Who are famous people born on March 15?

Famous people born on March 15 include: Rodri Mendoza, Isaiah Bond, Quinn Ewers.

What famous people died on March 15?

Notable historical figures who died on March 15 include: Wings Hauser, Nita Lowey, Rajnikumar Pandya.

March 15 in History

Q: What happened on March 15 in history?

On March 15, 2022: The 2022 Sri Lankan protests begins amidst Sri Lanka's economic collapse.

2022 — The 2022 Sri Lankan protests begins amidst Sri Lanka's economic collapse

March 15 spans 51 recorded events across recorded history — from 474 BC – 2026. Below is a curated digest of the most significant moments tied to this date.

By thisDay.info Editorial Team · March 15 — Wikipedia

Historical Events 51 events 474 BC – 2026

Did you know

The Sri Lankan economic crisis began in 2019 and lasted until 2024, making it the country's worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948.

Did you know

President Ranil Wickremasinghe is credited with the recovery from the economic crisis.

Did you know

The crisis led to unprecedented levels of inflation and near-depletion of foreign exchange reserves, with shortages of medical supplies and increased prices of basic commodities.

Did you know

The Indian government provided a credit line of $4 billion to help improve Sri Lanka's foreign currency reserves, which reached $2.7 billion.

Did you know

The 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka were among the compounding factors that contributed to the economic crisis.

Roman consul Aulus Manlius Vulso celebrates an ovation for concluding the war against Veii and securing a forty years' truce.

Political office in ancient Rome

The consuls were the two highest elected public officials of the Roman Republic. Romans considered the consulship the second-highest level of the cursus honorum—an ascending sequence of public offices to which politicians aspired—after that of the censor, which was reserved for former consuls. Each year, the centuriate assembly elected two consuls to serve jointly for a one-year term. The consuls alternated each month holding fasces when both were in Rome. A consul's imperium extended over Rome and all its provinces.

-474

The Roman Republic under its new consuls Publius Sulpicius Galba and Gaius Aurelius Cotta declares war on Philip V of Macedon, starting the Second Macedonian War.

Period of Roman history (c. 509 – 27 BC)

The Roman Republic was the era of classical Roman civilisation beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom and ending in 27 BC with the establishment of the Roman Empire following the War of Actium. During this period, Rome's control expanded from the city's immediate surroundings to hegemony over the entire Mediterranean world.

-200

The assassination of Julius Caesar, the dictator of the Roman Republic, by a group of senators takes place on the Ides of March.

44 BC murder in Rome

Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator, was assassinated on the Ides of March, 44 BC, by a group of senators during a Senate session at the Curia of Pompey, located within the Theatre of Pompey in Rome. The conspirators, numbering 60 individuals and led by Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, and Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus, stabbed Caesar approximately 23 times. They justified the act as a preemptive defense of the Roman Republic, asserting that Caesar's accumulation of lifelong political authority—including his perpetual dictatorship and other honors—threatened republican traditions. The assassination failed to achieve its immediate objective of restoring the Republic's institutions. Instead, it precipitated Caesar's posthumous deification, triggered the Liberators' civil war between his supporters and the conspirators, and contributed to the collapse of the Republic. These events ultimately culminated in the rise of the Roman Empire under Augustus, marking the beginning of the Principate era.

-44

Constantius Gallus is elevated as Caesar and then sent to Antioch to govern the Roman East.

Roman caesar from 351 to 354

Flavius Claudius Constantius Gallus was a statesman and ruler in the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire from 351 to 354, as Caesar under emperor Constantius II, his cousin. A grandson of emperor Constantius Chlorus and empress Flavia Maximiana Theodora, and a son of Julius Constantius and Galla, he belonged to the Constantinian dynasty. Born during the reign of his uncle Constantine the Great, he was among the few male members of the imperial family to survive the purge that followed Constantine's death. Under Constantius II, Gallus served as deputy emperor, based in Antioch and married to Constantius' sister Constantina. He dealt with a Jewish revolt in the years 351-352. Gallus ultimately fell out of favor with Constantius and was executed, being replaced as Caesar by his younger half-brother Julian.

351

Odoacer, the first barbarian King of Italy after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, is slain by Theoderic the Great, king of the Ostrogoths, while the two kings were feasting together.

Ruler of Italy (c. 433 – 493)

Odoacer, also spelled Odovacer or Odovacar, was a barbarian soldier and statesman from the Middle Danube who was an officer of the Roman army and deposed the Western Roman child emperor Romulus Augustulus to become the ruler of Italy (476–493). This event is traditionally understood as marking the end of the Western Roman Empire.

