On This Day in History – October 15

Major Events

• 1582 – The Gregorian calendar went into effect in Italy, Spain, and Portugal.
• 1783 – The Montgolfier brothers launched the first manned hot air balloon flight.
• 1815 – Napoleon began exile on Saint Helena.
• 1917 – Mata Hari was executed for espionage in France.
• 1951 – “I Love Lucy” premiered on CBS.
• 1969 – The Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam drew massive protests in the U.S.
• 1990 – Mikhail Gorbachev won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Famous Birthdays

• Virgil (70 BC–19 BC) – Roman poet.
• Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) – German philosopher.
• P. G. Wodehouse (1881–1975) – English writer.
• John Kenneth Galbraith (1908–2006) – Canadian-American economist.
• Penny Marshall (1943–2018) – American actress and director.
• Emeril Lagasse (born 1959) – American chef.
• Sarah Ferguson (born 1959) – Duchess of York.

Notable Deaths

• Mata Hari (1876–1917) – Dutch exotic dancer executed for espionage.
• Wayne Gretzky Sr. (1932–2021) – Canadian sports figure.
• Paul Samuelson (1915–2009) – American economist, Nobel laureate.

Holidays

• Global Handwashing Day
• Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day (International)

Fun Facts

• “I Love Lucy” premiered in 1951, changing television comedy forever.
• Mata Hari’s trial and execution made her one of history’s most infamous spies.
• Nietzsche and Virgil share this date of birth centuries apart.