October 15 in History
October 15 is the birthday of Christian, Crown Prince of Denmark (2005) and the anniversary of the death of Jim Bolger (2025). Below are famous birthdays, deaths, events for October 15, plus editor's picks and genealogy records.
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Virgil, Roman poet was born in 70 BC, while Lucretius, Roman poet and philosopher died in 55 BC.
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Famous people born on October 15
Famous people who died on October 15
2024
Mike Jackson (British Army officer) (Wikipedia, opens in a new tab)
British Army general (1944–2024)
2008
Jack Narz (Wikipedia, opens in a new tab)
American radio personality, television host, and singer (1922–2008)
1988
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (Wikipedia, opens in a new tab)
English composer and pianist (1892–1988)
What happened on October 15
- 2018
13-year-old American girl, Jayme Closs, is kidnapped from her Barron, Wisconsin home after her parents were both murdered.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2016
One hundred and ninety-seven nations amend the Montreal Protocol to include a phase-out of hydrofluorocarbons.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2013
The 7.2 Mw Bohol earthquake strikes the Philippines. At least 215 were killed.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2008
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes down 733.08 points, or 7.87%, the second worst percentage drop in the Dow's history.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2007
Seventeen activists in New Zealand are arrested in the country's first post-9/11 anti-terrorism raids.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2006
The 6.7 Mw Kiholo Bay earthquake rocks Hawaii, causing property damage, injuries, landslides, power outages, and the closure of Honolulu International Airport.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2003
China launches Shenzhou 5, its first crewed space mission.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2002
A Soyuz-U rocket carrying Foton-M No.1 fails after liftoff from Plesetsk Cosmodrome and crashes, killing one person and injuring eight others.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2001
NASA's Galileo spacecraft passes within 112 miles (180 km) of Jupiter's moon Io.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1997
The Cassini probe launches from Cape Canaveral on its way to Saturn.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1994
The United States, under the Clinton administration, returns Haiti's first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, to the island.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1991
The "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.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1991
The 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.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1990
Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to lessen Cold War tensions and open up his nation.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1989
Wayne Gretzky becomes the all-time leading points scorer in the NHL.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab)
Births, deaths and events from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab).
Editor's picks
Born on October 15
- 70 BC — Virgil, Roman poet (died 19 BC)
- 1265 — Temür Khan, Emperor Chengzong of Yuan (died 1307)
- 1440 — Henry III, Landgrave of Upper Hesse, German noble (died 1483)
Died on October 15
- 55 BC — Lucretius, Roman poet and philosopher (born 98 BC)
- 412 — Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria
- 892 — Al-Mu'tamid, Abbasid caliph
Source: Wikipedia historical listings for October 15
Quick answers
Who was born on October 15? Christian, Crown Prince of Denmark (2005), Bailee Madison (1999), Ben Woodburn (1999).
Who died on October 15? Jim Bolger (2025), Mike Jackson (British Army officer) (2024), David Amess (2021).
Explore genealogy records
Researching someone born in October? Search birth records
Live genealogy events
This calendar is live and has its own date controls; it is separate from the October 15 historical article above.
Ancestry
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