493

Michael III, emperor of the Byzantine Empire, overthrows the regency of his mother, empress Theodora (wife of Theophilos) with support of the Byzantine nobility.

Byzantine emperor from 842 to 867

Michael III, also known as Michael the Drunkard, was Byzantine emperor from 842 to 867. Michael III was the third and traditionally last member of the Amorian dynasty. He was given the disparaging epithet the Drunkard by the hostile historians of the succeeding Macedonian dynasty, but modern historical research has rehabilitated his reputation to some extent, demonstrating the vital role his reign played in the resurgence of Byzantine power in the 9th century. He was also the youngest person to bear the imperial title, as well as the youngest to succeed as senior emperor in the Roman Empire. In 867, Michael was assassinated by his successor, Basil I.

856

Al-Hadi ila'l-Haqq Yahya enters Sa'dah and founds the Zaydi Imamate of Yemen.

9th- and 10th-century Arab religious leader; founder of the Zaydi Imamate in Yemen

Abūʾl-Ḥusayn Yaḥyā ibn al-Ḥusayn ibn al-Qāsim ibn Ibrāhīm Ṭabāṭabā al-Ḥasanī, better known by his honorific title of al-Hādī ilāʾl-Ḥaqq, was a religious and political leader in the Arabian Peninsula. He was the first Zaydi imam who ruled portions of Yemen from 897 to 911. He is also the ancestor of the Rassid Dynasty which ruled Yemen intermittently until the North Yemen Civil War in 1962.

897

After a ten-year truce, German King Henry the Fowler defeats a Hungarian army at the Battle of Riade near the Unstrut river.

King of East Francia from 919 to 936

Henry the Fowler was the duke of Saxony from 912 and the king of East Francia from 919 until his death in 936. As the first non-Frankish king of East Francia, he established the Ottonian dynasty of kings and emperors, and he is generally considered to be the founder of the medieval German state, known until then as East Francia. An avid hunter, he obtained the epithet "the Fowler" because he was allegedly fixing his birding nets when messengers arrived to inform him that he was to be king.

933

Afonso I of Portugal captures in a surprise attack the city of Santarem from the Almoravids.

King of Portugal from 1139 to 1185

Dom Afonso I nicknamed "the Conqueror", "the Founder" and "the Great" by the Portuguese, was the first king of Portugal, from 26 July 1139 until his death on 6 December 1185. He achieved the independence of the County of Portugal, establishing a new kingdom and doubling its area with the Reconquista, an objective that he pursued until his death.

1147

Battle of Halmyros: The Catalan Company defeats Walter V, Count of Brienne to take control of the Duchy of Athens, a Crusader state in Greece.

1311 battle in present-day Greece

The Battle of Halmyros, known by earlier scholars as the Battle of the Cephissus or Battle of Orchomenos, was fought on 15 March 1311, between the forces of the Frankish Duchy of Athens and its vassals under Walter of Brienne against the mercenaries of the Catalan Company, resulting in a decisive victory for the mercenaries.

1311

Treaty of Lublowa: After the Peace of Thorn, Grand Master Heinrich von Plauen asks Sigismund of Hungary for economic aid.

Sigismund agrees to mediate reduction to the third installment, demarcation of the Samogitian border, and other matters with a grand tournament. Hunts and lavish feasts were also organized. Sigismund invited, among others, polish king Wladyslaw Jagiello, Heinrich von Plauen and bosnian king Tvrtko II. There were people from 17 countries and languages - 40.000 nobles and 2000 knights were present from all over Europe, even England.

Treaty of Lubowla of 1412 was a treaty between Władysław II, King of Poland, and Sigismund of Luxemburg, King of Hungary. Negotiations took place in the town of Lublo and a treaty confirmed later that year in Buda.

1412

Mughal Emperor Akbar abolishes the jizya tax on non-Muslim subjects.

Mughal emperor from 1556 to 1605

Akbar, also known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expand and consolidate Mughal domains in the Indian subcontinent. He is generally considered one of the greatest Mughal Emperor.

1564

A dam failure causes the sudden flooding of the mining city of Potosí in present-day Bolivia leading to the death of thousands and the massive release of toxic mercury into the environment.

Catastrophic failure of dam barrier by uncontrolled release of water

A dam failure or dam burst is a catastrophic type of structural failure characterized by the sudden, rapid, and uncontrolled release of impounded water or the likelihood of such an uncontrolled release. Between the years 2000 and 2009 more than 200 notable dam failures happened worldwide.

1626

King Charles II of England issues the Royal Declaration of Indulgence, granting limited religious freedom to all Christians.

