This Day in History
Today: October 15, 2026
1066
Following the death of Harold II at the Battle of Hastings, Edgar the Ætheling is proclaimed King of England by the Witan; he is never crowned, and concedes power to William the Conqueror two months later.[1]
1211
Battle of the Rhyndacus: The Latin emperor Henry of Flanders defeats the Nicaean emperor Theodore I Laskaris.[2]
1529
The Siege of Vienna ends when Austria routs the invading Ottoman forces, ending its European expansion.
1582
Adoption of the Gregorian calendar begins, eventually leading to near-universal adoption.
1651
Qing forces capture the island of Zhoushan. Zhu Yihai, Prince of Lu, resident of the island and regent of the Southern Ming, flees to Kinmen.[3]
1783
The Montgolfier brothers' hot air balloon makes the first human ascent, piloted by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier.[4]
1793
Queen Marie Antoinette of France is tried and convicted of treason.[5]
1815
Napoleon begins his exile on Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean.[6]
1863
American Civil War: The H. L. Hunley, the first submarine to sink a ship, sinks, killing its inventor.
1864
American Civil War: The Union garrison of Glasgow, Missouri surrenders to Confederate forces.
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