On This Day - What Happened On August 15 | Britannica

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1947 Independence for India After three decades, the Indian Independence Movement, led by Mahatma Gandhi, achieved its goal on this day in 1947 as a free and independent India was established, ending nearly 200 years of British rule. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about India's history Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Featured Biography

Napoleon I emperor of France bornAugust 15, 1769Ajaccio, FrancediedMay 5, 1821 (aged 51)Saint Helena© Photos.com/Jupiterimages 1990 Jennifer Lawrence American actress 1972 Ben Affleck American actor, writer, and director 1964 Melinda Gates American businesswoman and philanthropist 1963 Alejandro González Iñárritu Mexican director and producer 1950 Anne, the Princess Royal British royal See All Biographies On This Day

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2021 The Taliban regained control of Kabul, Afghanistan, as U.S. troops withdrew from the country. Read about the Afghanistan WarEvgenia Novozhenina—Reuters/Alamy 2013 Scientists at the Smithsonian announced the discovery of the olinguito, “the first carnivore species to be discovered in the American continents in 35 years”; the small arboreal animals live in the cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador. Take our animals quiz© Mark Gurney photo; Helgen, K. M., Pinto, M., Kays, R., Helgen, L., Tsuchiya, M., Quinn, A., Wilson, D., Maldonado, J. (2013)/ZooKeys (https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.324.5827) 1998 A car bomb exploded in Omagh, Northern Ireland, killing 29 people and leaving more than 200 injured. The Real Irish Republican Army (Real IRA), an IRA splinter group, claimed responsibility for the bombing, which was the deadliest attack in Northern Ireland since the violence known as the Troubles began in the late 1960s.PA/AP Images 1979 After a troubled production, Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now was released. It became a film classic, noted for performances by Marlon Brando and Robert Duvall, whose character famously says that he loves “the smell of napalm in the morning.” Test your knowledge of movie quotes© 1979 Omni Zoetrope; photograph from a private collection 1975 Sholay, widely regarded as Bollywood's most iconic film, was released. Directed by Ramesh Sippy, written by the duo Salim-Javed, and starring an ensemble cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, and Hema Malini, it held the record for highest-grossing Hindi movie for 19 years. How did Sholay change Bollywood forever?© 1975 NH Studioz/Sippy Films and Dinodia Photos/Alamy 1971 Bahrain proclaimed independence from the United Kingdom.Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1960 The Republic of the Congo gained independence from France. Learn how dozens of other African countries achieved independenceEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1948 Syngman Rhee announced the establishment of the Republic of Korea (South Korea). Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about KoreaHarris & Ewing Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (Digital File Number: LC-DIG-hec-26756) 1945 Hirohito, the emperor of Japan, broke the precedent of imperial silence when he made a national radio broadcast to announce Japan's acceptance of the Allies' terms of surrender in World War II.Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (cph 3a40859) 1935 Entertainer Will Rogers and aviation pioneer Wiley Post were killed in a plane crash near Point Barrow, Alaska.Culver Pictures 1914 After some 10 years of work, the Panama Canal opened to ships. Find out how the Panama Canal was built—and who owns itPanama Canal Authority 1879 Actress Ethel Barrymore, who was considered the “first lady” of the American theatre, was born in Philadelphia. Take our quiz about the history of theatreCourtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 1534 St. Ignatius of Loyola led companions, who would become cofounders of the Society of Jesus, to Montmartre, Paris, where the first members of the Roman Catholic religious order took their vows. Learn more about Jesuit missionaries across historyCourtesy of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam 1057 Macbeth, king of Scots, was killed in battle by Malcolm, eldest son of Duncan I. Test your knowledge of kings and emperorsMary Evans Picture Library SIGN UP FOR History's Biggest Headlines Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! SIGN UP By clicking "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.