Events on Apr 15
- 0069Battle at Bedriacum, North-Italy
- 1205Battle at Adrianople: Bulgaria beats Emp Boudouin of Constantinople
- 1250Pope Innoncent III refuses Jews of Cordova Spain to build a synagogue
- 1581Cortes van Thomar accepts Philip II as King of Portugal
- 1594Fleming Pieter Stevens appointed royal Painter of Rudolf II (Prague)
- 1621Hugo the Great arrives in France
- 1632Swedish and Saxon army beat Earl Tilly
- 1654England and Netherlands signs peace treaty
- 1689French King Louis XIV declares war on Spain
- 1697Charles XII succeeds Charles XI as King of Sweden
- 1715Uprising of Yamasse-indians in South Carolina
- 1738Bottle opener invented
- 1776Duchess of Kingston found guilty of bigamy
- 17841st balloon flight in Ireland
- 1788England, Netherlands and Prussia sign peace treaty
- 1800James Ross discovers North Magnetic pole
- 18171st American school for the deaf opens (Hartford Conn)
- 1850City of San Francisco incorporated
- 1853Protestant church questions King Willem III RC bishops
- 1858Battle of Azimghur, Mexicans defeat Spanish loyalists
- 1861Federal army (75,000 volunteers) mobilized by President Lincoln
- 1865Otto von Bismarck elevated to Earl
- 1870Last day US silver coins allow to circulate in Canada
- 1874New York legislature passes compulsory education law
- 18771st telephone installed: Boston-Somerville, Massachusetts
- 1878Harley Procter introduces Ivory Soap
- 1892General Electric Company, forms and is incorporated in New York
- 1895Josephine Blatt (US) makes hip-and-harness lift of 3564 lb (record)
- 18961st Olympic games close at Athens, Greece
- 1900An early 50 mile race is won by an electric car in over 2 hours
Born on Apr 15
- 1469Nanak: 1st Guru of Sikhs
- 1588Claudius Salmasius [Claude Saumaise]: French linguist
- 1637Valentin Molitor: Composer
- 1651Domenico Gabrielli: Composer
- 1682John van Huysum: Dutch painter (flowers / fruit)
- 1688Johann Friedrich Fasch: Composer
- 1741Charles Willson Peale: United States -- Port painter / inventor (George Washington)
- 1757George Knowil Jackson: Composer
- 1766Friedrich Bouterwek: German philosopher / critic
- 1793Friedrich Struve: Germany -- Founded dynasty of astronomers
- 1800James Clark Ross: Explorer (British Antarctic)
- 1812Pierre-Etienne-Theodore Rousseau: Painter
- 1814John Lothrop Motley: United States -- Historian / author (Rise of Dutch Rep)
- 1820Evander McNair: Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1902
- 1821Emerson Brown Joseph: (Confederacy), died in 1894
- 1822Napolean Jackson Tecumseh Dana: Major General (Union volunteers)
- 1827Julius Tausch: Composer
- 1829Mary Harris Thompson: 1st American woman surgeon
- 1837Horace Porter: Bvt Brigadier General (Union Army), died in 1921
- 1843Carl Eilhardt: Composer
- 1843Henry James: US / British writer / critic (Turn of the Screw, Bostonians)
- 1850John Munroe Longyear: United States -- Capitalist / bank president
- 1858Anton G O Ridder Van Rappard: Dutch painter / lithographer / etcher
- 1858Emile Durkheim: French sociologist (Division du travail social)
- 1874Johannes Stark: Germany -- Physicist (Stark effect) (Nobel 1919)
- 1875Klaziena "Ina" Boudier-Bakker: Dutch playwright / Novelist (Poverty)
- 1878Robert Walser: Writer
- 1882Giovanni Amendola: Italian antifascist / editor-in-chief (Il Mondo)
- 1888Florence Bates: San Antonio, Texas -- Actress (Kismet, I Remember Mama)
- 1889Thomas Hart Benton: Missouri, United States -- Painter / muralist (Lonesome Road)
Died on Apr 15
- 1220Adolf I: Archbishop of Cologne
- 1472Leon B Alberti: Italian humanist / Architect (Philodoxis), dies at 68
- 1502Jan IV Chalon: Prince of Orange
- 1607Cornelius Kilianus: Flemish translator / poet, dies at about 78
- 1610Johan van Duivenoorde: Mister of Warmond, dies at about 62
- 1659Simon Dach: German poet
- 1719Johann Friedrich Treiber: Composer, dies at 76
- 1756Johann Gottlieb Goldberg: Composer, dies at 29
