Historical timeline for February 15

Sixty people drown and hundreds are missing after a boat sinks on the Congo River near the village of Longola Ekoti, Mai-Ndombe Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A meteor explodes over Russia, injuring 1,500 people as a shock wave blows out windows and rocks buildings. This happens unexpectedly only hours before the expected closest ever approach of the larger and unrelated asteroid 2012 DA14.

Three hundred and sixty people die in a fire at a Honduran prison in the city of Comayagua.

Two trains collide in the Halle train collision in Halle, Belgium, killing 19 and injuring 171 people.

Protests against the Iraq war take place in over 600 cities worldwide. It is estimated that between eight million and 30 million people participate, making this the largest peace demonstration in history.

The last Ariane 4 rocket is launched from the Guiana Space Centre, carrying Intelsat 907.

The first draft of the complete human genome is published in Nature.

At the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China, a Long March 3B rocket carrying Intelsat 708 veers off course and crashes into a rural village after liftoff, killing somewhere between six and 100 people.

Then-Prime Minister of Canada Jean Chrétien applies a chokehold to protester Bill Clennett, an incident later named the Shawinigan Handshake.

Air Transport International Flight 805 crashes in Swanton, Ohio, near Toledo Express Airport, killing all four people on board.

Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is sentenced in Milwaukee to 15 terms of life in prison.

The Visegrád Group, establishing cooperation to move toward free-market systems, is signed by the leaders of Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland.

Soviet–Afghan War: The Soviet Union officially announces that all of its troops have left Afghanistan.

The drilling rig Ocean Ranger sinks during a storm off the coast of Newfoundland, killing 84 workers.

Sound recordings are granted U.S. federal copyright protection for the first time.

José María Velasco Ibarra, serving as President of Ecuador for the fifth time, is overthrown by the military for the fourth time.

The decimalisation of the currencies of the United Kingdom and Ireland is completed on Decimal Day.

Dominicana de Aviación Flight 603 crashes into the Caribbean Sea after takeoff from Las Américas International Airport, killing 102, including members of the Puerto Rico women's national volleyball team and lightweight boxer Carlos Cruz.

The maple leaf is adopted as the flag of Canada, replacing the Canadian Red Ensign flag.

Sabena Flight 548 crashes in Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States figure skating team along with several of their coaches and family members.