Discover · History

On this day — December 15

A hand-curated thread of what happened on this date, across centuries.

2017

Disaster

A 6.5Mw earthquake strikes the Indonesian island of Java in the city of Tasikmalaya

resulting in four deaths.

2014

Milestone

Gunman 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.

2013

Politics

The South Sudanese Civil War begins when opposition leaders Dr

Riek Machar, Pagan Amum and Rebecca Nyandeng vote to boycott the meeting of the National Liberation Council at Nyakuron.

2010

Milestone

A boat carrying 90 asylum seekers crashes into rocks off the coast of Christmas Island

Australia, killing 48 people.

2005

Milestone

Introduction of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor into USAF active service.

2001

Milestone

The Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens after 11 years and $27,000,000 spent to stabilize it

without fixing its famous lean.

2000

Milestone

The third reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is shut down.

1997

Milestone

Tajikistan Airlines Flight 3183 crashes in the desert near Sharjah

United Arab Emirates, killing 85.

1993

Milestone

The Troubles

The Downing Street Declaration is issued by British Prime Minister John Major and Irish Taoiseach Albert Reynolds.

1989

Milestone

Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights relating the abolition of capital punishment is adopted.

1981

Milestone

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.

1978

Politics

U.S. President Jimmy Carter announces that the United States will recognize the People's Republic of China and sever diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan).

1973

Milestone

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.

1973

Milestone

The American Psychiatric Association votes 13–0 to remove homosexuality from its official list of psychiatric disorders, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

1970

Milestone

Soviet spacecraft Venera 7 successfully lands on Venus

It is the first successful soft landing on another planet.

A 6.5Mw earthquake strikes the Indonesian island of Java in the city of Tasikmalaya

Gunman Man Haron Monis takes 18 hostages inside a café in Martin Place for 16 hours in Sydney

The South Sudanese Civil War begins when opposition leaders Dr

A boat carrying 90 asylum seekers crashes into rocks off the coast of Christmas Island

Introduction of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor into USAF active service.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens after 11 years and $27,000,000 spent to stabilize it

The third reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is shut down.

Tajikistan Airlines Flight 3183 crashes in the desert near Sharjah

The Troubles

Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights relating the abolition of capital punishment is adopted.

A suicide car bombing targeting the Iraqi embassy in Beirut

U.S. President Jimmy Carter announces that the United States will recognize the People's Republic of China and sever diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan).

John Paul Getty III, grandson of American billionaire J

The American Psychiatric Association votes 13–0 to remove homosexuality from its official list of psychiatric disorders, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Soviet spacecraft Venera 7 successfully lands on Venus

A 6.5Mw earthquake strikes the Indonesian island of Java in the city of Tasikmalaya