- 1765Michail v Lomonosov: Russian Scholar / poet, dies at 53
- 1788Giuseppi Bonno: Composer, dies at 77
- 1811Ernest Louis Muller: Composer, dies at 70
- 1824Theodorus F van Capellen: Vice-admiral (Algiers), dies at 61
- 1853Johann Leopold Fuchs: Composer, dies at 67
- 1863Jan Nepomuk Kanka: Composer, dies at 90
- 1865Abraham Lincoln: At 7:22 am, assassinated by John Wilkes Booth
- 1888Matthew Arnold: English poet, dies at 65
- 1891Stephen Albert Emery: Composer, dies at 49
- 1911Georg Knorr: German engineer
- 1916Alfred Cogniaux: Belgian botanist, dies at 75
- 1920Jacob van Stolk Azn: Art collector, dies at 74
- 1924Eduardo Caudella: Composer, dies at 82
- 1925John Singer Sargent: US portrait painter, dies at 69
- 1927Francesco Gaeta: Italian Poet (Di Giacomo), dies at 47
- 1929Antonio Smareglia: Composer, dies at 74
- 1937Nikolai Artzibushev: Composer, dies at 79
- 1942Robert Musil: Austrian writer (Mann ohne Eigenschaften), dies at 61
- 1943Raffaele Casimiro Casimiri: Composer, dies at 62
- 1947Wolstenholme: Rocker
- 1949Wallace Beery: US actor (The Champ), dies at 64
- 1954Juan Vicente Lecuna: Composer, dies at 54
Historical events on April 16
- 0556Pelagius I begins his reign as Catholic Pope
- 1346King Stefanus IX of Serbia proclaims himself Czar of Greece
- 1509French army under Louis XII enters Alps
- 1521Martin Luther arrives at Diet of Worms
- 1632Albrecht von Wallenstein appointed Supreme Commander
- 1705Queen Anne of England knights Isaac Newton at Trinity College
- 17241st Easter observed (OS=Apr 9)
- 1746Battle at Culloden: Troops of "James VIII & III" defeat Charles Stuart
- 17871st American comedy, "The Contrast, " made its debut in New York City
- 1789George Washington heads for 1st presidential inauguration
- 1818Senate ratifies Rush-Bagot amendment (unarmed US-Canada border)
- 1849Opera "Il Profeta, " premieres in Paris
- 1854San Salvador destroyed by earthquake
- 1854Steamer "Long Beach" sinks off Long Beach NY, 311 die
- 1861US President Lincoln outlaws business with confederate states
- 1862President Davis approves conscription act for white males between 18-35
- 1862Slavery abolished in District of Columbia
- 1862US Confederate Congress calls up all white males (18-35 years)
- 1865Battle of Columbus and West Point, Georgia (Ft Tyler)
- 1866Karakozov attempts to assassinate Tsar Alexander II of Russia
- 1866Nitroglycerine at Wells Fargo and Co office explodes
- 1868Louisiana voters approve new constitution
- 1869Ebenezer Bassett, 1st US Negro diplomat, begins service in Haiti
- 1870Vaudeville Theatre Strand opens in London
- 1871German Empire ends all anti-Jewish civil restrictions
- 1874Dr David Livingstones corpse arrives in Southampton
- 1883Paul Kruger chosen President of Transvaal
- 1888Drentse and Friese peat cutters go on strike
- 1900US Post Office issues 1st books of postage stamps
- 1908Natural Bridges National Monument forms (Lake Powell Utah)
Born on April 16
- 1628Cornelis Evertsen de Young: Vice Admiral of Zealand
- 1635Frans van Mieris [the Elder]: Dutch painter
- 1648John Luyken: Poet / etcher (Duytse Lyre)
- 1652Clement XII [Lorenzo Corsini]: Italy -- Pope (1730-40)
- 1660Hans Sloane: England, United Kingdom -- Physician / naturalist / founder (British Museum)
- 1673Francesco Feroci: Composer
- 1682John Hadley: Mathematician / inventor (1st reflecting telescope)
- 1696Giovanni Battista Tupolo: Italian painter
- 1697Johann Gottlieb Gorner: Composer
- 1703Caffarelli [Gaetano Majorano]: Italian castra singer / Duke
- 1728Joseph Zwart: Scottish chemist / physicist
- 1800Jozef Stefani: Composer
- 1800William Chambers: Author / publisher (Basis of Communication & Coding)
- 1808Caleb Blood Smith: Secy Int (Union), died in 1864
- 1816Edward "Old Allegheny" Johnson: Major General (Confederate Army)
- 1820Georg Curtius: German classical linguist
- 1821Ford Maddox Brown: Painter
