What happened on May 23? There are more than 279 events that were made this day in history. Here are the important historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
Interesting Facts & Myths About May 23
May 23 is the 144th day of the year 2024. There are 222 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Thursday. This day falls under the 21st week of the year 2024.
On this day in Reading, Minnesota 56165 sunrise will occur at 05:47 AM and sunset will occur at 08:51 PM (local time).
The zodiac sign of a person born on this day is Gemini. The modern birthstone for this month is Emerald while the mystical birthstone is Sapphire.
According to the Chinese calendar, there are 251 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year (January 29, 2025).
Is your birthday coming up in two days? Are you not curious to find out who is sharing your special day? Discover all the April 25 famous birthdays. There are fun facts about that day that you must know. (Sponsored link)
Historical Events For May 23
- 1430Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne.
- 1498Girolamo Savonarola is burned at the stake in Florence, Italy, on the orders of Pope Alexander VI.
- 1533The marriage of King Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon is declared null and void.
- 1568Dutch rebels led by Louis of Nassau, brother of William I of Orange, defeat Jean de Ligne, Duke of Aremberg and his loyalist troops in the Battle of Heiligerlee, opening the Eighty Years’ War.
- 1568The Netherlands declare their independence from Spain.
- 1609Official ratification of the Second Charter of Virginia takes place.
- 1618The Second Defenestration of Prague precipitates the Thirty Years’ War.
- 1701After being convicted of piracy and of murdering William Moore, Captain William Kidd is hanged in London.
- 1706Battle of Ramillies: John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, defeats a French army under Marshal Villeroi.
- 1788South Carolina ratifies the Constitution as the 8th American state.
- 1805Napoleon Bonaparte is crowned King of Italy with the Iron Crown of Lombardy in the Cathedral of Milan.
- 1813South American independence leader Simón Bolívar enters Mérida, leading the invasion of Venezuela, and is proclaimed El Libertador (“The Liberator”).
- 1829Accordion patent granted to Cyrill Demian in Vienna.
- 1844Declaration of the Báb: a merchant of Shiraz announces that he is a Prophet and founds a religious movement that would later be brutally crushed by the Persian government. He is considered to be a forerunner of the Bahá'í Faith, and Bahá'ís celebrate the day as a holy day.
- 1846Mexican-American War: President Mariano Paredes of Mexico unofficially declares war on the United States.
- 1873The Canadian Parliament establishes the North-West Mounted Police, the forerunner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
- 1900American Civil War: Sergeant William Harvey Carney becomes the first African American to be awarded the Medal of Honor, for his heroism in the Assault on the Battery Wagner in 1863.
- 1907The unicameral Parliament of Finland gathers for its first plenary session.
- 1911The New York Public Library is dedicated.
- 1915World War I: Italy joins the Allies after they declare war on Austria-Hungary.
- 1934American bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde are ambushed by police and killed in Black Lake, Louisiana.
- 1934The Auto-Lite Strike culminates in the “Battle of Toledo”, a five-day melée between 1,300 troops of the Ohio National Guard and 6,000 picketers.
- 1939The U.S. Navy submarine USS Squalus sinks off the coast of New Hampshire during a test dive, causing the death of 24 sailors and two civilian technicians. The remaining 32 sailors and one civilian naval architect are rescued the following day.
- 1945World War II: Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS, commits suicide while in Allied custody.
- 1945World War II: The Flensburg government under Reichspräsident Karl Dönitz is dissolved when its members are captured and arrested by British forces at Flensburg in Northern Germany.
- 1948Thomas C. Wasson, US Consul-General assassinated in Jerusalem.
- 1949The Federal Republic of Germany is established and the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany is proclaimed.
- 1951Tibetans sign the Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet with the People’s Republic of China.
- 1958Explorer 1 ceases transmission.
- 1967Egypt closes the Straits of Tiran and blockades the port of Eilat at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba to Israeli shipping.
- 1990Jordan Mack was born.
