July 15 is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 169 days remaining until the end of the year.
- 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final assault of a difficult siege.
- 1207 - John of England expels Canterbury monks for supporting Archbishop of Canterbury Stephen Langton.
- 1240 - 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 Richard II of England.
- 1410 - Battle of Grunwald: allied forces of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeat the army of the Teutonic Order.
- 1685 - James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth is executed at Tower Hill, England after his defeat at the Battle of Sedgemore on 6 July 1685.
- 1741 - Alexei Chirikov sights land in Southeast Alaska. He sends men ashore in a longboat, making them the first Europeans to visit Alaska.
- 1789 - Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette, 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: near St. Louis, Missouri, United States Army Lieutenant Zebulon Pike begins an expedition from Fort Belle Fountaine to explore the west.
- 1815 - Napoléon Bonaparte surrenders aboard HMS Bellerophon.
- 1823 - A fire destroys the ancient Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome.
- 1870 - Reconstruction era of the United States: Georgia becomes the last of the former Confederate states to be readmitted to the Union.
- 1870 - 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 North-West Territories are established from these vast territories.
- 1870 - The Kingdom of Prussia and the Second French Empire commence the Franco-Prussian War.
- 1888 - The stratovolcano Mount Bandai erupts killing approximately 500 people.
- 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.
- 1927 - Massacre of July 15, 1927: 89 protesters are killed by the Austrian police in Vienna.
- 1929 - First weekly radio broadcast of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir radio show, Music and the Spoken Word.
- 1934 - Continental Airlines commences operations.
- 1954 - First flight of the Boeing 367-80, prototype for both the Boeing 707 and C-135 series.
- 1955 - Eighteen Nobel laureates sign the Mainau Declaration against nuclear weapons, later co-signed by thirty-four others.
- 1959 - The steel strike of 1959 begins, leading to significant importation of foreign steel for the first time in United States history.
- 1974 - In Nicosia, Cyprus, Greek-sponsored nationalists launch a coup d'état, deposing President Makarios and installing Nikos Sampson as Cypriot president.
- 1979 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter gives his famous "malaise" speech, where he characterizes the greatest threat to the country as "this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation."
- 1996 - A Belgian Air Force C-130 Hercules carrying the Royal Netherlands Army marching band crashes on landing at Eindhoven Airport.
- 1997 - In Miami, Florida, serial killer Andrew Phillip Cunanan guns down Gianni Versace outside his home.
- 1999 - The inaugural game at the Seattle Mariners' Safeco Field was held in Seattle, Washington.
- 2002 - "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh pleads guilty to supplying aid to the enemy and to possession of explosives during the commission of a felony.
- 2002 - Anti-Terrorism Court of Pakistan hands down the death sentence to British born Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and life terms to three others suspected of murdering Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.
- 2003 - AOL Time Warner disbands Netscape Communications Corporation. The Mozilla Foundation is established on the same day.
