What happened today in history
What happened on April 23
On April 23 history recorded 48 notable events. 160 people who left a mark were born on this day, and 125 died. Here is the full almanac.
- 48events
- 160births
- 125deaths
- 21observances
Highlights
Highlights
The Vikings were defeated by the Irish at the Battle of Clontarf.
Vikings were a seafaring people originally from Scandinavia, who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe. They voyaged as far as the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Middle East, Greenland, a
Edmund Ironside became King of England, reigning for only seven months before the country was conquered by Cnut the Great.
Edmund Ironside was King of the English from 23 April to 30 November 1016. Edmund's reign was spent fighting against a Danish invasion led by Cnut.
The first knights of the Order of the Garter, an order of chivalry founded by King Edward III of England, were appointed.
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity.
April 23
On this day
III century BC
- 215 BC
215 BCA temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene.
VI century
VIII century
XI century
XIV century
XV century
XVI century
XVII century
- 1635
1635The first public school in the United States, the Boston Latin School, is founded. - 1655
1655The Siege of Santo Domingo begins during the Anglo-Spanish War, and fails seven days later. - 1660
1660Treaty of Oliva is established between Sweden and Poland. - 1661
1661King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland is crowned in Westminster Abbey.
XVIII century
XIX century
- 1815
1815The Second Serbian Uprising: A second phase of the national revolution of the Serbs against the Ottoman Empire, erupts shortly after the annexation of the country to the Ottoman Empire. - 1879
1879Fire burns down the second main building and dome of the University of Notre Dame, which prompts the construction of the third, and current, Main Building with its golden dome. - 1891
1891Chilean Civil War: The ironclad Blanco Encalada is sunk at Caldera Bay by torpedo boats.
XX century
- 1909
1909In Portugal, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake strikes near Lisbon, killing at least 60 people and injuring 75. - 1918
1918World War I: The British Royal Navy makes a raid in an attempt to neutralise the Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge. - 1919
1919The Estonian Constituent Assembly is held in Estonia, which marks the birth of the Estonian Parliament, the Riigikogu. - 1920
1920The Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) is founded in Ankara. The assembly denounces the government of Sultan Mehmed VI and announces the preparation of a temporary constitution. - 1927
1927Cardiff City defeat Arsenal in the FA Cup Final, the only time it has been won by a team not based in England. - 1935
1935The Polish Constitution of 1935 is adopted. - 1940
1940The Rhythm Club fire at a dance hall in Natchez, Mississippi, kills 198 people. - 1941
1941World War II: The Greek government and King George II evacuate Athens before the invading Wehrmacht. - 1942
1942World War II: Baedeker Blitz: German bombers hit Exeter, Bath and York in retaliation for the British raid on Lübeck. - 1945
1945World War II: Adolf Hitler's designated successor, Hermann Göring, sends him a telegram asking permission to take leadership of Nazi Germany. Martin Bormann and Joseph Goebbels advise Göring that the telegram is treasonous. - 1946
1946Manuel Roxas is elected the last President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. - 1949
1949Chinese Civil War: Establishment of the People's Liberation Army Navy. - 1951
1951Cold War: American journalist William N. Oatis is arrested for espionage by the Communist government of Czechoslovakia. - 1961
1961During the Algiers putsch by French generals, President Charles de Gaulle announces he has assumed emergency powers, and calls on troops and civilians to support him. - 1966
1966Aeroflot Flight 2723 crashes into the Caspian Sea off the Absheron Peninsula, killing 33 people. - 1967
1967Soviet space program: Soyuz 1 (Russian: Союз 1, Union 1), a crewed spaceflight carrying cosmonaut Colonel Vladimir Komarov, is launched into orbit. - 1968
1968Vietnam War: Student protesters at Columbia University in New York City take over administration buildings and shut down the university. - 1971
1971Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army and Razakars massacre approximately 3,000 Hindu emigrants in the Jathibhanga area of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). - 1979
1979SAETA Flight 011 crashes in Pastaza Province, Ecuador, killing all 57 people on board. The wreckage was not discovered until 1984. - 1979
