Famous people born on May 15 — and what else happened that day
If your birthday is May 15, you share it with L. Frank Baum, Madeleine Albright, Emmitt Smith — and you were born under Taurus, the sign of the steady, loyal, and a lover of life’s comforts.
Birthday basics for May 15
Taurus ♉
Zodiac sign
Emerald
Birthstone
Lily of the Valley
Birth flower
135th
Day of the year
May 15 is the 135th day of the year (136th in leap years), with 230 days still to come.
Famous people born on May 15
L. Frank Baum — American author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (born 1856).
Madeleine Albright — First woman to serve as U.S. Secretary of State (born 1937).
Emmitt Smith — American football running back and NFL all-time rushing leader (born 1969).
Also sharing the day:
Pierre Curie (b. 1859) — French physicist who shared a Nobel Prize with Marie Curie for research on radioactivity.
Brian Eno (b. 1948) — English musician and producer who pioneered ambient music.
Andy Murray (b. 1987) — Scottish tennis star with three Grand Slam titles and two Olympic golds.
May 15 in history
1602 — English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold sighted and named Cape Cod.
1940 — Richard and Maurice McDonald opened the first McDonald's restaurant in San Bernardino, California.
1963 — NASA launched Faith 7, the final mission of Project Mercury, with astronaut Gordon Cooper aboard.
1836 — Astronomer Francis Baily observed the beads of sunlight around an eclipsed Sun now known as "Baily's beads."
1911 — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Standard Oil an unreasonable monopoly and ordered its breakup.
1941 — The Gloster E.28/39, Britain's first jet aircraft, made its maiden flight.
May 15 birthday questions
What zodiac sign is May 15?
Anyone born on May 15 is a Taurus — steady, loyal, and a lover of life’s comforts.
What is the birthstone for May 15?
The birthstone for a May 15 birthday is Emerald, and the birth flower is the Lily of the Valley.
Who is the most famous person born on May 15?
L. Frank Baum is among the best known — American author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (born 1856).
What happened on May 15?
In 1602, English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold sighted and named Cape Cod.
What day of the year is May 15?
May 15 is the 135th day of the year (136th in leap years), with 230 days still to come.
Make their day unforgettable
Know someone born on May 15? See the full story of their exact birthday — the headlines, the #1 song, what things cost — and turn it into a personalized front-page newspaper they can keep.