- 1823Mother Joseph [Esther Pariseau]: Religious leader (US capitol)
- 1823Orlando Bolivar Wilcox: Bvt Major General (Union Army), died in 1907
- 1832John A Neuhuys: Painter
- 1838Karel Bendl: Composer
- 1850Herbert Baxter Adams: United States -- Historian (American Historical Association)
- 1851Ernst Josephson: Sweden -- Artist
- 1861Isaac Murphy: US jockey (won 628 races)
- 1867Jose de Diego: Puerto Rico -- Patriot / PR Secretary of Justice
- 1868Joel Angel: Russian musicologist / composer
- 1868Spottiswoode Aitken: Edinburgh, Scotland -- Actor (Eagle, Home Sweet Home)
- 1871John Millington Synge: Ireland -- Dramatist / poet (Riders to the Sea)
- 1871Martin Lunssens: Composer
- 1881Edward Frederick Wood: 1st Earl of Halifax / ambassador to US (1940-46)
Died on April 16
- 1446Filippo Brunelleschi: Architect
- 1496David van Bourgondie: Bishop of Utrecht (1456-96), dies at about 69
- 1529Louis de Berquin: French humanist / Reformer / heretic, burned at stake
- 1619Denijs Calvaert / Caluwaert [Dionisio Fiamingo]: Flemish painter
- 1687George Villiers 2nd Duke of Buckingham: Dies at 59
- 1743Cornelis van Bijnkershoek: Dutch lawyer (Roman law), dies at 69
- 1756Jacques Cassini: Fr astronomer (Discover rings of Saturn), dies at 79
- 1760Laurence: 4th Earl Ferrers, executed for murder of his steward
- 1825John Henry Fuseli: Painter / art writer (Tracks in the Snow), dies at 84
- 1828Francisco Goya y Lucientes: Spanish Painter / cartoonist, dies at 82
- 1846Domenico Dragonetti: Composer, dies at 83
- 1850Marie [Gresholtz] Tussaud: Maker of wax figures
- 1858Johann Baptist Cramer: German / British pianist / Composer / publisher, dies at 87
- 1860Carolina: Duchess of Berry / Daughter of crown Prince of Naples
- 1865Robert C Tyler: US Confederate Brigadier General, dies in battle
- 1870Anatoli O Demidov: Russian ruler of Donato / traveller
- 1876Augustin-Philippe Peellaert: Composer, dies at 83
- 1879Bernadette: St / (saw Virgin Mary at Lourdes), dies in Nevers France
- 1881George William Martin: Composer, dies at 56
- 1914George W Hill: US astronomer (moon orbit), dies at 76
- 1920John Conrad Nordqvist: Composer, dies at 80
- 1929Abraham van Stolk Jzn: Art collector, dies at 57
- 1938Bertram Wagstaff Mills: Circus proprietor
- 1941Josiah Charles Stamp: 1st Baron / statisician
- 1949Sutan Ibrahim gelor Datuk Tan Malaka: Indon communist, executed at 54
- 1951Emile Erens: Dutch hagiographer (Pastor of Ars), dies at 85
- 1955Abdullah Seif el-Islam: Brother of Yemenite King Ahmed, beheaded
- 1959Charles Halton: Dies at 83
- 1968Edna Ferber: Author (American Beauty), dies at 78
- 1968Fay Bainter: Actress (Jezebel, Our Town, State Fair), dies at 76
Events on Apr 17
- 0858Benedict III ends his reign as Catholic Pope
- 1421Dikes at Dort Holland breaks, 100,000 drown
- 1492Christopher Columbus signs contract with Spain to find Indies
- 1521Martin Luther is excommunicated from Roman Catholic Church
- 1524Giovanni Verrazano, a florentine navigator, discovers New York Bay
- 1534Sir Thomas More confined in London Tower
- 1555Siena surrenders for Spanish troops
- 1596Archduke Albrecht of Austria occupies Calais
- 16291st commercial fishery established
- 17041st successful US newspaper; published in Boston by John Campbell
- 1711Charles VI Habsburg becomes King of Austria
- 1747French troops occupy Zeeuws-Flanders, Netherlands
- 1758Francis Williams, 1st US black college graduate, publishes poems
- 1793Battle of Warsaw
- 1808Bayonne Decree by Napoleon I of France orders seizure of US ships
- 18171st US school for deaf (Hartford, Conn)
- 1839Guatemala forms Republic
- 1853Thorbecke government resigns
- 1853US Marine Hospital at Presidio (San Francisco) forms
- 1861Indianola TX-"Star of West" taken by Confederacy
- 1861Virginia is 8th state to secede
- 1864Battle of Plymouth, North Carolina
- 1864Bread revolt in Savannah, Georgia
- 1864Grant suspends prisoner-of-war exchanges
