October 15
October 15 is the 289th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 77 days remain until the year's end. It falls in autumn (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Libra.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On October 15 the Sun's declination is approximately -10.0°. At this latitude the Sun is south of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere shorter 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 October 15.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Breast Health Day (Europe)
- Christian feast day: Bruno of Querfurt
- Christian feast day: Cúan of Ahascragh
- Christian feast day: Teresa of Ávila
- Christian feast day: Thecla of Kitzingen
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
2018 — 13-year-old American girl, Jayme Closs, is kidnapped from her Barron, Wisconsin home after her parents were both murdered. ↗(8 years ago)more
On October 15, 2018, 21-year-old Jake Thomas Patterson abducted 13-year-old Jayme Lynn Closs after fatally shooting her parents, James and Denise Closs, at their home just outside of Barron, Wisconsin, at 12:53 a.m.
2016 — One hundred and ninety-seven nations amend the Montreal Protocol to include a phase-out of hydrofluorocarbons. ↗(10 years ago)more
The Montreal Protocol, officially the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer, is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion. It was agreed on 16 September 1987, and entered into force on 1 January 1989.
- 2013 — The 7.2 Mw Bohol earthquake strikes the Philippines. At least 215 were killed. ↗(13 years ago)
more
Seismic magnitude scales are used to describe the overall strength or "size" of an earthquake. These are distinguished from seismic intensity scales that categorize the intensity or severity of ground shaking (quaking) caused by an earthquake at a given location.
2008 — The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes down 733.08 points, or 7.87%, the second worst percentage drop in the Dow's history. ↗(18 years ago)more
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), Dow Jones, or simply the Dow, is a stock market index of 30 prominent companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States.
2007 — Seventeen activists in New Zealand are arrested in the country's first post-9/11 anti-terrorism raids. ↗(19 years ago)more
On 15 and 16 October 2007, the New Zealand Police conducted a series of armed raids in response to alleged paramilitary training camps in the Urewera mountain range near the town of Ruatoki. About 300 police, including members of the Armed Offenders Squad and Special Tactics Group, were involved in the raids, which involved the execution of search warrant...
- 2006 — The 6.7 Mw Kiholo Bay earthquake rocks Hawaii, causing property damage, injuries, landslides, power outages, and the closure of Honolulu International Airport. ↗(20 years ago)
more
Seismic magnitude scales are used to describe the overall strength or "size" of an earthquake. These are distinguished from seismic intensity scales that categorize the intensity or severity of ground shaking (quaking) caused by an earthquake at a given location.
2003 — China launches Shenzhou 5, its first crewed space mission. ↗(23 years ago)more
Shenzhou 5 was the first human spaceflight mission of the Chinese space program, launched on 15 October 2003. The Shenzhou spacecraft was launched on a Long March 2F launch vehicle. There had been four previous flights of uncrewed Shenzhou missions since 1999.
2001 — NASA's Galileo spacecraft passes within 112 miles (180 km) of Jupiter's moon Io. ↗(25 years ago)more
Galileo was an American robotic space probe that studied the planet Jupiter and its moons, as well as the asteroids Gaspra and Ida. Named after the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, it consisted of an orbiter and an entry probe. It was delivered into Earth orbit on October 18, 1989, by Space Shuttle Atlantis, during STS-34.
1997 — The Cassini probe launches from Cape Canaveral on its way to Saturn. ↗(29 years ago)more
Cassini–Huygens, commonly called Cassini, was a joint space-research mission by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to send a space probe to study the planet Saturn and its system, including its rings and natural satellites.
1994 — The United States, under the Clinton administration, returns Haiti's first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, to the island. ↗(32 years ago)more
Bill Clinton's tenure as the 42nd president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1993, and ended on January 20, 2001. Clinton, a Democrat from Arkansas, took office after defeating the Republican incumbent president George H. W. Bush and independent businessman Ross Perot in the 1992 presidential election.
