On This Day
What Happened on November 15 in History
8 events that happened on November 15, oldest first. Every entry is written in our own words and links to its source.
Colonial America and the Revolution
1777
The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States.
The articles went to the states for ratification and took effect in March 1781. They remained in force until the present Constitution replaced them in 1789.
Source: archives.gov; history.com
The Young Republic and the Civil War Era
1864
Union General William T. Sherman burned much of Atlanta and set out on his March to the Sea.
Cutting loose from his supply lines, Sherman's army spent about six weeks crossing Georgia and destroying property before capturing the port of Savannah.
Source: history.com
The Cold War
1966
Gemini XII splashed down in the Atlantic, ending NASA's Project Gemini.
James Lovell and Buzz Aldrin landed about three miles from their target near the recovery carrier USS Wasp after more than 94 hours in space. The program's lessons paved the way for Apollo.
Source: nasa.gov
1967
Air Force Major Michael J. Adams was killed when his X-15 rocket plane broke apart during a research flight.
The X-15 number three aircraft reached about 266,000 feet before it went into a spin and broke up during its descent. Adams was posthumously awarded astronaut wings for the flight.
Source: nasa.gov
1984
Baby Fae, an infant who received a baboon heart in an experimental transplant, died in California.
She was born with a usually fatal heart defect, and surgeon Leonard Bailey performed the operation at Loma Linda University Medical Center. Doctors used the name Baby Fae to protect her parents' privacy.
Source: history.com
1988
The Palestine National Council, meeting in Algiers, proclaimed an independent State of Palestine.
The declaration came at the close of a session held from November 12 to 15. The council also adopted a political communique and decided to set up a provisional government.
Source: un.org
1990
Space shuttle Atlantis launched on STS-38, a classified mission for the Department of Defense.
It was the seventh shuttle flight dedicated to the Defense Department. Atlantis and its five astronauts landed on November 20 after nearly five days in orbit.
Source: nasa.gov
The Modern Era
2001
Microsoft released the Xbox video game console in North America.
Bill Gates moved into a market led by Sony and Nintendo partly out of concern that game consoles would compete with personal computers.
Source: history.com