1536
Science
Trial and Conviction for Treason
Anne Boleyn was tried before a court of peers at the Tower of London and found guilty of treason, adultery, and incest.
View detailsThis Day
15May
28 indexed achievements across recorded history.
1570
Politics
Becomes Dogaressa of Venice
Loredana Marcello became Dogaressa of Venice when her husband Alvise I Mocenigo was elected Doge on 15 May 1570.
View details1749
Politics
Marriage to Daniel Parke Custis
Martha Dandridge married wealthy planter Daniel Parke Custis on May 15, 1749.
View details1786
1789
Politics
Establishes precedent-setting First Lady social-political role
Martha Washington established her role as First Lady in New York City by May 1789.
View details1842
Arts
Appointed permanent Professor of Piano at the Paris Conservatoire
On 15 May 1842, Farrenc was appointed to a permanent piano professorship at the Paris Conservatoire, a position she held for three decades as the only woman on its faculty.
View details1857
Science
Birth of Williamina Fleming
Birth of Williamina Paton Stevens Fleming, noted astronomer.
View details1869
Science
National Woman Suffrage Association Founded
Stanton and Anthony founded the NWSA in New York City, becoming a major force for federal woman suffrage.
View details1886
Science
Death of Emily Dickinson in Amherst
Emily Dickinson died on May 15, 1886, in Amherst, Massachusetts, from complications related to kidney disease.
View details1890
Literature
Birth of Katherine Anne Porter
Callie Russell Porter was born on a farm near Indian Creek, Texas, the fourth of five children of Harrison Boone Porter and Mary Alice Jones Porter.
View details1903
Science
Birth of Maria Reiche in Dresden, Germany
Maria Reiche was born in Dresden, Germany, on May 15, 1903, the woman who would later become the foremost researcher of the Nazca Lines.
View details1930
Aviation
First flight as the world's first female airline stewardess
Ellen Church flew as the world's first female airline stewardess aboard a Boeing Air Transport flight from Oakland to Chicago.
View details1935
Activism
Kate Galt Zaneis assumes presidency of Southeastern Oklahoma State Teachers College
Assumes office as ninth president of Southeastern Oklahoma State Teachers College, beginning her trailblazing tenure as the first female head of a U.S. state college.[1]
View details1937
Science
Birth in Prague, Czechoslovakia
Born Marie Jana Körbelová in Prague, Czechoslovakia, to diplomat Josef Körbel and his wife Anna.
View details1939
Science
Presentation of First Waterproof Mascara
Rubinstein acquired a patent for and publicly demonstrated the first waterproof mascara during an aquatic ballet performance in 1939.
View details1945
Exploration
Awarded the French Croix de Guerre
Krystyna Skarbek was awarded the French Croix de Guerre for her resistance and intelligence contributions in occupied France during WWII.
View details1949
Politics
First Woman Elected to the Chilean Senate
María de la Cruz became one of the first women elected to the Chilean Senate in 1949.
View details1950
Politics
Elected to the House of Commons
Fairclough won a Hamilton by-election on May 15, 1950, becoming just the sixth woman ever elected to the Canadian House of Commons.
View details1970
Politics
First women selected for promotion to U.S. Army general officer rank
President Nixon announced Colonels Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth Hoisington as the first women selected for promotion to Army general.
View details1997
Aviation
Launch of STS-84 Atlantis, Collins's second shuttle mission
Eileen Collins launched as pilot of Atlantis on STS-84, supporting the Shuttle-Mir program with supply transfer and crew exchange.
View details2001
Science
Patent for molded building panel granted
U.S. Patent 6,230,409 B1 granted for 'Molded building panel.'
View details2007
2010
Exploration
Completes solo, non-stop, unassisted voyage around the world
After 210 days at sea, 16-year-old Watson sailed into Sydney Harbour, acclaimed as the youngest to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world.
View details2013
Science
Filed New Zealand patent application for the Kindling Cracker
On 15 May 2013, patent application NZ 605393 for the Kindling Cracker was formally filed with the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand, listing Ayla Hutchinson as inventor.
View details2014
Exploration
Start of Aleutian Islands Kayak Leg
Began 1,500-mile kayak with Justine Curgenven from Adak along Aleutian and Alaskan coasts.
View details2014
Literature
Carl Sandburg Literary Award
Blume received the Carl Sandburg Literary Award from the Chicago Public Library Foundation and Chicago Tribune for her lifetime literary achievements.
View details2023
Science
Commemorative interview on the 40th anniversary of the HIV discovery paper
On 15 May 2023, Barré-Sinoussi recounts the January 1983 experiments in a France Inter interview marking 40 years since the landmark Science publication.
View details2023
Arts
Oldest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model
Martha Stewart breaks age barrier on May 15, 2023.
View details