- 1995Oklahoma City bombing: In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the remains of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building are imploded.
- 1995The first version of the Java programming language is released.
- 1998The Good Friday Agreement is accepted in a referendum in Northern Ireland with 75% voting yes.
- 2002The “55 parties” clause of the Kyoto protocol is reached after its ratification by Iceland.
- 2004Part of Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport’s Terminal 2E collapses, killing four people and injuring three others.
- 2006Alaskan stratovolcano Mount Cleveland erupts.
- 2008The International Court of Justice (ICJ) awards Middle Rocks to Malaysia and Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh) to Singapore, ending a 29-year territorial dispute between the two countries.
Who Were Born On May 23?
- 1052King Philip I of France (d. 1108)
- 1100Emperor Qinzong of China (d. 1161)
- 1606Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz, Spanish polymath (d. 1682)
- 1617Elias Ashmole, English antiquarian (d. 1692)
- 1707Carolus Linnaeus, Swedish botanist (d. 1778)
- 1718William Hunter, Scottish anatomist (d. 1783)
- 1729Giuseppe Parini, Italian writer (d. 1799)
- 1734Franz Anton Mesmer, Austrian physician/hypnotist (d. 1815)
- 1741Andrea Luchesi, Italian composer (d. 1801)
- 1790Jules Dumont d'Urville, French explorer (d. 1842)
- 1794Ignaz Moscheles, Bohemian composer and piano virtuoso (d. 1870)
- 1795Charles Barry, English architect (d. 1860)
- 1810Margaret Fuller, American journalist and feminist (d. 1850)
- 1820James Buchanan Eads, American engineer and inventor (d. 1887)
- 1820Lorenzo Sawyer, American jurist (d. 1891)
- 1824Ambrose Burnside, American Union Civil War general (d. 1881)
- 1834Carl Heinrich Bloch, Danish painter (d. 1890)
- 1844`Abdu'l-Bahá, Iranian religious figure (d. 1921)
- 1848Otto Lilienthal, German aviation pioneer (d. 1896)
- 1855Isabella Ford, English feminist and union activist (d. 1924)
- 1865Epitácio Pessoa, Brazilian politician (d. 1942)
- 1875Alfred P. Sloan, American automotive executive (d. 1966)
- 1879Dezső Lauber, Hungarian sportsman (d. 1966)
- 1879Elizabeth Gunn, New Zealand paediatrician (d. 1963)
- 1883Douglas Fairbanks, American actor (d. 1939)
- 1884Corrado Gini, Italian sociologist (d. 1965)
- 1887Thoralf Skolem, Norwegian mathematician (d. 1963)
- 1888Zack Wheat, American baseball player (d. 1972)
- 1889Ernst Niekisch, German politician (d. 1967)
- 1890Herbert Marshall, English actor (d. 1966)
- 1891Pär Lagerkvist, Swedish writer, Nobel laureate (d. 1974)
- 1893Ulysses S. Grant IV, American geologist and paleontologist (d. 1977)
- 1895Billy Smith, English footballer (d. 1956)
- 1896Felix Martin Julius Steiner, German Waffen-SS officer (d. 1966)
- 1898Josef Terboven, German Nazi official (d. 1945)
- 1898Scott O'Dell, American author (d. 1989)
- 1900Hans Frank, German lawyer and Nazi official (d. 1946)
- 1906Pran Nath Thapar, Indian military officer (d. 1975)
- 1908Hélène Boucher, French aviatrix (d. 1934)
- 1908John Bardeen, American physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1991)
- 1910Artie Shaw, American clarinetist and bandleader (d. 2004)
