Holidays Calendar for August 15, 2020
In Bangladesh, August 15 is observed as National Mourning Day. On this day in 1975, a group of junior army officers killed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family.
On August 15, Paraguayans celebrate founding of Asunción. This public holiday commemorates the founding of the capital and largest city of Paraguay, Nuestra Señora Santa María de la Asunción or simply Asunción, in 1537.
Mother's Day is celebrated in many countries, but its date varies from country to country. For example, Mother's Day in Costa Rica is celebrated on August 15, coinciding with the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
One of the few things that North and South Korea have in common is Liberation Day. It is a public holiday that commemorates the liberation of Korea from Japanese colonial rule on August 15, 1945.
National Day (Staatsfeiertag) in Lichtenstein is celebrated on August 15. The holiday was established in 1940 and has been celebrated each year ever since.
Independence Day is one of the three national days in India, the other two being Republic Day (January 26) and Gandhi Jayanti (October 2). It is celebrated on August 15. The holiday commemorates the independence of India from the British Empire in 1947.
Constitution Day is one of the public holidays in Equatorial Guinea. It is celebrated on August 15. The holiday commemorates the adoption of the 1982 Constitution of Equatorial Guinea.
August 15 is National Day in the Republic of the Congo. It commemorates the independence of the Republic of the Congo from France in 1960.
The anniversary of the return to power is a public holiday in Afghanistan. Celebrated annually on August 15, it was established by the Taliban-led government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to commemorate the capture of Kabul and the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
Religious Holidays →
Austria,
Andorra,
Belgium,
Benin,
Burkina Faso,
Burundi,
Cape Verde,
Cameroon,
Central African Republic,
Chile,
Costa Rica,
Ivory Coast,
Cyprus,
Croatia,
France,
French Guiana,
Gabon,
Gambia,
Germany,
French Polynesia,
Greece,
Guinea,
Guatemala,
Guadeloupe,
Vatican City,
Italy,
Lebanon, ...
Assumption of Mary
The Assumption of the Virgin Mary into Heaven, informally known as simply the Assumption, is observed on August 15. This feast celebrates the belief that the Virgin Mary was bodily taken up into heaven at the end of he earthly life. It is a dogma in the Roman Catholic Church.
Residents of the Canary Islands, especially Tenerife, celebrate the feast of the Virgin of Candelaria twice a year, on February 2 and on August 15. On these days, they honor the patron saint of the archipelago.
International Homeless Animals Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in August every year. It was established by the International Society for Animal Rights (ISAR) to raise awareness of the problem of pet overpopulation.
If you’re a fan of outdoor activities, don’t forget to celebrate International Geocaching Day on the third Saturday of August. The holiday is dedicated to a fun pastime suitable for people of all ages and different backgrounds.
Archaeologist Day is a professional holiday that was celebrated in the Soviet Union on August 15. It is still observed in some former Soviet Republics, although Ukraine is the only one where it has an official status.
In Poland, Armed Forces Day (Święto Wojska Polskiego) is celebrated on August 15. It commemorates the decisive Polish victory in the Battle of Warsaw (1920) during the Polish-Soviet War.
National Leathercraft Day is observed annually on August 15. It was created to celebrate the ancient art of leather crafting and encourage the general public to get interested in it and support craftsmen who make amazing leather goods with their own hands.
The flooding of the Nile used to be an important natural cycle in Egypt. It was even celebrated as a two-week holiday known as Wafaa El-Nil. When the High Dam at Aswan was completed in 1970, the flooding cycle came to an end, but the celebration of Wafaa El-Nil is still held, mainly to entertain tourists.
National Honey Bee Day is an awareness day for the bees. The event was started in 2009 by beekeepers of the United States to promote and educate public about the bee industry. This event is annually observed on the third Saturday in August.
National Check the Chip Day is celebrated annually on August 15. It was created to remind pet owners to get their pets microchipped or, if they are already microchipped, to make sure their registration information is up-to-date.
National Acadian Day is observed in Canada annually on August 15. It celebrates the culture and heritage of the Acadians who are the third largest subgroup of French Canadians, after the Quebeckers and Franco-Ontarians. It was created in 1881 during the first National Convention of the Acadians that took place in Memramcook, New Brunswick.
Victory over Japan Day, also known as V-J Day, is the anniversary of the day on which Japan surrendered in the Second World War. It is observed on August 14 or August 15, depending on the time zone.
Panama La Vieja Day is an official holiday in Panama City, the capital and largest city of Panama. It was established to commemorate the anniversary of the foundation of the city.
The National Memorial Service for War Dead in Japan is held annually on August 15. It commemorates the victims of the Second World War.
Bulacan Foundation Day, also known as simply Bulacan Day (Araw ng Bulacan), is a special non-working holiday in the Philippine province of Bulacan. It is celebrated annually on August 15 in honor of the province’s founding anniversary.
Lemon meringue pie is one of America's favorite desserts. There even is National Lemon Meringue Pie Day celebrated each year on August 15.
August 15 is a perfect day to just sit back, relax, and enjoy doing the things you want to do instead of the things you have to do because it is National Relaxation Day. This amazing holiday was created to encourage people to take a break and recharge.
