In History, Today on February 15

The Japanese Hayabusa2 mission successfully delivered its final data regarding observations of the asteroid Ryugu, deepening understanding of the early solar system.

A resolution was passed by the European Parliament urging member states to decriminalize abortion in all cases and reiterating the right to bodily autonomy as fundamental EU law.

Severe winter storms hit Texas, resulting in widespread power outages and water supply issues, affecting millions of residents.

President Donald Trump declared a national emergency to fund the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, bypassing Congress.

A meteor exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, injuring over 1,500 people and causing extensive damage to buildings. It was the largest recorded meteor strike in over a century.

Amazon Acquires Audio Book Publisher Audible, Inc.

YouTube is Launched as a Video Sharing Platform

Millions of people around the world participated in protests against the impending invasion of Iraq, making it one of the largest anti-war rallies in history.

The First Draft of the Human Genome is Published

The Visegrád Group is established with the signing of a declaration by Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland to foster cooperation and further their European integration.

The Soviet Union officially announces that all of its troops have left Afghanistan, ending a nine-year military intervention.

The United Kingdom and Ireland decimalize their currencies, transitioning from pounds, shillings, and pence to a decimal system of 100 new pence in a pound.

Canada's new maple leaf flag is raised for the first time, replacing the Union Jack and the Red Ensign.

The entire United States figure skating team is killed in a plane crash in Belgium, en route to the World Championships in Prague.

ENIAC, the first electronic general-purpose computer, is formally dedicated at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Singapore falls to Japanese forces during World War II, marking one of the greatest defeats in British military history.

Giuseppe Zangara attempts to assassinate U.S. President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt but instead fatally wounds Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak, who dies several weeks later.

Greece becomes the last European country to adopt the Gregorian calendar.

The USS Maine explodes and sinks in Havana Harbor, Cuba, leading to the outbreak of the Spanish-American War.

U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes signed a bill allowing female attorneys to argue cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. This milestone in women's rights marked a progressive moment in the legal history of the United States, paving the way for future generations of women in the legal profession.

During the American Civil War, the Battle of Fort Donelson ended on February 15, 1862. Union forces, led by Ulysses S. Grant and Andrew H. Foote, captured the fort in Tennessee after Confederate forces attempted a breakout. This victory was significant for the Union, opening the Cumberland River as an invasion route into the Southern states.

On February 15, 1851, Black Thursday bushfires swept across Victoria, Australia. These bushfires are considered one of the largest in the region's history, burning approximately five million hectares of land and resulting in significant loss of livestock and property.

The first U.S. railroad convention is held.

New Jersey becomes the last Northern state to abolish slavery.

The Bank of North America, the first commercial bank in the U.S., was chartered.

The city of St. Louis is established as a French trading post by Pierre Laclède and Auguste Chouteau.

The birth of Galileo Galilei, an Italian astronomer, physicist, and engineer, who played a major role in the scientific revolution of the seventeenth century.

Christopher Columbus, returning from his first voyage to the Americas, writes a letter to the Spanish monarchy (Ferdinand and Isabella) describing his discoveries.

Grand Duke Gediminas, the ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, issues letters inviting artisans and tradesmen to settle in his lands, marking the beginning of Vilnius’s development as a major city.

Alfonso VIII of Castile and the forces of the Almohad Caliphate clash in the Battle of Alarcos. This battle establishes Almohad dominance in southern Iberia for a period.

Pope Eugene III issued the papal bull 'Quantum praedecessores,' calling for the Second Crusade, responding to the fall of the County of Edessa the previous year.

Empress Wu Zetian, the only woman to ever officially reign as emperor in Chinese history, abdicates the throne and is succeeded by her son, Emperor Zhongzong, restoring the Tang Dynasty.

Khosrow II is crowned King of Persia, marking the beginning of his reign over the Sasanian Empire.

The Roman Emperor Arcadius issues a decree that prohibits pagan worship and sacrifices, furthering the Christianization of the Roman Empire.