On This Day: 15 December

15 December in Indian history

• 2019Citizenship Amendment Act protests: 10 to 15 local women blockaded a major road in Delhi, India, to protest the exclusion of Muslims from the amended Citizenship Act.India
• 1890Sitting Bull, a Hunkpapa Lakota leader, was killed on Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in South Dakota by U.S. Indian agency police.India

15 December in world history

• 2013The South Sudanese Civil War begins when opposition leaders Dr. Riek Machar, Pagan Amum and Rebecca Nyandeng vote to boycott the meeting of the National Liberation Council at Nyakuron.
• 1993The Troubles: The Downing Street Declaration is issued by British Prime Minister John Major and Irish Taoiseach Albert Reynolds.
• 1981The Iraqi Shia Islamist group al-Dawa carried out one of the first modern suicide bombings, targeting the Iraqi embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, resulting in 61 deaths and at least 100 injuries.
• 1973John Paul Getty III, grandson of American billionaire J. Paul Getty, is found alive near Naples, Italy, after being kidnapped by an Italian gang on July 10.
• 1965Project Gemini: Gemini 6A, crewed by Wally Schirra and Thomas Stafford, is launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida. Four orbits later, it achieves the first space rendezvous, with Gemini 7.
• 1961Former Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann was sentenced to death after being found guilty on fifteen criminal charges, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.
• 1945Occupation of Japan/Shinto Directive: General Douglas MacArthur orders that Shinto be abolished as the state religion of Japan.
• 1943World War II: Australian and American forces began the Battle of Arawe against Japanese forces on New Britain as a diversion before a larger landing at Cape Gloucester.
• 1939The American historical epic film Gone With the Wind, adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer Prize–winning novel of the same name, premiered in Atlanta, Georgia.
• 1914World War I: The Serbian Army recaptures Belgrade from the invading Austro-Hungarian Army.
• 1864American Civil War: Union troops defeated the Army of Tennessee, one of the largest Confederate forces, at the Battle of Nashville.
• 1862American Civil War: The Battle of Fredericksburg ends in a Union defeat as General Ambrose Burnside withdraws the Army of the Potomac across the Rappahannock River.
• 1791The United States Bill of Rights becomes law when ratified by the Virginia General Assembly.
• 1778American Revolutionary War: At the Battle of St. Lucia, the Royal Navy prevented French Navy ships from reaching their garrison on Saint Lucia in the West Indies.
• 1546The town of Ekenäs (Finnish: Tammisaari) is founded by King Gustav Vasa of Sweden.
• 1256Mongol forces under Hulagu enter and dismantle the Nizari Ismaili (Assassin) stronghold at Alamut Castle (in present-day Iran) as part of their offensive on Islamic southwest Asia.

Born on 15 December

• 1976Baichung Bhutia, Indian footballer and managerIndia
• 1963Norman J. Grossfeld, American screenwriter and producer
• 1933Bapu, Indian director and screenwriter (died 2014)India
• 1917Shan-ul-Haq Haqqee, Indian-Pakistani linguist and lexicographer (died 2005)India
• 1907Oscar Niemeyer, Brazilian architect, designed the United Nations Headquarters and the Cathedral of Brasília (died 2012)
• 1875Emilio Jacinto, Filipino journalist and activist (died 1899)

Died on 15 December

• 2025William J. Bauer, senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago and previously a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, (born 1926)
• 2024Zakir Hussain, Indian tabla player, musical producer, film actor and composer (born 1951)India
• 1950Vallabhbhai Patel, Indian lawyer and politician, 1st Deputy Prime Minister of India (born 1875)India
• 1161Wanyan Liang, Chinese emperor (born 1122)

Frequently asked questions

What happened on 15 December in history?

2019: Citizenship Amendment Act protests: 10 to 15 local women blockaded a major road in Delhi, India, to protest the exclusion of Muslims from the amended Citizenship Act. 2013: The South Sudanese Civil War begins when opposition leaders Dr. Riek Machar, Pagan Amum and Rebecca Nyandeng vote to boycott the meeting of the National Liberation Council at Nyakuron. 1993: The Troubles: The Downing Street Declaration is issued by British Prime Minister John Major and Irish Taoiseach Albert Reynolds. 1981: The Iraqi Shia Islamist group al-Dawa carried out one of the first modern suicide bombings, targeting the Iraqi embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, resulting in 61 deaths and at least 100 injuries.

What happened on 15 December in Indian history?

2019: Citizenship Amendment Act protests: 10 to 15 local women blockaded a major road in Delhi, India, to protest the exclusion of Muslims from the amended Citizenship Act. 1890: Sitting Bull, a Hunkpapa Lakota leader, was killed on Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in South Dakota by U.S. Indian agency police.

Which famous people were born on 15 December?

Baichung Bhutia, Indian footballer and manager (1976); Norman J. Grossfeld, American screenwriter and producer (1963); Bapu, Indian director and screenwriter (died 2014) (1933); Shan-ul-Haq Haqqee, Indian-Pakistani linguist and lexicographer (died 2005) (1917).

Which day is observed on 15 December?

Bill of Rights Day (United States) 2nd Amendment Day (South Carolina); Homecoming Day (Alderney); Kingdom Day (Netherlands), moves to December 16 if the 15th is on a Sunday; Zamenhof Day (International Esperanto Community); World Turkic Language Family Day (UNESCO).