Decree by King Charles II of England granting liberty to all Christians

The Declaration of Indulgence was Charles II of England's attempt to extend religious liberty to Protestant nonconformists and Roman Catholics in his realms, by suspending the execution of the Penal Laws that punished recusants from the Church of England. Charles issued the Declaration on 15 March 1672.

1672

The British under Charles Cornwallis defeat American forces under Nathanael Greene in the battle of Guilford Court House.

British Army officer (1738–1805)

Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis was a British Army officer, Whig politician and colonial administrator. In the United States and United Kingdom, he is best known as one of the leading British general officers in the American War of Independence. His surrender in 1781 to a combined Franco-American force at the siege of Yorktown ended significant hostilities in North America. Cornwallis later served as a civil and military governor in Ireland, where he helped to bring about the Act of Union; and in India, where he helped to enact the Cornwallis Code and the Permanent Settlement.

1781

In an emotional speech in Newburgh, New York, George Washington asks his officers not to support the Newburgh Conspiracy.

The plea is successful, and the threatened coup d'état never takes place.

Newburgh is a city in Orange County, New York, United States. With a population of 28,856 as of the 2020 census, it is a principal city of the Kiryas Joel–Poughkeepsie–Newburgh metropolitan area with an estimated 712,000 residents. Located 60 miles (97 km) north of New York City, and 90 miles (140 km) south of Albany on the Hudson River within the Hudson Valley Area, the city of Newburgh is located near Stewart International Airport, one of the primary airports for Downstate New York.

1783

Maine is admitted as the twenty-third U.S.

state.

Maine is a state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and northwest, and shares a maritime border with Nova Scotia. It is the only state to border only one other state. Maine is the largest state in New England by total area, almost as large as the combined area of the remaining five states. Of the 50 U.S. states, it is the 12th-smallest by area, the 9th-least populous, the 13th-least densely populated, and the most rural. As of 2024, Maine's population stood at a Census-estimated 1,400,000, the state's highest-ever population estimate. Maine's capital is Augusta, while its most populous city is Portland.

1820

Sailor Benjamin Morrell erroneously reports the existence of the island of New South Greenland near Antarctica.

American explorer (1795 – c. 1839)

Benjamin Morrell was an American sea captain, explorer and trader who made a number of voyages, mainly to the Atlantic, the Southern Ocean and the Pacific Islands. In a ghost-written memoir, A Narrative of Four Voyages, which describes his sea-going life between 1823 and 1832, Morrell included numerous claims of discovery and achievement, many of which have been disputed by geographers and historians, and in some cases have been proven false. He ended his career as a fugitive, having wrecked his ship and misappropriated parts of the salvaged cargo.

1823

A revolution breaks out in Hungary, and the Habsburg rulers are compelled to meet the demands of the reform party.

Failed Hungarian revolt against the Austrian and Russian Empires

The Hungarian Revolution of 1848, also known in Hungary as Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence of 1848–1849 was one of a number of European Revolutions of 1848 and was closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas. Although the Hungarian War of Independence failed, it is one of the most significant events in Hungary's modern history, forming the cornerstone of modern Hungarian national identity—the anniversary of the Revolution's outbreak, 15 March, is one of Hungary's three national holidays.

1848

France and Vietnam sign the Second Treaty of Saigon, further recognizing the full sovereignty of France over Cochinchina.

Government of France from 1870 to 1940

The French Third Republic was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 1940, after the Fall of France during World War II led to the formation of the Vichy government. The French Third Republic was a parliamentary republic.

1874

Archbishop of New York John McCloskey is named the first cardinal in the United States.

Archbishops of the Catholic Archdiocese of New York

The Archbishop of New York is the head of the Archdiocese of New York, who is responsible for looking after its spiritual and administrative needs. As the archdiocese is the metropolitan see of the Catholic ecclesiastical province encompassing nearly all of the state of New York, the Archbishop of New York also administers the bishops who head the suffragan dioceses of Albany, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Ogdensburg, Rochester, Rockville Centre and Syracuse. The current archbishop is Ronald Hicks.

1875

First ever official cricket test match is played: Australia vs England at the MCG Stadium, in Melbourne, Australia.

English cricket tour of Australia and New Zealand

The Australia and New Zealand tour of the England cricket team in 1876–77 was at the time considered to be another professional first-class cricket tour of the colonies, as similar tours had occurred previously, but retrospectively it became classified as the first Test cricket tour of Australia by the English cricket team. The English team is sometimes referred to as James Lillywhite's XI. In all, they played 23 matches but only three including the two Tests are recognised as first-class. The first match started at the Adelaide Oval on 16 November 1876 and the last at the same venue on 14 April 1877. There were fifteen matches in Australia and, between January and March, eight in New Zealand.

