15 February in Indian and World History is celebrated, observed, and remembered for various reasons. 15 February is the birth anniversary of Radha Krishna Choudhary, Naresh Mehta, KG Subrahmanyam, and Radhavallabh Tripathi.
15 February is also observed as the death anniversary of Ghalib, and Subhadra Kumari Chauhan.
Birth Anniversary on 15 February
15 February in Indian history is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the following personalities:
Radha Krishna Choudhary (15 February 1921 – 15 March 1985), was one of the famous writers of Bihar. Along with this, he was also a historian and thinker. Radhakrishna Choudhary contributed to the historical and archaeological study of Bihar as well as Maithili literature. He published many original theses on the history of Bihar. He was born on 15 February 1921.
Naresh Mehta (15 February 1922 – 22 November 2000), a renowned Hindi poet and one of the top writers of the Jnanpith Award, who is known for his deep vision of Indianness. Naresh Mehta gave a new dimension to modern poetry with a new euphemism. Naresh Mehta also edited the ‘Chautha Sansar’ Hindi daily published from Indore. He was born on 15 February 1922 in Shajapur, British India.
KG Subrahmanyam (15 February 1924 – 29 June 2016), was an Indian sculptor and muralist. He was one of the pioneers of Indian modern art. He was born on 15 February 1924.
Radhavallabh Tripathi, is a famous litterateur. Mainly he is known as an eminent litterateur of the Sanskrit language. He was awarded the ‘Sahitya Akademi Award’ in 1994 for his poetry collection ‘Sandhanam‘. Radhavallabh Tripathi is a scholar who gave the culture of modernity to Sanskrit and a prolific writer and storyteller of Hindi. He was born on 15 February 1949 in Rajgarh, Madhya Pradesh.
Read More: 14 February in Indian and World History
Death Anniversary on 15 February
15 February in Indian history is observed as the death anniversary of the following personalities:
Ghalib or Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan (27 December 1797 – 15 February 1869), to the whole world Known as ‘Mirza Ghalib’. He is considered the greatest Urdu-Persian poet of all time and is also credited with popularizing the flow of Persian poetry in the Indian language. The letters written by Ghalib, which were not published at that time, are also considered important documents of Urdu writing. Ghalib is known as an important poet in India and Pakistan. He got the titles of Dabir-ul-Mulk and Nazm-ud-Daulah. Ghalib remained in debt all his life, but he never allowed his glory to diminish. Not one of their seven children survived. The pension with which he and his house had got support was also stopped. Ghalib belonged to the Nawabi family and held a high position in the Mughal court. He died on 15 February 1869.
Subhadra Kumari Chauhan (16 August 1904 – 15 February 1948), was a well-known Hindi poet and writer. Two of her poetry collections and three-story collections were published, but her fame is due to the poem ‘Jhansi Ki Rani’. Subhadra Ji was a conscious poet of national consciousness, but she expressed her feelings in the story after suffering many jail tortures in the freedom struggle. The language of the depiction-oriented style is simple and poetic, due to which the simplicity of his composition is heart-wrenching. She died on 15 February 1948.
Read More: 13 February in Indian and World History
Notable events on 15 February in Indian and World History
15 February 1564 – The great astronomer Galileo was born.
15 February 1677 – The English King Charles II made an alliance with the Dutch against France.
15 February 1763 – A peace treaty was signed between Australia and Prussia.
15 February 1764 – The city of St. Louis in America was founded.
15 February 1798 – France annexed Rome and declared it a republic.
15 February 1806 – After the Franco-Prussian Treaty, Prussia closed its ports to British ships.
15 February 1845 – Elihu Root an American lawyer, Republican politician, statesman, and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born.
15 February 1861 – Charles Edouard Guillaume a Swiss physicist and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born.
15 February 1873 – Hans von Euler Chelpin a German-born Swedish biochemist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born.
15 February 1903 – the world’s favorite soft toy teddy bear was introduced into the market by Morris Michtom.
15 February 1920 – Anne Cath Vestly, a Norwegian author of children’s literature, was born.
15 February 1922 – Naresh Mehta, a Hindi writer, was born.
15 February 1926 – The introduction of contract airmail service in the US.
15 February 1942 – Singapore surrendered to the Japanese army during World War II.
15 February 1944 – Berlin was bombed by hundreds of British planes.
15 February 1954 – Arun Kamal, an Indian poet in modern Hindi literature with a progressive, ideological poetic style, was born.
15 February 1959 – Owen Willans Richardson, a British physicist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, died.
15 February 1961 – About 50 people died when the Boeing 707 plane crashed in Belgium.
15 February 1965 – Maple leaves were included in the official flag of Canada.
15 February 1967 – Elections to the fourth Lok Sabha were held in India.
15 February 1976 – Central Agricultural Research Institute was established in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh.
15 February 1979 –  Seif Wanly, an Egyptian painter known for his colorful and vibrant depictions of Egyptian life and culture, died.
15 February 1982 – Transfer of the capital of Sri Lanka from Colombo to Janvardhanpur.
15 February 1988 – Richard Feynman, an American theoretical physicist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, died.
15 February 1989 – The army of the then Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan.
15 February 1990 –  Sir Norman Parkinson — a renowned British fashion photographer who is considered one of the most influential and successful photographers — died.
15 February 1991 – Iraq announced its withdrawal from Kuwait.
15 February 1999 – Egypt announced the establishment of a surveillance center for the purpose of banning nuclear weapons.
15 February 1999 – Henry Way Kendall, an American physicist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, died.
15 February 2000 – Famous filmmaker director BR Chopra was presented the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
15 February 2001 – Violence erupted in Israel, on the same day Israel sealed the Gaza Strip on the West Bank.
15 February 2002 – Tourism Minister Abdul Rahman was beaten to death by a mob of Haj pilgrims in Afghanistan.
15 February 2003 – the telecommunication satellite ‘Intelsat’ was launched into space by the “Ariane 4” rocket.
15 February 2005 – a fire broke out in a mosque packed with worshipers in the Iranian capital Tehran, killing 60 people.
15 February 2008 – The first conference of Navy Chiefs of Indian Ocean Coast Countries was held in New Delhi.
15 February 2010 – Kathak dancer Prerna Shrimali of Jaipur Gharana was selected for the 2009 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.
15 February 2010 – armed Maoists attacked the Silda camp in the Midnapore district of West Bengal. Around 24 soldiers were martyred in this attack.
15 February 2012 – a massive fire broke out in the Comayagua prison in the Central American country of Honduras. About 358 people lost their lives in this incident of arson.
15 February Historical Significance
February 15 has seen several significant events throughout history. In 1898, the USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor, precipitating the United States’ entry into the Spanish-American War. This day also marks the birth of Galileo Galilei in 1564, whose contributions to astronomy and physics fundamentally altered our understanding of the universe. In 1942, during World War II, Singapore fell to Japanese forces, marking a major turning point in the Pacific theater. Additionally, in 1965, Canada’s new maple leaf flag was inaugurated, symbolizing a distinct national identity. These events reflect the diverse historical importance of February 15, spanning scientific advancements, pivotal wartime moments, and national milestones.
Important Days of 15 February in History
International Childhood Cancer Day: This day is observed to raise awareness about childhood cancer and to express support for children and adolescents with cancer, survivors, and their families. It emphasizes the need for equitable access to care and treatment for all children affected by cancer.
National Flag of Canada Day: In Canada, 15 February is celebrated as National Flag of Canada Day. It marks the anniversary of the adoption of the current Canadian flag in 1965. Canadians celebrate this day with various events and activities to honor their national symbol.
