15 November in history
8 events that happened on 15 November, from 655 to 1920.
✦ Anniversary of the day
655 CE 1,371 years ago
Oswiu of Northumbria defeats and kills Penda of Mercia at the Winwaed
At the Winwaed, probably near Leeds, Oswiu of Northumbria defeated and killed the pagan King Penda of Mercia, and many of Penda's allied kings also died. According to Bede, the battle marked the effective end of Anglo-Saxon paganism.
1315 CE 711 years ago
Swiss confederates ambush the Habsburgs at Morgarten
Men of Schwyz, Uri and Unterwalden ambushed Duke Leopold of Austria's army on a narrow path by Lake Ägeri. The victory strengthened the young Swiss Confederation.
1533 CE 493 years ago
Francisco Pizarro's Spaniards enter Cusco, the Inca capital
Spanish forces under Francisco Pizarro entered Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire, sealing their conquest of Peru. The Spaniards later rebuilt its palaces and temples, including the Coricancha, on Inca foundations.
1705 CE 321 years ago
Habsburg and Danish forces defeat the Kuruc army at Zsibó
Forces of the Habsburg Empire, Denmark-Norway and Vojvodian Serbs defeated the Kuruc army of Francis II Rákóczi at Zsibó in Transylvania. Flanked by the Austrian cavalry, the Hungarians were forced to retreat.
1777 CE 249 years ago
Congress adopts the Articles of Confederation
The Continental Congress approved the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States. Ratified in 1781, they gave the central government too little power and were replaced in 1789.
1889 CE 137 years ago
A military coup makes Brazil a republic
Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca led a coup in Rio de Janeiro that deposed Emperor Pedro II and proclaimed the Republic of Brazil. The 64-year-old emperor went into exile in Europe.
1920 CE 106 years ago
The League of Nations holds its first Assembly
Delegates of 41 nations met in Geneva for the first Assembly of the League of Nations. Weakened by the absence of the United States, the League failed to prevent the aggression of the 1930s.
Born on 15 November 5
Died on 15 November 10
Dates as the sources give them: in the Julian calendar before 1582, and in some countries for longer (Britain until 1752, Russia until 1918). Only people whose day of birth or death the records agree on are listed.