History of Today 15 June: Important Events, Births and Deaths

Welcome to History of Today 15 June. On this page, you can read important historical events, famous births, notable deaths and general knowledge facts related to 15 June. This information is useful for UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railway, State PSC and other competitive exams.

Last updated on 15 June 2026, 10:00 AM

Important Events on 15 June in History

15 Jun 2013: A bomb explodes on a bus in the Pakistani city of Quetta, killing at least 25 people and wounding 22 others. Read more
15 Jun 1996: The Troubles: The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) detonates a powerful truck bomb in the middle of Manchester, England, devastating the city centre and injuring 200 people. Read more
15 Jun 1992: The United States Supreme Court rules in United States v. Álvarez-Machaín that it is permissible for the United States to forcibly extradite suspects in foreign countries and bring them to the United States for trial, without approval from those other countries. Read more
15 Jun 1991: In the Philippines, Mount Pinatubo erupts in the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, killing over 800 people. Read more
15 Jun 1988: The Ariane 4 rocket is launched on its maiden flight. Read more
15 Jun 1977: After the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975, the first democratic elections take place in Spain. Read more
15 Jun 1972: Cathay Pacific Flight 700Z is destroyed by a bomb over Pleiku, Vietnam (then South Vietnam) and kills 81 people. Read more
15 Jun 1944: World War II: The United States invades Saipan, capital of Japan's South Seas Mandate. Read more
15 Jun 1944: In the Saskatchewan general election, the CCF, led by Tommy Douglas, is elected and forms the first socialist government in North America. Read more
15 Jun 1940: World War II: Operation Aerial begins: Allied troops start to evacuate France, following Germany's takeover of Paris and most of the nation. Read more
15 Jun 1920: Following the 1920 Schleswig plebiscites, Northern Schleswig is transferred from Germany to Denmark. Read more
15 Jun 1919: John Alcock and Arthur Brown complete the first nonstop transatlantic flight when they reach Clifden, County Galway, Ireland. Read more
15 Jun 1904: A fire aboard the steamboat SS General Slocum in New York City's East River kills 1,000. Read more
15 Jun 1896: One of the deadliest tsunamis in Japan's history kills more than 22,000 people. Read more
15 Jun 1864: American Civil War: The Second Battle of Petersburg begins. Read more
15 Jun 1859: Ambiguity in the Oregon Treaty leads to the "Northwestern Boundary Dispute" between American and British/Canadian settlers. Read more
15 Jun 1846: The Oregon Treaty extends the border between the United States and British North America, established by the Treaty of 1818, westward to the Pacific Ocean. Read more
15 Jun 1834: The looting of Safed commences. Read more
15 Jun 1826: In the Auspicious Incident, the Janissary mutiny against Sultan Mahmud II is defeated and the Janissary corps is disbanded as a result. Read more
15 Jun 1804: New Hampshire approves the Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratifying the document. Read more

Famous Births on 15 June

15 Jun 2003: Pablo Barrios, Spanish footballer Pablo Barrios Rivas is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for La Liga club Atlético Madrid and the Spain national team. Read more
15 Jun 1997: Madison Kocian, American gymnast Madison Taylor Kocian is an American retired artistic gymnast. On the uneven bars, she is one of four 2015 World co-champions and the 2016 Olympic silver medalist. She was part of the gold medal-winning team dubbed the "Final Five" at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and she was a member of the first-place American teams at the 2014 and 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2020, where she was a member of its women's gymnastics team. She helped the UCLA Bruins win the 2018 NCAA Championships. She is the second female gymnast to win NCAA, World, and Olympic championship titles, after Kyla Ross. Read more
15 Jun 1996: Aurora, Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora Aksnes, known mononymously as Aurora, is a Norwegian singer, songwriter and record producer. Born in Stavanger and raised in Høle and Os, she started writing songs and learning dance at age six. Her ethereal soundscapes brought her widespread acclaim, earning her the nickname "Fairy of Pop". Read more
15 Jun 1996: Tia-Adana Belle, Barbadian athlete Tia-Adana Djena Belle is a Barbadian athlete competing in the 400 metres hurdles. She represented her country at the 2016 Summer Olympics without advancing from the first round. Read more
15 Jun 1996: Hoshi, South Korean singer and dancer Kwon Soon-young, known by his stage name Hoshi (호시), is a South Korean singer and dancer. Managed by Pledis Entertainment, he is a member of the South Korean boy band Seventeen, the leader of its performance team and part of its subunits BSS and Hoshi X Woozi. Hoshi made his solo debut with "Spider" on April 2, 2021. Read more
15 Jun 1994: Iñaki Williams, Basque-Ghanaian footballer Iñaki Williams Arthuer is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club Athletic Bilbao, where he is captain, and the Ghana national team. Read more
15 Jun 1993: Cooper Kupp, American football player Cooper Douglas Kupp is an American professional football wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Eastern Washington Eagles, winning the Walter Payton Award in 2015 and setting the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision records for receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. Read more
15 Jun 1993: Irfan Hadžić, Bosnian footballer Irfan Hadžić is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serbian club Mladost Lučani. Read more
15 Jun 1992: Michał Kopczyński, Polish footballer Michał Kopczyński is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or centre-back for IV liga Masovia club Mazovia Mińsk Mazowiecki. Read more
15 Jun 1992: Mohamed Salah, Egyptian footballer Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly is an Egyptian professional footballer who plays as a right winger or right midfielder. He captains the Egypt national team. At club level, he last played for English club Liverpool. He is widely regarded as one of the best players of his generation and one of the greatest wingers of all time. Dubbed the "Egyptian King", he is the all-time top foreign goalscorer in the Premier League and the all-time top African goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League. Read more
15 Jun 1992: Dafne Schippers, Dutch heptathlete and sprinter Dafne Schippers is a Dutch retired track and field athlete who competed in sprinting and the combined events. She holds the European record in the 200 metres with a time of 21.63 seconds, making her the sixth-fastest woman of all time at this distance. She also holds the Dutch records in the 100 metres and long jump, and shares the Dutch records in the 60 metres indoor and 4 × 100 metres relay. Read more
15 Jun 1991: Jessie Ennis, American actress, director, and writer Jessie Ennis is an American actress, director, and writer. Read more
15 Jun 1989: Bayley, American wrestler Pamela Rose Martinez, better known by the ring name Bayley, is an American professional wrestler. She has been signed to WWE since December 2012, where she performs on the Raw brand; her second reign of 380 days with the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship is tied with Rhea Ripley as the longest in the championship's history. She also makes appearances for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide. Read more
15 Jun 1989: Víctor Cabedo, Spanish cyclist (died 2012) Víctor Cabedo Carda was a Spanish professional road racing cyclist. He rode for Euskaltel–Euskadi for one season. He died following a collision with a vehicle while on a training ride. Read more
15 Jun 1989: Bryan Clauson, American race car driver (died 2016) Bryan Timothy Clauson was an American professional auto racing driver, best known for his achievements in dirt track open-wheel racing, such as USAC Silver Crown, Midget and Sprint cars. Clauson was increasingly seen competing with the World of Outlaws (WoO) sprint cars in his last couple of years. Clauson also competed in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Indy Lights, and IndyCar Series and was a development driver for Chip Ganassi Racing. Read more
15 Jun 1989: Lewis Hancox, English graphic novelist, social media personality and filmmaker Lewis J. Hancox is an English graphic novelist, social media personality, and filmmaker. He is the author of the 2022 graphic memoir Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure, about growing up transgender in the 2000s, which was shortlisted for several awards, including the Waterstones Children's Book Prize. He co-founded the documentary film project My Genderation, which has produced work for the BBC and Channel 4. In addition to his film and publishing work, Hancox is known for his online sketch comedy videos on TikTok and YouTube, and has been recognized by news outlets for his contributions to digital media and LGBTQ representation. Read more
15 Jun 1986: James Maloney, Australian rugby league player James Maloney is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for Ourimbah Wyoming Magpies in the Central Coast Division Rugby League, and former assistant coach for the North Queensland Cowboys. Read more
15 Jun 1986: Trevor Plouffe, American baseball player Trevor Patrick Plouffe is an American media personality and former professional baseball third baseman. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays, and Philadelphia Phillies. Plouffe was drafted by the Twins out of high school as a shortstop with the 20th overall pick in the 2004 Major League Baseball draft. After beginning his MLB career as a shortstop for the Twins in 2010, Plouffe has appeared at every position except for pitcher, catcher, and center fielder. Read more
15 Jun 1985: Ashley Nicole Black, American comedian, actress, and writer Ashley Nicole Black is an American comedian, actress, writer and producer. She was a writer and correspondent for Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (2016–2019), for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special. Read more
15 Jun 1984: Luke Hodge, Australian footballer Luke Hodge is a former Australian rules football player who played with the Hawthorn Football Club and the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL). He played for the Hawthorn Football Club from 2002 to 2017, captaining the club from 2011 to 2016. In 2018, Hodge moved to the Brisbane Lions, before retiring in 2019. Luke attended Ballarat High School where he played for the school’s team. Read more
15 Jun 1984: Eva Hrdinová, Czech tennis player Eva Hrdinová is a Czech former tennis player. Read more
15 Jun 1984: Tim Lincecum, American baseball player Timothy Leroy Lincecum, nicknamed "the Freak", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played ten seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the San Francisco Giants. A two-time Cy Young Award winner, Lincecum won World Series championships in 2010, 2012, and 2014 as a member of the Giants. Read more
15 Jun 1984: Edison Toloza, Colombian footballer Edison Toloza Colorado is a Colombian footballer who plays as a winger for Correcaminos UAT. Read more
15 Jun 1983: Laura Imbruglia, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist Laura Imbruglia is an Australian indie rock singer-songwriter. Read more
15 Jun 1983: Josh McGuire, Canadian fencer Joshua "Josh" McGuire is a Canadian fencer who competed at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics. McGuire competed in the individual foil at both Games reaching the round of 32 in 2004 and the last 16 in 2008. Read more
15 Jun 1982: Mike Delany, New Zealand rugby player Mike Peter Delany is a retired New Zealand rugby union player who last played for the Crusaders in Super Rugby and Bay of Plenty in the Mitre 10 Cup. Read more
15 Jun 1982: Abdur Razzak, Bangladeshi cricketer Khan Abdur Razzak is a Bangladeshi former cricketer who played for the national team in all formats of the game. Abdur Razzak is the first Bangladeshi to take 200 wickets in ODIs. He is also the first left-arm spinner and second spinner after Saqlain Mushtaq to take a hat-trick. In 2025 he was elected as a director of Bangladesh Cricket Board. Read more
