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May 15
5 moments across history
Édith Cresson becomes France’s first female prime minister
Édith Cresson was appointed prime minister of France on May 15, 1991, becoming the first woman to hold that office. Her appointment broke a significant gender barrier in French politics, though her tenure lasted less than a year amid economic challenges and low approval ratings. This milestone occurred within a broader global context of late‑20th‑century women’s political advancement, yet France remained one of the last Western European nations to place a woman in its highest executive role.
Édith Cresson becomes France’s first female prime minister
Soviet Troop Withdrawal from Afghanistan Begins
Event 2
Year: 1988
On May 15, 1988, the Soviet Union began withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan under the Geneva Accords, ending a decade-long occupation that had begun in 1979. This withdrawal marked a major failure of Soviet foreign policy, signaling the decline of Soviet influence and contributing to the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The power vacuum left by the Soviet exit led directly to the Afghan Civil War, which eventually enabled the rise of the Taliban and prolonged instability in the region.
George Wallace Shot and Paralyzed at Campaign Rally
Event 3
Year: 1972
On May 15, 1972, Alabama Governor George Wallace was shot at a campaign rally in Laurel, Maryland, by Arthur Bremer, leaving him permanently paralyzed from the waist down. The attack underscored the era’s political violence, following the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr., and it effectively ended Wallace’s third-party presidential campaign. By removing a major segregationist candidate who had won five states in the 1968 election, the shooting shifted the 1972 race toward a clearer two-way contest between Richard Nixon and George McGovern.
Mercury-Atlas 9 (Faith 7) – Final Mercury Mission
Mercury-Atlas 9 (Faith 7) – Final Mercury Mission
Year: 1963
On May 15, 1963, NASA launched Mercury-Atlas 9, the Faith 7 capsule piloted by astronaut Gordon Cooper, marking the final mission of Project Mercury and setting a record for the longest U.S. manned spaceflight at over 34 hours. This mission mattered because it demonstrated the capability for extended orbital operations, proving that astronauts could endure and function in space for a full day, which was critical for planning longer Gemini and Apollo missions. Historically, Faith 7 concluded America’s first human spaceflight program during the Space Race, showcasing technological progress against the Soviet Union and laying the groundwork for the Moon landing goal announced just two years earlier.
Sputnik 3 Launch
Sputnik 3 Launch
Year: 1958
On May 15, 1958, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 3, a satellite carrying a suite of scientific instruments to study Earth's upper atmosphere and cosmic rays. This mission advanced space research by providing valuable data and further demonstrated Soviet technological capabilities amid the Cold War space race. Following the earlier successes of Sputnik 1 and 2, the launch reinforced the USSR's lead in space exploration and intensified competition with the United States.