2021 Congo River disaster
Sixty people drown and hundreds are missing after a boat sinks on the Congo River near the village of Longola Ekoti, Mai-Ndombe Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
What happened on February 15
37 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 1898 to 2026.
Standout on February 15
2021
2021 Congo River disaster
Sixty people drown and hundreds are missing after a boat sinks on the Congo River near the village of Longola Ekoti, Mai-Ndombe Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
About February 15
February 15 is the 46th day of the year. These facts are computed from the calendar, not copied from anywhere.
- Day of the year
- Day 46 of 365 (46 in leap years)319 days left in the year (320 in leap years)
- Falls on
- Sunday in 2026, Monday in 2027, Tuesday in 2028, Thursday in 2029, Friday in 2030
- Week
- ISO week 7 of 2026 · Q1
- Zodiac sign
- ♒ Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)
- Season
- Winter in the north · Summer in the south
- February birthstone
- Amethystcalm, clarity and courage
- February birth flower
- Violet / Primrosefaithfulness and young love
- Next occurrence
- In 111 days
- Roman numerals
- XV.IIday.month — see the Roman numeral date tool
Anniversaries in 2026
- 50thConstitution of Cuba1976
- 40thAmber Riley1986
- 40thJohnny Cueto1986
- 40thValeri Bojinov1986
- 30thLong March 3B1996
- 30thPrime Minister of Canada1996
- 30thXichang Satellite Launch Center1996
- 25thHuman genome2001
February 15 through the years
- 10 years ago2016
- George Gaynes · Vanity (singer)
- 25 years ago2001
- Human genome
- 50 years ago1976
- Constitution of Cuba
- 100 years ago1926
- Nothing recorded
- 200 years ago1826
- Nothing recorded
Born on February 15 — ages this year
- 2004Šimon Nemecturns 22
- 2000Jakub Kiwiorturns 26
- 1998Zachary Gordonturns 28
- 1998George Russell (racing driver)turns 28
- 1997Derrick Jones Jr.turns 29
- 1997Justin Reidturns 29
Historical events 37
A dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
2014–2016 Oromo protests
Following nationwide protests, Hailemariam Desalegn announced his resignation as prime minister of Ethiopia, remaining in post as a caretaker until he was succeeded by Abiy Ahmed.
Chelyabinsk meteor
A meteor exploded (video featured) over Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, producing a shock wave that injured about 1,500 people.
Comayagua prison fire
Three hundred and sixty people die in a fire at a Honduran prison in the city of Comayagua.
Halle train collision
Two passenger trains collided in Halle, Belgium, when one driver failed to stop at a red signal, resulting in 19 deaths and 171 injuries.
Ariane 4
The last Ariane 4 rocket is launched from the Guiana Space Centre, carrying Intelsat 907.
Anti-war movement
In one of the largest anti-war rallies in history, millions around the world in approximately 800 cities took part in protests against the impending invasion of Iraq.
15 February 2003 Iraq War protests
Protests against the Iraq war take place in over 600 cities worldwide. It is estimated that between eight million and 30 million people participate, making this the largest peace demonstration in history.
Human genome
The first draft of the complete human genome is published in Nature.
Abdullah Öcalan
Abdullah Öcalan, one of the founding members of the militant organization the Kurdistan Workers' Party, was arrested by Turkish security forces in Nairobi, Kenya.
Long March 3B
A Long March 3B rocket carrying the communications satellite Intelsat 708 crashed immediately after launch from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China, destroying a nearby town and killing an unknown number of inhabitants.
Xichang Satellite Launch Center
At the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China, a Long March 3B rocket carrying Intelsat 708 veers off course and crashes into a rural village after liftoff, killing somewhere between six and 100 people.
Prime Minister of Canada
Then-Prime Minister of Canada Jean Chrétien applies a chokehold to protester Bill Clennett, an incident later named the Shawinigan Handshake.
Kevin Mitnick
Kevin Mitnick, the most wanted computer hacker at the time in the U.S., was arrested and charged with computer fraud and wire fraud.
Jeffrey Dahmer
Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is sentenced in Milwaukee to 15 terms of life in prison.
Air Transport International Flight 805
Air Transport International Flight 805 crashes in Swanton, Ohio, near Toledo Express Airport, killing all four people on board.
Visegrád Group
The Visegrád Group, establishing cooperation to move toward free-market systems, is signed by the leaders of Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland.
Soviet–Afghan War
Soviet–Afghan War: The Soviet Union officially announces that all of its troops have left Afghanistan.
Cosas Four
Murder of four anti-apartheid student activists by South African government forces, who decades later were the first to be indicted for the crime of apartheid.
Drilling rig
The drilling rig Ocean Ranger sinks during a storm off the coast of Newfoundland, killing 84 workers.
Don Dunstan
Don Dunstan (pictured) resigned as Premier of South Australia, ending a decade of sweeping social liberalisation.