1877

Start of the Anglo-Tibetan War of 1888.

1888 British military operation to expel Tibetan forces from Sikkim

The Sikkim expedition was an 1888 British military expedition to expel Tibetan forces from Sikkim. The roots of the conflict lay in British–Tibetan competition for suzerainty over Sikkim.

1888

The Lobau bombing is one of the first attacks of the Ère des attentats (1892-1894).

1892 anarchist bombing in Paris

The Lobau bombing was a bomb attack in Paris, France, carried out on 15 March 1892, by the anarchist militant Théodule Meunier against the Lobau barracks. Organized four days after the Saint-Germain bombing, it was one of the first attacks of the Ère des attentats (1892–1894). The explosion caused material damage in the surrounding area but killed or injured no one.

1892

Madeleine bombing by Désiré Pauwels during the Ère des attentats.

1894 anarchist bombing in Paris

The Madeleine bombing was a bomb attack carried out on 15 March 1894 by the anarchist militant Désiré Pauwels at the Madeleine church, facing the French National Assembly in Paris. The attack occurred during the latter half of the Era of Attacks (1892–1894) and aimed to strike a symbol of the Catholic Church and one of the principal churches of the Parisian bourgeoisie.

1894

The first parliamentary elections of Finland (at the time the Grand Duchy of Finland) are held.

Parliamentary elections were held in the Grand Duchy of Finland on 15 and 16 March 1907. They were the first parliamentary election in which members were elected to the new Parliament of Finland by universal suffrage and the first in the world in which female members were elected.

1907

Tsar Nicholas II of Russia abdicates the Russian throne, ending the 304-year Romanov dynasty.

Monarchical title in some Slavic countries

Tsar ( ) is a Slavic title derived from the Latin word caesar, which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the term—a ruler with the same rank as a Roman emperor, holding it by the approval of another emperor or a supreme ecclesiastical official—but was usually considered by Western Europeans to be equivalent to "king".

1917

Finnish Civil War: The battle of Tampere begins.

1918 civil war in Finland

The Finnish Civil War was a civil war in 1918 fought for the leadership and control of recently independent Finland between White Finland and the Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic. The clashes took place in the context of the national, political, and social turmoil caused by World War I in Europe. The belligerents were the paramilitary Red Guards, led by a section of the Social Democratic Party with backup of the Russian bolsheviks, and the paramilitary White Guards of the senate. General C. G. E. Mannerheim led the White Guards with major assistance by both the Finnish Jäger Battalion trained in Germany and the German Imperial Army, along the German goal to control Fennoscandia and Petrograd of Russia. The Reds, composed of industrial and agrarian working class people, controlled the cities and industrial centres of southern Finland. The Whites, composed of land owners and the middle and upper class, controlled the rural central and northern Finland.

1918

Ukrainian War of Independence: The Kontrrazvedka is established as the counterintelligence division of the Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine.

Eastern European military conflict (1917–1921)

The Ukrainian War of Independence, also referred to as the Ukrainian–Soviet War in Ukraine, lasted from March 1917 to November 1921 and was part of the wider Russian Civil War. It saw the establishment and development of an independent Ukrainian republic, most of which was absorbed into the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic between 1919 and 1920. The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union between 1922 and 1991.

1919

The American Legion is founded.

Organization of U.S. war veterans

The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an organization of U.S. veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises state, U.S. territory, and overseas departments, in turn made up of local posts. It was established in March 1919 in Paris, France, by officers and men of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF). It was subsequently chartered by the 66th U.S. Congress on September 16, 1919.

1919

Talaat Pasha, former Grand Vizir of the Ottoman Empire and chief architect of the Armenian genocide, is assassinated in Berlin by a 23-year-old Armenian, Soghomon Tehlirian.

Turkish Ottoman politician (1874–1921)

Mehmed Talât Pasha, commonly known as Talaat Pasha or Talat Pasha, was a Turkish activist, revolutionary, politician, and convicted war criminal who served as the de facto leader of the Ottoman Empire from 1913 to 1918. He was chairman of the Union and Progress Party, which operated a one-party dictatorship in the Empire; during World War I he became Grand Vizier. He has been called the architect of the Armenian genocide, and was responsible for other ethnic cleansings during his time as Minister of Interior Affairs.

1921

After Egypt gains nominal independence from the United Kingdom, Fuad I becomes King of Egypt.

