July 15

Pre-1600

• 484 BC – Dedication of the Temple of Castor and Pollux in ancient Rome
• 70 – First Jewish–Roman War: Titus and his armies breach the walls of Jerusalem. (17th of Tammuz in the Hebrew calendar).
• 756 – An Lushan Rebellion: Emperor Xuanzong of Tang is ordered by his Imperial Guards to execute chancellor Yang Guozhong by forcing him to commit suicide or face a mutiny. General An Lushan has other members of the emperor's family killed.
• 1099 – First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final assault of a difficult siege.
• 1149 – The reconstructed Church of the Holy Sepulchre is consecrated in Jerusalem.
• 1207 – King John of England expels Canterbury monks for supporting Archbishop Stephen Langton.
• 1240 – Swedish–Novgorodian Wars: A Novgorodian army led by Alexander Nevsky defeats the Swedes in the Battle of the Neva.
• 1381 – John Ball, a leader in the Peasants' Revolt, is hanged, drawn and quartered in the presence of King Richard II of England.
• 1410 – Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War: Battle of Grunwald: The allied forces of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeat the army of the Teutonic Order.
• 1482 – Muhammad XII is crowned the twenty-second and last Nasrid king of Granada.

1601–1900

• 1640 – The first university of Finland, the Royal Academy of Turku, is inaugurated in Turku.
• 1738 – Baruch Laibov and Alexander Voznitzin are burned alive in St. Petersburg, Russia. Vonitzin had converted to Judaism with Laibov's help, with the consent of Empress Anna Ivanovna.
• 1741 – Aleksei Chirikov sights land in Southeast Alaska. He sends men ashore in a longboat, making them the first Europeans to visit Alaska.
• 1789 – French Revolution: Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, is named by acclamation Colonel General of the new National Guard of Paris.
• 1799 – The Rosetta Stone is found in the Egyptian village of Rosetta by French Captain Pierre-François Bouchard during Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign.
• 1806 – Pike Expedition: United States Army Lieutenant Zebulon Pike begins an expedition from Fort Bellefontaine near St. Louis, Missouri, to explore the west.
• 1815 – Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon Bonaparte surrenders aboard HMS Bellerophon.
• 1823 – A fire destroys the ancient Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, Italy.
• 1834 – The Spanish Inquisition is officially disbanded after nearly 356 years.
• 1838 – Ralph Waldo Emerson delivers the Divinity School Address at Harvard Divinity School, discounting Biblical miracles and declaring Jesus a great man, but not God. The Protestant community reacts with outrage.
• 1849 – The first air raid in history occurs; Austria launches pilotless balloons against the city of Venice
• 1862 – American Civil War: The CSS Arkansas, the most effective ironclad on the Mississippi River, battles with Union Navy ships commanded by Admiral David Farragut, severely damaging three ships and sustaining heavy damage herself.
• 1870 – Reconstruction Era of the United States: Georgia becomes the last of the former Confederate states to be readmitted to the Union.
• 1870 – Canadian Confederation: Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory are transferred to Canada from the Hudson's Bay Company, and the province of Manitoba and the Northwest Territories are established from these vast territories.
• 1888 – The stratovolcano Mount Bandai erupts, killing approximately 500 people in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.