Constitution of Cuba
The first constitution since the Cuban Revolution, providing for a system of government and law based on those of the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries, was adopted by a national referendum.
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recordings are granted U.S. federal copyright protection for the first time.
José María Velasco Ibarra
José María Velasco Ibarra, serving as President of Ecuador for the fifth time, is overthrown by the military for the fourth time.
Decimalisation
The decimalisation of the currencies of the United Kingdom and Ireland is completed on Decimal Day.
Dominicana de Aviación Flight 603
Dominicana de Aviación Flight 603 crashes into the Caribbean Sea after takeoff from Las Américas International Airport, killing 102, including members of the Puerto Rico women's national volleyball team and lightweight boxer Carlos Cruz.
Maple leaf
The maple leaf is adopted as the flag of Canada, replacing the Canadian Red Ensign flag.
Flag of Canada
Canada adopted the Maple Leaf flag, replacing the Canadian Red Ensign.
Sabena Flight 548
All 72 people on board Sabena Flight 548, including the entire U.S. figure-skating team, and one person on the ground were killed when the aircraft crashed on approach to Brussels Airport.
Gerald Lankester Harding
Gerald Lankester Harding and Roland de Vaux began excavations at Cave 1 of the Qumran Caves in the West Bank, the location of the first seven Dead Sea Scrolls.
World War II
Second World War: Japanese forces led by General Tomoyuki Yamashita captured Singapore with the largest surrender of British-led military personnel in history.
Paul Creston
The official premiere of Paul Creston's Saxophone Sonata took place at the Carnegie Chamber Hall, with saxophonist Cecil Leeson, who commissioned the work, and Creston on piano.
Islam in India
Sepoys of Indian Muslim background mutinied against their British officers in Singapore.
Gentlemen's Agreement of 1907
Japan and the United States signed a gentleman's agreement whereby the former would not permit further emigration to the U.S., while the latter would not limit Japanese immigration.
Ernesto Schiaparelli
A team of Italian archaeologists led by Ernesto Schiaparelli discovered the tomb of Kha and Merit (pictured), an ancient Egyptian foreman and his wife, in the workmen's village of Deir el-Medina.
Second Boer War
Second Boer War: British cavalry led by John French defeated Boer forces to end a 124-day siege of Kimberley in present-day South Africa.
United States Navy
The United States Navy battleship USS Maine exploded and sank in Havana, Cuba, killing more than 260 people and precipitating the Spanish–American War.
Births 20
A notable person born on this day. Each links to a person page with their dates and story.
Deaths 20
A notable person who died on this day.
Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa
Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, Portuguese businessman (born 1937)
Muhsin Hendricks
Muhsin Hendricks, South African imam, Islamic scholar and LGBT activist (born 1967)
Vanity (singer)
Vanity, Canadian-American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress (born 1959)
Christopher Malcolm
Christopher Malcolm, Scottish-Canadian actor, director, and producer (born 1946)
Holidays & observances 8
A holiday, feast day, awareness day or national day observed every year on this date.
Walfrid
Christian feast day: Walfrid
Beatification
Christian feast day: Blessed Michał Sopoćko
Thomas Bray
Christian feast day: Thomas Bray (Episcopal Church)
Claude La Colombière
Christian feast day: Claude de la Colombière
Sigfrid of Sweden
Christian feast day: Sigfrid of Sweden
Quinidius
Christian feast day: Quinidius
Faustinus and Jovita
Christian feast day: Faustinus and Jovita
Oswiu
Christian feast day: Oswiu
Spread across the centuries
- 19th century2
- 20th century45
- 21st century30
Earliest: United States Navy (1898). Most recent: Robert Duvall (2026).
What the categories mean, and how the standout is chosen
- Historical events
- A dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
- Births
- A notable person born on this day. Each links to a person page with their dates and story.
- Deaths
- A notable person who died on this day.
- Milestones
- A first, a founding or a turning point our editors flagged as a landmark moment.
- Holidays & observances
- A holiday, feast day, awareness day or national day observed every year on this date.
- Standout / notable
- Editor-written entries come first, then entries covered by the most Wikipedia language editions. For the standout tile we prefer an entry that has a picture.
Nearby and related
Questions about February 15
What day of the year is February 15?
February 15 is the 46th day of the year, with 319 days left after it.
What star sign is February 15?
February 15 falls under Aquarius (January 20 – February 18), a air sign ruled by Uranus (traditionally Saturn). The birthstone for the month is Amethyst.
How many things happened on February 15?
We record 85 entries for February 15: 37 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 1898 to 2026.
Who was born on February 15?
Šimon Nemec (2004) is among the notable births on February 15. The births section lists the rest.
How often is the February 15 page updated?
The day is filled the first time anyone opens it and then re-checked for new entries about every 90 days. Computed facts such as the weekday and the anniversaries update every year.
Get a daily entry like February 15
One short email a day from this calendar. Kept for this site only.
Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.