Country in Northeast Africa and Southwest Asia

Egypt, officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Palestine and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan and the Sahara to the south, and Libya to the west. The Gulf of Aqaba in the northeast separates Egypt from Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Cairo is the capital, largest city, and leading cultural centre, while Alexandria is the second-largest city and an important hub of industry and tourism. With over 107 million inhabitants, Egypt is the most populous country in the Arab world, third-most populous country in Africa, and 15th-most populated in the world.

1922

The first Women's Boat Race between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge takes place on The Isis in Oxford.

Boat race on the River Thames

The Women's Boat Race is an annual rowing race between Cambridge University Boat Club and Oxford University Women's Boat Club. First rowed in 1927, the race has taken place annually since 1964. Since the 2015 race it has been rowed on the same day and course as the men's Boat Race on the River Thames in London, taking place around Easter, and since 2018 the name "The Boat Race" has been applied to the combined event. The race is rowed in eights and the cox can be of either gender.

1927

Germany occupies Czechoslovakia.

Period of Czechoslovak history

The military occupation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany began with the German annexation of the Sudetenland in 1938, continued with the creation of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, and by the end of 1944 extended to all parts of Czechoslovakia.

1939

Carpatho-Ukraine declares itself an independent republic, but is annexed by Hungary the next day.

Short-lived autonomous region and unrecognized state (1938–1939)

Carpatho-Ukraine or Carpathian Ukraine was an autonomous region within the Second Czechoslovak Republic and short-lived state. It was created in December 1938 and renamed from Subcarpathian Rus', whose full administrative and political autonomy had been confirmed by constitutional law of 22 November 1938.

1939

World War II: Third Battle of Kharkiv: The Germans retake the city of Kharkiv from the Soviet armies.

1939–1945 global conflict

World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. Tanks and aircraft played major roles, the latter enabling the strategic bombing of cities and delivery of the only nuclear weapons used in war. World War II was the deadliest conflict in history, causing the death of 60 to 75 million people. Millions died as a result of massacres, starvation, disease, and genocides, including the Holocaust. After the Allied victory, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Korea were occupied, and German and Japanese leaders were tried for war crimes.

1943

The Iranian oil industry is nationalized.

The nationalization of the Iranian oil industry resulted from a movement in the Iranian parliament (Majlis) to seize control of Iran's oil industry, which had been run by private companies, largely controlled by foreign interests. The legislation was passed on 15 March 1951, and was verified by the Majlis on 17 March 1951. The legislation led to the nationalization of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC) and the formation of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). The movement was led by Mohammad Mosaddegh, a member of the Majlis for the National Front and future prime minister of Iran.

1951

At the 1961 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference, South Africa announces that it will withdraw from the Commonwealth when the South African Constitution of 1961 comes into effect.

11th meeting of the Commonwealth of Nations' heads of government

The 1961 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference was the 11th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in the United Kingdom in March 1961, and was hosted by British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan.

1961

President Lyndon B.

Johnson, responding to the Selma crisis, tells the U.S. Congress "We shall overcome" while advocating the Voting Rights Act.

Lyndon Baines Johnson, also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. Johnson was vice president under John F. Kennedy from 1961 until Kennedy's assassination in 1963, when he assumed the presidency. Before becoming vice president, he served in both houses of the U.S. Congress, representing Texas as a member of the Democratic Party.

1965

Fifteen people are killed when Sterling Airways Flight 901, a Sud Aviation Caravelle, catches fire following a landing gear collapse at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran, Iran.

1974 plane crash and fire in Tehran, Iran

On 15 March 1974, Sterling Airways Flight 901, a Sud Aviation Caravelle operated by Sterling Airways, experienced a landing gear failure as it was taxiing for take-off. The right main landing gear collapsed, which caused the right wing to contact the runway, rupturing a fuel tank and igniting the spilt fuel. The fire killed 15 passengers and injured 37 passengers and crew. The aircraft had been chartered by tour company Tjæreborg to take tourists around Asia, and was on the way back to Copenhagen when the accident happened. The accident came only two years after the crash of Sterling Airways Flight 296.

1974

Somalia and Ethiopia sign a truce to end the Ethio-Somali War.

Country in the Horn of Africa

Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. Stretching across the Horn of Africa, it borders Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, and the Indian Ocean to the east. Somalia has the longest coastline on Africa's mainland. Somalia has an estimated population of more than 18 million, of which 2.7 million live in the capital and largest city, Mogadishu. As one of Africa's most ethnically homogenous countries, around 85% of its residents are ethnic Somalis. The official and national language of the country is Somali while Arabic is recognised as a second language. The overwhelming majority of the population are Sunni Muslims.