- 18691st pro baseball games-Cin Reds 24, Cin amateurs 15
- 1875"Snooker" (variation of pool) invented by Sir Neville Chamberlain
- 18921st Sunday NL baseball game, Reds beat Cards 5-1
- 1895Treaty of Shimonoseki signed, ends 1st Sino-Japanese War (1894-95)
- 19007 high chiefs of American Samoa sign Instrument of Cession
- 1905US Supreme court judges maximum work day unconstitutional
Born on Apr 17
- 1539Tobias Stimmer: Switzerland -- Painter / cartoonist (Comedia)
- 1573Maximilian I: Duke / ruler of Bayern (Catholic League)
- 1587Marco Ivan Lukacic: Composer
- 1622Henry Vaughan: English poet (Silex Scintillans)
- 1644Abraham Jansz Storck: Painter, baptized
- 1666Francois Valentijn: Dutch vicar / writer
- 1676Frederik I van Hessen Kassel: King of Sweden (1720-51)
- 1683Johann David Heinichen: Composer
- 1699Robert Blair: Scottish poet (Grave)
- 1715Johann Wolfgang Kleinknecht: Composer
- 1719Christian Gottfried Krause: Composer
- 1738Philip Hayes: Composer
- 1741Johann Gottlieb Naumann: Composer
- 1741Samuel Chase: Judge (signed Declaration of Independence)
- 1774Vaclav Jan Krtitel Tomasek: Organist / pianist / composer
- 1788Joseph Gilbert Totten: Bvt Major General (Union Army), died in 1864
- 1797Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Tolbecque: Belgian composer / conductor
- 1809Philip St George Cocke: Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1861
- 1811Ann Sheppard Mounsey: Composer
- 1813Henry Washington Benham: Bvt Major General (Union Army), died in 1884
- 1820Gottfried Conradi: Composer
- 1827French C Baeckelmans: Flemish architect (St Amanduskerk, Antwerp)
- 1837John Pierpont Morgan: US banker / CEO (US Steel)
- 1845Isabel Barrows: United States -- Editor / penologist (Conference on Negro Question)
- 1863Johannes P Boskaljon: Curacao composer / conductor
- 1868Charles R Gallas: Dutch lexicographer (French dictionary)
- 1869Johannes M Meulenhoff: Dutch publisher
- 1870Ray Stannard Baker: United States -- Journalist (Puliter Prize 1940)
- 1876Ian Hay: Scotland, United Kingdom -- Novelist / playwright (PIp, Carrying On)
- 1882Artur Schnabel: Lipnik, Austria -- Pianist (Beethoven Piano Sonatas)
Died on Apr 17
- 0818Bernhard I: King of Italy
- 0858Benedict III: Italian Pope (855-58)
- 1272Zita / Cita: Italian maid / saint, dies at about 59
- 1297Willem van Afflighem: Flemish Poet / abbot St Truiden, dies at about 86
- 1427Jan IV: Duke of Brabant / Limburg / Wife of Jacoba van Bayern
- 1630Christian I: Ruler of Anhalt-Bernburg (battle of White Mt)
- 1679John van Kessel: Flemish painter, dies at 53
- 1711Jozef I [Habsburg]: Emperor of Germany (1705-11), dies at about 32
- 1714Philipp Heinrich Erlebach: Composer, dies at 56
- 1790Benjamin Franklin: United States -- (Poor Richards Almanac), dies at 84
- 1835William Henry Ireland: Forger (Shakespearean manuscripts)
- 1837Edouard viscount de Walckiers: Very wealthy slave trader
- 1838J Schopenhauer: Writer, dies at 71
- 1854Gottlob Wiedebein: Composer, dies at 74
- 1863Daniel Smith Donelson: Confederate General / Cousin of Andrew Jackson, dies at 61
- 1873Semyon Stepanovich Gulak-Artemovsky: Composer, dies at 60
- 1890John Barnett: Composer, dies at 87
- 1891Jules Eugene Abraham Alary: Composer, dies at 77
- 1899Hans Balatka: Composer, dies at 74
- 1915Johannes P Kelly [Kellij]: Dutch actor / operetta writer, dies at 60
- 1936Charles J M Ruys de Beerenbrouck: Dutch Prime Minister (1918-23, 29-33)
- 1945Hannie Schaft: "Girl with red hair, " executed
- 1945Ion Pillat: Romaniams Poet / senator (Umbra timpului)
- 1945Walter Model: German Field Marshal, commits suicide at 54
- 1948Johan P Earl of Limburg Stirum: Diplomat, dies at 75
- 1960Eddie Cochran: Rocker, dies at 21 in a car crash
- 1962Louise Fazenda: Dies of cerebral hemorrhage at 66
- 1968Margaret Seddon: Dies at 95
- 1970Sergei U S Aleksi: Patriarch of Russian-Orthodox church, dies at 92
- 1971Roberto Lupi: Composer, dies at 62