From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
April 23 is the 113th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (114th in leap years). There are 252 days remaining.
[edit] Events
- 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene.
- 1014 - Battle of Clontarf: Brian Boru defeats Viking invaders, but is killed in battle.
- 1343 - St. George's Night Uprising
- 1348 - The founding of the Order of the Garter by King Edward III of England is announced on St George's Day.
- 1521 - Battle of Villalar: King Charles I of Spain defeats the Comuneros.
- 1533 - The Church of England annuls the marriage between Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII of England.
- 1597 - Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor is first performed, with Queen Elizabeth I of England in attendance.
- 1660 - Treaty of Oliwa is established between Sweden and Poland.
- 1661 - King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland is crowned in Westminster Abbey.
- 1827 - William Rowan Hamilton presents his Theory of systems of rays.
- 1867 - William Lincoln patents the zoetrope, a machine which shows animated pictures by mounting a strip of drawings in a wheel.
- 1920 - The national council in Turkey denounces the government of Sultan Mehmed VI and announces a temporary constitution.
- 1923 - Inauguration ceremonies take place of Gdynia as a temporary military port and fishers' shelter.
- 1932 - The 153-year old De Adriaan Windmill in Haarlem, the Netherlands burns down.
- 1935 - Polish Constitution of 1935 is adopted.
- 1940 - Rhythm Night Club fire at a dance hall in Natchez, Mississippi kills 198 people.
- 1941 - World War II: Greek government and King George II evacuate Athens before the attacking Wehrmacht.
- 1942 - World War II: Baedeker Blitz – German bombers hit Exeter, Bath and York in retaliation for the British raid on Lübeck.
- 1948 - 1948 Arab-Israeli War: Haifa, the major port of Israel, is captured from Palestinian forces.
- 1961 - Algiers putsch by French generals.
- 1961 - Judy Garland performs at Carnegie Hall.
- 1967 - A group of young radicals are expelled from the Nicaraguan Socialist Party (PSN). This group goes on to found the Socialist Workers Party (POS).
- 1968 - The United Kingdom produces its first decimalised coins, a 5p and a 10p coin.
- 1968 - Vietnam War: Student protesters at Columbia University in New York City take over administration buildings and shut down the university. see main article Columbia University protests of 1968
- 1974 - A Pan American World Airways Boeing 707 crashes in Bali, Indonesia, killing 107.
- 1979 - Fighting in London between the Anti-Nazi League and the Metropolitan Police's Special Patrol Group results in the death of protestor Blair Peach.
- 1987 - 28 construction workers died when the L'Ambiance Plaza collapses while under construction in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
- 1988 - Pink Floyd's legendary album Dark Side Of The Moon, after spending the record total of 741 consecutive weeks (over 14 years) on the Billboard 200, left the charts for its first time ever.
- 1990 - Namibia becomes the 160th member of the United Nations and the 50th member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
- 1993 - Eritreans vote overwhelmingly for independence from Ethiopia in a United Nations-monitored referendum.
- 1994 - Physicists discover the top quark subatomic particle.
- 1997 - Omaria massacre in Algeria; 42 villagers killed.
- 2003 - Beijing closes all schools for two weeks due to the SARS virus.
[edit] Births
- 1185 - King Afonso II of Portugal (d. 1223)
- 1484 - Julius Caesar Scaliger, Italian philosopher (d. 1558)
- 1500 - Alexander Ales, Scottish theologian (d. 1565)
- 1516 - Georg Fabricius, German poet, historian, and archaeologist (d. 1571)
- 1564 - William Shakespeare, English poet and playwright [uncertain] (d. 1616)
- 1598 - Maarten Tromp, Dutch admiral (d. 1653)
- 1628 - Johann van Waveren Hudde, Dutch mathematician (d. 1704)
- 1676 - King Frederick I of Sweden (d. 1751)
- 1720 - Vilna Gaon, Lithuanian rabbi (d. 1797)
- 1725 - Saint Gerard Majella, Catholic saint (d. 1755)
- 1746 - Félix Vicq-d'Azyr, French physician and anatomist, discoverer of the theory of homology in biology (d. 1794)
