July 15th in History

1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final assault of a difficult siege.

1381 - John Ball, a leader in the Peasants' Revolt, is hanged, drawn and quartered in the presence of King Richard II of England.

1799 - The Rosetta Stone is found in the Egyptian village of Rosetta by French Captain Pierre-François Bouchard during Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign.

1815 - Napoleonic Wars: Napoléon Bonaparte surrenders aboard HMS Bellerophon.

1927 - Massacre of July 15, 1927: 89 protesters are killed by the Austrian police in Vienna.

1954 - First flight of the Boeing 367-80, prototype for both the Boeing 707 and C-135 series.

1974 - In Nicosia, Cyprus, Greek Junta-sponsored nationalists launch a coup d'état, deposing President Makarios and installing Nikos Sampson as Cypriot president.

Famous Birthdays

1273 - Ewostatewos, Ethiopian monk and religious leader

1553 - Archduke Ernest of Austria 

1837 - Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, German-born Queen consort of Portugal, wife of King Peter V of Portugal

1850 - St Francesca Xavier Cabrini, nun and saint 

1919 - Iris Murdoch, philosopher

1946 - His Majesty Hassanal Bolkiah, 29th Sultan of Brunei