1978

Collapse of Hotel New World: Thirty-three people die when the Hotel New World in Singapore collapses.

1986 construction disaster in Singapore

The collapse of Hotel New World was a civil disaster that occurred in Singapore on 15 March 1986. The Hotel New World was a six-story building situated at the junction of Serangoon Road and Owen Road in the Rochor district when it suddenly collapsed, trapping 50 people beneath the rubble. 33 people died and 17 people were rescued.

1986

Mikhail Gorbachev is elected as the first and only President of the Soviet Union.

Leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev was a Soviet and Russian politician who was the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 until the country's dissolution in 1991. He served as General Secretary of the Communist Party from 1985, and additionally as head of state from 1988. Ideologically, he initially adhered to Marxism–Leninism, but moved towards social democracy by the early 1990s.

1990

Cold War: The Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany comes into effect, granting full sovereignty to the Federal Republic of Germany.

1947–1991 geopolitical rivalry between US and USSR

The Cold War was a period of international geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc. It began in the aftermath of the Second World War and ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The term cold war is used because there was no direct fighting between the two superpowers, though each supported opposing sides in regional conflicts known as proxy wars. In addition to the struggle for ideological and economic influence and an arms race in both conventional and nuclear weapons, the Cold War was expressed through technological rivalries such as the Space Race, espionage, propaganda campaigns, embargoes, and sports diplomacy.

1991

Stockpiles of obsolete ammunition explode at an ex-military ammunition depot in the village of Gërdec, Albania, killing 26 people.

Munitions depot explosion in western Albania

At approximately 12 p.m. local time on March 15, 2008, at an ex-military ammunition depot in the village of Gërdec in the Vorë Municipality of Albania, U.S. and Albanian munitions experts were preparing to destroy stockpiles of obsolete ammunition by a series of small, controlled explosions. However, a chain of events led to the entire stockpile detonating simultaneously. Hundreds of houses were demolished within a few kilometres of the depot, and car windows on the Tirana-Durres highway were shattered by the main explosion, which involved more than 400 tonnes of propellant in containers. A large fire caused a series of smaller but powerful explosions that continued until 2 a.m. the following day. The explosions were heard as far away as the Macedonian capital of Skopje, 170 km (110 mi) away.

2008

Beginning of the Syrian revolution.

Revolution in Syria (2011–2024)

The Syrian revolution was a series of mass protests and civilian uprisings throughout Syria – with a subsequent violent reaction by the Ba'athist regime – lasting from 2011 to 2024 as part of the greater Arab Spring in the Arab world. The revolution, which demanded the end of the decades-long Assad family rule, began as minor demonstrations during January 2011 and transformed into large nationwide protests in March. The uprising was marked by mass protests against the Ba'athist dictatorship of president Bashar al-Assad meeting police and military violence, massive arrests and a brutal crackdown, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths and tens of thousands wounded. 13 years after the start of the revolution, the Assad regime fell in 2024 after a series of rebel offensives.

2011

Fifty-one people are killed in the Christchurch mosque shootings.

2019 terrorist attacks in New Zealand

On 15 March 2019, two consecutive terrorist mass shootings took place in Christchurch, New Zealand. They were committed during Friday prayer, first at the Al Noor Mosque in Riccarton at 1:40 p.m., and shortly afterwards at 1:52 p.m. at the Linwood Islamic Centre. In total, 51 people were killed and 89 others were injured, including 40 by gunfire. The perpetrator was identified as Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian man at the time.

2019

Beginning of the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests.

From 2019 until 2020, protests were held in Hong Kong in response to the Hong Kong government's introduction of a bill to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance in regard to extradition. It was the largest series of demonstrations in the history of Hong Kong.

2019

Approximately 1.4 million young people in 123 countries go on strike to protest climate change.

International youth movement for climate action

Fridays for Future (FFF), also known as the School Strike for Climate, is an international movement of school students who skip Friday classes to participate in demonstrations to demand action from political leaders to prevent climate change and for the fossil fuel industry to transition to renewable energy. Publicity and widespread organising began after Swedish pupil Greta Thunberg staged a protest in August 2018 outside of the Swedish parliament, the Riksdag, holding a sign that read "Skolstrejk för klimatet".

2019

Four members of a Palestinian family are shot dead in Tammun by the Israeli military.

2026 shooting in the West Bank

Four members of the Bani Odeh family were killed on 15 March 2026 when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) opened fire on their car in Tammun in the West Bank. Ali Khaled Bani Odeh, 37, his wife Waad Othman Bani Odeh, 35, and their sons Othman, 7, and Mohammed, 5 were killed. Two other sons, Khaled,12, and Mustafa, 8, were injured by shrapnel.

