This is a list of selected February 15 anniversaries that appear in the "On this day" section of the Main Page. To suggest a new item, in most cases, you can be bold and edit this page. Please read the selected anniversaries guidelines before making your edit. However, if your addition might be controversial or on a day that is or will soon be on the Main Page, please post your suggestion on the talk page instead.
Please note that the events listed on the Main Page are chosen based more on relative article quality and to maintain a mix of topics, not based solely on how important or significant their subjects are. Only four to five events are posted at a time and thus not everything that is "most important and significant" can be listed. In addition, an event is generally not posted this year if it is also the subject of the scheduled featured article or picture of the day.
To report an error when this appears on the Main Page, see Main Page errors. Please remember that this list defers to the supporting articles, so it is best to achieve consensus and make any necessary changes there first.
Images
Use only ONE image at a time
-
Tomoyuki Yamashita -
Flag of Canada -
Wreckage of the USS Maine
Ineligible
| Blurb | Reason |
|---|---|
| Candlemas (Eastern Christianity); | refimprove section |
| 1898 – The United States Navy battleship USS Maine exploded and sank in Havana, Cuba, killing more than 260 people and precipitating the Spanish–American War. | copyediting required |
| 1942 – Second World War: Japanese forces led by General Tomoyuki Yamashita captured Singapore, the largest surrender of British-led military personnel in history. | refimprove section, unreferenced section |
| 1961 – Sabena Flight 548, carrying the U.S. Figure Skating team who were en route to the 1961 World Figure Skating Championships, crashed during the approach for landing at Brussels' Zaventem Airport, killing all seventy-two on board. | more footnotes |
| 1971 – The British pound sterling and the Irish pound were decimalised on what is called Decimal Day. | refimprove section |
| 1976 – The current Constitution of Cuba, providing for a system of government and law based on those of the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries, was adopted by a national referendum. | refimprove |
| 1994 – Less than four years after declaring its independence from the Soviet Union, Tatarstan officially agreed to become a federal subject of Russia. | refimprove section, unreferenced section |
Eligible
- 1949 – Gerald Lankester Harding and Roland de Vaux began excavations at Cave 1 of the Qumran Caves in the West Bank region of Jordan, the location of the first seven Dead Sea Scrolls.
- 1965 – Canada adopted the Maple Leaf flag, replacing the Canadian Red Ensign.
- 1979 – Don Dunstan resigned as Premier of South Australia, ending a decade of sweeping social liberalisation.
- 2003 – In one of the largest anti-war rallies in history, millions around the world in approximately 800 cities took part in protests against the impending invasion of Iraq.
February 15: National Flag of Canada Day; National Day in Serbia
- 1493 – Christopher Columbus wrote an open letter describing his discoveries and the unexpected items he came across in the New World, which was widely distributed upon his return to Portugal.
- 1900 – Second Boer War: British cavalry under Major-General John French defeated Boer forces to end a 124-day siege of Kimberley, present-day South Africa.
- 1989 – The Soviet Union officially announced that all of its troops had withdrawn from Afghanistan (pictured) after a nine-year conflict.
- 1995 – Kevin Mitnick, the most wanted computer hacker in the United States at the time, was arrested and charged with computer fraud and wire fraud.
- 2005 – Three former PayPal employees launched the popular website YouTube, where individuals and companies can upload, view and share videos.