- 1273 - Ewostatewos, Ethiopian monk and religious leader (d. 1352)
- 1353 - Vladimir the Bold, Russian prince (d. 1410)
- 1471 - Eskender, Emperor of Ethiopia (d. 1494)
- 1553 - Archduke Ernest of Austria (d. 1595)
- 1573 - Inigo Jones, English architect (d. 1652)
- 1606 - Rembrandt, Dutch artist (d. 1669)
- 1631 - Jens Juel, Danish diplomat (d. 1700)
- 1704 - August Gottlieb Spangenberg, German religious leader (d. 1792)
- 1737 - Princess Louise-Marie of France, daughter of king Louis XV (d. 1787)
- 1779 - Clement Clarke Moore, American educator, author, and poet (d. 1863)
- 1796 - Thomas Bulfinch, American mythologist (d. 1867)
- 1808 - Henry Edward Cardinal Manning, English Catholic archbishop (d. 1892)
- 1812 - James Hope-Scott, English barrister (d. 1873)
- 1837 - Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, queen of Portugal (d. 1859)
- 1848 - Vilfredo Pareto, Italian economist and sociologist (d. 1923)
- 1851 - Eduardo Gutiérrez, Argentinian author (d. 1889)
- 1850 - Mother Cabrini, Italian-born Catholic saint (d. 1917)
- 1864 - Marie Tempest, English singer and actress (d. 1942)
- 1865 - Wilhelm Wirtinger, Austrian mathematician (d. 1945)
- 1870 - Vladimir Dmitrievich Nabokov, Russian publisher and politician (d. 1922)
- 1871 - Kunikida Doppo, Japanese writer (d. 1908)
- 1892 - Walter Benjamin, German literary critic and writer (d. 1940)
- 1894 - Tadeusz Sendzimir, Polish-American engineer and inventor (d. 1989)
- 1899 - Seán Lemass, Irish leader (d. 1971)
- 1902 - Jean Rey, Belgian politician and President of the European Commission (d. 1983)
- 1903 - Kumaraswami Kamaraj, Indian politician (d. 1975)
- 1904 - Rudolf Arnheim, German-born author (d. 2007)
- 1905 - Dorothy Fields, American librettist and lyricist (d. 1974)
- 1906 - Rudolf "Rudi" Uhlenhaut, German automotive engineer and test driver (Mercedes Benz) (d. 1989)
- 1911 - Edward Shackleton, English explorer (d. 1994)
- 1913 - Cowboy Copas, American country singer (d. 1963)
- 1913 - Dorothy Schwartz, American violinist (d. 2007)
- 1913 - Abraham Sutzkever, Yiddish language poet and memoirist.
- 1914 - Akhtar Hameed Khan, pioneer of Microcredit in developing countries (d. 1999)
- 1914 - Hammond Innes, English writer (d. 1998)
- 1914 - Howard Vernon, Swiss actor (d. 1996)
- 1918 - Bertram N. Brockhouse, Canadian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2003)
- 1919 - Iris Murdoch, Irish writer (d. 1999)
- 1921 - Robert Bruce Merrifield, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1921 - Henri Colpi, French film director (d. 2006)
- 1922 - Leon M. Lederman, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1925 - Philip Carey, American actor
- 1926 - Driss Chraïbi, Moroccan author
- 1926 - Leopoldo Galtieri, Argentine dictator (d. 2003)
- 1928 - Carl Woese, American microbiologist
- 1929 - Charles Anthony, American tenor
- 1930 - Jacques Derrida, French philosopher (d. 2004)
- 1930 - Stephen Smale, American mathematician
- 1930 - Richard Garneau, French Canadian sports journalist
- 1931 - Clive Cussler, American author
- 1932 - Ed Litzenberger, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1933 - Julian Bream, English guitarist and lutenist
- 1933 - Guido Crepax, Italian comics artist (d. 2003)
- 1934 - Harrison Birtwistle, English composer
- 1934 - Risto Jarva, Finnish filmmaker (d. 1977)
- 1935 - Donn Clendenon, baseball player (d. 2005)
- 1935 - Ken Kercheval, American actor
- 1935 - Alex Karras, American football player and actor
- 1936 - George Voinovich, American politician, senior senator of Ohio
- 1938 - Ernie Barnes, American artist and football player
- 1938 - Barry Goldwater Jr., American politician
- 1939 - Aníbal Cavaco Silva, President of Portugal and former Prime Minister
- 1939 - Patrick Wayne, American actor
- 1941 - Denis Héroux, French Canadian film director and producer
- 1942 - Mil Máscaras, Mexican professional wrestler
- 1943 - Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Irish astrophysicist