15 Jun 1981: John Paintsil, Ghanaian footballer John Paintsil is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who was an assistant coach at Kaizer Chiefs in the South African Premiership. He played club football for Berekum Arsenal, Liberty Professionals, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Tel Aviv, West Ham United, Fulham, Leicester City, Santos and Maritzburg United as well as internationally for Ghana. Read more
15 Jun 1980: David Lyons, Australian rugby player David Lyons is a former rugby union player for Stade Français. He plays Number Eight and has also played for the Wallabies. Read more
15 Jun 1979: Yulia Nestsiarenka, Belarusian sprinter Yuliya Nesterenko, née Bartsevich, is a Belarusian sprinter who was the Olympic 100 meters champion in 2004. Read more
15 Jun 1979: Christian Rahn, German footballer Christian Rahn is a German former professional footballer who played as a left-back. Read more
15 Jun 1979: Charles Zwolsman Jr., Dutch racing driver Charles Zwolsman Jr. is a race car driver who formerly competed in the Champ Car World Series. He is the son of former sports car racing driver Charles Zwolsman Sr., who competed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Read more
15 Jun 1978: Wilfred Bouma, Dutch footballer Wilfred Bouma is a Dutch former professional footballer who played most notably for PSV Eindhoven, Aston Villa and the Netherlands national team. Read more
15 Jun 1978: Zach Day, American baseball player Stephen Zachary Day is an American former right-handed sinker-ball pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for two teams from 2002 to 2006. Read more
15 Jun 1977: Michael Doleac, American basketball player and manager Michael Scott Doleac is an American former professional basketball player. Read more
15 Jun 1976: Jiří Ryba, Czech decathlete Jiří Ryba is a former Czech decathlete. His personal best result was 8339 points, achieved in May 2000 in Desenzano del Garda. Ryba is married to pole vaulter Pavla Hamáčková. Read more
15 Jun 1973: Tore Andre Flo, Norwegian footballer and coach Tore André Flo is a Norwegian professional football coach and a former striker who previously was the manager of 1. divisjon club Sogndal. Read more
15 Jun 1973: Neil Patrick Harris, American actor and singer Neil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, television host, comedian and magician. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received multiple accolades throughout his career, including a Tony Award and five Primetime Emmy Awards, and nominations for a Grammy Award and three Actor Awards. Read more
15 Jun 1973: Pia Miranda, Australian actress Pia Miranda is an Australian actress. Her career was launched with her role in the 2000 feature film Looking for Alibrandi, an Australian film based on the novel of the same name by Melina Marchetta. She is also known for her roles as Karen Oldman in Neighbours (1998–1999), Jodie Spiteri in Wentworth (2015), and Jen in Mustangs FC (2017–2020), as well as winning Australian Survivor in 2019. Read more
15 Jun 1973: Greg Vaughan, American actor and model James Gregory Vaughan Jr. is an American actor and former fashion model, known for his on and off appearances in roles on the soap operas The Young and the Restless (2002–03), General Hospital (2003–09), and Days of Our Lives (2012–). Vaughan also starred as Dan Gordon on the second season of the supernatural series Charmed (1999-2000). In 2016, Vaughan began starring in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama series Queen Sugar as Detective Calvin. Read more
15 Jun 1972: Justin Leonard, American golfer Justin Charles Garrett Leonard is an American professional golfer. He has 12 career wins on the PGA Tour, including one major, the 1997 Open Championship. He currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions. He is one of only five players to win the U.S. Amateur, the NCAA Individual Championship, and a major golf tournament. Read more
15 Jun 1972: Andy Pettitte, American baseball player Andrew Eugene Pettitte is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the New York Yankees. He also pitched for the Houston Astros. Pettitte won five World Series championships with the Yankees and was a three-time All-Star. He ranks as MLB's all-time postseason wins leader with 19. Read more
15 Jun 1971: Christos Myriounis, Greek basketball player Christos Myriounis is a retired Greek professional basketball player. At a height of 2.05 m, he played as a small forward-power forward. Read more
15 Jun 1971: Jake Busey, American actor, musician, and film producer William Jacob Busey is an American actor. Among his most prominent roles have been serial killer Johnny Bartlett in The Frighteners (1996), Ace Levy in Starship Troopers (1997), Kyle Brenner in Tomcats (2001), Aiden Tanner in the television series From Dusk till Dawn: The Series (2014–2016), and Sean H. Keyes in The Predator (2018) and Predator: Hunting Grounds (2020). Busey also appears as a journalist in the third season of Stranger Things. Read more
15 Jun 1970: Christian Bauman, American soldier and author Christian Bauman is an American novelist, and musician. He lives in New Hope, Pennsylvania. Read more
15 Jun 1970: David Bayssari, Australian rugby league player David Bayssari is a Lebanese former professional rugby league footballer who played first-grade for the Balmain Tigers. Read more
15 Jun 1970: Gaëlle Méchaly, French soprano Gaëlle Méchaly is a soprano. In 2001, she reached the finals of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. Méchaly has been a regular member of a Baroque ensemble, Les Arts Florissants and has appeared in many operatic productions directed by William Christie. The recording of Zoroastre was short-listed for a Grammy Award in 2003. Read more
15 Jun 1970: Leah Remini, American actress and producer Leah Marie Remini is an American actress. She starred as Carrie Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens (1998–2007) and as Vanessa Celluci in the CBS sitcom Kevin Can Wait (2017–2018), both alongside Kevin James. Read more
15 Jun 1970: Žan Tabak, Croatian basketball player and coach Žan Tabak is a Croatian professional basketball coach and former player who is now serving as the head coach for BC Andorra of the Liga ACB. His basketball career, spanning twenty years, was marked by several notable achievements, despite injuries. He was the first international player to play in the NBA Finals for two teams. Žan Tabak averaged 5.0 points in his 6-year NBA career. Read more
15 Jun 1969: Jesse Bélanger, Canadian ice hockey player Joseph Jesse Dave Bélanger is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre, who played in the National Hockey League from 1991 to 2001. Read more
15 Jun 1969: Ice Cube, American rapper, producer, and actor O'Shea Jackson, known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and filmmaker. His efforts on N.W.A's 1989 album Straight Outta Compton contributed to gangsta rap's popularity, and his political rap solo albums AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990), Death Certificate (1991), and The Predator (1992) were all critically and commercially successful. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A in 2016. Read more
15 Jun 1969: Idalis DeLeón, American singer and actress Idalis M. DeLeón is an American singer, actress, and television host. DeLeón is best known as an MTV VJ from June 1994 until March 1997. DeLeón is also known for her acting roles as Roni De Santos during the fifth season of the sitcom Living Single (1997–1998) and Charity in the 1998 comedy film Ride. Read more
15 Jun 1969: Nasos Galakteros, Greek basketball player Athanasios "Nasos" Galakteros is a retired Greek professional titleholder basketball player. Galakteros played professionally in the Greek Basket League as well as international tournaments. Read more
15 Jun 1969: Oliver Kahn, German footballer and sportscaster Oliver Rolf Kahn is a German football executive and former professional player who played as a goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team in 1975. Twelve years later, in 1987, Kahn made his debut match in the professional squad. In 1994, he was transferred to Bayern Munich for the fee of DM 4.6 million, where he played until the end of his career in 2008. His commanding presence in goal and aggressive style earned him nicknames such as Der Titan from the press and Vul-kahn ("volcano") from fans. Read more
15 Jun 1969: Maurice Odumbe, Kenyan cricketer Maurice Omondi Odumbe is a Kenyan former cricketer and a former ODI captain for the Kenya national cricket team. Odumbe was suspended from cricket in August 2004 for allegedly receiving money from bookmakers. He was appointed the coach of Kenya's national cricket team in April 2018. However, he was replaced as national coach by David Obuya in October 2018. Read more
15 Jun 1969: Cédric Pioline, French tennis player Cédric Pioline is a French former professional tennis player. He was ranked world No. 5 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), achieved in 2000. Pioline was the runner-up at the 1993 US Open and the 1997 Wimbledon Championships. He won five ATP Tour–level singles titles during his career, including a Masters event at the 2000 Monte Carlo Masters. Pioline also competed for France in the Davis Cup, winning the cup in 1996 and 2001. Read more
15 Jun 1968: Károly Güttler, Hungarian swimmer Károly Güttler is a former breaststroker from Hungary, who represented his native country at four consecutive Olympics, beginning with the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul and ending with the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He won the silver medal in the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke, once each, both at separate Games. Read more
15 Jun 1966: Raimonds Vējonis, Latvian politician, 9th President of Latvia Raimonds Vējonis is a Latvian politician who served as the 9th President of Latvia from 2015 to 2019 and the president of the Latvian Basketball Association since 2020. Read more
15 Jun 1965: Annelies Bredael, Belgian rower Annelies Bredael is a Belgian rower. She participated in 3 consecutive Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, Barcelona and Atlanta In 1992, she won the silver medal in rowing, single scull at the Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Read more
15 Jun 1965: Karim Massimov, Kazakhstani politician, 7th Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Kärım Qajymqanūly Mäsımov is a Kazakh politician who served as Prime Minister of Kazakhstan from 2007 to 2012 and again from 2014 to 2016. He was Deputy Prime Minister from 2006 to 2007 and held the positions of Minister of Economy and Budget Planning and Minister of Transport and Communications in 2001. He served as chairman of the National Security Committee from 2016 to 2022. Read more
15 Jun 1965: Adam Smith, American lawyer and politician David Adam Smith is an American politician and attorney serving as the U.S. representative for Washington's 9th congressional district since 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, Smith previously served in the Washington State Senate. Read more
15 Jun 1964: Courteney Cox, American actress and producer Courteney Bass Cox is an American actress and producer. She rose to international prominence by playing Monica Geller in the NBC sitcom Friends (1994–2004) and Gale Weathers in the horror film franchise Scream (1996–present). Her accolades include a Screen Actors Guild Award, nominations for two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Read more
15 Jun 1964: Michael Laudrup, Danish footballer and manager Michael Laudrup is a Danish professional football coach and former player. Renowned for his passing, ball control, and dribbling abilities, Laudrup is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He is the older brother of fellow retired footballer Brian Laudrup. Read more
15 Jun 1963: Mario Gosselin, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster Mario Gosselin is a Canadian former hockey goaltender who played nine years in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Quebec Nordiques, the Los Angeles Kings and the Hartford Whalers. Read more
15 Jun 1963: Helen Hunt, American actress, director, and producer Helen Elizabeth Hunt is an American actress. Her accolades include an Academy Award, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Read more
15 Jun 1963: Lourdes Valera, Venezuelan actress (died 2012) Lourdes del Valle Valera Galvis was a Venezuelan actress who took part in over twenty film and television productions during her career, particularly known for her acting in many telenovelas. Read more
15 Jun 1962: Brad Armstrong, American wrestler (died 2012) Robert Bradley James, better known by his ring name, Brad Armstrong was an American professional wrestler best known for his appearances with the promotion World Championship Wrestling in the 1990s. He was the son of wrestler "Bullet Bob" Armstrong and brother to professional wrestlers Steve, Scott and Brian. Read more
