December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 16 days remaining until the end of the year.
You have 9 days left for Christmas Shopping.
Holidays
- Bill of Rights Day (United States)
- Christian feast day:
- Consualia, in honor of Consus. (Roman Empire)
- Homecoming Day (Alderney)
- Kingdom Day (Netherlands)
- Remembrance Day of Journalists Killed in the Line of Duty (Russia)
- Zamenhof Day (International Esperanto Community)
History
In 533, Vandalic War: Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Tricamarum.
In 687, Pope Sergius I is elected.
In 1161, Jin–Song wars: Military officers conspire against Emperor Hailing of the Jin Dynasty after a military defeat at the Battle of Caishi, and assassinate the emperor at his camp.
In 1167, Sicilian Chancellor Stephen du Perche moves the royal court to Messina to prevent a rebellion.
In 1256, Hulagu Khan captures and destroys the Hashshashin stronghold at Alamut Castle (in present-day Iran) as part of the Mongol offensive on Islamic southwest Asia.
In 1467, Stephen III of Moldavia defeats Matthias Corvinus of Hungary, with the latter being injured thrice, at the Battle of Baia.
In 1778, American Revolutionary War: British and French fleets clash in the Battle of St. Lucia.
In 1791, The United States Bill of Rights becomes law when ratified by the Virginia General Assembly.
In 1864, American Civil War: Battle of Nashville – Union forces under George Thomas almost completely destroy the Army of Tennessee under John Hood.
In 1890, Hunkpapa Lakota leader Sitting Bull is killed on Standing Rock Indian Reservation, leading to the Wounded Knee Massacre. Sitting Bull also nicknamed Slon-he or “Slow”; c. 1831 – December 15, 1890) was a Hunkpapa Lakota holy man who led his people as a tribal chief during years of resistance to United States government policies. He was killed by Indian agency police on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation during an attempt to arrest him, at a time when authorities feared that he would join the Ghost Dance movement. Before the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Sitting Bull had a vision in which he saw the defeat of the 7th Cavalry under Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer on June 25, 1876. Sitting Bull’s leadership inspired his people to a major victory. Months after their victory at the battle, Sitting Bull and his group left the United States for Wood Mountain, North-West Territories (now Saskatchewan), where he remained until 1881, at which time he and most of his band returned to US territory and surrendered to U.S. forces. A small remnant of his band under Chief Waŋblí Ǧí decided to stay at Wood Mountain.
In 1905, The Pushkin House is established in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to preserve the cultural heritage of Alexander Pushkin
In 1906, The London Underground‘s Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway opens.
In 1913, Nicaragua becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires Convention.
In 1914, World War I: The Serbian Army recaptures Belgrade from the invading Austro-Hungarian Army.
In 1914, A gas explosion at Mitsubishi Hōjō coal mine, in Kyushu, Japan, kills 687.
In 1917, World War I: An armistice is reached between the new Bolshevik government and the Central Powers.
In 1933, The Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution officially becomes effective, repealing the Eighteenth Amendment that prohibited the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol.
In 1939, Gone with the Wind receives its premiere at Loew’s Grand Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.
In 1941, The Holocaust: German troops murder over 15,000 Jews at Drobytsky Yar, a ravine southeast of the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine, Soviet Union.
In 1942, World War II: The Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse begins during the Guadalcanal Campaign.
In 1943, Fats Waller, American singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1904) contracted pneumonia and died on a cross-country train trip near Kansas City, Missouri. He was an influential American jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer, whose innovations to the Harlem stride style laid the groundwork for modern jazz piano, and whose best-known compositions, “Ain’t Misbehavin‘” and “Honeysuckle Rose“, were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame posthumously, in 1984 and 1999.
In 1943, World War II: The Battle of Arawe begins during the New Britain Campaign.
In 1944, Glenn Miller, American bandleader and composer (b. 1904) died while he was traveling to entertain U.S. troops in France during World War II, Glenn Miller’s aircraft disappeared in bad weather over the English Channel. He was an American big band musician, arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was the best-selling recording artist from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known big bands. Miller’s notable recordings include “In the Mood“, “Moonlight Serenade“, “Pennsylvania 6-5000“, “Chattanooga Choo Choo“, “A String of Pearls“, “At Last“, “(I’ve Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo“, “American Patrol“, “Tuxedo Junction“, “Elmer’s Tune“, and “Little Brown Jug“.
In 1945, Occupation of Japan: General Douglas MacArthur orders that Shinto be abolished as the state religion of Japan.
In 1946, U.S.-backed Iranian troops evict the leadership of the breakaway Republic of Mahabad, putting an end to the Iran crisis of 1946.
In 1946, The first election to the Representative Assembly of French India was held.
In 1954, The Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands is signed.
In 1960, Richard Pavlick is arrested for plotting to assassinate U.S. President-Elect John F. Kennedy.
In 1960, King Mahendra of Nepal suspends the country’s constitution, dissolves parliament, dismisses the cabinet, and imposes direct rule.
In 1961, Adolf Eichmann is sentenced to death after being found guilty by an Israeli court of 15 criminal charges, including charges of crimes against humanity, crimes against the Jewish people, and membership of an outlawed organization.
In 1965, Project Gemini: Gemini 6A, crewed by Wally Schirra and Thomas Stafford, is launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida. Four orbits later, it achieves the first space rendezvous, with Gemini 7.