2026

Born on March 15

20 people 1991 – 2005

Rodri Mendoza

Spanish footballer

Rodrigo Mendoza Martínez-Moyá, sometimes known as Rodri, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for La Liga club Atlético Madrid.

2005

Isaiah Bond

American football player

Isaiah Bond is an American professional football wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and Alabama Crimson Tide.

2004

Quinn Ewers

American football player

Quinn Tucker Ewers is an American professional football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas Longhorns. Ewers was…

2003

Ellie Leach

English actress

Ellie Louise Leach is an English actress, known for playing Faye Windass on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street between 2011 and 2023. Following her exit from the soap, she won the twenty-first series of the BBC…

2001

Kristian Kostov

Russian-Bulgarian singer-songwriter

Kristian Konstantinov Kostov is a Bulgarian-Russian singer. He was a finalist in season one of The Voice Kids Russia and a runner-up in the fourth season of X Factor Bulgaria. He represented Bulgaria in the Eurovision…

2000

Maxwell Jacob Friedman

American professional wrestler

Maxwell Tyler Friedman, better known by the ring name Maxwell Jacob Friedman or simply the initials MJF, is an American professional wrestler and actor. As a wrestler, he has been signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW)…

1996

Seonaid McIntosh

Scottish sports shooter

Seonaid McIntosh is a British sports shooter who became the World Champion at the 2018 ISSF World Shooting Championships in the 50m Prone Rifle event. In 2019 she became Britain's most successful female rifle shooter of…

1996

Jinjin

South Korean singer and actor

Park Jin-woo, known professionally as Jinjin (진진), is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter and dancer. He is the leader of South Korean boy group Astro and former member of its sub unit Jinjin & Rocky with…

1996

Jabari Parker

American basketball player

Jabari Ali Parker is an American professional basketball player for Joventut Badalona of the Spanish Liga ACB, on loan from Partizan Mozzart Bet. He was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the second overall pick in…

1995

Matt Gay

American football player

Matt Gay is an American professional football placekicker for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Utah Utes and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the…

1994

Scott Seiss

American comedian

Scott Matthew Seiss is an American stand-up comedian, actor, author, and TikToker. He is best known for his repeated portrayal on TikTok of an angry retail worker, popularly referred to as the Angry IKEA Guy, or Angry…

1994

Alia Bhatt

British actress

Alia Bhatt is a British actress of Indian descent who predominantly works in Hindi films. Known for her portrayals of women in challenging circumstances, she has received several accolades, including a National Film…

1993

Michael Fulmer

American baseball player

Michael Joseph Fulmer is an American professional baseball pitcher in the San Francisco Giants organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs,…

1993

Taylor Heinicke

American football player

Taylor Heinicke is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Old Dominion Monarchs and joined the NFL as an undrafted…

1993

Aleksandra Krunić

Serbian tennis player

Aleksandra Krunić is a Serbian professional tennis player. She is a doubles finalist at the 2025 French Open and at the 2026 Australian Open, partnering Anna Danilina. She has a career-high doubles rankings of world No.…

1993

Paul Pogba

French footballer

Paul Labile Pogba is a French professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Ligue 1 club Monaco.

1993

Mark Scheifele

Canadian ice hockey player

Mark Scheifele is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a centre and alternate captain for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Jets in the first round, seventh…

1993

Devonta Freeman

American football player

Devonta Cornellius Freeman is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles and was selected by…

1992

Xavier Henry

American basketball player

Xavier Henry is an American former professional basketball player. He played one year of college basketball with the Kansas Jayhawks before he was drafted in the 2010 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. He played four…

1991

Trayce Thompson

American baseball player

Trayce Nikolas Thompson is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Lexington Legends of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago…

1991

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Died on March 15

20 people 2013 – 2025

Wings Hauser

American actor (born 1947)

Gerald Dwight "Wings" Hauser was an American actor, screenwriter, film director and musician. A prolific character actor, he appeared in over 100 film and television productions since 1967, and was once called "the…

2025

Nita Lowey

American politician (born 1937)

Nita Sue Lowey was an American politician who served as a U.S. representative from New York from 1989 until 2021. She was a member of the Democratic Party. Lowey also served as co-dean of the New York congressional…

2025

Rajnikumar Pandya

Indian writer (born 1938)

Rajnikumar Pandya was an Indian Gujarati language writer and journalist from Gujarat. He was known for his short stories, novels, biographical essays, and columns. He had a significant contribution to Gujarati…

2025

Barbara Maier Gustern

American vocal coach and singer (born 1935)

Barbara Joan Gustern was an American vocal coach and singer. She had many noted students, including Blondie singer Debbie Harry, Taylor Mac, Justin Vivian Bond, Diamanda Galás, and Kathleen Hanna.

