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Today May 23rd 2009 this day in history Read more below to view events, deaths, births, Holidays observances and video clips. Last database updated: Jan 17th, 2009
Events
1430 – Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne.
1498 – Girolamo Savonarola is burned at the stake in Florence, Italy, on the orders of Pope Alexander VI.
1533 – The marriage of King Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon is declared null and void.
1568 – The Netherlands declare their independence from Spain.
1568 – Dutch 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.
1609 – Official ratification of the Second Charter of Virginia takes place.
1618 – The Second Defenestration of Prague precipitates the Thirty Years War.
1701 – After being convicted of piracy and of murdering William Moore, Captain William Kidd is hanged in London.
1706 – Battle of Ramillies: John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough, defeats a French army under Marshal Villeroi.
1788 – South Carolina ratifies the Constitution as the 8th American state.
1805 – Napoleon Bonaparte is crowned King of Italy with the Iron Crown of Lombardy in the Cathedral of Milan.
1813 – South American independence leader Simón Bolívar enters Mérida, leading the invasion of Venezuela, and is proclaimed El Libertador (The Liberator).
1844 – Declaration of the Báb: During the previous night, the Persian Prophet the Báb announced his revelation, founding Bábísm. He announced to the world the coming of He whom God shall make manifest. He is considered the forerunner of Bahá u lláh, the founder of the Bahá í Faith.
1846 – Mexican-American War: President Mariano Paredes of Mexico unofficially declares war on the United States.
1863 – Organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Battle Creek, Michigan.
1863 – The Siege of Port Hudson takes place.
1873 – The Canadian Parliament establishes the North West Mounted Police, the forerunner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
1900 – American 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.
1907 – The unicameral Parliament of Finland gathers for its first plenary session.
1911 – the New York Public Library is dedicated.
1915 – World War I: Italy joins the Allies after they declare war on Austria-Hungary.
1923 – Launch of Belgium s SABENA airline.
1929 – The first talking cartoon of Mickey Mouse, The Karnival Kid, is released.
1934 – American bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde are ambushed by police and killed in Black Lake, Louisiana.
1934 – The 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.
1939 – The U.S. Navy submarine USS Squalus sinks off the coast of New Hampshire during a test dive, causing the death of 26 sailors. The remaining 32 crewmen and one passenger are rescued the following day.
1945 – World War II: Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS, committs suicide while in Allied custody.
1945 – World 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.
1949 – The Federal Republic of Germany is established and the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany is proclaimed.
1951 – Tibetans are forced to sign the Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet with the People s Republic of China.
1958 – Explorer 1 ceases transmission.
1960 – Prime Minister of Israel David Ben-Gurion announces that Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann had been captured.
1967 – Egypt closes the Straits of Tiran and blockades the port of Eilat at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba to Israeli shipping, laying the foundations for the Six Day War.
1970 – A fire breaks out in the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Straits in north Wales contributing to its partial destruction and causing approximately £1,000,000 worth of fire damage.
1977 – Two terrorist actions unfold in The Netherlands: several dozen hostages are taken on board a train, and about 100 others (mostly children) are held at a school. The train siege lasts until June 11.
1995 – Oklahoma City bombing: In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the remains of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building are imploded.
1995 – The first version of the Java programming language was released.
1996 – 1996 Everest Disaster : The deadliest year for climbers of Everest
1998 – The Good Friday Agreement is accepted in a referendum in Northern Ireland with 75% voting yes.
2002 – The 55 parties clause of the Kyoto protocol is reached after its ratification by Iceland.
2003 – The euro exceeds its initial trading value as it hits $1.18 for the first time since its introduction in 1999.
2004 – Part of Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport s Terminal 2E collapses, killing four people and injuring three others.
2008– The 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. UFC 93: Henderson vs. Franklin.
