What Happened on July 15?

July 15 is World Youth Skills Day — a UN observance about training young workers — on the same date the Rosetta Stone was found in 1799, Nixon announced his China visit in 1971, and Twitter opened to the public in 2006.

• 1099 — Crusader forces capture Jerusalem during the First Crusade

  On July 15, 1099, European Crusaders stormed Jerusalem after a month-long siege — seizing the holy city from Fatimid Muslim defenders. Read the full story →

• 1799 — French troops uncover the Rosetta Stone during fort repairs in Egypt

  On July 15, 1799, troops rebuilding a fort near Rashid, Egypt, unearthed a black granite slab inscribed in three scripts — the key to reading hieroglyphs. Read the full story →

• 1954 — The Boeing 367-80 prototype takes its first flight — birthing the jet age

  On July 15, 1954, Boeing's 'Dash 80' jet prototype flew from Seattle — the aircraft that became the 707 and revolutionized air travel. Read the full story →

• 1971 — President Nixon announces he will visit Communist China

  On July 15, 1971, President Richard Nixon stunned the world by announcing a trip to mainland China — reopening relations after decades of hostility. Read the full story →

• 2006 — Twitter opens to the public, launching the microblogging era

  On July 15, 2006, the social network Twitter opened widely — letting users post short 140-character messages called tweets. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Rembrandt (1606–1669) · Linda Ronstadt (1946) · Forest Whitaker (1961) · Ariana Grande (1993)

Days & observances

World Youth Skills Day · National Give Something Away Day · National Tapioca Pudding Day · National Pet Fire Safety Day