Deaths on May 15

Marie Champmeslé, French actress (b. 1642)

Marie Champmeslé (née Desmares; 18 February 1642 – 15 May 1698) was a French stage actress.

2 Jul

Steam engine
Thomas Savery patents the first steam engine.
5 Sep

Peter I of Russia
In an effort to Westernize his nobility, Tsar Peter I of Russia imposes a tax on beards for all men except the clergy and peasantry.