- 1910Margaret Wise Brown, American author (d. 1952)
- 1910Scatman Crothers, American actor and musician (d. 1986)
- 1910Sir Hugh Casson, British architect and painter (d. 1999)
- 1911Paul Mayer, German Roman Catholic Cardinal (d. 2010)
- 1912Betty Astell, English actress (d. 2005)
- 1912Jean Françaix, French composer (d. 1997)
- 1912John Payne, American actor (d. 1989)
- 1913Ruth Fernández, Puerto Rican singer
- 1917Edward Norton Lorenz, American mathematician and meteorologist (d. 2008)
- 1918Denis Compton, English cricketer (d. 1997)
- 1919Avraham Drori, Polish-born Israeli politician (d. 1964)
- 1919Betty Garrett, American actress and dancer (d. 2011)
- 1919Robert Bernstein, American comic book writer (d. 1988)
- 1920Helen O'Connell, American singer (d. 1993)
- 1921Humphrey Lyttelton, English musician (d. 2008)
- 1921James Blish, American author (d. 1975)
- 1923Alicia de Larrocha, Spanish pianist (d. 2009)
- 1923Walter Wolfrum, German fighter pilot (d. 2010)
- 1924Clyde King, American baseball player and manager (d. 2010)
- 1924Karlheinz Deschner, German researcher and writer
- 1925Joshua Lederberg, American molecular biologist, Nobel laureate (d. 2008)
- 1925Mac Wiseman, American musician
- 1928Jeannie Carson, English actress and comedian
- 1928Nigel Davenport, English actor
- 1928Pauline Julien, French Canadian singer (d. 1998)
- 1928Rosemary Clooney, American singer and actress (d. 2002)
- 1929Ulla Jacobsson, Swedish actress (d. 1982)
- 1930Friedrich Achleitner, German poet
- 1931Barbara Barrie, American actress
- 1933Joan Collins, English actress
- 1934Robert Moog, American inventor (d. 2005)
- 1935Lasse Strömstedt, Swedish writer (d. 2009)
- 1936Charles Kimbrough, American actor
- 1936Ingeborg Hallstein, German opera singer
- 1938Peter Preston, English journalist and author
- 1939Jack McCarthy, American poet
- 1939Michel Colombier, French composer and songwriter (d. 2004)
- 1939Reinhard Hauff, German film director
- 1940Giles Gordon, Scottish literary agent (d. 2003)
- 1942Gabriel Liiceanu, Romanian philosopher
- 1942K. Raghavendra Rao, Indian film director
- 1943Alan Walden, American rock music manager and promoter
- 1943General Norman Johnson, American singer (Chairmen of the Board) (d. 2010)
- 1943Vicky Moscholiou, Greek singer (d. 2005)
- 1944John Newcombe, Australian tennis player
- 1945Padmarajan, Indian film director (d. 1991)
- 1946Frederik de Groot, Dutch actor
- 1946H. Paul Shuch, American SETI scientist
- 1947Ann Hui, Hong Kong film director
- 1947Bernard Comrie, English linguist
- 1947Jane Kenyon, American poet (d. 1995)
- 1948Reggie Cleveland, Canadian baseball player
- 1949Alan Garcia, Peruvian politician
- 1949Daniel DiNardo, American Roman Catholic cardinal
- 1950Bruce Hay, Scottish international rugby union player (d. 2007)
- 1950Martin McGuinness, Northern Irish politician
- 1951Anatoly Karpov, Russian chess player
- 1951Antonis Samaras, Greek politician
- 1952Anne-Marie David, French singer
- 1953Dick Stellingwerf, Dutch politician
- 1954Hans Kruize, Dutch field hockey player
- 1954Marvin Hagler, American boxer
- 1955Luka Bloom, Irish singer/songwriter
- 1956Albert Voorn, Dutch equestrian