- 1944 - Millie Jackson, American singer
- 1944 - Jan-Michael Vincent, American actor
- 1945 - Jürgen Möllemann, German politician (d. 2003)
- 1946 - Linda Ronstadt, American singer
- 1946 - Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei
- 1947 - Peter Banks, British guitarist (Yes)
- 1948 - Alicia Bridges, American singer
- 1948 - Artimus Pyle, American drummer (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
- 1949 - Carl Bildt, Swedish politician
- 1949 - Trevor Horn, British music producer
- 1950 - Colin Barnett, Australian politician
- 1950 - Arianna Huffington, Greek-born newspaper columnist
- 1951 - Jesse Ventura, professional wrestler and former Governor of Minnesota
- 1952 - Johnny Thunders, American musician (d. 1991)
- 1952 - Terry O'Quinn, American actor
- 1952 - Judy McGrath, American television executive
- 1953 - Jean-Bertrand Aristide, former President of Haiti
- 1953 - John Denham, British politician
- 1954 - Mario Kempes, Argentine football player
- 1956 - Ian Curtis, British musician (d. 1980)
- 1956 - Barry Melrose, Canadian hockey player, coach, and commentator
- 1956 - Marky Ramone, American musician (Ramones)
- 1956 - Joe Satriani, American guitarist
- 1956 - Wayne Taylor, South African race car driver
- 1958 - Gary Heale, former professional English soccer player
- 1958 - Mac Thornberry, American politician
- 1959 - Vincent Lindon, French actor
- 1959 - Shep Pettibone, American record producer
- 1960 - Kim Alexis, American supermodel and actress
- 1960 - Willie Aames, American actor
- 1961 - Lolita Davidovich, Canadian-born actress
- 1961 - Jean-Christophe Grangé, French writer and screenwriter
- 1961 - Scott Ritter, UN weapons inspector in Iraq
- 1961 - Forest Whitaker, American actor
- 1962 - Steve Brown, American darts player
- 1963 - Steve Thomas, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1963 - Brigitte Nielsen, Danish-born actress
- 1965 - David Miliband, British politician
- 1966 - Jason Bonham, English drummer; son of John Bonham
- 1966 - Irène Jacob, French-born Swiss actress
- 1967 - Adam Savage, American actor
- 1968 - Eddie Griffin, American comedian
- 1968 - Stan Kirsch, American actor
- 1971 - Danijela, Croatian singer
- 1972 - Scott Foley, American actor
- 1972 - Beth Ostrosky, American model
- 1973 - John Dolmayan, Lebanese-born drummer (System of a Down)
- 1973 - Brian Austin Green, American actor
- 1974 - Chris Taylor, Australian comedian, member of The Chaser
- 1974 - Chot Ulep, Filipino musician
- 1975 - Kara Drew, An American professional wrestler better known as Cherry
- 1975 - Ben Pepper, Australian basketball player
- 1976 - Diane Kruger, German actress and former fashion model
- 1977 - Kitana Baker, American model (Miller Light Catfight commercial)
- 1977 - Faraz Anwar, Pakistani guitarist (Mizraab)
- 1977 - Lana Parrilla, American actress
- 1977 - Andre Nel, South African Cricketer
- 1978 - Miguel Olivo, Dominican baseball player
- 1979 - Laura Benanti, American musical theatre actress
- 1979 - Alexander Frei, Swiss footballer
- 1980 - Jonathan Cheechoo, professional ice hockey player
- 1980 - Reggie Abercrombie, professional baseball player
- 1980 - Jasper Pääkkönen, Finnish actor and film producer
- 1983 - Nelson Merlo, Brazilian racing driver
- 1984 - Vice Cooler, American musician
- 1986 - Tyler Kennedy, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1989 - Tristan Wilds, American actor
- 1992 - Koharu Kusumi, Japanese singer (Morning Musume)
- 1085 - Robert Guiscard, duke of Apulia (b. c. 1015)
- 1262 - Richard de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford, English soldier (b. 1222)
- 1274 - Bonaventure, Italian theologian and saint (b. 1221)
- 1291 - Rudolph I of Germany, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1218)
- 1381 - John Ball, English priest
- 1406 - Duke William of Austria (b. c. 1370)
