What Happened on October 15?
October 15 is Global Handwashing Day — celebrating soap that stops germs — on the same date Cassini launched to Saturn in 1997, I Love Lucy premiered in 1951, and Yang Liwei became China's first astronaut in 2003.
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1815 — Napoleon arrives on Saint Helena for exile
On October 15, 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte landed on remote Saint Helena — his final exile after defeat at Waterloo. Read the full story →
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1883 — The Supreme Court decides the Civil Rights Cases
On October 15, 1883, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down key parts of the Civil Rights Act of 1875 — limiting federal power against private discrimination. Read the full story →
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1951 — I Love Lucy premieres on CBS
On October 15, 1951, I Love Lucy first aired — inventing sitcom techniques still used on television. Read the full story →
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1966 — The Black Panther Party is founded in Oakland
On October 15, 1966, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale founded the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense in Oakland, California. Read the full story →
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1997 — NASA's Cassini spacecraft launches toward Saturn
On October 15, 1997, Cassini launched on a Titan IVB rocket — beginning a long voyage to Saturn and its moons. Read the full story →
Famous birthdays
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) · Mario Puzo (1920–1999) · Sarah Ferguson (1959) · Emeril Lagasse (1959)
Days & observances
Global Handwashing Day · White Cane Safety Day · National Grouch Day · National Chicken Cacciatore Day