What Happened This Day in History

A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.

15/8 in History of Nigeria

1948: Peter Odili, politician and governor of Rivers state (199-2007), was born in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.

1970: Biafran police officers and men dismissed from the Nigeria Police through Decree 46. They were later granted amnesty by President Olusegun Obasanjo in May 2000

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• Today in History August 15

1261		Constantinople falls to Michael VIII of Nicea and his army.
1385		John of Portugal defeats John of Castile at the Battle of Aljubarrota.
1598		Hugh O'Neill, the Earl of Tyrone, leads an Irish force to victory over the British at Battle of Yellow Ford.
1760		Frederick II defeats the Austrians at the Battle of Liegnitz.
1864		The Confederate raider Tallahassee captures six Federal ships off New England.
1872		The first ballot voting in England is conducted.
1914		The Panama Canal opens to traffic.
1935		American comedian and "cowboy philosopher" Will Rogers dies in an airplane accident, along with American aviation pioneer Wiley Post.
1942		The Japanese submarine I-25 departs Japan with a floatplane in its hold which will be assembled upon arriving off the West Coast of the United States, and used to bomb U.S. forests.
1944		American, British and French forces land on the southern coast of France, between Toulon and Cannes, in Operation Dragoon.
1945		Gasoline and fuel oil rationing ends in the United States.
1947		Britain grants independence to India and Pakistan.
1950		Two U.S. divisions are badly mauled by the North Korean Army at the Battle of the Bowling Alley in South Korea, which rages on for five more days.
1969		Over 400,000 young people attend a weekend of rock music at Woodstock, New York.
1971		US President Richard Nixon announces a 90-day freeze on wages and prices in an attempt to halt rapid inflation.
1986		Ignoring objections from President Ronald Reagan's Administration, US Senate approves economic sanctions against South Africa to protest that country's apartheid policies.
1994		US Social Security Administration, previously part of the Department of Health and Human Services, becomes an independent government agency.
1994		Infamous terrorist Carlos the Jackal captured in Khartoum, Sudan.
2001		Astronomers announce the first solar system discovered outside our own; two planets had been found orbiting a star in the Big Dipper.
2007		An earthquake of 8.0 magnitude kills over 500 and injures more than 1,000 in Peru.
Born on August 15
1769		Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France (1804-1815) and military leader.
1771		Sir Walter Scott, Scottish novelist who wrote Ivanhoe and Rob Roy.
1888		T.E. Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia for his military exploits against the Turks in World War I.
1912		Julia Child, American chef and television personality.
1924		Robert Bolt, English screenwriter and playwright best known for A Man for all Seasons.
1938		Maxine Waters, congresswoman from California, second African-American woman to be elected to congress.
1938		Stephen Breyer, US Supreme Court justice.
1946		Jimmy Webb, songwriter ("MacArthur Park," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix").
1961		Ed Gilllespie, US Republican political strategist and White House counsel to President George W. Bush.
1964		Melinda French Gates, businesswoman, philanthropist; co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with her husband, Bill Gates (co-founder of Microsoft).
1965		Rob Thomas, television writer (Veronica Mars, 90210).