On this day, through history
On this day, June 15
- 1215, King John sealed the Magna Carta, curbing absolute monarchy and founding modern democratic rights. Learn more →
- 1667, Physician Jean-Baptiste Denys performed the first recorded human blood transfusion, using sheep's blood on a teenage boy. Learn more →
- 1752, Benjamin Franklin flew his kite in a thunderstorm, proving that lightning is electrical in nature. Learn more →
- 1775, The Second Continental Congress unanimously appointed George Washington commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. Learn more →
- 1844, Charles Goodyear patented vulcanization, a process that transformed raw rubber into a durable industrial material. Learn more →
- 1864, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton signed the order establishing Arlington National Cemetery on Robert E. Lee's seized Virginia estate. Learn more →
- 1954, UEFA was founded in Basel, Switzerland, becoming the governing body for European association football. Learn more →
- 1991, Mount Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines in one of the 20th century's most powerful volcanic blasts, killing over 800 people. Learn more →