- 1775 - William Turner, English ornithologist (d. 1851)
- 1791 - James Buchanan, 15th President of the United States (d. 1868)
- 1792 - John Thomas Romney Robinson, Irish astronomer and physicist (d. 1882)
- 1805 - Johann Karl Friedrich Rosenkranz, German philosopher (d. 1879)
- 1813 - Stephen A. Douglas, U.S. Senator from Illinois and Presidential candidate (d. 1861)
- 1823 - Abd-ul-Mejid, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1861)
- 1857 - Ruggiero Leoncavallo, Italian composer (d. 1919)
- 1858 - Max Planck, German physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1947)
- 1861 - Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, British general (d. 1936)
- 1865 - Ali-Agha Shikhlinski, Russian-Azerbaijani general (d. 1943)
- 1867 - Johannes Andreas Grib Fibiger, Danish scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1928)
- 1876 - Arthur Moeller van den Bruck, German historian (d. 1925)
- 1880 - Michel Fokine, Russian choreographer and dancer (d. 1942)
- 1882 - Albert Coates, British composer (d. 1953)
- 1889 - Karel Doorman, Dutch admiral (d. 1942)
- 1893 - Frank Borzage, American film director (d. 1952)
- 1893 - Allen Dulles, American Central Intelligence Agency director (d. 1969)
- 1895 - Ngaio Marsh, New Zealand writer (d. 1982)
- 1897 - Lucius Clay, American general (d. 1978)
- 1897 - Lester B. Pearson, fourteenth Prime Minister of Canada, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1972)
- 1899 - Bertil Ohlin, Swedish economist, Bank of Sweden Prize winner (d. 1979)
- 1900 - Joseph Green, Polish-born actor and director (d. 1996)
- 1900 - Jim Bottomley, American baseball player (d. 1959)
- 1901 - E.B. Ford, British ecological geneticist (d. 1988)
- 1902 - Halldór Laxness, Icelandic writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1998)
- 1904 - Duncan Renaldo, Spanish-American actor (d. 1985)
- 1907 - Fritz Wotruba, Austrian sculptor (d. 1975)
- 1908 - Myron Waldman, American animator (d. 2006)
- 1910 - Simone Simon, French actress (d. 2005)
- 1918 - Maurice Druon, French author
- 1921 - Janet Blair, American actress (d. 2007)
- 1921 - Warren Spahn, American baseball player (d. 2003)
- 1923 - Dolph Briscoe, Governor of Texas
- 1923 - Avram Davidson, American writer (d. 1993)
- 1923 - Antonino Rocca, professional wrestler
- 1924 - Chuck Harmon, American baseball player
- 1924 - Bobby Rosengarden, American jazz drummer (d. 2007)
- 1928 - Shirley Temple, American actress and politician
- 1932 - Jim Fixx, American athlete and writer (d. 1984)
- 1932 - Halston, American fashion designer (d. 1990)
- 1935 - Bunky Green, American musician
- 1935 - Ray Peterson, American singer (d. 2005)
- 1936 - Roy Orbison, American singer and musician (d. 1988)
- 1939 - Lee Majors, American actor
- 1941 - Jacqueline Boyer, French singer
- 1941 - Paavo Lipponen, Prime Minister of Finland 1995-2003
- 1942 - Sandra Dee, American actress (d. 2005)
- 1943 - Tony Esposito, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1943 - Frans Koppelaar, Dutch painter
- 1943 - Hervé Villechaize, French actor (d. 1993)
- 1947 - Bernadette Devlin, Irish politician
- 1947 - Glenn Cornick, British rock bassist (Jethro Tull)
- 1948 - Pascal Quignard, French author
- 1949 - David Cross, British violinist (King Crimson)
- 1949 - Joyce DeWitt, American actress
- 1952 - Narada Michael Walden, Grammy Award-winning musician and producer
- 1954 - Michael Moore, American filmmaker
- 1955 - Judy Davis, Australian actress
- 1955 - Tony Miles, English chess player (d. 2001)
- 1958 - Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, Icelandic music composer
- 1958 - Tove Jensen, Swedish porn actress
- 1958 - Ryan Walter, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1960 - Valerie Bertinelli, American actress
- 1960 - Steve Clark, English guitarist (Def Leppard) (d. 1991)
- 1961 - George Lopez, American actor and comedian
- 1961 - Terry Gordy, American professional wrestler (d. 2001)
- 1963 - Magnús Ver Magnússon, Icelandic powerlifter and strongman
- 1963 - Paul Belmondo, French racing driver
- 1967 - Melina Kanakaredes, American actress
- 1967 - Rheal Cormier, Canadian baseball player
- 1968 - Timothy McVeigh, American terrorist (d. 2001)
- 1969 - Yelena Shushunova, Russian gymnast
