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Today in History: July 15

1099
Jerusalem falls to the Crusaders.

1410
Poles and Lithuanians defeat the Teutonic knights at Tannenberg, Prussia.

1685
The Duke of Monmouth is executed in Tower Hill in England.

1789
The electors of Paris set up a "Commune" to live without the authority of the government.

1806
Lieutenant Zebulon Pike begins his western expedition from Fort Belle Fontaine.


1813
Napoleon Bonaparte's representatives meet with the Allies in Prague to discuss peace terms.

1834
Lord Napier of England arrives at Macao, China, as the first chief superintendent of trade.

1863
Confederate raider Bill Anderson and his Bushwhackers attack Huntsville, Missouri, stealing $45,000 from the local bank.

1895
Ex-prime minister of Bulgaria, Stepfan Stambolov, is murdered by Macedonian rebels.

1901
Over 74,000 Pittsburgh steel workers go on strike.


1942
The first supply flight from India to China over the 'Hump' is flown.

1958
President Dwight Eisenhower sends 5,000 Marines to Lebanon to keep the peace.

1960
John F. Kennedy accepts the Democratic nomination for president.


Today in History: Born on July 15

1606
Rembrandt van Rijn, Dutch artist.

1779
Clement Moore, American scholar and educator.

1796
Thomas Bulfinch, historian and mythologist (The Age of Fable).

1836
William Winter, drama critic and essayist for The New York Times.

1850
Francis Xavier Cabrini, the first American canonized saint.


1904
Dorothy Fields, songwriter.

1906
Richard W. Armour, humorist and author (Twisted Tales from Shakespeare).

1913
Hammond Innes, English novelist.

1914
Gavin Maxwell, Scottish writer and naturalist (Ring of Bright Water).

1919
Iris Murdoch, British novelist (A Severed Head, The Black Prince).

JOTD
On their way to get married, a young Catholic couple is involved in a fatal car accident.

The couple found themselves sitting outside the Pearly Gates waiting for St. Peter to process them into Heaven. While waiting, they began to wonder: Could they possibly get married in Heaven? When St. Peter showed up, they asked him. St. Peter said, "I don't know. This is the first time anyone has asked. Let me go find out,'" and he left. The couple sat and waited, and waited. Two months passed and the couple were still waiting. While waiting, they began to wonder what would happen if it didn't work out; could you get a divorce in heaven? After yet another month, St. Peter finally returned, looking somewhat bedraggled. "Yes," he informed the couple, "You can get married in Heaven." "Great!" said the couple, "But we were just wondering, what if things don't work out? Could we also get a divorce in Heaven?" St. Peter, red-faced with anger, slammed his clipboard onto the ground. "What's wrong?" asked the frightened couple. "OH, COME ON!," St. Peter shouted, "It took me three months to find a priest up here! Do you have any idea how long it'll take me to find a lawyer?"