15 Jun 1962: Chris Morris, English actor, satirist, director, and producer Christopher J. Morris is an English comedian, satirist, radio presenter, actor and filmmaker. Known for his deadpan, dark humour, surrealism and controversial subject matter, he has been praised by the British Film Institute for his "uncompromising, moralistic drive". Read more
15 Jun 1962: Andrea Rost, Hungarian soprano Andrea Rost is a Hungarian lyric soprano and politician. She has performed in leading roles with the Vienna State Opera, La Scala, the Royal Opera House, Opéra National de Paris, the Metropolitan Opera and the Salzburg Festival. The year 1997 saw the release of her first solo recording, Le delizie dell’amor, featuring arias from bel canto, Verdi and Puccini operas. Read more
15 Jun 1961: Dave McAuley, Northern Irish boxer and sportscaster David Anthony McAuley is a former professional boxer from Northern Ireland who competed from 1983 to 1992. He held the IBF flyweight title from 1989 to 1992 and challenged twice for the WBA flyweight title, in 1987 and 1988. At regional level, he held the British flyweight title in 1986. Read more
15 Jun 1961: Scott Norton, American wrestler Scott Norton is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and author. He is best known for his tenures in World Championship Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, in which he was a member of the New World Order and nWo Japan. He is a two-time world champion, having won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship twice. Read more
15 Jun 1960: Michèle Laroque, French actress, producer, and screenwriter Michèle Laroque is a French actress, comedienne, producer and screenwriter. Read more
15 Jun 1960: Marieke van Doorn, Dutch field hockey player and coach Marieke Birgitta van Doorn is a former Dutch field hockey midfielder, who was a member of the National Women's Team that won the golden medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Read more
15 Jun 1959: Alan Brazil, Scottish footballer and sportscaster Alan Bernard Brazil is a Scottish broadcaster and former footballer who played as a forward. He most notably played for Ipswich Town, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, and represented Scotland in international football. He was forced to retire due to a recurring back injury, and then moved into media presentation. He initially worked on television, before moving over to radio where he has for many years been a presenter on Talksport. Read more
15 Jun 1959: Eileen Davidson, American model and actress Eileen Marie Davidson is an American actress and author. Best known for her work in soap operas, Davidson is most notable for her roles as Ashley Abbott on CBS's The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful, Kristen DiMera and Susan Banks on NBC's Days of Our Lives and as the final portrayal of Kelly Capwell on Santa Barbara. Read more
15 Jun 1958: Wade Boggs, American baseball player Wade Anthony Boggs, nicknamed "Chicken Man", is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He spent 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the Boston Red Sox. He also played for the New York Yankees (1993–1997), winning the 1996 World Series with them, and finished his career with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998–1999). Read more
15 Jun 1958: Riccardo Paletti, Italian racing driver (died 1982) Riccardo Paletti was an Italian motor racing driver. Paletti was killed when he crashed on the start grid in his second Formula One start. Read more
15 Jun 1957: Brett Butler, American baseball player and coach Brett Morgan Butler is an American former center fielder in Major League Baseball and coach. He played for five different teams from 1981 through 1997. A leadoff hitter for the majority of his career, Butler led the league in triples and runs scored twice each and was named a National League All-Star in 1991. He was diagnosed with cancer in May 1996, received treatment and returned to the playing field four months later. He retired in 1997 and began a baseball coaching career. He has coached or managed numerous professional teams. He was the manager of the Reno Aces minor league team from late 2008 through 2013. Read more
15 Jun 1956: Yevgeny Kiselyov, Russian-Ukrainian journalist Yevgeny Alexeyevich Kiselyov is a Russian television journalist. As the host of the NTV weekly news show Itogi in the 1990s, he became one of the nation's best known television journalists, criticizing government corruption and President Boris Yeltsin. In 2001, he left NTV following its takeover by the state-controlled company Gazprom, serving briefly as general manager of TV-6 before the government refused to renew its broadcasting license in January 2002. He later moved to Ukraine, where he became a presenter of various political talk shows. Read more
15 Jun 1956: Lance Parrish, American baseball player, coach, and manager Lance Michael Parrish, nicknamed "Big Wheel", is an American former professional baseball catcher who played Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1977 through 1995. Born in Pennsylvania, Parrish grew up in Southern California and excelled in both baseball and football. He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 1974, and after four years in the minor leagues, he played for the Tigers for a decade from 1977 to 1986. He later played for the Philadelphia Phillies (1987–1988), California Angels (1989–1992), Seattle Mariners (1992), Cleveland Indians (1993), Pittsburgh Pirates (1994), and Toronto Blue Jays (1995). Read more
15 Jun 1955: Polly Draper, American actress, producer, and screenwriter Polly Carey Draper is an American actress and filmmaker. Draper has received several awards, including a Writers Guild of America Award (WGA), and is noted for speaking in a "trademark throaty voice." She gained recognition for her starring role in the ABC drama television series Thirtysomething (1987–91). Read more
15 Jun 1955: Julie Hagerty, American model and actress Julie Beth Hagerty is an American actress. She starred as Elaine Dickinson in the films Airplane! (1980) and Airplane II: The Sequel (1982). Her other film roles include A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy (1982), Lost in America (1985), What About Bob? (1991), She's the Man (2006), A Master Builder (2014), Instant Family (2018), Noelle, Marriage Story, and A Christmas Story Christmas (2022). Read more
15 Jun 1954: Jim Belushi, American actor James Adam Belushi is an American actor and comedian. His television roles include Saturday Night Live (1983–1985), According to Jim (2001–2009), and Good Girls Revolt (2015–2016). Read more
15 Jun 1954: Terri Gibbs, American country music singer and keyboard player Teresa Fay Gibbs is an American country music artist. Between 1980 and 2017, she recorded eleven studio albums, including four for MCA Records and one for Warner Bros. Records. She also charted 13 singles on the Billboard country singles charts in that timespan, including her debut single, "Somebody's Knockin'", which reached No. 8 on the country charts, No. 13 on the pop charts and No. 3 on the Adult Contemporary charts. She also entered the country top 20 with "Rich Man", "Mis'ry River", "Ashes to Ashes" and "Anybody Else's Heart but Mine." Gibbs has been blind since infancy. Read more
15 Jun 1954: Paul Rusesabagina, Rwandan humanitarian Paul Rusesabagina is a Rwandan human rights activist and former hotelier. He worked as the manager of the Hôtel des Mille Collines in Kigali, during a period in which it housed 1,268 Hutu and Tutsi refugees fleeing the Interahamwe militia during the Rwandan genocide. None of these refugees were hurt or killed during the attacks. An account of Rusesabagina's actions during the genocide was later depicted in the film Hotel Rwanda in 2004, in which he was portrayed by American actor Don Cheadle. The film has been the subject both of critical acclaim and controversy in Rwanda. Read more
15 Jun 1954: Zdeňka Šilhavá, Czech discus thrower and shot putter Zdeňka Šilhavá is a Czech retired female track and field athlete who represented Czechoslovakia. She set the world record in the women's discus throw on 26 August 1984 with a distance of 74.56 metres (244.6 ft). That mark still is the national record. Read more
15 Jun 1954: Beverley Whitfield, Australian swimmer (died 1996) Beverley Joy Whitfield was an Australian breaststroke swimmer of the 1970s, who won a gold medal in the 200-metre breaststroke at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. She was coached by Terry Gathercole and Don Talbot. Read more
15 Jun 1953: Vilma Bardauskienė, Lithuanian long jumper Vilhelmina "Vilma" Bardauskienė, née Augustinavičiūtė, is a former long jumper from Lithuania, who represented the Soviet Union in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She twice set the women's world record in the long jump, and won the European title in 1978 (Prague). She was born in Pakruojis. Read more
15 Jun 1953: Eje Elgh, Swedish racing driver and sportscaster Lars Eje Elgh is a Swedish racing driver and television reporter. He currently works as an expert commentator for Formula One in Sweden together with Janne Blomqvist. The two have worked together as Formula One commentators for a long time, first for TV4 and then for Viasat Motor when they took over the Formula One broadcasting in Sweden. Read more
15 Jun 1953: Xi Jinping, Chinese engineer and politician, General Secretary of the Communist Party and President of China Xi Jinping is a Chinese politician who is the paramount leader of China. He has served as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and chairman of the Party Central Military Commission (CMC) since 2012, the president of China and chairman of the State Central Military Commission since 2013. Read more
15 Jun 1953: Raphael Wallfisch, English cellist and educator Raphael Wallfisch is an English cellist. Read more
15 Jun 1952: Satya Pal Jain, Indian lawyer and politician, Additional Solicitor General of India Satya Pal Jain is an Additional Solicitor General of India. He is a Member of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Executive Committee. He was elected Member of Parliament from Chandigarh in 1996 and 1998. He is a practising Senior Advocate in the Supreme Court of India and the Punjab and Haryana High Court at Chandigarh. Read more
15 Jun 1951: Jane Amsterdam, American magazine and newspaper editor (Manhattan, inc., New York Post) Jane Ellen Amsterdam is a former American magazine and newspaper editor. After successive magazine editorships during the 1970s, she joined The Washington Post as section editor. She later became founding editor of Manhattan, inc., and was widely credited with making it into a dynamic, National Magazine Award-winning magazine. She later joined the New York Post, becoming the first female editor of a major New York City newspaper. At the New York Post, she worked to increase the paper's credibility and journalism standards. By the time she left the Post in 1989, she was one of only six women in the country editing a newspaper with a circulation of over 100,000. Read more
15 Jun 1951: Vance A. Larson, American painter (died 2000) Vance A. Larson was an abstract expressionist painter and portrait painter. A prolific artist, during his career Larson painted over 10,000 original works of art and won over 30 Best of Show awards in major art shows from Dallas to Beverly Hills. Larson's paintings are displayed in collections throughout the world. Read more
15 Jun 1951: John Redwood, English politician, Secretary of State for Wales John Alan Redwood, Baron Redwood is a British politician and academic who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wokingham in Berkshire from 1987 to 2024. A member of the Conservative Party, he was Secretary of State for Wales in the Major government and was twice an unsuccessful candidate for the leadership of the Conservative Party in the 1990s. Redwood subsequently served in the Shadow Cabinets of William Hague and Michael Howard; he remained a backbencher from then on. On 24 May 2024, Redwood announced that he would stand down as MP for Wokingham and not seek re-election in the 2024 general election. Read more
15 Jun 1951: Steve Walsh, American rock singer-songwriter and musician Steve Walsh is an American musician, singer, and songwriter, best known for his work as a longtime member of the progressive rock band Kansas. He retired from the band in 2014. He sings lead on four of Kansas' best-known hits: "Carry On Wayward Son", "Dust in the Wind", "Point of Know Return", and "All I Wanted", the last two of which he co-wrote. Read more