- 1970 - Dennis Bayne Culp, American singer/songwriter
- 1972 - Patricia Manterola, Mexican singer
- 1972 - Pierre Labrie, poet from Quebec
- 1974 - Carlos Dengler, American musician (Interpol)
- 1975 - Jón Þór Birgisson, Icelandic musician and singer
- 1977 - John Cena, American professional wrestler and rapper
- 1977 - Andruw Jones, Curaçaoan baseball player
- 1979 - Jaime King, American actress
- 1979 - Lauri Ylönen, Finnish singer (The Rasmus)
- 1981 - Chris Sharma, American rock climber/boulderer
- 1982 - Adam Palmer, Guitarist (The Matching Handbags)
- 1983 - Daniela Hantuchová, Slovakian tennis player
- 1984 - Lil Eazy-E, American rapper
- 1984 - Yana Gupta, Indian actress & model
- 1985 - Angel Locsin, Filipina TV and movie actress
- 1986 - Sven Kramer, Dutch speedskater and olympic medal winner
- 1986 - Jessica Stam, Canadian supermodel
- 1987 - Emily Fox, American cupstacking champion
- 1989 - Nicole Vaidišová, Czech tennis player
[edit] Deaths
- 303 - Saint George, Roman soldier and Christian martyr
- 725 - Wihtred, King of Kent
- 871 - Ethelred of Wessex
- 997 - Adalbert of Prague, bishop, patron saint of Bohemia, Poland, Hungary, and Prussia (b. ca. 956)
- 1014 - Brian Boru, High King of Ireland (killed in battle)
- 1016 - Ethelred II of England
- 1124 - King Alexander I of Scotland (b. 1078)
- 1151 - Queen Adeliza of England (b. 1103)
- 1217 - King Inge II of Norway (b. 1185)
- 1407 - Olivier de Clisson, French soldier (b. 1326)
- 1616 - Miguel Cervantes, Spanish author (b. 1547)
- 1616 - William Shakespeare, English writer and actor (b. 1564) (Julian calendar)
- 1616 - El Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Peruvian writer (b. 1539)
- 1625 - Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange (b. 1567)
- 1702 - Margaret Fell, English Quaker leader (b. 1614)
- 1740 - Thomas Tickell, English writer (b. 1685)
- 1781 - James Abercrombie, British general (b. 1706)
- 1792 - Karl Friedrich Bahrdt, German theologian and adventurer (b. 1741)
- 1794 - Guillaume-Chrétien de Lamoignon de Malesherbes, French statesman (executed) (b. 1721)
- 1850 - William Wordsworth, English poet (b. 1770)
- 1889 - Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly, French writer (b. 1808)
- 1895 - Carl Ludwig, German physician (b. 1815)
- 1915 - Rupert Brooke, English poet (b. 1887).
- 1936 - Teresa de la Parra, Venezuelan writer (b. 1889)
- 1951 - Charles G. Dawes, Vice President of the United States, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1865)
- 1952 - Julius Freed, American inventor and banker (b. 1887)
- 1975 - William Hartnell, English actor (b. 1908)
- 1975 - Pete Ham, Welsh singer-songwriter (Badfinger) (b. 1947)
- 1979 - Blair Peach, New Zealand-born anti-fascist (b. 1946)
- 1981 - Josep Pla, Catalan journalist and writer (b. 1897)
- 1983 - Buster Crabbe, American swimmer and actor (b. 1908)
- 1984 - Red Garland, American jazz pianist (b. 1923)
- 1985 - Sam Ervin, American politician (b. 1896)
- 1986 - Harold Arlen, American composer (b. 1905)
- 1986 - Jim Laker, English cricketer (b. 1922)
- 1986 - Otto Preminger, Austrian-born film director (b. 1906)
- 1990 - Paulette Goddard, American actress (b. 1911)
- 1991 - Johnny Thunders, American musician (b. 1952)
- 1992 - Satyajit Ray, Indian filmmaker (b. 1921)
- 1993 - César Chávez, American labor activist (b. 1927)
- 1995 - Howard Cosell, American sports journalist (b. 1918)
- 1995 - John C. Stennis, U.S. Senator from Mississippi (b. 1904)
- 1996 - P. L. Travers, Australian author (b. 1899)
- 1997 - Denis Compton, English cricketer (b. 1918)
- 1998 - James Earl Ray, American assassin (b. 1928)
- 1998 - Constantine Karamanlis, Greek politician (b. 1907)
- 2003 - James H. Critchfield, American Central Intelligence agent (b. 1917)
- 2003 - Fernand Fonssagrives, French photographer (b. 1910)
- 2005 - Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Premier of Queensland (b. 1911)
- 2005 - Al Grassby, Australian immigration minister (b. 1928)
- 2005 - Sir John Mills, English actor (b. 1908)
- 2005 - Romano Scarpa, Italian-born comic artist (b. 1927)
- 2005 - Earl Wilson, American baseball player (b. 1934)
- 2006 - Johnnie Checketts, New Zealand fighter ace and war hero (b. 1912)
[edit] Holidays and observances
[edit] Liturgical feasts
[edit] External links