- 1956Buck Showalter, American baseball player and manager
- 1956Mark Shaw, New Zealand rugby footballer
- 1956Ursula Plassnik, Austrian politician
- 1957Jimmy McShane, Northern Irish singer (Baltimora) (d. 1995)
- 1957Mark Arnold, American actor
- 1958Drew Carey, American actor, comedian, and game show host
- 1958François Feldman, French singer
- 1958Mitch Albom, American writer
- 1958Paul Street, American author and historian
- 1959Bob Mortimer, English comedian
- 1959Marcella Mesker, Dutch tennis player
- 1959Ryuta Kawashima, Japanese neuroscientist
- 1960Linden Ashby, American actor
- 1961Karen Duffy, American actress
- 1963Gregg Hughes, American radio personality (The Opie and Anthony Show)
- 1963Wally Dallenbach Jr., American race car driver and announcer
- 1964Ruth Metzler-Arnold, Swiss politician
- 1965Athanasios Skourtopoulos, Greek basketball player and coach
- 1965Charlie Hayes, American baseball player
- 1965Manuel Sanchís Hontiyuelo, Spanish footballer
- 1965Tom Tykwer, German film director
- 1966Ernst-Paul Hasselbach, Dutch TV host and producer
- 1966Gary Roberts, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1966Graeme Hick, English cricketer
- 1967Anna Ibrisagic, Swedish politician
- 1967Phil Selway, English drummer (Radiohead)
- 1968Guinevere Turner, American actress
- 1970Bryan Herta, American race car driver
- 1970Matt Flynn, American musician
- 1970Nanette Burstein, American director/producer
- 1970Yigal Amir, Israeli assassin of Yitzhak Rabin
- 1971George Osborne, British Chancellor of the Exchequer
- 1971Laurel Holloman, American actress
- 1972Rubens Barrichello, Brazilian racing driver
- 1973Jacopo Gianninoto, Italian musician
- 1973Maxwell, American singer
- 1973Mirjam Sterk, Dutch politician
- 1973Ron Trent, American DJ and producer
- 1974Charlie Yeung, Hong Kong actress and singer
- 1974Jewel, American singer
- 1974Ken Jennings, American game show contestant
- 1974Mónica Naranjo, Spanish singer
- 1975Kim Sung-soo, South Korean actor
- 1976Kelly Monaco, American actress
- 1976Ricardinho, Brazilian footballer
- 1977Annabel Kosten, Dutch freestyle swimmer
- 1977Ilia Kulik, Russian figure skater
- 1978Carolyn Moos, American model and professional basketball player
- 1978Mike González, American baseball player
- 1978Scott Raynor, American drummer (blink-182)
- 1979Brian Campbell, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1979Kirk Saarloos, American baseball player
- 1979Rasual Butler, American basketball player
- 1980Gary Brackett, American football player
- 1980Lane Garrison, American actor
- 1980Theofanis Gekas, Greek footballer
- 1981Gwenno Saunders, Welsh dancer and singer (The Pipettes)
- 1982Cyrill Gloor, Swiss footballer
- 1982Malene Mortensen, Danish singer
- 1982Tristan Prettyman, American musician
- 1983Alex Shelley, American professional wrestler
- 1983Heidi Range, English singer (Sugababes)
- 1984Adam Wylie, American actor
- 1984Sam Milby, Filipino-American actor and commercial model
- 1985Ross Wallace, Scottish footballer
- 1985Wim Stroetinga, Dutch racing cyclist
- 1986Ruben Zadkovich, Australian footballer
- 1988Morgan Pressel, American golfer
- 1991Lena Meyer-Landrut, German singer-songwriter
Who Died On May 23?
