![[e]Photo Stream](/logo.png){kind=logo}
September 15
5 moments across history
Lehman Brothers Files for Bankruptcy
On September 15, 2008, Lehman Brothers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after suffering massive losses tied to mortgage-backed securities. Its collapse intensified a global credit freeze, shook confidence in major financial institutions, and became a defining moment of the financial crisis. The failure occurred amid the bursting U.S. housing bubble and subprime mortgage crisis, contributing to the deepest worldwide downturn since the Great Depression.
Lehman Brothers Files for Bankruptcy
16th Street Baptist Church Bombing
16th Street Baptist Church Bombing
Year: 1963
On September 15, 1963, Ku Klux Klan members bombed Birmingham’s 16th Street Baptist Church, killing four African American girls and injuring others. The attack shocked the nation, exposed the violent resistance to desegregation, and strengthened public support for federal civil rights legislation. It occurred during the civil rights movement’s campaign against racial segregation and preceded the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Inchon Landing Begins
Inchon Landing Begins
Year: 1950
On September 15, 1950, United Nations forces led by General Douglas MacArthur launched an amphibious landing at Inchon, behind North Korean lines. The assault disrupted North Korean supply routes, enabled the recapture of Seoul, and helped UN forces break out of the Pusan Perimeter. It marked a major reversal after North Korea’s June invasion of South Korea, though later Chinese intervention prolonged and transformed the war.
Battle of Britain Day
Battle of Britain Day
Year: 1940
On September 15, 1940, the Royal Air Force repelled two large Luftwaffe attacks against London and southeastern England during the Battle of Britain. The fighting inflicted heavy losses and showed that Germany had not defeated RAF Fighter Command, weakening plans for a cross-Channel invasion. Known as Battle of Britain Day, it marked a decisive point in Britain’s successful air defense during the wider Second World War.
Nuremberg Laws Enacted
Nuremberg Laws Enacted
Year: 1935
On September 15, 1935, Nazi Germany enacted the Nuremberg Laws, depriving Jews of citizenship and forbidding marriage or sexual relations with people classified as “German or related blood.” The laws mattered because they gave legal force to antisemitic racial ideology, institutionalizing discrimination and excluding Jews from German civic life. They marked a major escalation in Nazi persecution after Hitler’s rise to power and helped prepare the way for mass dispossession, deportation, and the Holocaust.