August 15
August 15 is the 228th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 138 days remain until the year's end. It falls in summer (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Leo.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On August 15 the Sun's declination is approximately +13.4°. At this latitude the Sun is north of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere longer days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a August 15.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Armed Forces Day (Poland)
- Christian feast day: Altfrid
- Christian feast day: Alypius of Thagaste
- Christian feast day: Feast day of the Assumption of Mary, one of the Catholic holy days of obligation (a public holiday in Austria, Belgium, Benin, Bosnia, Burundi, Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, France, some states in Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Italy, Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malta, Mauritius, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Togo, and Vanuatu); and its related observances: Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches)
- Christian feast day: Feast day of the Assumption of Mary, one of the Catholic holy days of obligation (a public holiday in Austria, Belgium, Benin, Bosnia, Burundi, Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, France, some states in Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Italy, Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malta, Mauritius, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Togo, and Vanuatu); and its related observances: Ferragosto (Italy)
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
2025 — US president Donald Trump meets with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Alaska, the first such summit since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. ↗(1 years ago)more
Donald John Trump is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021.
2021 — Kabul falls into the hands of the Taliban as Ashraf Ghani flees Afghanistan along with local residents and foreign nationals, effectively reestablishing the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. ↗(5 years ago)more
Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is within the jurisdiction of Kabul District and has an estimated population of 5,333,284 people. Located in the eastern half of the country, forming part of the Kabul Province, the city is administratively divided into five zones and 22 municipal districts.
2020 — Russia begins production on the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine. ↗(6 years ago)more
Sputnik V or Gam-COVID-Vac is an adenovirus viral vector vaccine for COVID-19 developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Russia. It is the world's first registered combination vector vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19, having been registered on 11 August 2020 by the Russian Ministry of Health.
2015 — North Korea moves its clock back half an hour to introduce Pyongyang Time, 81⁄2 hours ahead of UTC. ↗(11 years ago)more
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu (Amnok) and Tumen rivers, and South Korea to the south at the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
- 2013 — At least 27 people are killed and 226 injured in an explosion in southern Beirut near a complex used by Lebanon's militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. A previously unknown Syrian Sunni group claims responsibility in an online video. ↗(13 years ago)
more
On 15 August 2013, a car bomb exploded in Beirut, Lebanon killing 27 people and injuring over 200 people. The car bomb was intended for the stronghold of Hezbollah. It was reportedly the "worst explosion in south Beirut" since a 1985 truck bomb assassination attempt targeting top Shiite cleric Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah.
2013 — The Smithsonian announces the discovery of the olinguito, the first new carnivorous species found in the Americas in 35 years. ↗(13 years ago)more
The Smithsonian Institution is a group of museums, education and research centers, created by the United States federal government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded on August 10, 1846, it operates as a trust instrumentality and is not formally a part of any of the three branches of the federal government.
2007 — An 8.0-magnitude earthquake off the Pacific coast devastates Ica and various regions of Peru killing 514 and injuring 1,090. ↗(19 years ago)more
The 2007 Peru earthquake, which measured 8.0 on the moment magnitude scale, hit the central coast of Peru on August 15 at 23:40:57 UTC and lasted two minutes. The epicenter was located 150 km (93 mi) south-southeast of Lima at a depth of 39 km (24 mi). At least 595 people died and over 2,290 people were injured.
2005 — Israel's unilateral disengagement plan to evict all Israelis from the Gaza Strip and from four settlements in the northern West Bank begins. ↗(21 years ago)more
In 2005, Israel disengaged from the Gaza Strip by dismantling all 21 Israeli settlements there. Nonetheless, the Gaza Strip has continued to be regarded by the United Nations, many other international humanitarian and legal organizations, and most academic commentators as being under Israeli occupation due to Israel's active control over the territory's ...
2005 — The Helsinki Agreement between the Free Aceh Movement and the Government of Indonesia was signed, ending almost three decades of fighting. ↗(21 years ago)more
The Free Aceh Movement was a separatist group seeking independence for the province of Aceh of Sumatra, Indonesia. GAM fought against Indonesian government forces in the Aceh insurgency from 1976 to 2005. Estimates of the death toll total over 15,000 people killed.