- 1991 — The 'Oh-My-God particle', an ultra-high-energy cosmic ray measured at 40,000,000 times that of the highest energy protons produced in a particle accelerator, is observed at the University of Utah HiRes observatory in Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. ↗(35 years ago)
more
The Oh-My-God particle (as physicists dubbed it) was an ultra-high-energy cosmic ray detected on 15 October 1991 by the Fly's Eye camera in Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, United States. As of 2026, it is the highest-energy cosmic ray ever observed. Its energy was estimated as (3.2±0.9)×1020 eV (320 exaelectronvolt).
1991 — The leaders of the Baltic States, Arnold Rüütel of Estonia, Anatolijs Gorbunovs of Latvia and Vytautas Landsbergis of Lithuania, signed the OSCE Final Act in Helsinki, Finland. ↗(35 years ago)more
The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, the Baltic Assembly, and the OECD.
Notable births
2005 — Christian, Crown Prince of Denmark ↗(21 years ago)more
Christian, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, is the heir apparent to the Danish throne. He is the eldest child of King Frederik X and Queen Mary. He was born during the reign of his paternal grandmother, Queen Margrethe II.
- 2000 — Melki Sedek Huang, Indonesian activist and sex offender ↗(26 years ago)
more
Melki Sedek Huang is an Indonesian activist and politician who was the chairman of the student executive council at University of Indonesia (UI) from 21 January 2023 until his dismissal on 18 December on the same year due to sexual assault.
1999 — Bailee Madison, American-Canadian actress and singer ↗(27 years ago)more
Bailee Madison is an American actress and singer. Beginning as a child actress and later expanding to mature roles and into the horror genre, her accolades include three Young Artist Awards, with nominations for a Critics' Choice Movie Award and a Saturn Award.
1999 — Ben Woodburn, Welsh footballer ↗(27 years ago)more
Benjamin Luke Woodburn is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL League Two club Salford City. A versatile player, Woodburn can be deployed as a central midfielder, attacking midfielder, left winger or forward.
- 1998 — Teuku Wariza Aris Munandar, Indonesian activist and politician ↗(28 years ago)
more
In December 2023, students from various universities in Aceh, Indonesia, protested and rioted against Rohingya refugees. The protests took place at the Balee Meuseuraya Hall in Banda Aceh.
1996 — Charly Musonda, Belgian footballer ↗(30 years ago)more
Charles Musonda is a Belgian former professional footballer. Mainly an attacking midfielder, he also played as a winger.
Notable deaths
2025 — Jim Bolger, New Zealand businessman and politician, 35th Prime Minister of New Zealand (born 1935) ↗(1 years ago)more
James Brendan Bolger was a New Zealand politician of the National Party who was the 35th prime minister of New Zealand, serving from 1990 to 1997.
2024 — Mike Jackson, English general (born 1944) ↗(2 years ago)more
General Sir Michael David Jackson was a British Army officer and one of its most high-profile generals since the Second World War. Originally commissioned into the Intelligence Corps in 1963, he transferred to the Parachute Regiment in 1970, with which he served two of his three tours of duty in Northern Ireland.
2021 — David Amess, British politician, member of Parliament for Southend West (born 1952) ↗(5 years ago)more
Sir David Anthony Andrew Amess was a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for 38 years, serving Southend West from 1997 until his murder in 2021. He previously served as MP for Basildon from 1983 to 1997.
2018 — Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, philanthropist, owner of the Seattle Seahawks (born 1953) ↗(8 years ago)more
Paul Gardner Allen was an American businessman, computer programmer, and investor. He co-founded Microsoft Corporation with his childhood friend Bill Gates in 1975, which was followed by the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s.
- 2017 — Chinggoy Alonzo, Filipino theater, movie & television actor (born 1950) ↗(9 years ago)
more
Ramón "Chinggoy" Alonzo was a Filipino actor in theater, movies, and television. He was nominated for FAMAS Award Best Supporting Actor in Ikaw Naman ang Iiyak (1996).
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (289) | 17^2 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (77) | 7 × 11 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 15102026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | -9.96° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 66 days |