15 Jun 1950: Uğur Erdener, Turkish ophthalmologist and professor Uğur Erdener is a Turkish physician specialized in ophthalmology and professor at the Hacettepe University, Ankara. He is currently a member of the International Olympic Committee, former president of the National Olympic Committee of Turkey, and president of SportAccord. Read more
15 Jun 1950: Juliana Azumah-Mensah, Ghanaian nurse and politician Juliana Jocelyn Azumah-Mensah is a Ghanaian politician and nurse. She was the Minister for Women and Children's Affairs. She is also the Member of Parliament for Ho East constituency. Read more
15 Jun 1950: Deney Terrio, American choreographer and television host Denis George Mahan, better known as Deney Terrio, is an American choreographer and hosted the television musical variety series Dance Fever from 1979 to 1987. Read more
15 Jun 1950: Lakshmi Mittal, Indian-English businessman Lakshmi Niwas Mittal is an Indian billionaire businessman and steel magnate. He is the executive chairman of ArcelorMittal, the world's second largest steelmaking company, as well as chairman of stainless steel manufacturer Aperam. Mittal owns 38 per cent of ArcelorMittal. He also holds a 75 percent stake in the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Rajasthan Royals and a three per cent stake in EFL Championship football club Queens Park Rangers. Mittal resides in Switzerland and United Arab Emirates following his departure from the United Kingdom in 2025, where he had lived since 1995. Read more
15 Jun 1949: Dusty Baker, American baseball player and manager Johnnie B "Dusty" Baker Jr. is an American former professional baseball outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for 19 seasons, most notably with the Los Angeles Dodgers. During his Dodgers tenure, he was a two-time All-Star, won two Silver Slugger Awards and a Gold Glove Award, and became the first NLCS MVP, which he received for his performance during the 1977 National League Championship Series. He also made three World Series appearances and was a member of the 1981 World Series championship team. Outside of the Dodgers, Baker played for the Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants, and Oakland Athletics. Read more
15 Jun 1949: Simon Callow, English actor and director Simon Phillip Hugh Callow is an English actor. Known as a character actor on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades including an Olivier Award and Screen Actors Guild Award as well as nominations for two BAFTA Awards. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to acting by Queen Elizabeth II in 1999. Read more
15 Jun 1949: Russell Hitchcock, Australian singer-songwriter Russell Charles Hitchcock is an Australian musician and lead vocalist of the soft rock duo Air Supply. Read more
15 Jun 1949: Jim Varney, American actor, comedian, and screenwriter (died 2000) James Albert Varney Jr. was an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his Emmy Award winning comedic role as Ernest P. Worrell, originating in a series of television commercial advertising campaigns, and later growing into a film and television franchise. He played Jed Clampett in the 1993 The Beverly Hillbillies film adaptation, and also covered a song for the film titled "Hot Rod Lincoln". He voiced Slinky Dog in the first two films of the Toy Story franchise (1995–1999). He died of lung cancer on February 10, 2000, leaving two posthumous releases, Daddy and Them and Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Read more
15 Jun 1948: Mike Holmgren, American football player and coach Michael George Holmgren is an American former football coach and executive in the National Football League (NFL). He began his NFL career as a quarterbacks' coach and later as an offensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers, where they won Super Bowls XXIII and XXIV. He served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 1992 to 1998, where he won Super Bowl XXXI, and of the Seattle Seahawks from 1999 to 2008. His last role in the NFL was as team president of the Cleveland Browns from 2010 to 2012. Prior to his career in the NFL, Holmgren coached football at the high school and collegiate levels. Read more
15 Jun 1948: Alan Huckle, English politician and diplomat, Governor of Anguilla Alan Edden Huckle is a British civil servant and administrator who served as the Commissioner for the British Indian Ocean Territory, Governor of Anguilla, Governor of the Falkland Islands, and Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. During his civil service career he worked for the Civil Service, Northern Ireland Office, and Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Read more
15 Jun 1948: Henry McLeish, Scottish footballer, academic, and politician, 2nd First Minister of Scotland Henry Baird McLeish is a Scottish politician, author, academic and former professional footballer who served as First Minister of Scotland from 2000 to 2001. With a term of 1 year, 12 days, he is the shortest serving holder of that office. He served as the Leader of the Labour Party in the Scottish Parliament from 2000 to 2001. Read more
15 Jun 1947: John Hoagland, American photographer and journalist (died 1984) John Hoagland was an American photojournalist and war correspondent for Newsweek from San Diego, California, who was covering the Salvadoran Civil War in El Salvador at the time he was killed. He had covered other conflicts, including those in Nicaragua and Lebanon. Read more
15 Jun 1946: Noddy Holder, English rock singer-songwriter, musician, and actor Neville John "Noddy" Holder is an English musician, songwriter and actor. He was the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the English rock band Slade, one of the UK's most successful acts of the 1970s. Read more
15 Jun 1946: John Horner, American paleontologist and academic John Robert Horner is an American paleontologist best known for his research on non-avian dinosaurs. Horner has made a career as a researcher and teacher, having worked at various scientific institutions regardless of an initial lack of a university-level degree. In 1979, Horner described the duck-billed dinosaur Maiasaura alongside fellow paleontologist Bob Makela, based off juvenile remains — at that time unheard of in the western hemisphere — found at a site in Montana. This discovery provided the first clear evidence that some non-avian dinosaurs cared for their young. Read more
15 Jun 1946: Demis Roussos, Egyptian-Greek singer-songwriter and bass player (died 2015) Artemios "Demis" Ventouris-Roussos was an Egyptian-born Greek musician. As a band member, he is best remembered for his work in the progressive rock music act Aphrodite's Child, but as a vocal soloist, his repertoire included hit songs like "Goodbye, My Love, Goodbye", "From Souvenirs to Souvenirs" and "Forever and Ever". Read more
15 Jun 1945: Miriam Defensor Santiago, Filipino judge and politician (died 2016) Miriam Palma Defensor-Santiago was a Filipino politician and lawyer who served in all three branches of the Philippine government: judicial, executive, and legislative. Defensor Santiago was known for being a long serving senator of the Philippines and an elected judge of the International Criminal Court. She is the sole female recipient of the Philippines' highest national honor, the Quezon Service Cross. Read more
15 Jun 1945: Robert Sarah, Guinean cardinal Robert Sarah is a Guinean Catholic prelate who served as prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments from 23 November 2014 to 20 February 2021. He previously served as secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples under Pope John Paul II and president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum under Pope Benedict XVI. He was made a cardinal in 2010. Read more
15 Jun 1945: Lawrence Wilkerson, American colonel Lawrence B. Wilkerson is a retired United States Army Colonel and former chief of staff to United States Secretary of State Colin Powell. Read more
15 Jun 1944: Robert D. Keppel, American police officer and academic (died 2021) Robert David Keppel was an American law enforcement officer and detective. He was also an associate professor at the University of New Haven and Sam Houston State University. Keppel was known for his contributions to the investigations of Ted Bundy and Gary Ridgway, and also assisted in the creation of HITS, the Homicide Investigation Tracking System. Read more
15 Jun 1943: Johnny Hallyday, French singer and actor (died 2017) Jean-Philippe Léo Smet, better known by his stage name Johnny Hallyday, was a French rock and roll and pop singer and actor, credited with having brought rock and roll to France. Read more
15 Jun 1943: Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, Danish politician, 38th Prime Minister of Denmark Poul Oluf Nyrup Rasmussen is a retired Danish politician, who served as Prime Minister of Denmark from 25 January 1993 to 27 November 2001 and President of the Party of European Socialists (PES) from 2004 to 2011. He was the leader of the governing Social Democrats from 1992 to 2002 and was also a member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2009. Read more
15 Jun 1942: Ian Greenberg, Canadian broadcaster, founded Astral Media (died 2022) Ian Greenberg was a Canadian businessman and media pioneer. He was the co-founder of Astral Media Inc. and served as its president and chief executive officer from 1996 until 2013. Read more
15 Jun 1942: John E. McLaughlin, American diplomat John Edward McLaughlin is a retired American intelligence official who was Deputy Director of Central Intelligence and briefly acting Director of Central Intelligence. Read more
15 Jun 1942: Peter Norman, Australian sprinter (died 2006) Peter George Norman was an Australian track athlete. He won the silver medal in the 200 metres at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, with a time of 20.06 seconds, which remained the Oceania 200 m record for more than 56 years. He was a five-time national 200-metre champion. Read more
15 Jun 1941: Neal Adams, American illustrator (died 2022) Neal Adams was an American comic book artist. He was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, and was a creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and recognition for Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. During his career, Adams co-created the characters John Stewart, Man-Bat, and Ra's al Ghul for DC Comics. Read more
15 Jun 1941: Harry Nilsson, American singer-songwriter (died 1994) Harry Edward Nilsson III, sometimes credited as Nilsson, was an American singer and songwriter known for his versatile tenor range, pioneering use of vocal overdubbing, explorations of the Great American Songbook, and Caribbean fusion sounds. He was one of the few major pop-rock artists to achieve significant commercial success without touring or performing large-scale public concerts. Read more
15 Jun 1939: Ward Connerly, American activist and businessman, founded the American Civil Rights Institute Wardell Anthony "Ward" Connerly is an American political and anti-affirmative action activist, businessman, and former University of California Regent (1993–2005). He is also the founder and the chairman of the American Civil Rights Institute, a national non-profit organization in opposition to racial and gender preferences, and is the president of Californians for Equal Rights, a non-profit organization active in the state of California with a similar mission. He is considered to be the man behind California's Proposition 209 prohibiting race- and gender-based preferences in state hiring, contracting and state university admissions, a program known as affirmative action. Read more
15 Jun 1938: Billy Williams, American baseball player and coach Billy Leo Williams is an American former left fielder and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played from 1959 to 1976, almost entirely for the Chicago Cubs. A six-time All-Star, Williams was named the 1961 National League (NL) Rookie of the Year after hitting 25 home runs with 86 runs batted in (RBI). A model of consistent production, he went on to provide the Cubs with at least 20 home runs and 80 RBI every year through 1973, batting over .300, hitting 30 home runs and scoring 100 runs five times each. Along with Ernie Banks and Ron Santo, Williams was one of the central figures in improving the Cubs' fortunes in the late 1960s after the club had spent 20 years in the bottom half of the league standings. His 853 RBI and 2,799 total bases in the 1960s were the most by any left-handed hitter in the major leagues. Read more