1901–present

• 1910 – In his book Clinical Psychiatry, Emil Kraepelin gives a name to Alzheimer's disease, naming it after his colleague Alois Alzheimer.
• 1916 – In Seattle, Washington, William Boeing and George Conrad Westervelt incorporate Pacific Aero Products (later renamed Boeing).
• 1918 – World War I: The Second Battle of the Marne begins near the River Marne with a German attack.
• 1920 – Aftermath of World War I: The Parliament of Poland establishes Silesian Voivodeship before the Polish-German plebiscite.
• 1922 – The Japanese Communist Party is established in Japan.
• 1927 – Massacre of July 15, 1927: Eighty-nine protesters are killed by Austrian police in Vienna.
• 1941 – The Holocaust: Nazi Germany begins the deportation of 100,000 Jews from the occupied Netherlands to extermination camps.
• 1946 – The State of North Borneo, now Sabah, Malaysia, is annexed by the United Kingdom.
• 1954 – The Boeing 367-80, the prototype for both the Boeing 707 and C-135 series, takes its first flight.
• 1955 – Eighteen Nobel laureates sign the Mainau Declaration against nuclear weapons, later co-signed by thirty-four others.
• 1966 – Vietnam War: The United States and South Vietnam begin Operation Hastings to push the North Vietnamese out of the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone.
• 1971 – The United Red Army is founded in Japan.
• 1974 – In Nicosia, Cyprus, Greek junta-sponsored nationalists launch a coup d'état, deposing President Makarios and installing Nikos Sampson as Cypriot president.
• 1975 – Space Race: Apollo–Soyuz Test Project features the dual launch of an Apollo spacecraft and a Soyuz spacecraft on the first Soviet-United States human-crewed flight. It was the last launch of both an Apollo spacecraft, and the Saturn family of rockets.
• 1979 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter gives his "malaise speech".
• 1983 – An attack at Orly Airport in Paris is launched by Armenian militant organisation ASALA, leaving eight people dead and 55 injured.
• 1983 – Nintendo released the Famicom in Japan.
• 1996 – A Belgian Air Force C-130 Hercules carrying the Royal Netherlands Army marching band crashes on landing at Eindhoven Airport.
• 1998 – Sri Lankan Civil War: Sri Lankan Tamil MP S. Shanmuganathan is killed by a claymore mine.
• 2002 – "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh pleads guilty to supplying aid to the enemy and possession of explosives during the commission of a felony.
• 2002 – The Anti-Terrorism Court of Pakistan sentences British born Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh to death, and three others suspected of murdering The Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl to life.
• 2003 – AOL Time Warner disbands Netscape. The Mozilla Foundation is established on the same day.
• 2006 – Twitter, later one of the largest social media platforms in the world, is launched.
• 2009 – Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 crashes near Jannatabad, Qazvin, Iran, killing 168.
• 2012 – South Korean rapper Psy releases his hit single Gangnam Style.
• 2014 – A train derails on the Moscow Metro, killing at least 24 and injuring more than 160 others.
• 2016 – Factions of the Turkish Armed Forces attempt a coup.
• 2018 – France win their second World Cup title, defeating Croatia 4–2.

Pre-1600

• 980 – Ichijō, Japanese emperor (d. 1011)
• 1273 – Ewostatewos, Ethiopian monk and saint (d. 1352)
• 1353 – Vladimir the Bold, Russian prince (d. 1410)
• 1359 – Antonio Correr, Italian cardinal (d. 1445)
• 1442 – Boček IV of Poděbrady, Bohemian nobleman (d. 1496)
• 1455 – Queen Yun, Korean queen (d. 1482)
• 1471 – Eskender, Ethiopian emperor (d. 1494)
• 1478 – Barbara Jagiellon, duchess consort of Saxony and Margravine consort of Meissen (d. 1534)
• 1573 – Inigo Jones, English architect, designed the Queen's House (d. 1652)
• 1600 – Jan Cossiers, Flemish painter (d. 1671)

