What are the important events that happened on January 15? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

January 15: Facts & Myths About This Day

January 15 is the 15^th day of the year 2024 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 351 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Monday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is January 2, 2024 – a Monday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

When this day started, 1,705,276,800 seconds has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.

Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘pentadecagon’ day.

Capricorn is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Garnet is the modern birthstone for this month. Emerald is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.

According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 26 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.

The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,042 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.

January 15 Historical Events

• 69 –
  Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, but rules for only three months before committing suicide.
• 1582 –
  Russia cedes Livonia and Estonia to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
• 1892 –
  James Naismith publishes the rules of basketball.
• 1919 –
  Boston Molasses Disaster: A large molasses tank in Boston, bursts and a wave of molasses rushes through the streets, killing 21 people and injuring 150 others.
• 1919 –
  Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, two of the most prominent socialists in Germany, are tortured and murdered by the Freikorps.
• 1936 –
  The first building to be completely covered in glass, built for the Owens-Illinois Glass Company, is completed in Toledo, Ohio.
• 1970 –
  Nigerian Civil War: After a 32-month fight for independence from Nigeria, Biafra surrenders.
• 1973 –
  Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, President Richard Nixon announces the suspension of offensive action in North Vietnam.
• 1974 –
  Dennis Rader aka the BTK Killer kills his first victims by binding, torturing and murdering Joseph, Joseph II, Josephine and Julie Otero in their house.
• 1993 –
  Salvatore Riina, the Mafia boss known as “The Beast”, is arrested in Sicily after three decades as a fugitive.

Who were born on January 15?

• 1869 –
  Stanisław Wyspiański, Polish dramatist (d. 1907)
• 1885 –
  Lorenz Böhler, Austrian physician (d. 1973)
• 1892 –
  Rex Ingram, Irish director (d. 1950)
• 1902 –
  King Saud of Saudi Arabia (d. 1969)
• 1912 –
  Michel Debré, French politician (d. 1996)
• 1918 –
  Gamal Abdel Nasser, President of Egypt (d. 1970)
• 1943 –
  Mike Marshall, American baseball player
• 1953 –
  Ta-Tanisha, American actress
• 1969 –
  Meret Becker, German actress and singer
• 1981 –
  Howie Day, American singer

Who died on January 15?

• 1896 –
  Mathew Brady, U.S. photographer (b. 1822)
• 1919 –
  Karl Liebknecht, German politician (b. 1871)
• 1919 –
  Rosa Luxemburg, German politician (b. 1871)
• 1950 –
  General Henry “Hap” Arnold, U.S. General of the Air Force (b. 1886)
• 1990 –
  Dame Peggy van Praagh, British ballet dancer, choreographer, director (b. 1910)
• 1993 –
  Sammy Cahn, American songwriter (b. 1913)
• 1994 –
  Georges Cziffra, Hungarian-French pianist (b. 1921)
• 1996 –
  Paramount Chief Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho (b. 1938)
• 2008 –
  Brad Renfro, American actor (b. 1982)
• 2008 –
  Mark Haigh-Hutchinson, English game designer (b. 1964)