The festival of Obon (or simply Bon) is one of the Japanese Buddhist custom. This festival is celebrated for three days: from August 13 to 15. Originally the festival was observed on the 15th day of the7th lunar month, but after transition to the Gregorian calendar the date of celebration is fixed.
Festivals on August 15, 2020
- Edinburgh International Festival in Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Music in Old Lviv in Lviv, Ukraine
- Music in Old Kraków in Krakow, Poland
- Sarajevo Film Festival in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Zürcher Theater Spektakel in Zurich, Switzerland
- Philadelphia Folk Festival in Schwenksville, USA
- Oslo Jazzfestival in Oslo, Norway
- Open Night Film Festival in Kyiv, Ukraine
- Odesa Classics in Odesa, Ukraine
- Melbourne Writers Festival in Melbourne, Australia
- Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival in Manila, Philippines
- Bienal de Flamenco in Seville, Spain
- Melbourne International Film Festival in Melbourne, Australia
- Locarno Film Festival in Locarno, Switzerland
- Salzburg Festival in Salzburg, Austria
This Day in History
- 2021 Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul was captured by the Taliban after a major insurgent offensive that began in May 2021. It was the final action of the War in Afghanistan.
- 2013 The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History officially announced the discovery of the olingito, a mammal of the Procyonidae family.
- 2013 Died: Rosalía Mera, Spanish businesswoman who co-founded Inditex, a multinational clothing company that owns many well-known brands.
- 2012 Died: Harry Harrison, American science fiction author best known for his Stainless Steel Rat series and for his novel Make Room! Make Room!
- 2006 Died: Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, Māori queen who reigned for 40 years. It is the longest reign of any Māori monarch.
- 1995 Shannon Faulkner became the first female cadet to enter The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. She dropped out a week later.
- 1990 Born: Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar-winning American actress best known for her role as Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games film series.
- 1978 Born: Lilia Podkopayeva, Ukrainian former artistic gymnast. She is the 1995 world all-around champion, and the 1996 Olympic all-around and floor exercise champion.
- 1972 Born: Ben Affleck, American actor and filmmaker. As of 2024, his accolades include two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globes.
- 1969 The Woodstock Music & Art Fair, known informally as the Woodstock Festival, began 43 miles southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York.
- 1968 Born: Debra Messing, American actress best known for her television roles in Will & Grace, The Starter Wife, The Mysteries of Laura, and Smash.
- 1967 Died: René Magritte, Belgian surrealist painter. His notable works include The Treachery of Images, The Son of Man, The Menaced Assassin.
- 1966 Born: Con O'Neill, English actor of stage and screen. He is best known to the general audience for his roles in The Batman (2022) and Our Flag Means Death.
- 1965 The Beatles opened their second concert tour of the United States with the Shea Stadium show. It was attended by over 55,000 people.
- 1963 Born: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Mexican filmmaker known for his films Amores perros, 21 Grams, Babel, Biutiful, Birdman, The Revenant, and Bardo.
- 1962 Died: Lei Feng, Chinese soldier. After his death, Lei Feng became the subject of a nationwide posthumous propaganda campaign.
- 1944 Born: Gianfranco Ferré, Italian fashion designer widely referred to as "the architect of fashion" for his creative attitude toward fashion design.
- 1939 American musical fantasy film The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California.
- 1936 Died: Grazia Deledda, Italian novelist who was awarded the 1926 Nobel Prize in Literature. One of her best known novels is After the Divorce.
- 1935 Died: Will Rogers, American actor, comedian and radio personality who was one of the world's most famous stars in the 1920s and 1930s.
- 1935 Died: Wiley Post, American aviator during the so-called Golden Age of Aviation. He was the first pilot to complete a solo flight around the world.
- 1935 Born: Jim Dale, English actor, voice artist, comedian and singer-songwriter. He is known for narrating the Harry Potter audiobook series.
- 1914 American cargo ship SS Ancon became the first ship to officially transit the Panama Canal that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
- 1896 Born: Gerty Cori (née Radnitz), American biochemist who shared the 1947 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with two other scientists.
- 1892 Born: Louis de Broglie, French physicist who was awarded the 1929 Nobel Prize for Physics for his discovery of the wave nature of electrons.
- 1843 The amusement park Tivoli Gardens opened in Copenhagen, Denmark. Tivoli is the second most popular seasonal theme park in the world.
- 1824 The Marquis de Lafayette, the last surviving French general of the Revolutionary War, began his tour of the twenty-four states in the US.
- 1785 Born: Thomas De Quincey, English essayist, journalist and translator best known for his Confessions of an English Opium-Eater (1821).
- 1771 Born: Walter Scott, Scottish historical novelist, playwright and poet. His best known novels include Rob Roy, Ivanhoe, and The Lady of the Lake.
- 1769 Born: Napoléon Bonaparte, prominent French military and political leader who was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1814 and then again in 1815.
- 1483 Pope Sixtus IV consecrated the Sistine Chapel and dedicated it to the Virgin Mary. The Sistine Chapel is the official residence of the Pope.
- 1274 Died: Robert de Sorbon, French theologian and chaplain primarily remembered as the founder of the College of Sorbonne in Paris (1253).
- 1248 The cornerstone of Cologne Cathedral was laid by Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden. Its construction was finally completed only in 1880.
- 1057 Died: Macbeth (Mac Bethad mac Findlaích), King of Scotland. He is best known as the subject of William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth.