Historical eventOctober 151987

1987 Burkina Faso coup d'état

A coup d'état in Burkina Faso overthrows and kills then President Thomas Sankara.

Everything on October 15Original source

In context

When
Thursday, October 15 198739 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1980s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1987.

What happened

A coup d'état in Burkina Faso overthrows and kills then President Thomas Sankara.

October 15 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 19871987 Burkina Faso coup d'état
  2. 20062006 Kiholo Bay earthquake
  3. 2006Seismic magnitude scales
  4. 20072007 New Zealand police raids
  5. 2007New Zealand Police
  6. 2008Dow Jones Industrial Average
  7. 201115 October 2011 global protests
  8. 2013Seismic magnitude scales
  9. 20132013 Bohol earthquake
  10. 2016Montreal Protocol
  11. 2018Kidnapping of Jayme Closs

Also in 1987

  • May 11Klaus BarbieKlaus Barbie goes on trial in Lyon for war crimes committed during World War II.
  • September 13Goiânia accidentGoiânia accident: A radioactive object is stolen from an abandoned hospital in Goiânia, Brazil, contaminating many people in the followin…
  • September 16Montreal ProtocolThe Montreal Protocol is signed to protect the ozone layer from depletion.
  • October 22John Adams (composer)John Adams' (pictured) opera Nixon in China premiered.
  • January 3Varig Flight 797Varig Flight 797 crashes near Akouré in the Ivory Coast, resulting in 50 deaths.
  • September 3Jean-Baptiste BagazaWhile he was abroad, Burundian president Jean-Baptiste Bagaza was deposed in a military coup d'état by Pierre Buyoya.
  • September 31987 Burundian coup d'étatIn a coup d'état in Burundi, President Jean-Baptiste Bagaza is deposed by Major Pierre Buyoya.
  • July 5Sri Lankan civil warSri Lankan Civil War: The LTTE uses suicide attacks on the Sri Lankan Army for the first time. The Black Tigers are born and, in the foll…

Everything we record for 1987 →

Sources

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“1987 Burkina Faso coup d'état”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/1987-burkina-faso-coup-d-tat-1987-october-15, accessed October 28, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did 1987 Burkina Faso coup d'état happen?

October 15 1987 — 39 years ago, on a Thursday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

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