1601–1900

• 1606 – Rembrandt, Dutch painter and etcher (d. 1669)
• 1611 – Jai Singh I, maharaja of Jaipur (d. 1667)
• 1613 – Gu Yanwu, Chinese philologist and geographer (d. 1682)
• 1631 – Jens Juel, Danish politician and diplomat, Governor-general of Norway (d. 1700)
• 1631 – Richard Cumberland, English philosopher (d. 1718)
• 1638 – Giovanni Buonaventura Viviani, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1693)
• 1704 – August Gottlieb Spangenberg, German bishop and theologian (d. 1792)
• 1779 – Clement Clarke Moore, American author, poet, and educator (d. 1863)
• 1793 – Almira Hart Lincoln Phelps, American educator, author, editor (d. 1884)
• 1796 – Thomas Bulfinch, American mythologist (d. 1867)
• 1799 – Reuben Chapman, American lawyer and politician, 13th Governor of Alabama (d. 1882)
• 1800 – Sidney Breese, American jurist and politician (d. 1878)
• 1808 – Henry Edward Manning, English cardinal (d. 1892)
• 1812 – James Hope-Scott, English lawyer and academic (d. 1873)
• 1817 – Sir John Fowler, 1st Baronet, English engineer, designed the Forth Bridge (d. 1898)
• 1827 – W. W. Thayer American lawyer and politician, 6th Governor of Oregon (d. 1899)
• 1848 – Vilfredo Pareto, Italian economist and sociologist (d. 1923)
• 1850 – Frances Xavier Cabrini, Italian-American nun and saint (d. 1917)
• 1852 – Josef Josephi, Polish-born singer and actor (d. 1920)
• 1858 – Emmeline Pankhurst, English political activist and suffragist (d. 1928)
• 1864 – Marie Tempest, English actress and singer (d. 1942)
• 1865 – Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe, Anglo-Irish businessman and publisher, founded the Amalgamated Press (d. 1922)
• 1865 – Wilhelm Wirtinger, Austrian-German mathematician and theorist (d. 1945)
• 1867 – Jean-Baptiste Charcot, French physician and explorer (d. 1936)
• 1871 – Doppo Kunikida, Japanese journalist, author, and poet (d. 1908)
• 1880 – Enrique Mosca, Argentinian lawyer and politician (d. 1950)
• 1883 – Denny Barry Irish Republican died during the 1923 Irish Hunger Strikes(d. 1923)
• 1887 – Wharton Esherick, American sculptor (d. 1970)
• 1892 – Walter Benjamin, German philosopher and critic (d. 1940)
• 1893 – Enid Bennett, Australian-American actress (d. 1969)
• 1893 – Dick Rauch, American football player and coach (d. 1970)
• 1894 – Tadeusz Sendzimir, Polish-American engineer (d. 1989)
• 1899 – Seán Lemass, Irish soldier and politician, 4th Taoiseach of Ireland (d. 1971)