1999 — Beni Ounif massacre in Algeria: Some 29 people are killed at a false roadblock near the Moroccan border, leading to temporary tensions with Morocco. ↗(27 years ago)more
Béni Ounif is a town and commune in Béchar Province, Algeria, coextensive with the district of Béni Ounif. It has a population of 10,732 as of the 2008 census, up from 8,199 in 1998, and had an annual growth rate of 2.8%, the second highest in the province. The commune covers an area of 16,600 square kilometres (6,400 sq mi).
1998 — Northern Ireland: Omagh bombing takes place; 29 people (including a woman pregnant with twins) killed and some 220 others injured. ↗(28 years ago)more
Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares an open border to the south and west with the Republic of Ireland.
1998 — Apple introduces the iMac computer. ↗(28 years ago)more
Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, in Silicon Valley, and known for consumer electronics, software and online services. Founded in 1976 as Apple Computer Company by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, the company was incorporated by Jobs and Wozniak as Apple Computer, Inc.
Notable births
2003 — Juanlu Sánchez, Spanish footballer ↗(23 years ago)more
Juan Luis Sánchez Velasco, commonly known as Juanlu Sánchez or simply Juanlu, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a winger for La Liga club Sevilla. Mainly a right winger, he can also play as a right back.
1995 — Chief Keef, American rapper ↗(31 years ago)more
Keith Farrelle Cozart, better known by his stage name Chief Keef, is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in South Side Chicago, he began his recording career as a teenager and initially garnered regional attention and praise for his mixtapes in the early 2010s.
1995 — Setyana Mapasa, Indonesian-Australian badminton player ↗(31 years ago)more
Setyana Daniella Florensia Mapasa is an Indonesian-born Australian badminton player. Mapasa won a silver medal at the 2013 BWF World Junior Championships mixed team when she represented Indonesia. She officially became an Australian citizen in 2014. She was selected to join the national team compete at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.
1994 — Lasse Vigen Christensen, Danish footballer ↗(32 years ago)more
Lasse Vigen Christensen is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Danish 1st Division side Esbjerg fB.
1994 — Kosuke Hagino, Japanese swimmer ↗(32 years ago)more
Kosuke Hagino is a Japanese former competitive swimmer who specialized in the individual medley and 200 m freestyle. He is a four-time Olympic medalist, most notably winning gold in the 400 m individual medley at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Notable deaths
2024 — Peter Marshall, American game show host, performer, and singer (born 1926) ↗(2 years ago)more
Ralph Pierre LaCock, better known by his stage name Peter Marshall, was an American game show host, television and radio personality, singer, and actor. He was the original host of The Hollywood Squares from 1966 to 1981 and had almost fifty television, movie, and Broadway credits.
2021 — Gerd Müller, German footballer (born 1945) ↗(5 years ago)more
Gerd Müller was a German professional footballer. A prolific striker, especially in and around the six-yard box, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalscorers and players in the history of the sport. With success at club and international level, he is one of ten players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League and the Ballon d'Or.
2020 — Robert Trump, American real-estate developer, business executive (born 1948) ↗(6 years ago)more
Robert Stewart Trump was an American businessman and investor. He was the younger brother of Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, and a loyal supporter of Donald's political career.
2017 — Gunnar Birkerts, Latvian-American architect (born 1925) ↗(9 years ago)more
Gunnar Birkerts was a Latvian American architect who, for the most of his career, was based in the metropolitan area of Detroit, Michigan.
2015 — Julian Bond, American academic, leader of the civil rights movement, and politician (born 1940) ↗(11 years ago)more
Horace Julian Bond was an American social activist, leader of the civil rights movement, politician, professor, and writer. While he was a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, during the early 1960s, he helped establish the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (228) | 2^2 × 3 × 19 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (138) | 2 × 3 × 23 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 15082026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +13.45° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 56 days |