1979Blair Peach, a British activist, is fatally injured after being knocked unconscious during an Anti-Nazi League demonstration against a National Front election meeting in Southall, London. - 1985
1985Coca-Cola changes its formula and releases New Coke. The response is overwhelmingly negative, and the original formula is back on the market in less than three months. - 1990
1990Namibia becomes the 160th member of the United Nations and the 50th member of the Commonwealth of Nations. - 1993
1993Eritreans vote overwhelmingly for independence from Ethiopia in a United Nations-monitored referendum. - 1993
1993Sri Lankan politician Lalith Athulathmudali is assassinated while addressing a gathering, approximately four weeks ahead of the Provincial Council elections for the Western Province. - 1999
1999NATO bombs the headquarters of Radio Television of Serbia, as part of their aerial campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
XXI century
- 2005
2005The first YouTube video, titled "Me at the zoo", is published by co-founder Jawed Karim. - 2013
2013At least 111 people are killed and 233 injured as violence breaks out in Hawija, Iraq. - 2018
2018A vehicle-ramming attack kills 11 people and injures 15 in Toronto. A 25-year-old suspect, Alek Minassian, is arrested. - 2019
2019The April 2019 Hpakant jade mine collapse in Myanmar kills four miners and two rescuers, with at least 50 others missing and presumed dead. - 2024
2024The 2024 Lumut mid-air collision in Malaysia kills 10 people while rehearsing for the 90th anniversary of the Royal Malaysian Navy.
Best known
Born on April 23
Best known
Died on April 23
Holidays and observances
- Christian feast day: Adalbert of Prague
- Christian feast day: Felix, Fortunatus, and Achilleus
- Christian feast day: Saint George
- Christian feast day: Blessed Giles of Assisi
- Christian feast day: Gerard of Toul
- Christian feast day: Ibar of Beggerin (Meath)
- Christian feast day: Blessed Maria Gabriella Sagheddu
- Christian feast day: Toyohiko Kagawa (Episcopal and Lutheran Church)
- Christian feast day: Saint George's Day and its related observances: Saint George's Day (Catalonia)
- Christian feast day: Saint George's Day and its related observances: Saint George's Day (England)
- Christian feast day: Blessed Teresa Maria Manetti
- Christian feast day: April 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Canada Book Day (Canada)
- Castile and León Day (Castile and León)
Frequently asked questions
What happened on April 23?
48 documented historical events happened on April 23, from antiquity to the present day. The best known is this: The Vikings were defeated by the Irish at the Battle of Clontarf. On the same day, in another year: Edmund Ironside became King of England, reigning for only seven months before the country was conquered by Cnut the Great. On Almanaccolo every event is listed in chronological order, grouped by century, and links to the Wikipedia article it comes from, so you can always read further or check the source. Alongside the events you find who was born and who died on this date, and which observances are celebrated around the world.
Who was born on April 23?
160 people with a Wikipedia article were born on April 23, including Oleg Penkovsky, Judy Agnew, Warren Spahn. The list spans every era and every field — art, science, politics, sport, entertainment — ordered by year of birth, from the earliest to the most recent. The six featured people are those most has been written about: the ordering uses the length of their Wikipedia article as an indicator of prominence. For each one you find their occupation, year of birth and a link to the full biography.
Who died on April 23?
125 people with a Wikipedia article died on April 23, including 303, AD 711, Æthelred I of Wessex. The list is in chronological order by year of death and spans all of documented history, from antiquity to the present day. For each person you find their occupation, the year and a link to the Wikipedia biography, where the full story and its sources can be read.
What is celebrated on April 23?
21 observances are celebrated on April 23 around the world: Christian feast day: Adalbert of Prague, Christian feast day: Felix, Fortunatus, and Achilleus, Christian feast day: Saint George, Christian feast day: Blessed Giles of Assisi, Christian feast day: Gerard of Toul, Christian feast day: Ibar of Beggerin (Meath). The list gathers national holidays, international days and religious or civil observances falling on this date in different countries, as recorded on Wikipedia. Some are fixed and recur on the same day every year; others depend on the local calendar. Each links to the article explaining its origin and meaning.
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Source: Wikipedia · Calendar