15 Jun 1937: Pierre Billon, Swiss-Canadian author and screenwriter Pierre Billon is a novelist and screenwriter from Quebec. Read more
15 Jun 1937: Leon Coates, English composer (died 2023) Leon Coates (1937–2023) was an English composer, pianist and conductor who worked mostly in Scotland. Read more
15 Jun 1937: Waylon Jennings, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2002) Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He is considered one of the pioneers of the outlaw movement in country music. Read more
15 Jun 1936: William Levada, American cardinal (died 2019) William Joseph Levada was an American Catholic prelate who served as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 2005 to 2012. During that time, he was the highest-ranking American in the Roman Curia. He was previously the Archbishop of Portland in Oregon from 1986 to 1995 and Archbishop of San Francisco from 1995 to 2005. During his tenure, he was criticized for covering up sexual abuse by priests within his jurisdiction. He was created a cardinal in 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI. Read more
15 Jun 1934: Ruby Nash Garnett, American R&B singer Ruby Nash Garnett is an American singer who led the rhythm and blues group Ruby & the Romantics. Read more
15 Jun 1933: Mohammad-Ali Rajai, Iranian politician, 2nd President of Iran (died 1981) Mohammad-Ali Rajai was an Iranian politician who served as the second president of Iran from 2 August 1981 until his assassination four weeks later. Before his presidency, Rajai had served as prime minister under Abolhassan Banisadr, while concurrently occupying the position of foreign affairs minister from 11 March 1981 to 15 August 1981. He died in a bombing on 30 August 1981 along with then-prime minister Mohammad-Javad Bahonar. Read more
15 Jun 1933: Predrag Koraksić Corax, Serbian political caricaturist Predrag Koraksić Corax was a Serbian political cartoonist. Read more
15 Jun 1932: David Alliance, Baron Alliance, Iranian-English businessman and politician (died 2025) David Alliance, Baron Alliance, was an Iranian businessman and Liberal Democrat politician. Read more
15 Jun 1932: Mario Cuomo, American lawyer and politician, 52nd Governor of New York (died 2015) Mario Matthew Cuomo was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 52nd governor of New York for three terms, from 1983 to 1995. A member of the Democratic Party, Cuomo previously served as the lieutenant governor of New York from 1979 to 1982 and the secretary of state of New York from 1975 to 1978. He was the father of former New York governor Andrew Cuomo and broadcaster Chris Cuomo. Read more
15 Jun 1932: Zia Fariduddin Dagar, Indian singer (died 2013) Zia Fariduddin Dagar was an Indian classical vocalist belonging to the Dhrupad tradition, the oldest existing form of north Indian classical music. He was part of the Dagar family of musicians. Read more
15 Jun 1932: Bernie Faloney, American-Canadian football player and sportscaster (died 1999) Bernie Faloney was a professional football player in the Canadian Football League and an outstanding American college football player for the Maryland Terrapins. Born in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, Faloney is a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, the Western Pennsylvania Hall of Fame, and the University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame. Faloney's jersey No. 10 was retired by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1999. In 2005, Faloney was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. In 2006, Faloney was voted to the Honour Roll of the CFL's Top 50 Players of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN. Read more
15 Jun 1931: Joseph Gilbert, English air marshal Air Chief Marshal Sir Joseph Alfred Gilbert, is a former Royal Air Force officer who served as Deputy Commander of Strike Command from 1984 to 1986. Read more
15 Jun 1930: Miguel Méndez, American author and academic (died 2013) Miguel Méndez was the pen name for Miguel Méndez Morales, a Mexican American author best known for his novel Peregrinos de Aztlán. He was a leading figure in the field of Chicano literature. Read more
15 Jun 1930: Marcel Pronovost, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (died 2015) Joseph René Marcel Pronovost was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. He played in 1,206 games over 20 National Hockey League (NHL) seasons for the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs between 1950 and 1970. A top defenceman, Pronovost was named to four post-season NHL All-Star teams and played in 11 All-Star Games. He was a member of four Stanley Cup championship teams with the Red Wings, the first in 1950, and won a fifth title with the Maple Leafs in 1967. Pronovost was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player in 1978. Read more
15 Jun 1927: Ross Andru, American illustrator (died 1993) Ross Andru was an American comics artist and editor whose career in comics spanned six decades. He is best known for his work on The Amazing Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and The Metal Men, and for having co-created the character called The Punisher. Read more
15 Jun 1927: Ibn-e-Insha, Indian-Pakistani poet and author (died 1978) Sher Muhammad Khan, better known by his pen name Ibn-e-Insha, was a Pakistani Urdu poet, humorist, travelogue writer and newspaper columnist. Read more
15 Jun 1927: Hugo Pratt, Italian author and illustrator (died 1995) Ugo Eugenio Prat, better known as Hugo Pratt, was an Italian comic book creator who was known for combining strong storytelling with extensive historical research on works such as Corto Maltese. He was inducted into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 2005, and was awarded the 15th anniversary special Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême at the Angoulême Festival. In 1946 Hugo Pratt became part of the so-called Group of Venice with Fernando Carcupino, Dino Battaglia and Damiano Damiani. Read more
15 Jun 1926: Alfred Duraiappah, Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer and politician (died 1975) Alfred Thangarajah Duraiappah was a Sri Lankan lawyer who served as Mayor of Jaffna from 1970 until his assassination. He was also a Member of Parliament for Jaffna from 1960 to 1965. Duraiappah was killed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Read more
15 Jun 1925: Richard Baker, English journalist and author (died 2018) Richard Douglas James Baker OBE RD was an English broadcaster, best known as a newsreader for BBC News from 1954 to 1982, and as a radio presenter of classical music. He was a contemporary of Kenneth Kendall and Robert Dougall and was the first reader of the BBC Television News in 1954. Read more
15 Jun 1925: Attilâ İlhan, Turkish poet, author, and critic (died 2005) Attilâ İlhan was a Turkish poet, novelist, essayist, journalist and reviewer. Read more
15 Jun 1924: Hédi Fried, Swedish author and psychologist (died 2022) Hédi Fried was a Swedish-Romanian-Hungarian author and psychologist. A Holocaust survivor, she passed through Auschwitz as well as Bergen-Belsen, coming to Sweden in July 1945 with the boat M/S Rönnskär. Read more
15 Jun 1924: Ezer Weizman, Israeli general and politician, 7th President of Israel (died 2005) Ezer Weizman was an Israeli major general and politician who served as the president of Israel, first elected in 1993 and re-elected in 1998. Before the presidency, Weizman was commander of the Israeli Air Force and Minister of Defense. Read more
15 Jun 1923: Erland Josephson, Swedish actor and director (died 2012) Erland Josephson was a Swedish actor and author. He was best known by international audiences for his work in films directed by Ingmar Bergman, Andrei Tarkovsky, Theo Angelopoulos, and Liv Ullmann. Read more
15 Jun 1923: Ninian Stephen, English-Australian lieutenant, judge, and politician, 20th Governor-General of Australia (died 2017) Sir Ninian Martin Stephen was an English-born Australian judge who served as the 20th governor-general of Australia, in office from 1982 to 1989. He was previously a justice of the High Court of Australia from 1972 to 1982. Read more
15 Jun 1922: Jaki Byard, American pianist and composer (died 1999) John Arthur "Jaki" Byard was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger. Mainly a pianist, he also played tenor and alto saxophones, among several other instruments. He was known for his eclectic style, incorporating everything from ragtime and stride to free jazz. Read more
15 Jun 1921: Erroll Garner, American pianist and composer (died 1977) Erroll Louis Garner was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad "Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first recorded in 1956 with Mitch Miller and his orchestra, and played a prominent part in the 1971 motion picture Play Misty for Me. Read more
15 Jun 1920: Keith Andrews, American race car driver (died 1957) Keith Phillip Andrews was an American racecar driver. He was killed after crashing his car during practice for the 1957 Indianapolis 500. Read more
15 Jun 1920: Alla Kazanskaya, Russian actress (died 2008) Alla Alexandrovna Kazanskaya was a Russian stage and film actress. She began her career at the age of 18 at the Vakhtangov State Academic Theatre in Moscow. Her most notable film appearance was in the Academy Award-winning drama Burnt by the Sun (1994). Read more
15 Jun 1920: Sam Sniderman, Canadian businessman, founded Sam the Record Man (died 2012) Sam Sniderman, was a Canadian businessman best known as the founder of the Canadian record shop chain Sam the Record Man. Sniderman was also a major promoter of Canadian music including involvement in pushing for the Canadian content (CANCON) broadcast regulations and creating the Juno Awards. Read more
15 Jun 1920: Alberto Sordi, Italian actor, director, and screenwriter (died 2003) Alberto Sordi was an Italian actor, comedian, voice dubber, director, singer, composer and screenwriter. Read more
15 Jun 1918: François Tombalbaye, Chadian politician, 1st President of Chad (died 1975) François Tombalbaye, also known as N'Garta Tombalbaye, was a Chadian politician who served as the first President of Chad from the country's independence in 1960 until his overthrow in 1975. A dictatorial leader, his divisive policies as president led to factional conflict and a pattern of authoritarian leadership and political instability that is still relevant in Chad today. Read more
15 Jun 1917: John Fenn, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2010) John Bennett Fenn was an American professor of analytical chemistry who was awarded a share of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2002. He shared half of the award with Koichi Tanaka for their work in mass spectrometry. The other half went to Kurt Wüthrich. Fenn's contributions specifically related to the development of electrospray ionization, now a commonly used technique for large molecules and routine liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Early in his career, he studied the field of jet propulsion at Project SQUID and focused on molecular beams. He finished his career with more than 100 publications, including one book. Read more
15 Jun 1917: Michalis Genitsaris, Greek singer-songwriter (died 2005) Michalis Genitsaris was a Greek singer and composer of the rebetiko genre. He was born and died in Agia Sofia, Piraeus. He was known as the last pre-war rebetiko singer. He composed such songs as Ego mangas fenomouna("I looked like a tough guy"), Enas leventis esvise etc. He was interviewed for the Australian SBS programme Music of the Outsiders in which he describes his encounter with a policeman when he was seventeen, the age at which he composed Ego mangas fenomouna. Read more
15 Jun 1917: Lash LaRue, American actor and producer (died 1996) Alfred "Lash" LaRue was a Western motion picture star of the 1940s and 1950s. Read more
15 Jun 1916: Olga Erteszek, Polish-American fashion designer (died 1989) Olga Erteszek was a Polish-American undergarment designer and lingerie company owner. She was famous for her nightgowns with full, flowing skirt width and generous sweep. Read more
15 Jun 1916: Horacio Salgán, Argentinian pianist, composer, and conductor (died 2016) Horacio Adolfo Salgán was an Argentine tango musician. He was born in Buenos Aires to an established Afro-Argentine family. Some of Salgán's most well-known compositions include Del 1 al 5 (1944), A Don Agustín Bardi (1947), Entre tango y tango (1953), Grillito, La llamo silbando, Cortada de San Ignacio, A fuego lento, and Aquellos tangos camperos. He turned 100 in June 2016 and died two months later on August 19, 2016. Read more
