Historical Events on June 15

  • 1648: The first execution for witchcraft in the Massachusetts Bay Colony occurs when Margaret Jones is hanged in Boston.
  • 1667: Doctor Jean-Baptiste Denys gives the first human blood transfusion in history.
  • 1670: The cornerstone of Fort Ricasoli in Malta is laid on this day.
  • 1752: While the exact date is not known to historians, it’s traditionally observed that Benjamin Franklin proved that lightning was composed on electricity on this date.
  • 1776: A vote in Delaware leads to it suspending its government under British Rule and officially separating from Pennsylvania. Which is why this day is known as Delaware Separation Day.
  • 1804: The 12th Amendment to the U.S Constitution is approved by New Hampshire. This ratifies the document.
  • 1836: Arkansas becomes the 25th State in the U.S.
  • 1844: A patent for vulcanization is granted to Charles Goodyear on this day.
  • 1846: The border between Canada and the U.S is established as the 49th parallel thanks to the Oregon Treaty.
  • 1859: The Pig War begins when there is a dispute between American and Canadian settlers over the Northwestern boundary in the San Juan Islands. It was a bloodless conflict.
  • 1864: The Second Battle of Petersburg occurs during the American Civil War.
  • 1864: Arlington National Cemetery is founded when two hundred acres of land that was formerly owned by Confederate General Robert E. Lee was set aside for use as a military cemetery by then United States Secretary of State Edwin M. Stanton.
  • 1877: When Henry Ossian Flipper graduates from the U.S Military Academy, he becomes the first African-American cadet to do so.
  • 1878: In order to prove that all of a horse’s hooves leave the ground when it runs, Eadweard Muybridge takes a series of pictures.

Famous Birthdays on June 15

  • Russian actress Alla Kazankskaya is born in 1920.
  • American Jazz pianist and composer, Erroll Garner is born in 1921.
  • English author and journalist, Richard Baker is born in 1925.
  • American actress and director, Helen Hunt is born in 1963.
  • American actress and producer, Courteney Cox is born in 1964.
  • American rapper, actor and producer, Ice Cube is born in 1969.
  • American actress and producer, Leah Remini is born in 1970.