On this day

15 June in history.

5 moments from 763 BC to 1988: discovery, creativity and courage, each with a source to read more.

5 moments

Alcock and Brown taking on mail on Vickers Vimy, June 14, 1919. CNS Photo 0504001

1919

Non-stop across the Atlantic. John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown landed in an Irish bog after flying non-stop from Newfoundland, the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic.

Wikipedia: Transatlantic flight of Alcock and Brown

Photo: Holloway / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

More from 15 June

  1. The eclipse of Bur Sagale that supports Assyrian chronology

    763 BC

    An eclipse that fixed history

    Assyrian scribes recorded a solar eclipse. Astronomers can date it exactly, which lets historians date events in the ancient Middle East.

    Wikipedia: Assyrian eclipse

    Photo: NASA / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

  2. caption: "Fig. 411. Eadweard Muybridge, 1830-1904. (From Animals in Motion, 1899)."

    1878

    The horse in motion

    Eadweard Muybridge photographed a galloping horse with a row of cameras, proving that all four hooves leave the ground at once.

    Wikipedia: The Horse in MotionWikipedia: Eadweard Muybridge

    Photo: Unknown author / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

  3. Bessie Coleman in 1923

    1921

    Bessie Coleman's licence

    Turned away by American flight schools, Bessie Coleman learned in France and became the first Black woman to earn a pilot's licence.

    Wikipedia: Bessie Coleman

    Photo: Unknown / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

  4. Ariane 4

    1988

    Ariane 4 takes off

    Europe's Ariane 4 rocket made its first flight. It went on to launch more than 100 missions.

    Wikipedia: Ariane 4

    Photo: NASA / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Moments chosen for discovery, creativity and courage. Each one links to a source where you can read more; photos are credited to their owners.