15 Jun 1916: Herbert A. Simon, American political scientist and economist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2001) Herbert Alexander Simon was an American scholar whose work influenced the fields of computer science, economics, and cognitive psychology. His primary research interest was decision-making within organizations and he is best known for the theories of "bounded rationality" and "satisficing". He and Allen Newell received the ACM Turing Award in 1975, and he received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1978. Read more
15 Jun 1915: Nini Theilade, Danish ballet dancer, choreographer, and educator (died 2018) Nini Arlette Theilade was a Danish ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher. Read more
15 Jun 1915: Thomas Huckle Weller, American biologist and virologist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2008) Thomas Huckle Weller was an American virologist. He, John Franklin Enders and Frederick Chapman Robbins were awarded a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1954 for showing how to cultivate poliomyelitis viruses in a test tube, using a combination of human embryonic skin and muscle tissue. Read more
15 Jun 1914: Yuri Andropov, Russian politician (died 1984) Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov was a Soviet politician who served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from late 1982 until his death in 1984. He previously served as the Chairman of the KGB from 1967 until 1982. Read more
15 Jun 1914: Saul Steinberg, Romanian-American cartoonist (died 1999) Saul Steinberg was a Romanian-born American artist, best known for his work for The New Yorker, most notably View of the World from 9th Avenue. He described himself as "a writer who draws". Read more
15 Jun 1914: Hilda Terry, American cartoonist (died 2006) Theresa Hilda D’Alessio, better known as Hilda Terry, was an American cartoonist who created the comic strip Teena. It ran in newspapers from 1944 to 1964. After marriage, she usually signed her name Theresa H. D’Alessio. In 1950, she became the first woman allowed to join the National Cartoonists Society. Read more
15 Jun 1913: Tom Adair, American songwriter, composer, and screenwriter (died 1988) Thomas Montgomery Adair was an American songwriter, composer, and screenwriter. Read more
15 Jun 1911: Wilbert Awdry, English author, created The Railway Series, the basis for Thomas the Tank Engine (died 1997) Wilbert Vere Awdry, often credited as Rev. W. Awdry, was an English Anglican priest, railway enthusiast, and children's author. He was the creator of Thomas the Tank Engine and several other characters who appeared in his book series, The Railway Series. Read more
15 Jun 1910: David Rose, English-American pianist, composer, and conductor (died 1990) David Daniel Rose was a British-American songwriter, composer, arranger, pianist, and orchestra leader. His best known compositions were "The Stripper", "Holiday for Strings", and "Calypso Melody". He also wrote music for many television series, including It's a Great Life, The Tony Martin Show, Little House on the Prairie, Highway to Heaven, Bonanza, Leave It to Beaver, and Highway Patrol, some under the pseudonym Ray Llewellyn. Read more
15 Jun 1909: Elena Nikolaidi, Greek-American soprano and educator (died 2002) Elena Nikolaidi was a Greek-American opera singer and teacher. She sang leading contralto and mezzosoprano roles with major opera companies worldwide and made numerous recordings. Read more
15 Jun 1907: James Robertson Justice, English actor and educator (died 1975) James Robertson Justice was a British actor. He often portrayed pompous authority figures in comedies, including each of the seven films in the Doctor series. He also co-starred with Gregory Peck in several adventure movies, notably The Guns of Navarone. Born in south-east London to a Scottish father, he became prominent in Scottish public life, helping to launch Scottish Television (STV) and serving as Rector of the University of Edinburgh. Read more
15 Jun 1906: Gordon Welchman, English-American mathematician and author (died 1985) William Gordon Welchman was an English mathematician. During World War II, he worked at Britain's secret decryption centre at Bletchley Park, where he was one of the most important contributors. In 1948, after the war, he moved to the US and later worked on the design of military communications systems. Read more
15 Jun 1906: Léon Degrelle, Belgian SS officer (died 1994) Léon Joseph Marie Ignace Degrelle was a Belgian Walloon politician and Nazi collaborator. He rose to prominence in Belgium in the 1930s as the leader of the Rexist Party (Rex). During the German occupation of Belgium during World War II, he enlisted in the German army and fought in the Walloon Legion on the Eastern Front. After the collapse of the Nazi regime, Degrelle escaped and went into exile in Francoist Spain, where he remained a prominent figure in neo-Nazi politics. Read more
15 Jun 1902: Erik Erikson, German-American psychologist and psychoanalyst (died 1994) Erik Homburger Erikson was a German-American child psychoanalyst and visual artist known for his theory on psychosocial development of human beings. He coined the phrase identity crisis. Read more
15 Jun 1901: Elmar Lohk, Russian-Estonian architect (died 1963) Elmar Lohk was an Estonian architect and tennis player. Many of his buildings in Tallinn are now valued as great examples of 1930s architecture, for example, the prominent Scandic Hotel Palace on Freedom Square. His creation can be categorised as functionalism with some influence of Chicago school and traditional art. Read more
15 Jun 1900: Gotthard Günther, German philosopher and academic (died 1984) Gotthard Günther was a German (Prussian) philosopher. Read more
15 Jun 1900: Otto Luening, German-American composer and conductor (died 1996) Otto Clarence Luening was a German-American composer and conductor, and flutist. He was an early pioneer of tape music and electronic music. Read more
15 Jun 1898: Hubertus Strughold, German-American physiologist and academic (died 1986) Hubertus Strughold was a German-born physiologist and medical researcher. Beginning in 1935 he served as chief of aeromedical research for Hermann Göring's Ministry of Aviation and later held the same position with the Luftwaffe throughout World War II. In 1947 he was brought to the United States as part of Operation Paperclip and went on to serve in a number of high-level scientific posts with the United States Air Force and NASA. Read more
15 Jun 1894: Robert Russell Bennett, American composer and conductor (died 1981) Robert Russell Bennett was an American composer and arranger, best known for his orchestration of many well-known Broadway and Hollywood musicals by other composers such as Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, and Richard Rodgers. Read more
15 Jun 1894: Nikolai Chebotaryov, Ukrainian-Russian mathematician and theorist (died 1947) Nikolai Grigorievich Chebotaryov was a Soviet mathematician. He is best known for the Chebotaryov density theorem. Read more
15 Jun 1890: Georg Wüst, German oceanographer and academic (died 1977) Georg Adolf Otto Wüst was a German oceanographer. His pioneering work on the Atlantic Ocean provided a new view of the motions of water masses between the northern and southern hemispheres and the first evidence of the concentration of water mass spreading in western boundary currents. Read more
15 Jun 1888: Martin D'Arcy, English Jesuit priest (died 1976) Martin Cyril D'Arcy was an English Jesuit priest, philosopher of love, and a correspondent, friend, and adviser to a range of literary and artistic figures including Evelyn Waugh, Dorothy L. Sayers, W. H. Auden, Eric Gill and Sir Edwin Lutyens. He has been described as "perhaps England's foremost Catholic public intellectual from the 1930s until his death". Read more
15 Jun 1888: Ramón López Velarde, Mexican poet and author (died 1921) Ramón López Velarde was a
Mexican poet. His work was a reaction against French-influenced modernismo which, as an expression of a purely Mexican subject matter and emotional experience, is unique. He achieved great fame in his native land, to the point of being considered Mexico's national poet. Read more
15 Jun 1886: Frank Clement, British racing driver (died 1970) Frank Charles Clement was a British racing driver who, along with Canadian John Duff, won the 1924 24 Hours of Le Mans. Read more
15 Jun 1884: Harry Langdon, American actor, director, and screenwriter (died 1944) Henry Philmore "Harry" Langdon was an American actor and comedian who appeared in vaudeville, silent films, and talkies. Read more
15 Jun 1881: Kesago Nakajima, Japanese lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army (died 1945) Kesago Nakajima was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Japanese forces under Nakajima's command committed the 1937 Nanjing Massacre. Read more
15 Jun 1878: Margaret Abbott, Indian-American golfer (died 1955) Margaret Ives Abbott was an American amateur golfer. She was the first American woman to win an Olympic event: the women's golf tournament at the 1900 Summer Olympics. Read more
15 Jun 1875: Herman Smith-Johannsen, Norwegian-Canadian skier (died 1987) Herman "Jackrabbit" Smith-Johannsen, was a Norwegian skier and supercentenarian. He was the world's oldest verified living man from the death of 111-year-old Joe Thomas of the United States on 14 December 1986 until his own death on 5 January 1987, and is additionally the oldest verified man in Norwegian history. He was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada in 1972. He is credited for building many ski jumps and blazing trails in Canada, and New York. He is known for his one-day ascent of Mount Marcy, the tallest mountain in New York. He was born in Horten, Norway, and later moved to the United States, before settling in Piedmont, Quebec. Read more
15 Jun 1872: Thomas William Burgess, English swimmer and water polo player (died 1950) Thomas William Burgess was the second person to successfully complete a swim of the English Channel after Matthew Webb, following sixteen attempts. Burgess was British but spent most of his life in France, and won a bronze medal with the French water polo team at the 1900 Olympics. Read more
15 Jun 1848: Gheevarghese Mar Gregorios of Parumala, Indian bishop and saint (died 1902) Geevarghese Mar Gregorios of Parumala, also known as Parumala Thirumeni, was a Metropolitan of the Malankara Church. Parumala Thirumeni became the first person of Indian origin to be canonised as saint. In 1947, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church declared Mar Gregorios as a saint, making him the first saint from India canonized by that Church. On the 20th of October, 1987, His Holiness Ignatius Zakka I, the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, solemnly proclaimed the canonization of St. Gregorios of Parumala, thereby confirming his sanctity and establishing his veneration throughout the Syriac Orthodox Church. Read more
15 Jun 1843: Edvard Grieg, Norwegian pianist and composer (died 1907) Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the leading Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of Norwegian folk music in his own compositions brought the music of Norway to fame, as well as helping to develop a national identity, much as Jean Sibelius did in Finland and Bedřich Smetana in Bohemia. Read more
15 Jun 1835: Adah Isaacs Menken, American actress, painter, and poet (died 1868) Adah Isaacs Menken was an American actress, painter and poet, and was the highest earning actress of her time. She was best known for her performance in the hippodrama Mazeppa, with a climax that featured her apparently nude and riding a horse on stage. After great success for a few years with the play in New York and San Francisco, she appeared in a production in London and Paris, from 1864 to 1866. After a brief trip back to the United States, she returned to Europe. She became ill within two years and died in Paris at the age of 33. Read more
15 Jun 1822: Alfonso Corti, Italian anatomist (died 1876) Alfonso Giacomo Gaspare Corti was an Italian anatomist. He was born in Gambarana, near Pavia in 1822. Read more
15 Jun 1809: François-Xavier Garneau, Canadian poet and historian (died 1866) François-Xavier Garneau was a nineteenth-century French Canadian notary, poet, civil servant and liberal who wrote a three-volume history of the French Canadian nation entitled Histoire du Canada between 1845 and 1848. Read more
15 Jun 1805: William B. Ogden, American businessman and politician, 1st Mayor of Chicago (died 1877) William Butler Ogden was an American politician and railroad executive who served as the first Mayor of Chicago. He was referred to as "the Astor of Chicago." He was, at one time, the city's richest citizen.
