May 15
May 15 is the 136th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 230 days remain until the year's end. It falls in spring (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Taurus.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On May 15 the Sun's declination is approximately +19.0°. 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 May 15.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- International Day of Families (UN)
- Nakba Day (Palestinian remembrance)
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
1602 — English navigator Bartholomew Gosnold became the first European to land on Cape Cod. ↗(424 years ago)more
Bartholomew Gosnold was an English barrister, explorer and privateer who was instrumental in founding the Virginia Company in London and Jamestown in colonial America. He led the first recorded European expedition to Cape Cod. He is considered by Preservation Virginia to be the "prime mover of the colonization of Virginia".
1718 — James Puckle, a London lawyer, patented the world's first automatic gun. ↗(308 years ago)more
The Puckle gun was a primitive crew-served, manually operated flintlock revolver patented in 1718 by James Puckle (1667–1724), a British inventor, lawyer and writer. It was one of the earliest weapons to be referred to as a "machine gun", being called such in a 1722 shipping manifest, though its operation does not match the modern use of the term.
1940 — Nylon stockings went on sale for the first time across the United States. ↗(86 years ago)more
Nylon is a family of synthetic polymers characterized by amide linkages, typically connecting aliphatic or semi-aromatic groups.
1955 — The Austrian State Treaty was signed, restoring Austrian sovereignty. ↗(71 years ago)more
The Austrian State Treaty or Austrian Independence Treaty established Austria as a sovereign state. It was signed on 15 May 1955 in Vienna, at the Schloss Belvedere among the Allied occupying powers and the Austrian government. The neighbouring Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia acceded to the treaty subsequently.
Notable births
1856 — L. Frank Baum, American author (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz). ↗(170 years ago)more
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author best known for his children's fantasy books, particularly The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, part of a series. In addition to the 14 Oz books, Baum penned 41 other novels, 83 short stories, over 200 poems, and at least 42 scripts.
1953 — Mike Myers, Canadian actor. ↗(73 years ago)more
Michael John Myers is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, filmmaker, musician, and singer. His accolades include seven MTV Movie & TV Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2002, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Notable deaths
1886 — Emily Dickinson, American poet. ↗(140 years ago)more
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. Largely unpublished and unknown during her lifetime, her work is now widely regarded as canonical. The Poetry Foundation describes her as having "created in her writing a distinctively elliptical language for expressing what was possible but not yet realized."
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (136) | 2^3 × 17 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (230) | 2 × 5 × 23 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 15052026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +19.02° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 36 days |