- 1410 - Ulrich von Jungingen, German Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights (killed in battle) (b. 1360)
- 1521 - Juan Ponce de León, Spanish Explorer (b. 1458)
- 1544 - René of Châlon, Prince of the House of Orange (b. 1519)
- 1571 - Shimazu Takahisa, Japanese samurai and warlord (b. 1514)
- 1609 - Annibale Carracci, Italian painter (b. 1560)
- 1614 - Pierre de Bourdeille, seigneur de Brantôme, French historian and biographer (b. c. 1540)
- 1655 - Girolamo Rainaldi, Italian architect (b. 1570)
- 1685 - James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, illegitimate son of Charles II of England (b. 1649)
- 1750 - Vasily Tatishchev, Russian statesman (b. 1686)
- 1765 - Charles-André van Loo, French painter (b. 1705)
- 1767 - Michael Bruce, Scottish poet (b. 1746)
- 1789 - Jacques Duphly, French composer (b. 1715)
- 1828 - Jean Antoine Houdon, French sculptor (b. 1741)
- 1839 - Winthrop Mackworth Praed, English poet (b. 1802)
- 1844 - Claude Charles Fauriel, French historian (b. 1772)
- 1857 - Carl Czerny, Austrian composer (b. 1791)
- 1885 - Rosalia de Castro, Spanish writer and poet (b. 1837)
- 1890 - Gottfried Keller, Swiss writer (b. 1819)
- 1898 - Jean Baptiste Salpointe, second Archbishop of Santa Fe (d. 1825)
- 1904 - Anton Chekhov, Russian writer (b. 1860)
- 1919 - Hermann Emil Fischer, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1852)
- 1929 - Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Austrian writer (b. 1874)
- 1930 - Leopold Auer, Hungarian violinist and composer (b. 1845)
- 1931 - Ladislaus Bortkiewicz, Russian economist (b. 1868)
- 1932 - Cornelis Jacobus Langenhoven, South African politician and writer (b. 1873)
- 1933 - Irving Babbitt, American literary critic (b. 1865)
- 1933 - Freddie Keppard, American musician (b. 1890)
- 1940 - Robert Pershing Wadlow, American--at 8 ft. 11.1 in, the tallest human ever known (b. 1918)
- 1942 - Wenceslao Vinzons, Filipino politician and resistance leader (bayoneted to death) (b. 1910)
- 1944 - Marie-Victorin, French Canadian Christian Brother and botanist (b. 1885)
- 1946 - Razor Smith, English cricketer (b. 1877)
- 1947 - Walter Donaldson, American songwriter (b. 1893)
- 1948 - John J. Pershing, U.S. general (b. 1860)
- 1953 - Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios (b. 1882)
- 1957 - James M. Cox, American politician (b. 1870)
- 1957 - Vasily Maklakov, Russian orator and liberal politician (b. 1869)
- 1958 - Julia Lennon, mother of John Lennon (b. 1914)
- 1959 - Ernest Bloch, Swiss composer (b. 1880)
- 1959 - Vance Palmer, Australian author (b. 1885)
- 1960 - Lawrence Tibbett, American opera singer and actor (b. 1896)
- 1960 - Set Persson, Swedish communist politician (b. 1897)
- 1961 - John E. Brownlee, Canadian politician (b. 1884)
- 1965 - Francis Cherry, American politician (b. 1908)
- 1974 - Christine Chubbuck, television news reporter (b. 1944)
- 1979 - Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, President of Mexico (b. 1911)
- 1982 - Bill Justis, American musician and producer (b. 1926)
- 1986 - Billy Haughton, American harness driver and trainer (b. 1923)
- 1989 - Laurie Cunningham, English footballer (b. 1956)
- 1990 - Margaret Lockwood, British actress (b. 1916)
- 1991 - Bert Convy, American actor (b. 1933)
- 1992 - Chingiz Mustafayev, Azerbaijan's most noted journalist (b. 1960)
- 1992 - Hammer DeRoburt, first President of Nauru (b. 1922)
- 1993 - David Brian, American actor (b. 1914)
- 1993 - Bobby Kent, alleged Florida bully murdered by his friends (b. 1973)
- 1996 - Dana Hill, American actress (b. 1964)
- 1997 - Gianni Versace, Italian fashion designer (b. 1946)
- 2000 - Louis Quilico, Canadian baritone (b. 1925)
- 2003 - Roberto Bolaño, Chilean writer (b. 1953)
- 2003 - Tex Schramm, American football team president and general manager (b. 1920)
- 2006 - Robert H. Brooks, founder of Hooters of America (b. 1937)
- 2008 - Gyorgy Kolonics, Hungarian canoeist, Olympics medalist. (b. 1972)
