Today: May 15, 2025

On this day: May 15

Events that happened on May 15.

• May 15, 1886: American poet Emily Dickinson dies from Bright's disease at the age of 55.
• May 15, 1918: The Finnish Civil War ends.
• May 15, 1928: The character Mickey Mouse makes his first appearance in a short Disney film called "Plane Crazy".
• May 15, 1940: American fast food company McDonald's is founded.
• May 15, 1948: The Arab-Israeli War begins.
• May 15, 1969: American teenager Robert Rayford dies of a mysterious illness in Missouri. Nearly two decades later, it is discovered that this was one of the first cases of AIDS in the United States.
• May 15, 1970: Edward and Stephania Andrews go missing after leaving a party in Chicago, Illinois.
• May 15, 1972: Democratic presidential candidate George Wallace is shot five times in an assassination attempt in Laurel, Maryland.
• May 15, 1978: Former Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies passes away at the age of 83.
• May 15, 1981: American serial killer Lemuel Smith murders a female correctional officer by the name of Donna Payant.
• May 15, 1987:
  • The former bodyguard of Lady Diana, Barry Mannakee, is killed in a road accident.
  • Fox Television Network fires talk show host Joan Rivers and her husband, Edgar Rosenberg.
  
• May 15, 1988: Soviet troops begin to withdraw from Afghanistan.
• May 15, 1992:
  • Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) is released in cinemas.
  • 5,000 people lose their jobs after Alexander's closes 11 of its department stores in New York.
  
• May 15, 1993: Ireland win the Eurovision with Niamh Kavanagh's song "In Your Eyes".
• May 15, 2000: The video game "Vagrant Story" is released for the PlayStation 1.
• May 15, 2001:
  • The song "Fiesta" by R. Kelly featuring Jay-Z is released.
  • The song "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" by Eve and Gwen Stefani is released.
  
• May 15, 2002: Football: Real Madrid win the UEFA Champions League after they defeat Bayer Leverkusen 2-1.
• May 15, 2003:
  • The Matrix Reloaded (2003) is released.
  • American singer June Carter Cash passes away at the age of 73.
  
• May 15, 2008: The state of California legalizes same-sex marriage.
• May 15, 2010: Chelsea win the FA Cup final after beating Portsmouth 1-0.
• May 15, 2012: François Hollande becomes the new President of France.
• May 15, 2013: US authorities seize accounts associated with the Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox.
• May 15, 2017: Moors murderer Ian Brady dies in prison.
• May 15, 2018: The cryptocurrency Ripple (XRP) is released.
• May 15, 2020:
  • Harry Styles releases the song "Watermelon Sugar".
  • JCPenny files for bankruptcy protection.
  
• May 15, 2021:
  • Soccer: Leicester City win the 2021 FA Cup Final with a 1-0 victory over Chelsea.
  • Pop star Ariana Grande marries real estate agent Dalton Gomez.
  
• May 15, 2022: Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian are officially married.
• May 15, 2023:
  • Argentina raises interest rates to 97% in an effort to tackle inflation.
  • Vice Media files for bankruptcy.
  
• May 15, 2024:
  • A man attempts to assassinate Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico.
  • Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong resigns after nearly 20 years in office.
  

Is it that long ago already?

One week has already passed since May 8, 2025:

• Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is elected as Pope Leo XIV.

Half a year has passed since November 15, 2024:

• Boxing: Jake Paul defeats Mike Tyson.
• Donald Trump nominates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health.

Nine months have passed since August 15, 2024:

• North Korea announces that it is reopening its borders to tourists after five years.
• Five people are arrested in relation to the drug-related death of Friends star Matthew Perry.
• American game show host Peter Marshall dies at the age of 98.
• Gaza's health ministry says that the death toll in the enclave has reached 40,000.
• New Zealand agrees to extradite MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom to the United States.