Births
1052 – King Philip I of France (d. 1108)
1100 – Emperor Qinzong of China (d. 1161)
1606 – Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz, Spanish writer (d. 1682)
1617 – Elias Ashmole, English antiquarian (d. 1692)
1707 – Carolus Linnaeus, Swedish botanist (d. 1778)
1718 – William Hunter, Scottish anatomist (d. 1783)
1729 – Giuseppe Parini, Italian writer (d. 1799)
1734 – Franz Anton Mesmer, Austrian physician/hypnotist (d. 1815)
1741 – Andrea Luchesi, Italian composer (d. 1801)
1790 – Jules Dumont d Urville, French explorer (d. 1842)
1795 – Charles Barry , English architect (d. 1860)
1810 – Margaret Fuller, American journalist and feminist (d. 1850)
1820 – James Buchanan Eads, American engineer and inventor (d. 1887)
1820 – Lorenzo Sawyer, 9th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of California (d. 1891)
1824 – Ambrose Burnside, American Union Civil War general (d. 1881)
1834 – Carl Heinrich Bloch, Danish painter (d. 1890)
1844 – `Abdu l-Bahá, Successor to Prophet of the Bahá í Faith (d. 1921)
1848 – Otto Lilienthal, German aviation pioneer (d. 1896)
1865 – Epitácio Pessoa, President of Brazil (d. 1942)
1875 – Alfred P. Sloan, American long-time president and chairman of General Motors (d. 1966)
1879 – Dezso Lauber, Hungarian sportsman (d. 1966)
1883 – Douglas Fairbanks, American actor (d. 1939)
1884 – Corrado Gini, Italian sociologist (d. 1965)
1887 – Thoralf Skolem, Norwegian mathematician (d. 1963)
1888 – Zack Wheat, American baseball player (d. 1972)
1889 – Ernst Niekisch, German politician (d. 1967)
1890 – Herbert Marshall, English actor (d. 1966)
1891 – Pär Lagerkvist, Swedish writer, Nobel laureate (d. 1974)
1893 – Ulysses S. Grant IV, American geologist and paleontologist (d. 1977)
1895 – Billy Smith The first footballer ever to score directly from a corner kick. (d. 1956)
1896 – Felix Martin Julius Steiner, German Heer and Waffen-SS officer (d. 1966)
1898 – Scott O Dell, American author (d. 1989)
1900 – Hans Frank, German Nazi war criminal (d. 1946)
1906 – General P.N. Thapar, The Fifth Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army
1908 – John Bardeen, American physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1991)
1908 – Hélène Boucher, French aviatrix (d. 1934)
1910 – Margaret Wise Brown, American author (d. 1952)
1910 – Sir Hugh Casson, British architect and painter (d. 1999)
1910 – Scatman Crothers, American actor and musician (d. 1986)
1910 – Artie Shaw, American clarinetist and bandleader (d. 2004)
1912 – Jean Françaix, French composer (d. 1997)
1912 – Betty Astell, English actress (d. 2005)
1912 – John Payne, American actor (d. 1989)
1913 – Ruth Fernandez Puerto Rican singer
1917 – Edward Norton Lorenz, American mathematician and meteorologist (d. 2008)
1918 – Denis Compton, English cricketer (d. 1997)
1919 – Betty Garrett, American actress and dancer
1920 – Helen O Connell, American singer (d. 1993)
1921 – James Blish, American author (d. 1975)
1921 – Humphrey Lyttelton, English musician (d. 2008)
1923 – Alicia de Larrocha, Spanish pianist
1923 – Walter Wolfrum, German fighter pilot
1925 – Joshua Lederberg, American molecular biologist, Nobel laureate (d. 2008)
1925 – Mac Wiseman, American musician
1928 – Jeannie Carson, English actress and comedian
1928 – Rosemary Clooney, American singer and actress (d. 2002)
1928 – Nigel Davenport, English actor
1928 – Pauline Julien, French Canadian singer (d. 1998)
1929 – Ulla Jacobsson, Swedish actress (d. 1982)
1930 – Friedrich Achleitner, German poet
1931 – Barbara Barrie, American actress
1933 – Joan Collins, English actress
