaries / August 15 and the linked articles, via the Wikimedia “On this day” feed, under CC BY-SA 4.0. We leave out entries about wars, violence and disasters to keep this page family-friendly.