In 1966, Walt Disney, American animator, director, producer, and screenwriter, co-founded The Walt Disney Company (b. 1901) died of acute circulatory collapse, caused by lung cancer. He was an American business magnate, cartoonist, and filmmaker. As a prominent figure within the American animation industry and throughout the world, he is regarded as a cultural icon, known for his influence and contributions to entertainment during the 20th century. As a Hollywood business mogul, he and his brother Roy O. Disney co-founded The Walt Disney Company. As an animator and entrepreneur, Disney was particularly noted as a filmmaker and a popular showman, as well as an innovator in animation and theme park design. He and his staff created various fictional characters including Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy. Disney himself was the original voice for Mickey. During his lifetime, he received four honorary Academy Awards and won 22 Academy Awards from a total of 59 nominations, including a record of four in one year, giving him more awards and nominations than any other individual in history. Disney also won seven Emmy Awards and gave his name to the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resort theme parks in the U.S., as well as the international resorts, Tokyo Disney Resort, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland.
In 1967, The Silver Bridge over the Ohio River collapses, killing 46 people.
In 1970, Soviet spacecraft Venera 7 successfully land on Venus. It is the first successful soft landing on another planet
In 1970, The South Korean ferry Namyong Ho capsizes in the Korea Strait, killing over 300 people.
In 1973, John Paul Getty III, grandson of American billionaire J. Paul Getty, is found alive near Naples, Italy, after being kidnapped by an Italian gang on July 10.
In 1973, The American Psychiatric Association votes 13–0 to remove homosexuality from its official list of psychiatric disorders, the DSM-II.
In 1976, Western Samoa becomes a member of the United Nations.
In 1976, The oil tanker MV Argo Merchant runs aground near Nantucket, Massachusetts, causing one of the worst marine oil spills in history.
In 1978, U.S. President Jimmy Carter announces that the United States will recognize the People’s Republic of China and sever diplomatic relations with Taiwan
In 1981, A suicide car bombing targeting the Iraqi embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, levels the embassy and kills 61 people, including Iraq’s ambassador to Lebanon. The attack is considered the first modern suicide bombing.
In 1993, The Troubles: The Downing Street Declaration is issued by British Prime Minister John Major and Irish Taoiseach Albert Reynolds.
In 1994, Palau becomes a member of the United Nations.
In 1997, Tajikistan Airlines Flight 3183 crashes in the desert near Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, killing 85.
In 2000, The third reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is shut down.
In 2001, The Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens after 11 years and $27,000,000 spent to fortify it, without fixing its famous lean.
In 2005, Introduction of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor into USAF active service.
In 2006, First flight of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.
In 2006, There’s a lot of danger looming on the horizon. When the next Congress is sworn in January, a committed gun hater and supporter of gun confiscation, Nancy Pelosi, will take the reins in the House. The democratic congresswoman from California is rabidly anti-gun. She holds an F- rating from Gun Owners of America and has consistently championed socialist “values.” The new Majority Leader in the Senate, Democrat Harry Reid of Nevada, also holds an F- rating from GOA. Year End Report Gun Owners of America
In 2006, U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) will become the first Tennessee Republican ever to serve on the Senate’s Appropriations Committee, widely considered to be its most powerful committee because of its jurisdiction over federal spending. Newly-elected Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who named Alexander to the Appropriations Committee, said, “This appointment demonstrates the respect our caucus has for the extraordinary contribution Lamar has made during his first four years in the Senate, and it is intended to make it possible for him to be even more effective during his next term.” McConnell also appointed Alexander to the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee which has jurisdiction over Tennessee Valley Authority, clean air and transportation issues. Alexander will also be the third ranking Republican member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
In 2006, An American soldier missing in Iraq since late October probably was captured by the enemy, the Pentagon said, making official what the U.S. military there has suggested for more than a month. Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie, a 41-year-old Iraqi-born resident of Ann Arbor, Mich., was snatched off the street while he was visiting his Iraqi wife in Baghdad on Oct. 23. U.S. forces conducted raids in portions of Sadr City searching for al-Taayie, who worked as a translator. On 26 February 2012, U.S. military officers knocked on the door of the family home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with news that Army Staff Sgt. Ahmed Altaie was confirmed dead.
In 2007, Some people say “there’s not a dimes worth of difference between Republicans and Democrats.” They are right, because for Tennessee taxpayers the difference is actually over $1.5 BILLION DOLLARS! In 2004, thanks to the efforts of the then newly elected Republican Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, taxpayers in Tennessee were put on equal footing with taxpayers in states that rely on a state income tax to fund their state’s operations. But the deductibility of state and local sales tax on federal income tax forms expires this year…unless the Democratic Party-controlled Congress does something immediately.
In 2009, Boeing‘s new 787 Dreamliner makes its maiden flight from Seattle, Washington.
In 2010, A boat carrying 90 asylum seekers crashes into rocks off the coast of Christmas Island, Australia, killing 48 people.
In 2014, Man Haron Monis takes 18 hostages inside the Martin Place Lindt Café for 16 hours in Sydney. He dies, along with two hostages, when police raid the café the following morning.
In 2014, Editor’s note: Here is a perfect reason for term limits…. Jerry Gist announced Tuesday that he will seek re-election as Jackson’s mayor. Gist’s name will be placed on the ballot for the May 5, 2015, municipal election.
In 2014, Man Haron Monis takes 18 hostages inside a café in Martin Place for 16 hours in Sydney. Monis and two hostages are killed when police raid the café the following morning.
In 2017, The 6.5Mw Java earthquake struck the Java Island in the city of Tasikmalaya. 4 confirmed deaths, 36 injured, and 200 displaced.