1934 – Robert Moog, American inventor (d. 2005)
1936 – Ingeborg Hallstein, German opera singer
1936 – Charles Kimbrough, American actor
1938 – Peter Preston, English journalist and author
1939 – Reinhard Hauff, German film director
1939 – Michel Colombier, French composer and songwriter (d. 2004)
1942 – K. Raghavendra Rao, Indian film director
1942 – Gabriel Liiceanu, Romanian philosopher
1943 – General Norman Johnson, American singer (Chairmen of the Board)
1944 – John Newcombe, Australian tennis player
1945 – Padmarajan, Indian film director (d. 1991)
1946 – Frederik de Groot, Dutch actor
1946 – H. Paul Shuch, American SETI scientist
1947 – Bernard Comrie, English linguist
1947 – Ann Hui, Hong Kong film director
1947 – Jane Kenyon, American poet (d. 1995)
1948 – Reggie Cleveland, Canadian baseball player
1951 – Anatoly Karpov, Russian chess player
1951 – Antonis Samaras, Greek politician
1952 – Anne-Marie David, French singer
1952 – Marvelous Marvin Hagler, American boxer
1955 – Luka Bloom, Irish singer/songwriter
1956 – Ursula Plassnik, Austrian politician
1956 – Mark Shaw, New Zealand rugby footballer
1956 – Buck Showalter, American baseball player and manager
1957 – Mark Arnold, American actor
1957 – Jimmy McShane Northern Irish singer and front man of Baltimora, (d. 1995)
1958 – Mitch Albom, American writer
1958 – Drew Carey, American actor, comedian, and game show host
1958 – François Feldman, French singer
1961 – Karen Duffy, American actress
1962 – Imran Anwar, Pakistani Internet pioneer and American TV personality
1963 – Wally Dallenbach Jr., American race car driver and announcer
1963 – Gregg Opie Hughes, American radio personality (The Opie and Anthony Show)
1964 – Ruth Metzler-Arnold, member of the Swiss Federal Council
1965 – Tom Tykwer, German film director
1965 – Manuel Sanchís Hontiyuelo, Real Madrid footballer
1966 – Graeme Hick, English cricketer
1966 – Gary Roberts, professional ice hockey player
1967 – Anna Ibrisagic, Swedish politician
1967 – Phil Selway, English drummer (Radiohead)
1968 – Guinevere Turner, American actress
1970 – Yigal Amir, Israeli assassin of Yitzhak Rabin
1970 – Nanette Burstein, American director/producer
1970 – Bryan Herta, American race car driver
1970 – Blake Schwendiman, American author
1971 – Laurel Holloman, American actress
1972 – Rubens Barrichello, Brazilian formula one driver
1974 – Ken Jennings, American game show contestant
1974 – Matt Hindle, Canadian bobsledder
1974 – Jewel, American singer
1974 – Mónica Naranjo, Spanish singer
1974 – Charlie Yeung, Hong Kong actress and singer
1975 – Kim Sung-soo, South Korean actor
1976 – Kelly Monaco, American actress
1976 – Ricardinho, Brazilian footballer
1977 – Ilia Kulik, Russian figure skater
1978 – Mike González, American baseball player
1978 – Carolyn Moos, American model and professional basketball player
1978 – Scott Raynor, American drummer (blink-182)
1979 – Brian Campbell, Canadian ice hockey player
1979 – Kirk Saarloos, American baseball player
1979 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player
1980 – Lane Garrison, American actor
1980 – Theofanis Gekas, Greek footballer
1981 – Gwenno Saunders, Welsh dancer and singer (The Pipettes)
1982 – Cyrill Gloor, Swiss footballer
1982 – Malene Mortensen, Danish singer
1982 – Tristan Prettyman, American musician
1983 – Cristiano Bilanzola, Canadian musician and film-maker
1983 – Heidi Range, English singer (Sugababes)
1983 – Alex Shelley, American professional wrestler
1984 – Adam Wylie, American actor
1985 – Ross Wallace, Scottish footballer
1986 – Ruben Zadkovich, Australian footballer
1987 – Walker Lane, American Musician