1901–present

• 1902 – Jean Rey, Belgian lawyer and politician, 2nd President of the European Commission (d. 1983)
• 1903 – Walter D. Edmonds, American journalist and author (d. 1998)
• 1903 – K. Kamaraj, Indian journalist and politician (d. 1975)
• 1904 – Rudolf Arnheim, German-American psychologist and author (d. 2007)
• 1905 – Dorothy Fields, American songwriter (d. 1974)
• 1905 – Anita Farra, Italian actress (d. 2008)
• 1906 – R. S. Mugali, Indian poet and academic (d. 1993)
• 1906 – Rudolf Uhlenhaut, English-German engineer (d. 1989)
• 1909 – Jean Hamburger, French physician and surgeon (d. 1992)
• 1911 – Edward Shackleton, Baron Shackleton, English geographer and politician, Secretary of State for Air (d. 1994)
• 1913 – Cowboy Copas, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1963)
• 1913 – Hammond Innes, English journalist and author (d. 1998)
• 1913 – Abraham Sutzkever, Russian poet and author (d. 2010)
• 1914 – Birabongse Bhanudej, Thai racing driver and sailor, member of the Thai royal family (d. 1985)
• 1914 – Akhtar Hameed Khan, Pakistani economist, scholar, and activist (d. 1999)
• 1914 – Howard Vernon, Swiss-French actor (d. 1996)
• 1915 – Albert Ghiorso, American chemist and academic (d. 2010)
• 1915 – Kashmir Singh Katoch, Indian army officer (d. 2007)
• 1916 – Sumner Gerard, American politician and diplomat (d. 2005)
• 1917 – Robert Conquest, English-American historian, poet, and academic (d. 2015)
• 1917 – Joan Roberts, American actress and singer (d. 2012)
• 1917 – Nur Muhammad Taraki, Afghan journalist and politician (d. 1979)
• 1918 – Bertram Brockhouse, Canadian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2003)
• 1918 – Brenda Milner, English-Canadian neuropsychologist and academic
• 1919 – Fritz Langanke, German lieutenant (d. 2012)
• 1919 – Iris Murdoch, Anglo-Irish British novelist and philosopher (d. 1999)
• 1921 – Henri Colpi, Swiss-French director and screenwriter (d. 2006)
• 1921 – Robert Bruce Merrifield, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2006)
• 1922 – Leon M. Lederman, American physicist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2018)
• 1922 – Jean-Pierre Richard, French writer (d. 2019)
• 1924 – Jeremiah Denton, American admiral and politician (d. 2014)
• 1924 – Marianne Bernadotte, Swedish actress and philanthropist
• 1925 – Philip Carey, American actor (d. 2009)
• 1925 – Taylor Hardwick, American architect, designed Haydon Burns Library and Friendship Fountain Park (d. 2014)
• 1925 – D. A. Pennebaker, American documentary filmmaker (d. 2019)
• 1925 – Evan Hultman, American politician
• 1925 – Antony Carbone, American actor (d. 2020)
• 1925 – Pandel Savic, American football player (d. 2018)
• 1926 – Driss Chraïbi, Moroccan-French journalist and author (d. 2007)
• 1926 – Leopoldo Galtieri, Argentinian general and politician, 44th President of Argentina (d. 2003)
• 1926 – Raymond Gosling, English physicist and academic (d. 2015)
• 1926 – Sir John Graham, 4th Baronet, English diplomat (d. 2019)
• 1927 – Nan Martin, American actress (d. 2010)
• 1927 – Carmen Zapata, American actress (d. 2014)
• 1927 – Håkon Brusveen, Norwegian cross-country skier (d. 2021)
• 1928 – Carl Woese, American microbiologist and biophysicist (d. 2012)
• 1928 – Viramachaneni Vimla Devi, Indian parliamentarian (d. 1967)
• 1929 – Charles Anthony, American tenor and actor (d. 2012)
• 1929 – Francis Bebey, Cameroonian-French guitarist (d. 2001)
• 1929 – Ian Stewart, Scottish racing driver (d. 2017)
• 1930 – Jacques Derrida, Algerian-French philosopher and academic (d. 2004)
• 1930 – Richard Garneau, Canadian journalist and sportscaster (d. 2013)
• 1930 – Stephen Smale, American mathematician and computer scientist
• 1930 – Einosuke Akiya, Japanese Buddhist leader
• 1931 – Clive Cussler, American archaeologist and author (d. 2020)
• 1931 – Joanna Merlin, American actress and casting director (d. 2023)
• 1931 – Jacques-Yvan Morin, Canadian lawyer and politician, Deputy Premier of Quebec
• 1932 – Ed Litzenberger, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2010)
• 1933 – Guido Crepax, Italian author and illustrator (d. 2003)