2022

Vittorio Gregotti

Italian architect (born 1927)

Vittorio Gregotti was an Italian architect, born in Novara. He was seen as both a member of the Neo-Avant Garde and a key figure in 1970s Postmodernism.

2020

Larry DiTillio

American film and TV series writer (born 1948)

Lawrence G. DiTillio was an American film, TV series, and tabletop role-playing game writer. His creations include He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword and the award-winning Masks of Nyarlathotep.

2019

Sylvia Anderson

English voice actress and television and film producer (born 1927)

Sylvia Beatrice Anderson was an English television and film producer, writer, voice actress and costume designer, best known for her collaborations with Gerry Anderson, her husband between 1960 and 1981.

2016

Asa Briggs

English historian and academic (born 1921)

Asa Briggs, Baron Briggs was an English historian. He was a leading specialist on the Victorian era, and the foremost historian of broadcasting in Britain. Briggs achieved international recognition during his long and…

2016

Seru Rabeni

Fijian rugby player (born 1978)

Ratu Seru Rabeni was a Fijian rugby union player. He played as a centre or wing. At both club and international level, his physicality and heavy tackles earned him the nickname "Rambo".

2016

Collins Chabane

South African politician (born 1960)

Ohm Collins Chabane was a South African Minister of Public Service and Administration. At the age of 17, he went into exile and joined the African National Congress (ANC) underground military wing Umkhonto we Sizwe…

2015

Robert Clatworthy

English sculptor and educator (born 1928)

Robert Ernest Clatworthy RA was a British sculptor and teacher of art. He was head of the fine art department at the Central School of Art and Design in London from 1971 to 1975, and was elected a fellow of the Royal…

2015

Sally Forrest

American actress and dancer (born 1928)

Sally Forrest was an American film, stage and TV actress of the 1940s and 1950s. She studied dance from a young age and shortly out of high school was signed to a contract by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

2015

Curtis Gans

American political scientist and author (born 1937)

Curtis Bernard Gans was an American activist, writer, and expert on American voting patterns.

2015

Mike Porcaro

American bass player (born 1955)

Michael Joseph Porcaro was an American bass player known for his work with the rock band Toto. He retired from touring in 2007 as a result of being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

2015

Scott Asheton

American drummer (born 1949)

Scott Randolph Asheton was an American musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band the Stooges.

2014

David Brenner

American comedian, actor, and author (born 1936)

David Norris Brenner was an American stand-up comedian, actor and author. The most frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in the 1970s and 1980s, Brenner "was a pioneer of observational comedy." His…

2014

Bo Callaway

American soldier and politician, United States Secretary of the Army (born 1927)

Howard Hollis "Bo" Callaway was an American businessman and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the United States House of Representatives from 1965 to 1967 and as the United States secretary of…

2014

Clarissa Dickson Wright

English chef, author, and television personality (born 1947)

Clarissa Theresa Philomena Aileen Mary Josephine Agnes Elsie Trilby Louise Esmerelda Johnston Dickson Wright was an English celebrity cook, television personality, writer, businesswoman, and barrister. She was best…

2014

Booth Gardner

American businessman and politician, Governor of Washington (born 1936)

William Booth Gardner was an American politician who served as the 19th governor of Washington, from 1985 to 1993. He also served as the ambassador of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, or GATT. A member of the…

2013

Terry Lightfoot

English clarinet player (born 1935)

Terence John Lightfoot was a British jazz clarinettist and bandleader, and together with Chris Barber, Acker Bilk and Kenny Ball was one of the leading members of the trad jazz generation of British jazzmen.

2013

See all deaths on March 15

March 15 in the Blog

Mongol Conquest of Baghdad — March 15, 1258

Hulagu Khan's 1258 siege claims 200,000 lives in Baghdad, Iraq, as the Caliphate falls

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What happened on March 15 in history?

On March 15, one notable event in history was 2022: The 2022 Sri Lankan protests begins amidst Sri Lanka's economic collapse..

This date currently highlights 51 recorded events on thisDay.info, spanning 474 BC – 2026.

DateMarch 15

Featured year2022

LocationHistorical Location

Events listed51

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2022 — The 2022 Sri Lankan protests begins amidst Sri Lanka's economic collapse

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2022 — The 2022 Sri Lankan protests begins amidst Sri Lanka's economic collapse

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