1988 – Morgan Pressel, American golfer
Deaths
1125 – Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1081)
1304 – Jehan de Lescurel, French poet and composer
1498 – Girolamo Savonarola, Italian religious reformer and ruler of Florence (b. 1452)
1523 – Ashikaga Yoshitane, Japanese shogun (b. 1466)
1524 – Ismail I, Shah of Persia (b. 1487)
1662 – John Gauden, English bishop and writer (b. 1605)
1670 – Ferdinando II de Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (b. 1610)
1691 – Adrien Auzout, French astronomer (b. 1622)
1701 – Captain Kidd, Scottish pirate (b. 1645)
1752 – William Bradford, English-born printer (b. 1663)
1754 – John Wood, the Elder, English architect (b. 1704)
1783 – James Otis, American lawyer and patriot (b. 1725)
1786 – Móric Benyovszky Hungarian count (b. 1746)
1813 – Geraud Duroc, French general (b. 1772)
1825 – Ras Gugsa of Yejju, Regent of the Emperor of Ethiopia
1841 – Franz Xaver von Baader, German philosopher and theologian (b. 1765)
1846 – Franciszek Ksawery Drucki-Lubecki, Polish politician (b. 1778)
1855 – Charles Robert Malden, English explorer (b. 1797)
1857 – Augustin Louis Cauchy, French mathematician (b. 1789)
1868 – Kit Carson, American trapper, scout, and Indian agent (b. 1809)
1886 – Leopold von Ranke, German historian (b. 1795)
1893 – Anton von Schmerling, Austrian statesman (b. 1805)
1895 – Franz Ernst Neumann, German mineralogist and physicist (b. 1798)
1906 – Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian writer (b. 1828)
1908 – François Coppée, French poet and novelist (b. 1842)
1920 – Svetozar Boroevic, Austrian field marshal (b. 1856)
1934 – Clyde Barrow, American outlaw (b. 1909)
1934 – Bonnie Parker, American outlaw (b. 1910)
1937 – John D. Rockefeller, American industrialist and philanthropist (b. 1839)
1945 – Heinrich Himmler, Nazi official (b. 1900)
1965 – Earl Webb, American baseball player (b. 1897)
1966 – Demchugdongrub, Mongolian politician (b. 1902)
1967 – Lionel Groulx, French Canadian priest and historian (b. 1878)
1975 – Moms Mabley, American comedian (b. 1894)
1981 – Gene Green, American baseball player (b. 1933)
1981 – Rayner Heppenstall, English novelist (d. 1911)
1981 – George Jessel, American actor (b. 1898)
1981 – David Lewis, Canadian labour lawyer and politician (b. 1909)
1986 – Sterling Hayden, American actor (b. 1916)
1989 – Georgy Tovstonogov, Russian theatre director (b. 1915)
1991 – Wilhelm Kempff, German pianist and composer (b. 1895)
1992 – Giovanni Falcone, Italian judge (b. 1939)
1994 – Ray Candy, American professional wrestler (b. 1951)
1994 – Joe Pass, American jazz guitarist (b. 1929)
1996 – Patrick Cargill, English actor (b. 1918)
1996 – Rob Hall, New Zealand high altitude climber (b. 1941)
1996 – Scott Fischer, American high altitude climber (b. 1955)
1999 – Owen Hart, Canadian professional wrestler (b. 1965)
2002 – Sam Snead, American golfer (b. 1912)
2003 – Jean Yanne, French actor and director (b. 1933)
2004 – Ramon Margalef, Spanish scientist (b. 1919)
2006 – Clifford Antone, American businessman (b. 1949)
2006 – Lloyd Bentsen, American politician (b. 1921)
2006 – Frits Bernard, American activist (b. 1920)
2006 – Kazimierz Górski, Polish footballer (b. 1921)
2008 – David Mitton, British television director (b. 1939)
2008 – Utah Phillips, American folksinger and activist (b. 1935)
Holidays and observances
Bahá í Faith: Declaration of the Báb
World Turtle Day
Discordianism: Day of Disunity
Aaron the Illustrious in the Syriac Orthodox Church
Saint Desiderius
Saint Guibert of Gemblours
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