On This Day - What Happened On November 15 | Britannica

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1988 Palestinian state proclaimed by Yasser Arafat Meeting at Algiers, the Palestine National Council, at the urging of PLO chairman Yasser Arafat, issued a declaration of independence for a state of Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on this day in 1988. Adel Hana/AP Images

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Georgia O'Keeffe American painter bornNovember 15, 1887near Sun Prairie, WisconsindiedMarch 6, 1986 (aged 98)Santa Fe, New MexicoCopyright © 2008 by Dover Publications, Inc. Electronic image © 2008 Dover Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. 1930 J.G. Ballard British author 1929 Ed Asner American actor 1907 Claus, Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg German military officer 1906 Curtis E. LeMay United States general 1891 Erwin Rommel German field marshal See All Biographies On This Day

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2023 Virat Kohli scored his 50th century in one-day international play for India, breaking a record held by Sachin Tendulkar that many thought would never be broken. Test your knowledge of one of the newer chapters of cricket history© Alex Davidson—ICC/Getty Images 2012 Miguel Cabrera, third baseman for the Detroit Tigers, won the American League's Most Valuable Player award after a season when he became the first major-league player in 45 years to win the batting Triple Crown. Find out who actually invented baseballEd Zurga/Getty Images 2001 Microsoft released Xbox, a video game console system. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about gaming© Hse0193/Dreamstime.com 1978 American anthropologist Margaret Mead—who became widely known for her studies of the peoples of Oceania as well as her wide-ranging commentary on social issues such as women's rights, race relations, and nuclear proliferation—died at age 76. Read the stories of 10 more women who advanced our understanding of life on EarthAP/Shutterstock.com 1959 The Clutter family was discovered murdered on their Kansas farm, and their deaths—as well as the capture, conviction, and execution of two drifters—inspired Truman Capote's classic nonfiction novel In Cold Blood. Find out what Capote thought would be his masterpiece—and how he was wrong 1938 A farewell parade was held in Barcelona, Spain, for the volunteers of the International Brigades who had fought for the Republicans during the Spanish Civil War. Explore a timeline of the Spanish Civil WarCourtesy of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives, Brandeis University Library 1904 American inventor King Camp Gillette was granted a U.S. patent for the first razor with disposable blades. Take our quiz about famous inventionsBenjamin J. Falk/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.(LC-USZ62-103167) 1891 Field marshal Erwin Rommel, who led the Afrika Korps to spectacular victories for Nazi Germany during World War II, was born. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about World War IILibrary of Congress, Washington, D.C. 1889 Emperor Pedro II of Brazil was forced to abdicate by a group of military officers led by Manuel Deodoro da Fonseca.Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Brazil 1885 St. Joseph Mukasa, one of the Martyrs of Uganda, was beheaded by order of Mwanga, ruler of Buganda. 1884 The Berlin Conference opened, in which the European countries involved in the colonialist Scramble for Africa met to discuss their claims on the continent. Historians today view the conference as a cover for profiteering and imperial ambitions. Find out how countries across Africa achieved independenceChronicle /Alamy 1864 Union General William Tecumseh Sherman began his March to the Sea across Georgia from Atlanta to Savannah, laying waste to the economic resources of the state as he sought to crush white Southern civilians' support of the Confederate cause. His campaign helped end the American Civil War. How much do you know about the American Civil War?Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (B8184-10488) 1848 Pellegrino Rossi, a former member of the Carboneria, was assassinated in Rome during the Revolutions of 1848. Read about nine infamous assassins and the world leaders they dispatched 1818 The Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle, the first of four congresses held by Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, Russia, and France following the Napoleonic Wars, concluded. Test your knowledge of wars throughout history 1630 Johannes Kepler, the German astronomer who formulated three laws of planetary motion, died in Regensburg. Take our astronomy and space quizWellcome Collection, London (4989i) 1315 The Swiss Confederation achieved its first great military success against the Austrian Habsburgs at the Battle of Morgarten.Courtesy of the Burgerbibliothek, Bern 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.