- 1125Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1081)
- 1304Jehan de Lescurel, French poet and composer
- 1498Girolamo Savonarola, Italian religious reformer and ruler of Florence (b. 1452)
- 1523Ashikaga Yoshitane, Japanese shogun (b. 1466)
- 1524Ismail I, Shah of Persia (b. 1487)
- 1662John Gauden, English bishop and writer (b. 1605)
- 1670Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (b. 1610)
- 1691Adrien Auzout, French astronomer (b. 1622)
- 1701William “Captain” Kidd, Scottish pirate (b. 1645)
- 1749Graf Valentin Potocki, Polish Jewish nobleman
- 1752William Bradford, English-born printer (b. 1663)
- 1754John Wood, the Elder, English architect (b. 1704)
- 1783James Otis, American lawyer and patriot (b. 1725)
- 1786Móric Benyovszky Hungarian count (b. 1746)
- 1813Geraud Duroc, French general (b. 1772)
- 1815Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg, American clergyman and botanist (b. 1753)
- 1825Ras Gugsa of Yejju, Regent of the Emperor of Ethiopia
- 1841Franz Xaver von Baader, German philosopher and theologian (b. 1765)
- 1846Franciszek Ksawery Drucki-Lubecki, Polish politician (b. 1778)
- 1855Charles Robert Malden, English explorer (b. 1797)
- 1857Augustin Louis Cauchy, French mathematician (b. 1789)
- 1868Kit Carson, American trapper, scout, and Indian agent (b. 1809)
- 1886Leopold von Ranke, German historian (b. 1795)
- 1893Anton von Schmerling, Austrian statesman (b. 1805)
- 1895Franz Ernst Neumann, German mineralogist and physicist (b. 1798)
- 1906Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian writer (b. 1828)
- 1908François Coppée, French poet and novelist (b. 1842)
- 1920Svetozar Boroević, Austrian field marshal (b. 1856)
- 1934Bonnie Parker, American outlaw (b. 1910)
- 1934Clyde Barrow, American outlaw (b. 1909)
- 1937John D. Rockefeller, American industrialist and philanthropist (b. 1839)
- 1945Heinrich Himmler, Nazi official (b. 1900)
- 1949Jan Frans De Boever, Belgian painter (b. 1872)
- 1965Earl Webb, American baseball player (b. 1897)
- 1966Demchugdongrub, Mongolian politician (b. 1902)
- 1967Lionel Groulx, French Canadian priest and historian (b. 1878)
- 1975Moms Mabley, American comedian (b. 1894)
- 1981David Lewis, Canadian labour lawyer and politician (b. 1909)
- 1981Gene Green, American baseball player (b. 1933)
- 1981George Jessel, American actor (b. 1898)
- 1981Rayner Heppenstall, English novelist (b. 1911)
- 1986Sterling Hayden, American actor (b. 1916)
- 1988Aya Kitō, Japanese diarist (b. 1962)
- 1989Georgy Tovstonogov, Russian theatre director (b. 1915)
- 1989Karl Koch, West German hacker (b. 1965)
- 1991Wilhelm Kempff, German pianist and composer (b. 1895)
- 1992Giovanni Falcone, Italian judge (b. 1939)
- 1992Kostas Davourlis, Greek footballer (b. 1948)
- 1994Joe Pass, American jazz guitarist (b. 1929)
- 1994Ray Candy, American professional wrestler (b. 1951)
- 1998Eminem, American Musician (b. 1972)
- 1999Owen Hart, Canadian professional wrestler (b. 1965)
- 2002Sam Snead, American golfer (b. 1912)
- 2003Jean Yanne, French actor and director (b. 1933)
- 2004Ramon Margalef, Spanish scientist (b. 1919)
- 2005Fat-Tone, American rapper (b. 1981)
- 2006Clifford Antone, American businessman (b. 1949)
- 2006Ian Copeland, American music promoter (b. 1949)
- 2006Kazimierz Górski, Polish footballer (b. 1921)
- 2006Lloyd Bentsen, American politician (b. 1921)
- 2008Iñaki Ochoa de Olza, Spanish mountaineer (b. 1967)
- 2008Utah Phillips, American folksinger and activist (b. 1935)
- 2009Roh Moo-hyun, 16th President of the Republic of Korea (b. 1946)
- 2010Gane Todorovoski, Macedonian literary critic, poet, & publicist (b. 1929)
- 2010José Lima, Dominican baseball player (b. 1972)
- 2010Leonida Georgievna, Grand Duchess of Russia (b. 1914)
- 2010Simon Monjack, English actor, producer, & writer (b. 1970)
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