This Day In History : March 15

1985 United States

First Internet Domain Name Registered

On March 15, 1985, Symbolics, Inc., a computer manufacturer, registers the first Internet domain name, symbolics.com. This milestone marks the beginning of the domain name system, paving the way for the modern Internet. The registration of symbolics.com initiates a new era in digital communication and online presence.

Also on This Day in History March 15

Discover what happened on March 15 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, March 15
  • 1713 Nicolas Louis de Lacaille

    Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille was a French astronomer who named 15 of the 88 constellations in the sky.

  • 1854 Emil von Behring

    Emil Adolf von Behring was a German bacteriologist who is considered the founder of the science of immunology.

  • 1813 John Snow

    English obstetrician, epidemiologist and public health reformer who was among the first to use anesthesia, renowned as a pioneer epidemiologist.

  • 1614 Franciscus Sylvius

    Dutch physician, chemist and physiologist who was the founder of the seventeenth century's "iatrochemical school of medicine," which related living processes to chemical reactions.

  • 1855 Charles Vernon Boys

    English physicist and inventor of sensitive instruments. His studies included in mining, metallurgy, chemistry and physics.

Deaths on This Day, March 15
  • 2004 William Hayward Pickering

    Engineer and physicist, head of the team that developed Explorer 1, the first U.S. satellite.

  • 1891 Joseph William Bazalgette

    British civil engineer and civil engineer who designed the main drainage system for London.

  • 1897 James Joseph Sylvester

    British mathematician who, with Arthur Cayley, founded the theory of algebraic invariants, algebraic-equation coefficients that are unaltered when the coordinate axes are translated or rotated.

  • 1998 Edwin J. Shoemaker

    American inventor and engineer who created the recliner chair and started the La-Z-Boy furniture company to manufacture it.

  • 1898 Henry Bessemer

    English industrialist, metallurgist, inventor and engineer who developed the first process for manufacturing steel inexpensively (1856), leading to the development of the Bessemer converter.

1806

Chondrite meteor

In 1806, a 6-kg chondrite meteorite - carrying carbon-based, organic chemicals - was unequivocally identified for the first time.
1910

Lakeview Gusher Causes the Largest Accidental Oil Spill in History

On March 15, 1910, the Lakeview Gusher in California erupts, resulting in the largest accidental oil spill ever recorded. The uncontrolled flow of oil continues for over 18 months, spilling an estimated 9 million barrels. This disaster underscores the risks associated with early oil drilling and its environmental consequences.
1820

Maine Becomes the 23rd U.S. State

On March 15, 1820, Maine is admitted as the 23rd state of the United States. This follows the Missouri Compromise, which allowed Maine to enter the Union as a free state while Missouri joined as a slave state. Maine's admission helps maintain the balance of power between free and slave states in the early 19th century.
2011

Beginning of the Syrian civil war

On March 15, 2011, protests in Syria escalate into a full-blown civil war. The conflict begins as demonstrations against President Bashar al-Assad's regime, driven by demands for political reform and greater freedoms, quickly spiral into widespread violence and armed struggle. The war profoundly impacts the region, leading to severe humanitarian and geopolitical consequences.
Holiday
Special day
Discover invention