• 1933 – M. T. Vasudevan Nair, Indian author and screenwriter
• 1934 – Harrison Birtwistle, English composer and academic (d. 2022)
• 1934 – Eva Krížiková, Czech actress (d. 2020)
• 1934 – Risto Jarva, Finnish director and producer (d. 1977)
• 1935 – Donn Clendenon, American baseball player and lawyer (d. 2005)
• 1935 – Alex Karras, American football player, wrestler, and actor (d. 2012)
• 1935 – Ken Kercheval, American actor and director (d. 2019)
• 1936 – George Voinovich, American lawyer and politician, 65th Governor of Ohio (d. 2016)
• 1937 – Prabhash Joshi, Indian journalist (d. 2009)
• 1938 – Bill Alsup, American racing driver (d. 2016)
• 1938 – Ernie Barnes, American football player, actor, and painter (d. 2009)
• 1938 – Carmen Callil, Australian publisher, founded Virago Press
• 1938 – Barry Goldwater, Jr., American lawyer and politician
• 1939 – Aníbal Cavaco Silva, Portuguese economist and politician, 19th President of the Portuguese Republic
• 1940 – Chris Cord, American racing driver
• 1940 – Denis Héroux, Canadian director and producer (d. 2015)
• 1940 – Ronald Gene Simmons, American sergeant and convicted murderer (d. 1990)
• 1940 – Robert Winston, English surgeon, academic, and politician
• 1942 – Vivian Malone Jones, American civil rights activist (d. 2005)
• 1943 – Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Northern Irish astrophysicist, astronomer, and academic
• 1944 – Millie Jackson, American singer-songwriter
• 1944 – Jan-Michael Vincent, American actor (d. 2019)
• 1944 – Nigel Williams, English conservator (d. 1992)
• 1945 – David Arthur Granger, Guyanese politician, 9th President of Guyana
• 1945 – Peter Lewis, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1945 – Jürgen Möllemann, German soldier and politician, Vice-Chancellor of Germany (d. 2003)
• 1946 – Linda Ronstadt, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
• 1946 – Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei
• 1947 – Lydia Davis, American short story writer, novelist, and essayist
• 1947 – Pridiyathorn Devakula, Thai economist and politician, Thai Minister of Finance
• 1947 – Roky Erickson, American singer-songwriter and musician (d. 2019)
• 1948 – Twinkle, English singer-songwriter (d. 2015)
• 1948 – Dimosthenis Kourtovik, Greek anthropologist and critic
• 1948 – Artimus Pyle, American rock drummer and songwriter
• 1949 – Carl Bildt, Swedish politician and diplomat, Prime Minister of Sweden
• 1949 – Trevor Horn, English singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer
• 1949 – Richard Russo, American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter
• 1950 – Colin Barnett, Australian economist and politician, 29th Premier of Western Australia
• 1950 – Arianna Huffington, Greek-American journalist and publisher
• 1951 – Gregory Isaacs, Jamaican-English singer-songwriter (d. 2010)
• 1951 – Jesse Ventura, American wrestler, actor, and politician, 38th Governor of Minnesota
• 1952 – John Cleland, British racing driver
• 1952 – Celia Imrie, English actress
• 1952 – Terry O'Quinn, American actor
• 1952 – David Pack, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
• 1952 – Marky Ramone, American drummer and songwriter
• 1952 – Johnny Thunders, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1991)
• 1953 – Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Haitian priest and politician, 49th President of Haiti
• 1953 – Sultanah Haminah, Malaysian royal consort
• 1953 – Mohamad Shahrum Osman, Malaysian politician
• 1953 – Alicia Bridges, American singer-songwriter
• 1954 – John Ferguson, Australian rugby league player
• 1954 – Giorgos Kaminis, American-Greek lawyer and politician, 78th Mayor of Athens
• 1954 – Mario Kempes, Argentinian footballer and manager
• 1956 – Ashoke Sen, Indian theoretical physicist and string theorist
• 1956 – Ian Curtis, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1980)
• 1956 – Nicholas Harberd, British botanist, educator, and academician
• 1956 – Barry Melrose, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and sportscaster
• 1956 – Steve Mortimer, Australian rugby league player, coach, and administrator
• 1956 – Joe Satriani, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1956 – Wayne Taylor, South African racing driver
• 1958 – Gary Heale, English footballer and coach
• 1958 – Mac Thornberry, American lawyer and politician
• 1959 – Vincent Lindon, French actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1961 – Lolita Davidovich, Canadian actress
• 1961 – Jean-Christophe Grangé, French journalist and screenwriter
• 1961 – Forest Whitaker, American actor
• 1962 – Nikos Filippou, Greek basketball player and manager
• 1962 – Michelle Ford, Australian swimmer
• 1963 – Brigitte Nielsen, Danish-Italian actress
• 1963 – Steve Thomas, English-Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1965 – Alistair Carmichael, Scottish lawyer and politician, Secretary of State for Scotland
• 1965 – Gero Miesenböck, Austrian neuroscientist and educator
• 1965 – David Miliband, English politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
• 1966 – Jason Bonham, English singer-songwriter and drummer
• 1966 – Irène Jacob, French-Swiss actress
• 1967 – Adam Savage, American actor and special effects designer
• 1967 – Elbert West, American singer-songwriter (d. 2015)
• 1968 – Eddie Griffin, American comedian, actor, and producer
• 1969 – Ain Tammus, Estonian footballer and coach
• 1970 – Tarkan Gözübüyük, Turkish bass player and producer
• 1972 – Scott Foley, American actor
• 1973 – Brian Austin Green, American actor
• 1973 – Buju Banton, Jamaican singer
• 1975 – Cherry, American wrestler and manager
• 1975 – Danny Law, English cricketer
• 1975 – Ben Pepper, Australian basketball player
• 1976 – Steve Cunningham, American boxer
• 1976 – Marco Di Vaio, Italian footballer
• 1976 – Diane Kruger, German actress and model
• 1976 – Gabriel Iglesias, Mexican-American comedian and voice actor
• 1977 – D. J. Kennington, Canadian racing driver
• 1977 – André Nel, South African cricketer
• 1977 – Lana Parrilla, American actress
• 1977 – John St. Clair, American football player
• 1977 – Ray Toro, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1978 – Miguel Olivo, Dominican baseball player
• 1979 – Laura Benanti, American actress and singer
• 1979 – Alexander Frei, Swiss footballer
• 1979 – Edda Garðarsdóttir, Icelandic footballer
• 1979 – Renata Kučerová, Czech tennis player
• 1980 – Reggie Abercrombie, American baseball player
• 1980 – Jonathan Cheechoo, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1980 – Julia Perez, Indonesian singer and actress (d. 2017)
• 1981 – Alou Diarra, French footballer
• 1981 – Petros Klampanis, Greek bassist and composer
• 1981 – Marius Stankevičius, Lithuanian footballer
• 1982 – Julien Canal, French racing driver
• 1982 – Neemia Tialata, New Zealand rugby player
• 1982 – Aída Yéspica, Venezuelan model and actress
• 1983 – Salvatore Iovino, American racing driver
• 1983 – Nelson Merlo, Brazilian racing driver
• 1983 – Heath Slater, American wrestler
• 1984 – Angelo Siniscalchi, Italian footballer
• 1984 – Veronika Velez-Zuzulová, Slovak skier
• 1986 – Tyler Kennedy, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1987 – Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, American actor
• 1989 – Alisa Kleybanova, Russian tennis player
• 1989 – Anthony Randolph, American basketball player
• 1990 – Olly Alexander, English singer and actor
• 1990 – Zach Bogosian, American ice hockey player
• 1990 – Damian Lillard, American basketball player
• 1990 – Tyler Young, American racing driver
• 1991 – Danilo, Brazilian footballer
• 1991 – Derrick Favors, American basketball player
• 1991 – Evgeny Tishchenko, Russian boxer
• 1991 – Nuria Párrizas Díaz, Spanish tennis player
• 1992 – Tobias Harris, American basketball player
• 1992 – Wayde van Niekerk, South African sprinter
• 1993 – Håvard Nielsen, Norwegian footballer
• 1993 – Harrison Rhodes, American racing driver
• 1993 – Masataka Yoshida, Japanese baseball player
• 1996 – Vivianne Miedema, Dutch football player
• 1997 – Jil Teichmann, Swiss tennis player
• 1998 – Noah Gragson, American racing driver
• 1999 – Mohamed Sobhy, Egyptian footballer
• 2008 – Iain Armitage, American child actor

