What Happened on April 15?

April 15 is World Art Day on Leonardo da Vinci's birthday — and the day Titanic sank, Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier, and Notre-Dame rose again.

• 1452 — Leonardo da Vinci is born in Italy

  The artist and inventor behind the Mona Lisa was born near Vinci, in Tuscany, growing up to become one of the most curious minds in history. Read the full story →

• 1755 — Samuel Johnson publishes his Dictionary of the English Language

  After nearly a decade of work, Dr. Johnson's huge dictionary appeared, organizing English words with definitions and thousands of example sentences. Read the full story →

• 1912 — Titanic sinks in the North Atlantic after striking an iceberg

  The 'unsinkable' luxury liner Titanic hit an iceberg on her first voyage and sank early on April 15, 1912. Crews from a nearby ship rescued about 700 survivors. Read the full story →

• 1947 — Jackie Robinson breaks Major League Baseball's color barrier

  Playing first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie Robinson became the first African American player in modern Major League Baseball. Read the full story →

• 1955 — Ray Kroc opens his first McDonald's restaurant in Illinois

  Businessman Ray Kroc opened his first franchised McDonald's in Des Plaines, Illinois, turning two brothers' burger stand idea into a worldwide restaurant chain. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Leonardo da Vinci (honored) (1452–1519) · Bessie Smith (1894–1937) · Evelyn Ashford (1957) · Emma Watson (1990)

Days & observances

World Art Day · Jackie Robinson Day · Tax Day (United States) · National Glazed Spiral Ham Day