On This Day - February 15th

Featured Event:

USS Maine destroyed, leading to Spanish- American War (1898) ⚓

On this day in 1898, an explosion in Havana harbour sank the battleship USS Maine, killing 260 American seamen and precipitating the Spanish-American War

Other Events:

399 BC: Philosopher Socrates is sentenced to death by the city of Athens for corrupting the minds of the youth of the city and for impiety 🏛️

1965: Canada officially adopted the Maple Leaf Flag following a royal proclamation. 🍁

1978: Leon Spinks defeated Muhammad Ali to become the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. 🥊

1989: Under President Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union withdrew its last troops from Afghanistan 🇦🇫

Holidays:

Total Defence Day 🇸🇬

Singles Awareness Day 🌎

Statehood Day 🇷🇸

John Frum Day 🇻🇺

A person known as John Frum is worshiped, who is supposed to have left the island promising to return with gifts. It is not known for certain whether John Frum has actually existed.

Featured Birthdays:

1564: Galileo Galilei 🇮🇹 (Philosopher and Astronomer)

1710: Louis XV 🇫🇷 (King of France)

1954: Matt Groening 🇺🇸 (Cartoonist)

1972: Jaromir Jagr 🇨🇿 (Hockey Player)

Featured Deaths:

1928: H. H. Asquith 🇬🇧 (Prime Minister)

1965: Nat King Cole 🇺🇸 (Musician)

1988: Richard Feynman 🇺🇸 (Physicist)