Pre-1600

• 756 – Yang Guifei, consort of Xuan Zong (b. 719)
• 998 – Abū al-Wafā' Būzjānī, Persian mathematician and astronomer (b. 940)
• 1015 – Vladimir the Great, Grand prince of Kievan Rus' (b. c. 958)
• 1274 – Bonaventure, Italian bishop and saint (b. 1221)
• 1291 – Rudolf I of Germany (b. 1218)
• 1299 – King Eric II of Norway (b. c. 1268)
• 1381 – John Ball, English Lollard priest
• 1388 – Agnes of Durazzo, titular Latin empress consort of Constantinople (b. 1313)
• 1397 – Catherine of Henneberg, German ruler (b. c. 1334)
• 1406 – William, Duke of Austria
• 1410 – Ulrich von Jungingen, German Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights (b. 1360)
• 1445 – Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scotland
• 1542 – Lisa del Giocondo, subject of Leonardo da Vinci's painting Mona Lisa (b. 1479)
• 1544 – René of Châlon (b. 1519)
• 1571 – Shimazu Takahisa, Japanese daimyō (b. 1514)

1601–1900

• 1609 – Annibale Carracci, Italian painter and illustrator (b. 1560)
• 1614 – Pierre de Bourdeille, seigneur de Brantôme, French soldier, historian, and author (b. 1540)
• 1655 – Girolamo Rainaldi, Italian architect (b. 1570)
• 1685 – James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, Dutch-English general and politician, Governor of Kingston-upon-Hull (b. 1649)
• 1750 – Vasily Tatishchev, Russian ethnographer and politician (b. 1686)
• 1765 – Charles-André van Loo, French painter (b. 1705)
• 1767 – Michael Bruce, Scottish poet and composer (b. 1746)
• 1789 – Jacques Duphly, French harpsichord player and composer (b. 1715)
• 1828 – Jean-Antoine Houdon, French sculptor (b. 1741)
• 1839 – Winthrop Mackworth Praed, English poet and politician (b. 1802)
• 1844 – Claude Charles Fauriel, French philologist and historian (b. 1772)
• 1851 – Anne-Marie Javouhey, French nun, founder of the Sisters of St Joseph of Cluny (b. 1779)
• 1851 – Juan Felipe Ibarra, Argentinian general and politician (b. 1787)
• 1857 – Carl Czerny, Austrian pianist and composer (b. 1791)
• 1858 – Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov, Russian painter (b. 1806)
• 1883 – General Tom Thumb, American circus performer (b. 1838)
• 1885 – Rosalía de Castro, Spanish author and poet (b. 1837)
• 1890 – Gottfried Keller, Swiss author, poet, and playwright (b. 1819)
• 1898 – Jean-Baptiste Salpointe, French-American archbishop (b. 1825)

