Summary of the Day ✨ 15 January (15/01)
On this day, disaster struck globally as Yeti Airlines Flight 691 crashed in Nepal killing all 72 aboard while the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano eruption triggered a Pacific-wide tsunami and a devastating earthquake hit Indonesia. Meanwhile, Japan confirmed its first COVID-19 case as militants attacked a hotel in Nairobi, highlighting the day’s convergence of natural disasters and human-caused tragedies across multiple continents.
Historical Events 📜
- 2023: Yeti Airlines Flight 691 crashes near Pokhara International Airport, killing all 72 people on board.
- 2022: The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano erupts, cutting off communications with Tonga and causing a tsunami across the Pacific.
- 2021: A 6.2-magnitude earthquake strikes Indonesia’s Sulawesi island killing at least 105 and injuring 3,369 people.
- 2020: The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare confirms the first case of COVID-19 in Japan.
- 2019: Somali militants attack the DusitD2 hotel in Nairobi, Kenya killing at least 21 people and injuring 19.
- 2019: Theresa May’s UK government suffers the biggest government defeat in modern times, when 432 MPs voting against the proposed European Union withdrawal agreement, giving her opponents a majority of 230.
- 2018: British multinational construction and facilities management services company Carillion goes into liquidation – officially, “the largest ever trading liquidation in the UK”.
- 2016: The Kenyan Army suffers its worst defeat ever in a battle with Al-Shabaab Islamic insurgents in El-Adde, Somalia. An estimated 150 Kenyan soldiers are killed in the battle.
- 2015: The Swiss National Bank abandons the cap on the Swiss franc’s value relative to the euro, causing turmoil in international financial markets.
- 2013: A train carrying Egyptian Army recruits derails near Giza, Greater Cairo, killing 19 and injuring 120 others.
- 2009: US Airways Flight 1549 ditches safely in the Hudson River after the plane collides with birds less than two minutes after take-off. This becomes known as “The Miracle on the Hudson” as all 155 people on board were rescued.
- 2005: ESA’s SMART-1 lunar orbiter discovers elements such as calcium, aluminum, silicon, iron, and other surface elements on the Moon.
- 2001: Wikipedia, a free wiki content encyclopedia, is launched (Wikipedia Day).
- 1991: The United Nations deadline for the withdrawal of Iraqi forces from occupied Kuwait expires, preparing the way for the start of Operation Desert Storm.
- 1991: Elizabeth II, in her capacity as Queen of Australia, signs letters patent allowing Australia to become the first Commonwealth realm to institute its own Victoria Cross in its honours system.
Famous Births 👶
- 2004: Grace VanderWaal, American singer-songwriter
- 2002: Tim Stützle, German ice hockey player
- 2000: Triston Casas, American baseball player
- 1998: Alexandra Eade, Australian artistic gymnast
- 1998: Ben Godfrey, English footballer
- 1998: Chloe Kelly, English footballer
- 1996: Dove Cameron, American actress and singer
- 1996: Deebo Samuel, American football player
- 1994: Eric Dier, English footballer
- 1993: Kadeem Allen, American basketball player
- 1992: Joël Veltman, Dutch footballer
- 1992: Joshua King, Norwegian footballer
- 1991: Marc Bartra, Spanish footballer
- 1991: Matt Duffy, American baseball player
- 1991: Mitch Garver, American baseball player
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2025: Paul Danan, English actor and television personality (born 1978)
- 2025: David Lynch, American television and film director, visual artist and musician, complications from emphysema (born 1946)
- 2025: Melba Montgomery, American country music singer-songwriter (born 1938)
- 2025: Linda Nolan, Irish singer and actress (born 1959)
- 2022: Alexa McDonough, first female politician to lead a major provincial political party in Canada, former leader of the federal New Democratic Party. (born 1944)
- 2020: Rocky Johnson, Canadian professional wrestler (born 1944)
- 2020: Lloyd Cowan, British athlete and coach (born 1962)
- 2019: Carol Channing, American actress (born 1921)
- 2019: Ida Kleijnen, Dutch chef (born 1936)
- 2018: Dolores O’Riordan, Irish pop singer (born 1971)
- 2017: Jimmy Snuka, Fijian professional wrestler (born 1943)
- 2016: Francisco X. Alarcón, American poet and educator (born 1954)
- 2016: Ken Judge, Australian footballer and coach (born 1958)
- 2016: Manuel Velázquez, Spanish footballer (born 1943)
- 2015: Ervin Drake, American songwriter and composer (born 1919)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Arbor Day (Egypt)
- Armed Forces Remembrance Day (Nigeria)
- Army Day (India)
- Christian feast day:
Abeluzius (Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church) - Christian feast day:
Arnold Janssen - Christian feast day:
Francis Ferdinand de Capillas (one of Martyr Saints of China) - Christian feast day:
Ita - Christian feast day:
Our Lady of the Poor - Christian feast day:
Macarius of Egypt (Western Christianity) - Christian feast day:
Maurus and Placidus (Order of Saint Benedict) - Christian feast day:
Paul the Hermit - Christian feast day:
January 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - John Chilembwe Day (Malawi)
- Korean Alphabet Day (North Korea)
- Ocean Duty Day (Indonesia)