What Happened on June 15?

June 15 is Nature Photography Day — celebrating outdoor images that inspire conservation — on the same date King John sealed the Magna Carta in 1215, Arkansas became a state, and Charles Goodyear patented rubber vulcanization.

• 1215 — King John seals the Magna Carta at Runnymede

  On June 15, 1215, England's King John placed his seal on the Magna Carta — a charter limiting royal power and guaranteeing certain rights. Read the full story →

• 1667 — Jean-Baptiste Denis performs an early human blood transfusion

  French physician Jean-Baptiste Denis transfused sheep blood into a teenage patient on June 15, 1667 — one of the first documented human transfusions. Read the full story →

• 1836 — Arkansas becomes the 25th U.S. state

  Arkansas entered the Union on June 15, 1836, as the 25th state — a frontier territory grown into a cotton- and timber-rich member of the United States. Read the full story →

• 1844 — Charles Goodyear receives a patent for rubber vulcanization

  On June 15, 1844, Charles Goodyear patented vulcanization — heating rubber with sulfur to make it strong, flexible, and weatherproof. Read the full story →

• 1864 — Arlington National Cemetery is established

  The U.S. Army officially designated Arlington House grounds as a military cemetery on June 15, 1864, during the Civil War. Read the full story →

• 1919 — Alcock and Brown complete the first nonstop transatlantic flight

  British pilots John Alcock and Arthur Brown landed in Ireland on June 15, 1919, after the first nonstop airplane crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Courteney Cox (1964) · Ice Cube (1969) · Helen Hunt (1963) · Waylon Jennings (1937–2002)

Days & observances

Nature Photography Day · National Smile Power Day · Global Wind Day · National Lobster Day