15 February: Historical events that took place on this day

There are a lot of events that have taken place in the past decades around the world. Beginning with landmark wars to major events in human civilisation, from advancements in science and technology to the birth and growth of several nations, we have been witness to multiple world-changing events. With that said, today is 15 February and this date also marks several historical incidents that have taken their course throughout the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. It is important for all of us to know in detail about these events and further pass on the information to the coming generations. 15 February: Historical events 1933 - Anton J. Cermak was shot by an assassin It was on this day back in 1933 when Anton J Cermak, who was the mayor of Chicago, was injured by an assassin’s bullet intended for the president-elect, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He was immediately rushed to a local hospital and underwent treatment. However, his condition deteriorated further with symptoms of ‘colitis’. Almost three weeks after the attack, he passed away. 1965 - Canada adopted the Maple Leaf Flag It has been over five decades since the Maple Leaf flag was flown for the first time on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on this date in 1965. The flag was officially adopted by Canada following a royal proclamation from Queen Elizabeth II. 1978 - Leon Spinks became the world heavyweight champion In a major surprise for the boxing world, Leon Spinks defeated world champion Muhammad Ali on this date to become the heavyweight boxing champion. Prior to this, he had also won a gold medal at the 1976 Olympics. Spinks was just 13 months into his pro-boxing career when he achieved the feat. 1989 - Soviet Union withdrew its last troops from Afghanistan Marking an end to one of the bloodiest conflicts in the history of Afghanistan, the Soviet-Afghan war finally concluded on 15 February 1989. On this date, the last Soviet soldier crossed the Afghan-Soviet border almost 10 years after the country’s combatant forces launched a war on Afghanistan. The decision to withdraw all the Soviet combat forces began in November 1986 under the guidance of President Mikhail Gorbachev. 2013 - A meteor exploded over Russia On 15 February 2013, a 65-feet asteroid entered the Earth’s atmosphere with a speed of 12 miles per second. Later, the asteroid which carried 20-30 times the energy of the Hiroshima atomic bomb exploded over Russia’s Chelyabinsk city. As a result of the explosion, its shock wave broke windows and parts of buildings and further left over 1,500 people injured. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .