15 August 1246

A Wednesday in history

Weekday

Wednesday

Season

Summer (N. Hemisphere)

Century

13th century

Records

439

  1. 2005

    The Helsinki Agreement between the Free Aceh Movement and the Government of Indonesia was signed, ending more than 28 years of fighting.

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  2. 1998

    The Troubles: A car bomb attack carried out by the Real Irish Republican Army killed 29 people and injured approximately 220 others in Omagh, Northern Ireland.

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  3. 1977

    Big Ear, a radio telescope at Ohio State University received a strong, apparently extraterrestrial radio signal that became known as the Wow! signal.

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  4. 1963

    President Fulbert Youlou was overthrown in the Republic of Congo, after a three-day uprising in the capital.

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  5. 1948

    The Republic of Korea was established with Syngman Rhee (pictured) as its first president.

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  6. 1947

    Jawaharlal Nehru (pictured) took office as the first prime minister of India, a post he held for 16 years.

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  7. 1944

    World War II: Allied forces began Operation Dragoon, their invasion of southern France.

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  8. 1942

    World War II: The tanker SS Ohio reached Malta as part of an operation to deliver much-needed supplies during the siege of Malta.

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  9. 1941

    Josef Jakobs, a German spy, became the last person executed at the Tower of London.

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  10. 1909

    A military coup against the government of Dimitrios Rallis began in the neighbourhood of Goudi in Athens, Greece.

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  11. 1812

    War of 1812: Potawatomi warriors ambushed a United States Army convoy after it had evacuated Fort Dearborn (site pictured), in present-day Chicago, and razed the fort.

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  12. 1461

    Byzantine–Ottoman wars: The Empire of Trebizond, the longest-surviving Byzantine successor state, was conquered by Ottoman forces following a month-long siege.

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  13. 1261

    Michael VIII Palaiologos was crowned Byzantine emperor in Constantinople.

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  14. 1038

    Upon the death of his uncle Stephen I, Peter (depicted) became the second king of Hungary.

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  15. 1018

    Byzantine general Eustathios Daphnomeles captured and blinded Ibatzes of Bulgaria by means of a ruse, ending the last resistance against Emperor Basil II's conquest of Bulgaria.

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  16. 718

    Forces of the Umayyad Caliphate abandoned a year-long siege of Constantinople, ending their goal of conquering the Byzantine Empire.

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Photo archive

24 historic images from this day — tap to open the gallery.

What was life like?

Prices, jobs, food, music and everyday routine — the world as it felt to live in.

Sources & fact check

Every claim is traced to primary sources, archives, universities and the press — with an explicit confidence rating. Dossiers are generated once and cached permanently.