August 15 - This Day in History

August 15: General Interest
1969: The Woodstock festival opens in Bethel, New York

On this day in 1969, the Woodstock Music Festival opens on a patch of farmland in White Lake, a hamlet in the upstate New York town of Bethel... read more


American Revolution
1780 : "Swamp Fox" routs loyalists while Gates' men fall ill
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/swamp-fox-routs-loyalists-while-gates-men-fall-ill


Automotive
1899 : Henry Ford leaves Edison to start automobile company
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/henry-ford-leaves-edison-to-start-automobile-company


Civil War
1861 : Anderson named Department of Kentucky commander
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/anderson-is-named-commander-of-department-of-the-kentucky


Cold War
1964 : Khrushchev announces he is ready to begin arms talks
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/khrushchev-announces-he-is-ready-to-begin-arms-talks


Crime
2006 : Wife of slain minister released from jail
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/wife-of-slain-minister-released-from-jail


Disaster
1983 : Hurricane Alicia pounds Texas coast
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hurricane-alicia-pounds-texas-coast


General Interest
1057 : Malcolm slays Macbeth
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/malcolm-slays-macbeth

1914 : Panama Canal open to traffic
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/panama-canal-open-to-traffic

1947 : India and Pakistan win independence
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/india-and-pakistan-win-independence

1961 : Berlin Wall built
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/berlin-wall-built


Hollywood
1979 : Apocalypse Now released
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/apocalypse-now-released


Literary
1887 : Edna Ferber, author of Show Boat, is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/edna-ferber-author-of-show-boat-is-born


Old West
1812 : Indian captive William Wells is killed
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/indian-captive-william-wells-is-killed


Presidential
1930 : Hoover looks to combat drought and economic depression
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hoover-looks-to-combat-drought-and-economic-depression


Sports
1859 : Charles Comiskey born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/charles-comiskey-born


Vietnam War
1968 : Heavy fighting erupts in and around the DMZ
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/heavy-fighting-erupts-in-and-around-the-dmz

1969 : Woodstock begins in upstate New York
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/woodstock-begins-in-upstate-new-york

1970 : Regional Forces victorious
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/regional-forces-victorious

1971 : North Vietnamese capture Vietnamese marine base
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/north-vietnamese-capture-vietnamese-marine-base


World War I
1914 : Japan gives ultimatum to Germany
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/japan-gives-ultimatum-to-germany


World War II
1945 : The Japanese emperor speaks
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-japanese-emperor-speaks