1066day.year
Following the death of Harold II at the Battle of Hastings, Edgar the Ætheling is proclaimed King of England by the Witan; he is never crowned, and concedes power to William the Conqueror two months later.
After Harold II's death at the Battle of Hastings, the Witan proclaimed Edgar the Ætheling king of England, though he was never crowned and ceded power to William the Conqueror two months later.
Following the crushing defeat at Hastings, England's Witan council faced a leadership vacuum. They selected Edgar the Ætheling, a teenager of royal bloodline, as king despite his youth and limited military support. Edgar was never formally crowned due to lack of widespread baronial endorsement. Within two months, William of Normandy advanced on London and compelled Edgar to submit peacefully. This transfer averted further civil conflict and cemented William's claim as the first Norman monarch of England. Edgar spent his later years in a subordinate role under the new regime.
1066
Battle of Hastings
Edgar the Ætheling
Witan
William the Conqueror
1793day.year
Queen Marie Antoinette of France is tried and convicted of treason.
Queen Marie Antoinette was tried and convicted of treason by the revolutionary tribunal in Paris, sealing her fate.
Amid the radical phase of the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette faced charges of conspiring against the state and plotting royalist insurrections. Her trial began on October 14, 1793, before the Revolutionary Tribunal dominated by Jacobin leaders. On October 15, the court pronounced her guilty based on intercepted correspondence and testimonies alleging secret diplomacy with foreign powers. Sentenced to death, she was executed by guillotine on October 16, shocking Europe and symbolizing the revolution's break with monarchy. Marie Antoinette's downfall exemplified the revolution's shift toward extreme measures. Her life and trial have since inspired countless works of art, literature, and historical study.
1793
Marie Antoinette
1815day.year
Napoleon begins his exile on Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean.
Napoleon Bonaparte commenced his final exile on Saint Helena, ending his dramatic return from Elba and the Hundred Days.
After his defeat at Waterloo in June 1815, Napoleon surrendered to the British and requested asylum aboard their ships. On October 15, 1815, he landed on Saint Helena, a remote volcanic island in the South Atlantic chosen for its isolation. The British governor, Sir Hudson Lowe, imposed strict restrictions on Napoleon's movement and correspondence. Over the next six years, he dictated memoirs and reflected on his career while under constant guard. Napoleon died on the island in 1821, marking the end of an era in European politics and warfare. His exile and death on Saint Helena have since become emblematic of the rise and fall of one of history's greatest military leaders.
1815
Napoleon
1940day.year
President Lluís Companys of Catalonia is executed by the Francoist government.
In 1940, Catalonia's President Lluís Companys was executed by Francoist forces, becoming a symbol of resistance.
On October 15, 1940, Lluís Companys, the former president of Catalonia, was executed by Spain's Francoist government at Montjuïc Castle in Barcelona. Arrested after fleeing to France, he was handed over to Franco's authorities and tried by a military tribunal. Companys' execution was the only instance of a democratically elected European leader executed by a successor regime. His death intensified repression against Catalan culture and autonomy under Franco's dictatorship. Decades later, he was posthumously pardoned, and his legacy endures as a martyr for democracy and regional rights. Companys remains a potent symbol of resistance against authoritarianism in Catalonia and Spain.
1940
Lluís Companys
Francoist
1979day.year
Supporters of the Malta Labour Party ransack and destroy the Times of Malta building and other locations associated with the Nationalist Party.
Political unrest in Malta erupts as Labour Party supporters attack the Times of Malta and properties linked to the Nationalist Party.
Rival political tensions in Malta boiled over as supporters of the Malta Labour Party attacked the Times of Malta building and other Nationalist sites.
Armed mobs ransacked offices, destroyed printing presses, and clashed with police, crippling one of the country's leading newspapers.
The violence reflected deep-seated divisions following controversial government policies and electoral disputes.
International observers condemned the assault on press freedom and democratic norms.
The episode remains a stark reminder of the fragility of democracy and the importance of safeguarding civil liberties.
1979
ransack and destroy
1990day.year
Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to lessen Cold War tensions and open up his nation.
Mikhail Gorbachev is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for easing Cold War tensions and opening up the USSR.
In 1990, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev received the Nobel Peace Prize for his groundbreaking reforms. His policies of perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness) ushered in a new era of transparency and political freedom in the USSR. These initiatives played a key role in ending decades of Cold War hostility with the West. Gorbachev’s commitment to disarmament and dialogue helped dismantle barriers, most notably the Berlin Wall. The Nobel Committee honored his vision of peaceful change and international cooperation. His award highlighted the power of diplomacy to transform global relations and inspired movements for reform around the world.
1990
Mikhail Gorbachev
Nobel Peace Prize
1991day.year
The leaders of the Baltic States, Arnold Rüütel of Estonia, Anatolijs Gorbunovs of Latvia and Vytautas Landsbergis of Lithuania, signed the OSCE Final Act in Helsinki, Finland.
Leaders of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania sign the OSCE Final Act, affirming security and cooperation in post-Cold War Europe.
On October 15, 1991, the presidents of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania convened in Helsinki to sign the OSCE Final Act, marking a pivotal step in securing their newly regained independence. The agreement under the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe established principles for human rights, democratic governance, and mutual respect among member states. It symbolized the end of Soviet domination in the Baltic region and reinforced the countries’ commitment to Euro-Atlantic integration. The act also contributed to stabilizing security in Europe by promoting transparency and conflict prevention. This historic signing laid the groundwork for the Baltic States’ eventual accession to NATO and the European Union.
Baltic States
Arnold Rüütel
Estonia
Anatolijs Gorbunovs
Latvia
Vytautas Landsbergis
Lithuania
OSCE
Helsinki
1994day.year
The United States, under the Clinton administration, returns Haiti's first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, to the island.
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide is restored to power in Haiti by a US-led initiative under President Clinton.
On October 15, 1994, U.S. forces, under the authority of President Bill Clinton and a UN mandate, facilitated the return of Haiti’s first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, after a 1991 military coup had ousted him. This intervention marked a significant moment in U.S. foreign policy and Caribbean politics, aiming to restore democracy and stability in Haiti. Aristide’s reinstatement was intended to rebuild democratic institutions and address ongoing civil unrest. The operation underscored the international community’s reluctance to tolerate undemocratic seizures of power. Despite challenges ahead, Aristide’s return raised hopes for political and economic reform in Haiti.
1994
Clinton administration
Jean-Bertrand Aristide
2007day.year
Seventeen activists in New Zealand are arrested in the country's first post-9/11 anti-terrorism raids.
New Zealand police conduct the country's first post-9/11 anti-terrorism raids, arresting 17 activists.
On October 15, 2007, New Zealand authorities executed the country's first anti-terrorism operation under new legislation, detaining seventeen individuals suspected of planning violent extremist activities. The raids, coordinated by the Police Special Tactics Group, targeted multiple locations in Auckland. Authorities alleged the suspects had undergone weapons training overseas and intended to commit acts of domestic terror. The arrests triggered discussions about the balance between national security and civil liberties and raised questions about the scope of anti-terror laws. Although many charges were later dropped or downgraded, the operation reshaped New Zealand’s legal framework for counterterrorism and influenced public discourse on surveillance and community relations.
2007
anti-terrorism raids