Historical eventDecember 151778

American Revolutionary War

American Revolutionary War: At the Battle of St. Lucia, the Royal Navy prevented French Navy ships from reaching their garrison on Saint Lucia in the West Indies.

Everything on December 15Original source

In context

When
Tuesday, December 15 1778248 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
18th century · 1770s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.

At a glance

Dates: From 1778.

What happened

The American Revolutionary War, also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence or simply the American Revolution, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which American Patriot forces organized as the Continental Army and, commanded by George Washington, defeated the British Army. The conflict was fought in North America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean. The war's outcome seemed uncertain for most of the war,

December 15 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1778American Revolutionary War
  2. 1993The Troubles
  3. 1997Tajikistan Airlines Flight 3183
  4. 2000Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant
  5. 2001Leaning Tower of Pisa
  6. 2005Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor
  7. 2010Refugee
  8. 2013South Sudanese Civil War
  9. 2014Man Haron Monis
  10. 20172017 Java earthquake
  11. 2019Citizenship Amendment Act protests

Also in 1778

  • September 7Anglo-French War (1778–1783)Anglo-French War: Having established an alliance with the United States, France invaded the Caribbean island of Dominica and captured its…
  • July 27Battle of Ushant (1778)The Battle of Ushant, the first encounter between the French and British fleets in the American Revolutionary War, ended indecisively and…
  • July 26Catherine the GreatOn the orders of Catherine the Great the first of tens of thousands of Greek and Armenian Christians were removed from Crimea and resettl…
  • February 23American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War: Prussian military officer Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben arrived at Valley Forge in Pennsylvania as a voluntee…
  • November 11American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War: British forces and their Iroquois allies attacked a fort and the village of Cherry Valley, New York, killing…
  • February 6Treaty of Amity and Commerce (France–United States)France and the United States signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance, respectively establishing commercial and…
  • July 3American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War: Loyalists and Iroquois killed over 300 Patriots at the Battle of Wyoming in Pennsylvania.

Everything we record for 1778 →

Sources

Cite this page

“American Revolutionary War”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/american-revolutionary-war-1778-december-15, accessed October 28, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did American Revolutionary War happen?

December 15 1778 — 248 years ago, on a Tuesday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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