He brought the Galena & Chicago Union RR out of insolvency and was its first president in 1847.
He created the Chicago & North Western Railway from the failed remains of the Chicago, St.Paul, Fond du Lac and was its first president in 1859.
He spearheaded the 1st transcontinental railroad as the Union Pacific and was its first president in 1862, although he relinquished that position due to poor health. Read more
15 Jun 1801: Benjamin Wright Raymond, American merchant and politician, 3rd Mayor of Chicago (died 1883) Benjamin Wright Raymond was an American politician who twice served as mayor of Chicago, Illinois for the Whig Party. Read more

Notable Deaths on 15 June

15 Jun 2024: James Kent, American chef (born 1979) Jamal James Kent was an American chef. In 2010, he won the Bocuse d'Or USA. Kent and his commis Tom Allan went on to represent the U.S. at the international finals of Bocuse d'Or the following year, in Lyon, France, where they placed tenth. Read more
15 Jun 2024: Matija Sarkic, English-born Montenegrin footballer (born 1997) Matija Sarkic was a professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Read more
15 Jun 2023: Glenda Jackson, English actress and politician (born 1936) Glenda May Jackson was an English actress and politician. Over the course of her distinguished career she received numerous accolades including two Academy Awards, three Emmy Awards and a Tony Award, making her one of the few performers to achieve the "Triple Crown of Acting." Her other accolades include two BAFTA Awards and a Golden Globe Award. A member of the Labour Party, she served continuously as a Member of Parliament (MP) for 23 years, first for Hampstead and Highgate from 1992 to 2010, and then, following boundary changes, for Hampstead and Kilburn from 2010 to 2015. Read more
15 Jun 2019: Franco Zeffirelli, Italian film director (born 1923) Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post–World War II era, gaining both acclaim and notoriety for his lavish stagings of classical works, as well as his film adaptations of the same. Read more
15 Jun 2014: Jacques Bergerac, French actor and businessman (born 1927) Jacques Bergerac was a French actor and businessman. Read more
15 Jun 2013: Heinz Flohe, German footballer and manager (born 1948) Heinz "Flocke" Flohe was a German footballer and manager. Read more
15 Jun 2013: José Froilán González, Argentinian racing driver (born 1922) José Froilán González was an Argentine racing driver who competed in Formula One between 1950 and 1960. Nicknamed "the Pampas Bull" and "el Cabezón", González was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1954 with Ferrari, and won two Grands Prix across nine seasons. In endurance racing, González won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1954, also with Ferrari. Read more
15 Jun 2013: Dennis O'Rourke, Australian director and producer (born 1945) Dennis O'Rourke was an Australian cinematographer and documentary filmmaker. Read more
15 Jun 2013: Kenneth G. Wilson, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1936) Kenneth Geddes "Ken" Wilson was an American theoretical physicist and a pioneer in using computers for studying particle physics. He was awarded the 1982 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on phase transitions—illuminating the subtle essence of phenomena like melting ice and emerging magnetism. It was embodied in his fundamental work on the renormalization group. Read more
15 Jun 2012: Phillip D. Cagan, American economist and author (born 1927) Phillip David Cagan was an American scholar and author. He was Professor of Economics Emeritus at Columbia University. Read more
15 Jun 2012: Barry MacKay, American tennis player and sportscaster (born 1935) Barry Bruce MacKay was an American tennis player, tournament director and broadcaster. He was ranked #1 in the U.S. in 1960. Read more
15 Jun 2012: Israel Nogueda Otero, Mexican economist and politician, 10th Governor of Guerrero (born 1935) Israel Nogueda Otero was a Mexican politician, economist and member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Nogueda served as the Municipal President of Acapulco municipality from 1969 to 1971 and the Governor of Guerrero from 1971 until 1975. Read more
15 Jun 2012: Jerry Tubbs, American football player and coach (born 1935) Gerald J. Tubbs was an American professional football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. He was selected by Chicago Cardinals in the first round of the 1957 NFL draft. After his retirement, he stayed with the Cowboys as an assistant coach for 22 years. He played college football at the University of Oklahoma. Read more
15 Jun 2011: Bill Haast, American herpetologist and academic (born 1910) Bill Haast was the owner and operator, from 1947 until 1984, of the Miami Serpentarium, a tourist attraction south of Miami, Florida, where he entertained customers by performing live venom extraction from snakes. After closing the Serpentarium, he opened the Miami Serpentarium Laboratories, a facility in Punta Gorda, Florida that produced snake venom for medical and research use. Haast extracted venom from venomous snakes from the time he was a boy. Read more
15 Jun 2008: Ray Getliffe, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1914) Raymond Getliffe was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens. Born in Galt, Ontario, he played with the Saint John St. Peters. At the time of his death, he was believed to be the oldest living former Montreal Canadiens player. Getliffe's name is on the Stanley Cup twice, for 1939 with Boston and 1944 with Montreal. On February 6, 1943, while playing for the Canadiens he scored five goals in one game. Read more
15 Jun 2007: Hugo Corro, Argentine boxer (born 1953) Hugo Pastor Corro, better known plainly as Hugo Corro, was an Argentine professional boxer who held the undisputed middleweight championship between April 1978 and June 1979. Read more
15 Jun 2006: Raymond Devos, Belgian-French comedian and clown (born 1922) Raymond Devos was a French humorist, stand-up comedian and clown. He is best known for his sophisticated puns and surreal humour. Read more
15 Jun 2006: Herb Pearson, New Zealand cricketer (born 1910) Herbert Taylor Pearson was a New Zealand cricketer who played for Auckland in the 1930s and 1940s. Read more
15 Jun 2005: Suzanne Flon, French actress (born 1918) Suzanne Flon was a French stage, film, and television actress. She won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her performance in the 1961 film Thou Shalt Not Kill. Flon also received two César Awards and two Molière Awards in her career. Read more
15 Jun 2004: Ahmet Piriştina, Turkish politician and mayor of İzmir (born 1952) Ahmet Piriştina was a Turkish politician who was Mayor of İzmir from 1999 to 2004. His Family was of Albanian Turkish descent, his family was from the city of Prishtina. Read more
15 Jun 2003: Hume Cronyn, Canadian-American actor (born 1911) Hume Blake Cronyn Jr. was a Canadian-American actor, screenwriter and playwright. He appeared in many stage productions, television and film roles throughout his career, and received many honors, including three Primetime Emmy Awards and two Tony Awards, as well as nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Cronyn was the husband of actress Jessica Tandy, with whom he was presented the Kennedy Center Honor in 1986 and National Medal of Arts in 1990. In 1999, he was awarded with a star on the Canada's Walk of Fame. Read more
15 Jun 2002: Choi Hong Hi, South Korean general and martial artist, founded Taekwondo (born 1918) Choi Hong-hi was a South Korean Army general, and martial artist who was an important figure in the history of the Korean martial art of Taekwondo, albeit controversial due to his introduction of taekwondo to North Korea. Read more
15 Jun 2001: Henri Alekan, French cinematographer (born 1909) Henri Alekan was a French cinematographer. Read more
15 Jun 2000: Jules Roy, French author, poet, and playwright (born 1907) Jules Roy was a French writer. "Prolific and polemical" Roy, born an Algerian pied noir and sent to a Roman Catholic seminary, used his experiences in the French colony and during his service in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War as inspiration for a number of his works. He began writing in 1946, while still serving in the military, and continued to publish fiction and historical works after his resignation in 1953 in protest of the First Indochina War. He was an outspoken critic of French colonialism and the Algerian War of Independence and later civil war, as well as a strongly religious man. Read more
15 Jun 1999: Omer Côté, Canadian lawyer and politician (born 1906) Omer Côté was a Canadian politician and a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec. Read more
15 Jun 1996: Ella Fitzgerald, American singer and actress (born 1917) Ella Jane Fitzgerald was an American improvisational vocal musician, singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, intonation, and a "horn-like" improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing. Read more
15 Jun 1996: Sir Fitzroy Maclean, 1st Baronet, Scottish general and politician (born 1911) Sir Fitzroy Hew Royle Maclean, 1st Baronet, was a British Army officer, writer and politician. A Unionist Member of Parliament (MP) from 1941 to 1974 Maclean was one of only two soldiers who during the Second World War enlisted in the British Army as a private and rose to the rank of brigadier, the other being future fellow Conservative MP Enoch Powell. Read more
15 Jun 1996: Dick Murdoch, American wrestler (born 1946) Hoyt Richard Murdoch was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names "Dirty" Dick Murdoch and "Captain Redneck". He was best known for his time in the NWA, World Wrestling Federation and New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Read more
15 Jun 1995: John Vincent Atanasoff, American physicist and inventor, invented the Atanasoff–Berry computer (born 1903) John Vincent Atanasoff was an American physicist and inventor credited with inventing the first electronic digital computer. Atanasoff invented the first electronic digital computer in the 1930s at Iowa State College. Challenges to his claim were resolved in 1973 when the Honeywell v. Sperry Rand lawsuit ruled that Atanasoff was the inventor of the computer. His special-purpose machine has come to be called the Atanasoff–Berry Computer. Read more
15 Jun 1994: Manos Hatzidakis, Greek composer and theorist (born 1925) Manos Hatzidakis was a Greek composer and theorist of Greek music, widely regarded as one of the greatest Greek composers of all time. He was one of the main proponents of the "éntekhno" form of music, along with Mikis Theodorakis, and he is credited as the founder of the Orchestra of Colours, an ensemble performing lesser-known works and the music of Greek composers, and influenced a broad swathe of Greek culture through his writings and radio broadcasts. With his theoretical and compositional work, he is considered to be the first to connect post-war the worded music with traditional music. Read more
15 Jun 1993: John Connally, American commander, lawyer, and politician, 61st United States Secretary of the Treasury (born 1917) John Bowden Connally Jr. was an American politician who served as the 39th governor of Texas from 1963 to 1969 and as the 61st United States secretary of the treasury from 1971 to 1972. He began his career as a Democrat and became a Republican in 1973. Read more
15 Jun 1993: James Hunt, English racing driver and sportscaster (born 1947) James Simon Wallis Hunt was a British racing driver and broadcaster who competed in Formula One from 1973 to 1979. Nicknamed "the Shunt", Hunt won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1976 with McLaren and won 10 Grands Prix across seven seasons. Read more
15 Jun 1992: Chuck Menville, American animator, producer, and screenwriter (born 1940) Charles David Menville was an American animator and writer for television. His credits included Batman: The Animated Series, Land of the Lost, The Real Ghostbusters, The Smurfs, Star Trek: The Animated Series, and Tiny Toon Adventures. Read more