1901–present

• 1904 – Anton Chekhov, Russian playwright and short story writer (b. 1860)
• 1919 – Emil Fischer, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1852)
• 1929 – Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Austrian author, poet, and playwright (b. 1874)
• 1930 – Leopold Auer, Hungarian violinist, composer, and conductor (b. 1845)
• 1930 – Leonora Barry, Irish-born American social activist (b. 1849)
• 1931 – Ladislaus Bortkiewicz, Russian-German economist and mathematician (b. 1868)
• 1932 – Bahíyyih Khánum, Iranian writer and leader in the Baha'i faith (b. 1846)
• 1932 – Cornelis Jacobus Langenhoven, South African poet and politician (b. 1873)
• 1933 – Irving Babbitt, American scholar, critic, and academic (b. 1865)
• 1933 – Freddie Keppard, American cornet player (b. 1890)
• 1940 – Eugen Bleuler, Swiss psychiatrist and physician (b. 1857)
• 1940 – Robert Wadlow, American giant, 8"11' 271 cm (b. 1918)
• 1942 – Wenceslao Vinzons, Filipino lawyer and politician (b. 1910)
• 1944 – Marie-Victorin Kirouac, Canadian botanist and academic (b. 1885)
• 1946 – Razor Smith, English cricketer and coach (b. 1877)
• 1947 – Walter Donaldson, American soldier and songwriter (b. 1893)
• 1948 – John J. Pershing, American general (b. 1860)
• 1953 – Geevarghese Mar Ivanios, Indian archbishop, founded the Order of the Imitation of Christ (b. 1882)
• 1957 – James M. Cox, American publisher and politician, 46th Governor of Ohio (b. 1870)
• 1957 – Vasily Maklakov, a Russian lawyer and politician (b. 1869)
• 1959 – Ernest Bloch, Swiss-American composer and academic (b. 1880)
• 1959 – Vance Palmer, Australian author and critic (b. 1885)
• 1960 – Set Persson, Swedish politician (b. 1897)
• 1960 – Lawrence Tibbett, American singer and actor (b. 1896)
• 1961 – John Edward Brownlee, Canadian lawyer and politician, 5th Premier of Alberta (b. 1884)
• 1961 – Nina Bari, Russian mathematician (b. 1901)
• 1965 – Francis Cherry, American lawyer and politician, 35th Governor of Arkansas (b. 1908)
• 1966 – Seyfi Arkan, Turkish architect (b. 1903)
• 1969 – Grace Hutchins, American labor reformer and researcher (b. 1885)
• 1974 – Christine Chubbuck, American journalist (b. 1944)
• 1976 – Paul Gallico, American journalist and author (b. 1897)
• 1977 – Donald Mackay, Australian businessman and activist (b. 1933)
• 1979 – Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Mexican academic and politician, 29th President of Mexico (b. 1911)
• 1981 – Frédéric Dorion, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician (b. 1898)
• 1982 – Bill Justis, American saxophonist, songwriter, and producer (b. 1926)
• 1986 – Billy Haughton, American harness racer and trainer (b. 1923)
• 1988 – Eleanor Estes, American librarian, author, and illustrator (b. 1906)
• 1989 – Laurie Cunningham, English footballer (b. 1956)
• 1990 – Zaim Topčić, Yugoslav and Bosnian writer (b. 1920)
• 1990 – Margaret Lockwood, English actress (b. 1916)
• 1990 – Omar Abu Risha, Syrian poet and diplomat, 4th Syrian Ambassador to the United States (b. 1910)
• 1991 – Bert Convy, American actor, singer, and game show host (b. 1933)
• 1992 – Hammer DeRoburt, Nauruan educator and politician, 1st President of Nauru (b. 1922)
• 1992 – Chingiz Mustafayev, Azerbaijani journalist and author (b. 1960)
• 1997 – Justinas Lagunavičius, Lithuanian basketball player (b. 1924)
• 1997 – Gianni Versace, Italian fashion designer, founded Versace (b. 1946)
• 1998 – S. Shanmuganathan, Sri Lankan politician (b. 1960)
• 2000 – Louis Quilico, Canadian opera singer and educator (b. 1925)
• 2001 – C. Balasingham, Sri Lankan lawyer and civil servant (b. 1917)
• 2003 – Roberto Bolaño, Chilean novelist, short-story writer, poet, and essayist (b. 1953)
• 2003 – Elisabeth Welch, American actress and singer (b. 1904)
• 2006 – Robert H. Brooks, American businessman, founder of Hooters and Naturally Fresh, Inc. (b. 1937)
• 2006 – Alireza Shapour Shahbazi, Iranian archaeologist and academic (b. 1942)
• 2008 – György Kolonics, Hungarian canoe racer (b. 1972)
• 2010 – James E. Akins, American politician and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (b. 1926)
• 2011 – Friedrich Wilhelm Schnitzler, German landowner and politician (b. 1928)
• 2011 – Googie Withers, British-Australian actress (b. 1917)
• 2012 – Boris Cebotari, Moldovan footballer (b. 1975)
• 2012 – Tsilla Chelton, Israeli-French actress (b. 1919)
• 2012 – Grant Feasel, American football player (b. 1960)
• 2012 – David Fraser, English general (b. 1920)
• 2012 – Celeste Holm, American actress and singer (b. 1917)
• 2012 – Yoichi Takabayashi, Japanese director and screenwriter (b. 1931)
• 2013 – Ninos Aho, Syrian-American poet and activist (b. 1945)
• 2013 – Henry Braden, American lawyer and politician (b. 1944)
• 2013 – Tom Greenwell, American lawyer and judge (b. 1956)
• 2013 – Earl Gros, American football player (b. 1940)
• 2013 – Noël Lee, Chinese-American pianist and composer (b. 1924)
• 2013 – Meskerem Legesse, Ethiopian runner (b. 1986)
• 2013 – John T. Riedl, American computer scientist and academic (b. 1962)
• 2014 – Óscar Acosta, Honduran author, poet, and diplomat (b. 1933)
• 2014 – James MacGregor Burns, American historian, political scientist, and author (b. 1918)
• 2014 – Edward Perl, American neuroscientist and academic (b. 1926)
• 2014 – Robert A. Roe, American soldier and politician (b. 1924)
• 2015 – Masahiko Aoki, Japanese-American economist and academic (b. 1938)
• 2015 – Wan Li, Chinese politician, 4th Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China (b. 1916)
• 2015 – Aubrey Morris, British actor (b. 1926)
• 2015 – Dave Somerville, Canadian singer (b. 1933)
• 2017 – Martin Landau, American film and television actor (b. 1928)
• 2021 – Peter R. de Vries, Dutch investigative journalist and crime reporter (b. 1956)

• Bon Festival (Kantō region, Japan)
• Christian feast day:
  • Abhai (Syriac Orthodox Church)
  • Anne-Marie Javouhey
  • Bernhard II, Margrave of Baden-Baden
  • Bonaventure
  • Dispersion of the Apostles (formerly by the Catholic Church)
  • Donald of Ogilvy
  • Edith of Polesworth
  • Edith of Wilton
  • Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor
  • Plechelm
  • Quriaqos and Julietta (Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox)
  • Swithun
  • Vladimir the Great (Eastern Orthodox; Catholic Church)
  • July 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Earliest day on which Birthday of Don Luis Muñoz Rivera can fall, while July 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Monday of July. (Puerto Rico)
• Earliest day on which Galla Bayramy can fall, while July 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Sunday of July. (Turkmenistan)
• Earliest day on which Marine Day can fall, while July 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Monday of July. (Japan)
• Earliest day on which President's Day can fall, while July 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Monday of July. (Botswana)
• Elderly Men Day (Kiribati)
• Festival of Santa Rosalia (Palermo, Sicily)
• Sultan's Birthday (Brunei Darussalam)
• Statehood Day (Ukraine)

• "On This Day". BBC.
• The New York Times: On This Day
• "Historical Events on July 15". OnThisDay.com.