On This Day: 15 October

15 October in Indian history

• 1932Air India, the flag carrier airline of India, began operations under the name Tata Airlines.India

15 October in world history

• 2013The 7.2 Mw Bohol earthquake strikes the Philippines. At least 215 were killed.
• 2011Global demonstrations against economic inequality, corporate influence on government, and other issues, were held in more than 950 cities in 82 countries.
• 2007New Zealand Police conducted several anti-terrorism raids in relation to the discovery of an alleged paramilitary training camp in the Urewera mountain ranges, arresting 17 people and seizing four guns and 230 rounds of ammunition.
• 2006An earthquake registering 6.7 Mw occurred off the northwestern coast of the island of Hawaii.
• 1996The Irish Criminal Assets Bureau was established following the gangland murders of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe and investigative journalist Veronica Guerin.
• 1994The United States, under the Clinton administration, returns Haiti's first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, to the island.
• 1991The leaders of the Baltic States, Arnold Rüütel of Estonia, Anatolijs Gorbunovs of Latvia and Vytautas Landsbergis of Lithuania, signed the OSCE Final Act in Helsinki, Finland.
• 1991The "Oh-My-God particle", an ultra-high-energy cosmic ray measured at 40,000,000 times that of the highest energy protons produced in a particle accelerator, is observed at the University of Utah HiRes observatory in Dugway Proving Ground, Utah.
• 1989Wayne Gretzky becomes the all-time leading points scorer in the NHL.
• 1967The Motherland Calls (depicted in coat of arms), a colossal statue in Volgograd, Russia, which commemorates the casualties of the Battle of Stalingrad, was dedicated, becoming the then-tallest statue in the world.
• 1966The Black Panther Party is created by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale.
• 1965Vietnam War: A draft card is burned during an anti-war rally by the Catholic Worker Movement, resulting in the first arrest under a new law.
• 1910Airship America is launched from New Jersey in the first attempt to cross the Atlantic by a powered aircraft.
• 1888The "From Hell" letter, allegedly from Jack the Ripper, was sent to George Lusk, the chairman of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee in London.
• 1864American Civil War: Confederate forces captured Glasgow, Missouri, although it had little long-term benefit as Price's Missouri Expedition was defeated a week later.
• 1781The Battle of Raft Swamp marks the last battle fought in North Carolina during the American Revolutionary War with a Patriot victory. It occurred four days before the British surrender at Yorktown.
• 1651Qing forces capture the island of Zhoushan. Zhu Yihai, Prince of Lu, resident of the island and regent of the Southern Ming, flees to Kinmen.

Born on 15 October

• 1946Victor Banerjee, Indian actor and directorIndia
• 1931A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Indian engineer, academic, and politician, 11th President of India (died 2015)India
• 1917Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., American historian and critic (died 2007)
• 1908John Kenneth Galbraith, Canadian-American economist and diplomat, 7th United States Ambassador to India (died 2006)India
• 1844Friedrich Nietzsche, German composer, poet, and philosopher (died 1900)
• 1785José Miguel Carrera, Chilean general and politician (died 1821)

Died on 15 October

• 2024Mike Jackson, English general (born 1944)
• 1961Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala', Indian poet and author (born 1896)India
• 1240Razia Sultana, sultan of Delhi (born 1205)India
• 892Al-Mu'tamid, Abbasid caliph

Frequently asked questions

What happened on 15 October in history?

2013: The 7.2 Mw Bohol earthquake strikes the Philippines. At least 215 were killed. 2011: Global demonstrations against economic inequality, corporate influence on government, and other issues, were held in more than 950 cities in 82 countries. 2007: New Zealand Police conducted several anti-terrorism raids in relation to the discovery of an alleged paramilitary training camp in the Urewera mountain ranges, arresting 17 people and seizing four guns and 230 rounds of ammunition. 2006: An earthquake registering 6.7 Mw occurred off the northwestern coast of the island of Hawaii.

What happened on 15 October in Indian history?

1932: Air India, the flag carrier airline of India, began operations under the name Tata Airlines.

Which famous people were born on 15 October?

Victor Banerjee, Indian actor and director (1946); A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Indian engineer, academic, and politician, 11th President of India (died 2015) (1931); Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., American historian and critic (died 2007) (1917); John Kenneth Galbraith, Canadian-American economist and diplomat, 7th United States Ambassador to India (died 2006) (1908).

Which day is observed on 15 October?

Dr APJ Abdul Kalam's Birth Anniversary; Breast Health Day (Europe); National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (United States); Shwmae Su'mae Day (Wales); White Cane Safety Day.