15 Jun 1992: Brett Whiteley, Australian painter (born 1939) Brett Whiteley was an Australian artist. He is represented in the collections of all the large Australian galleries, and was twice winner of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes. He held many exhibitions, and lived and painted in Australia as well as Italy, the United Kingdom, Fiji and the United States. Read more
15 Jun 1991: Happy Chandler, American businessman and politician, 49th Governor of Kentucky (born 1898) Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler Sr. was an American politician from Kentucky. He represented Kentucky in the U.S. Senate and served as its 44th and 49th governor. Aside from his political positions, he also served as the second commissioner of baseball from 1945 to 1951 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. His grandson, Ben Chandler, later served as US Representative for Kentucky's sixth district. Read more
15 Jun 1991: Arthur Lewis, Saint Lucian economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1915) Sir William Arthur Lewis was a Saint Lucian economist and the James Madison Professor of Political Economy at Princeton University. Lewis remains the only black person to have won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. Read more
15 Jun 1989: Maurice Bellemare, Canadian lawyer and politician (born 1912) Maurice Bellemare, was a politician in Quebec, Canada. He was known as Le Vieux Lion de la Politique Québécoise because of his colourful style and his many years of public office. Bellemare was one of the last survivors of the Union Nationale party. Read more
15 Jun 1989: Ray McAnally, Irish actor (born 1926) Ray McAnally was an Irish actor. He was the recipient of three BAFTA Awards in the late 1980s: two BAFTA Film Awards for Best Supporting Actor, and a BAFTA Television Award for Best Actor for A Very British Coup in 1989. In 2020, he was ranked at number 34 on The Irish Times's list of Ireland's greatest film actors. Read more
15 Jun 1985: Andy Stanfield, American sprinter (born 1927) Andrew William Stanfield was an American sprinter and Olympic gold and silver medallist. Read more
15 Jun 1984: Meredith Willson, American playwright, composer, and conductor (born 1902) Robert Reiniger Meredith Willson was an American flautist, composer, conductor, musical arranger, bandleader, playwright, and writer. Read more
15 Jun 1976: Jimmy Dykes, American baseball player, coach, and manager (born 1896) James Joseph Dykes was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a third and second baseman from 1918 through 1939, most notably as a member of the Philadelphia Athletics dynasty that won three consecutive American League pennants from 1929 to 1931 and, won the World Series in 1929 and 1930. Dykes played his final six seasons for the Chicago White Sox. Read more
15 Jun 1971: Wendell Meredith Stanley, American biochemist and virologist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1904) Wendell Meredith Stanley was an American biochemist, virologist and Nobel laureate. Stanley's work contributed to lepracidal compounds, diphenyl stereochemistry, and the chemistry of the sterols. His research on the virus causing the mosaic disease in tobacco plants led to the isolation of a nucleoprotein which displayed tobacco mosaic virus activity. Read more
15 Jun 1968: Sam Crawford, American baseball player, coach, and umpire (born 1880) Samuel Earl Crawford, nicknamed "Wahoo Sam", was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Crawford batted and threw left-handed, stood 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) tall and weighed 190 pounds (86 kg). Born in Wahoo, Nebraska, he had a short minor league baseball career before rapidly rising to the majors with the Cincinnati Reds in 1899. He played for the Reds until 1902. Read more
15 Jun 1968: Wes Montgomery, American guitarist and songwriter (born 1925) John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery was an American jazz guitarist. He is most known for his unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and for his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a distinctive sound. Montgomery often worked with his brothers Buddy and Monk, as well as organist Melvin Rhyne. His recordings up to 1965 were oriented toward hard bop, soul jazz, and post bop, but around 1965 he began recording more pop-oriented instrumental albums that found mainstream success. His later guitar style influenced jazz fusion and smooth jazz. Read more
15 Jun 1967: Tatu Kolehmainen, Finnish runner (born 1885) Tatu Kolehmainen was a Finnish long-distance runner who competed at the 1912 and 1920 Summer Olympics. In 1912, he reached the finals of 10,000 m and marathon races, but failed to finish due to a strong heat. In 1920, he placed 10th in the marathon. His younger brother Hannes competed alongside at the 1912 and 1920 Games. Read more
15 Jun 1962: Alfred Cortot, Swiss pianist and conductor (born 1877) Alfred Denis Cortot was a French pianist, conductor, and teacher who was one of the most renowned classical musicians of the 20th century. A pianist of massive repertory, he was especially valued for his poetic insight into Romantic piano works, particularly those of Chopin, Franck, Saint-Saëns and Schumann. For Éditions Durand, he edited editions of almost all piano music by Chopin, Liszt and Schumann. Read more
15 Jun 1961: Giulio Cabianca, Italian racing driver (born 1923) Giulio Cabianca was a Formula One driver from Italy. Read more
15 Jun 1961: Peyami Safa, Turkish journalist and author (born 1899) Peyami Safa was a Turkish journalist, columnist and novelist. He came to the fore in the Turkish literature of the Republican era with his psychological works such as Dokuzuncu Hariciye Koğuşu. He reflected his life and his changes to his works. He wrote many novels under the pseudonym Server Bedi. He created Cingöz Recai, a character inspired by Arsène Lupin of the French writer Maurice Leblanc. He also worked as a journalist at various institutions and published several magazines such as Kültür Haftası with his brother İlhami Safa. Read more
15 Jun 1949: Frank Elbridge Webb, American engineer and presidential candidate (born 1869) Frank Elbridge Webb was an American engineer who served as the Farmer–Labor Party's presidential candidate in 1928. In the 1932 presidential election, he was initially renominated by the Farmer–Labor Party before being removed and running as the nominee for a wing of the Liberty Party. He also led many unsuccessful efforts to build bridges that spanned the San Francisco Bay. Read more
15 Jun 1945: Count Albert von Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein, Austrian diplomat Albert Viktor Julius Joseph Michael Graf von Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein was an Austro-Hungarian diplomat who served as Ambassador to London at the outbreak of World War I. Read more
15 Jun 1941: Otfrid Foerster, German neurologist and physician (born 1873) Otfrid Foerster was a German neurologist and neurosurgeon, who made innovative contributions to neurology and neurosurgery, such as rhizotomy for the treatment of spasticity, anterolateral cordotomy for pain, the hyperventilation test for epilepsy, Foerster's syndrome, the first electrocorticogram of a brain tumor, and the first surgeries for epilepsy. He also made influential contributions in advancing knowledge of dermatomes, building upon previous work of Herringham, Thorburn, Sherrington, and others. He also helped map the motor cortex of the cerebrum. Read more
15 Jun 1941: Evelyn Underhill, English mystic and author (born 1875) Evelyn Underhill was an English Anglo-Catholic writer and pacifist known for her numerous works on religion and spiritual practice, in particular Christian mysticism. Her best-known work is Mysticism, published in 1911. Read more
15 Jun 1938: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, German painter and illustrator (born 1880) Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was a German expressionist painter and printmaker. He was one of the founders of the artists group Die Brücke or "The Bridge", a key group leading to the foundation of Expressionism in 20th-century art. Kirchner volunteered for army service in the First World War, but soon suffered a breakdown and was discharged. His work was branded as "degenerate" by the Nazis in 1933, and in 1937 more than 600 of his works were sold or destroyed. Read more
15 Jun 1934: Alfred Bruneau, French cellist and composer (born 1857) Louis Charles Bonaventure Alfred Bruneau was a French composer who played a key role in the introduction of realism in French opera. Read more
15 Jun 1917: Kristian Birkeland, Norwegian physicist and academic (born 1867) Kristian Olaf Bernhard Birkeland was a Norwegian space physicist, inventor, and professor of physics at the Royal Fredriks University in Oslo. He is best remembered for his theories of atmospheric electric currents that elucidated the nature of the aurora borealis. In order to fund his research on the aurorae, he invented the electromagnetic cannon and the Birkeland–Eyde process of fixing nitrogen from the air. Birkeland was nominated for the Nobel Prize seven times. Read more
15 Jun 1890: Unryū Kyūkichi, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 10th Yokozuna (born 1822) Unryū Kyūkichi was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Yanagawa, Chikugo Province. He was the sport's 10th yokozuna. Although the name of the style of the yokozuna 's in-ring ceremony is named after him, the fact that he himself practiced this style is highly debated. Read more
15 Jun 1889: Mihai Eminescu, Romanian journalist, author, and poet (born 1850) Mihai Eminescu was a Romanian Romantic poet, novelist, and journalist from Moldavia, generally regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Eminescu was an active member of the Junimea literary society and worked as an editor for the newspaper Timpul, the official newspaper of the Conservative Party (1880–1918). His poetry was first published when he was 16 and he went to Vienna, Austria to study when he was 19. The poet's manuscripts, containing 46 volumes and approximately 14,000 pages, were offered by Titu Maiorescu as a gift to the Romanian Academy during the meeting that was held on 25 January 1902. Notable works include Luceafărul, Odă în metru antic, and the five Letters (Epistles/Satires). In his poems, he frequently used metaphysical, mythological and historical subjects. Read more
15 Jun 1888: Frederick III, German Emperor (born 1831) Frederick III, or Friedrich III, was German Emperor and King of Prussia for 99 days from 9 March 1888 until his death in June that year, during the Year of the Three Emperors. Read more
15 Jun 1881: Franjo Krežma, Croatian violinist and composer (born 1862) Franjo Krežma, also known as Franz Krezma in German-speaking countries, was a Croatian violinist and composer. Read more
15 Jun 1858: Ary Scheffer, Dutch-French painter and academic (born 1795) Ary Scheffer was a Dutch-French Romantic painter. He was known mostly for his works based on literature, with paintings based on the works of Dante, Goethe, Lord Byron and Walter Scott, as well as religious subjects. He was also a prolific painter of portraits of famous and influential people in his lifetime. Politically, Scheffer had strong ties to King Louis Philippe I, having been employed as a teacher of the latter's children, which allowed him to live a life of luxury for many years until the French Revolution of 1848. Read more
15 Jun 1849: James K. Polk, American lawyer and politician, 11th President of the United States (born 1795) James Knox Polk was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. A protégé of Andrew Jackson and a member of the Democratic Party, he was an advocate of American expansionism and Jacksonian democracy. Polk saw Texas join the Union in his first year in office, one of the precipitating causes that soon led the U.S. into the Mexican–American War. The settlement of that war expanded American territory to the Pacific Ocean. During his term, the dispute over the Oregon Territory with the United Kingdom was resolved as well, creating the present U.S.-Canadian boundary. Read more
15 Jun 1844: Thomas Campbell, Scottish poet and academic (born 1777) Thomas Campbell was a Scottish poet at the intersection of the neoclassical with the Romantic style of British poetry. Read more

Why is 15 June Important in History?

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