August 15

Events

• 718: The Arabs end the siege of Constantinople.
• 1261: A triumphant parade entering Constantinople is held, with emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus following the famous Hodegetria icon of the Virgin into the city.
• 1461: The Empire of Trebizond falls to the Ottoman Turks.
• 1858: The cornerstone is laid on the old Hellenic Parliament building
• 1907: Ordination in Constantinople of Fr. Raphael Morgan, "Priest-Apostolic" to America and the West Indies, and the first African-American Orthodox priest.
• 1926: The Communist Party of Cyprus is founded.
• 1940: The Greek war ship "Elli" is torpedoed by an Italian submarine off the coast of Tinos.
• 1974: Turkish troops overrun Ammochostos.
• 1988: Without firing a shot, November 17th members tie up a number of police officers at Vyronas, Athens and leave with cache of weapons and ammunition.
• 2010: His All-holiness Patriarch Bartholomew I officiates at a liturgy at the monastery of Panagia Soumela. The is the first liturgy at the historic monastery since 1923.

Sports

• 2016: Gymnast Lefteris Petrounias wins gold for Greece, at the Rio Olympics, in the men's rings.

Births

• 1876: Stylianos Gonatas, general, politician and Prime Minister.
• 1916: Takis Morakis, composer
• 1922: Giorgos Mouzakis, composer
• 1926: Kostis Stephanopoulos, politician and President of Greece
• 1945: Loukas Louka, athlete (shot put)
• 1966: Dimitris Papadopoulos, basketball player.
• 1980: Michael Katsidis, Greek-Australian boxer.

Deaths

• 1118: Alexius I Comnenus, Byzantine emperor
• 1989: General Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos

Namesdays

• Today the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates the Dormition of Theotokos. It is the name day for: Panagiotis, Marios, Panagiota, Maria and Despina.