Thursday, 23rd April 2026 in Lisbon
Welcome to your daily snapshot of Lissabon! It's World Book Day and World English Language Day and World Laboratory Animal Day. Explore 48 historical events, birthdays, deaths, and milestones that shaped this day in Lissabon. From remarkable moments in local and world history to the people who left their mark — find out what makes today special. Today's weather in Lissabon brings cloudy with temperatures between 12°C and 19°C. Tonight's moon is in its waning gibbous phase, and the zodiac sign of the day is Taurus. If you're curious about the history of a day — this page brings together everything worth knowing about this Thursday, 23rd April in Lissabon, PT.

Lisbon, Portugal's capital and largest city, lies along the Tagus estuary on the Atlantic coast and is known for its historic architecture and cultural significance. On 23rd April 2026, the city experiences cloudy conditions. Astrologically, this date falls within Taurus, a sign associated with stability and practicality. The moon is in its waning gibbous phase, having recently passed full and gradually decreasing in illumination.
On this day
On 23rd April 1945, the US Army's 90th Infantry Division liberated Flossenbuerg concentration camp in Germany, freeing approximately 1,500 prisoners during the final months of the Second World War in Europe. This humanitarian action represented a pivotal moment in the liberation of Nazi-occupied territories and provided crucial relief to those who had endured the horrors of the camp system.
In 1979, Blair Peach, a New Zealand teacher, was fatally injured whilst participating in an Anti-Nazi League demonstration against a National Front election meeting in Southall, London. His death became a significant moment in British social history, highlighting the tensions and conflicts surrounding far-right political activity during the late 1970s. Additionally, the ZX Spectrum, Britain's best-selling microcomputer, was released on this date in 1982, marking a transformative moment in personal computing that would influence generations of programmers and gamers across the United Kingdom.
World Book Day
World Book Day, established by UNESCO in 1995, falls on 23rd April to commemorate the deaths of Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare, two literary giants who died on the same date in 1616. The day promotes reading, publishing, and intellectual property rights across more than 100 countries. It has become a global cultural event where schools, libraries, and bookshops organise events to encourage a love of books and reading.
World English Language Day
World English Language Day, recognised by the United Nations since 2010, is observed on 23rd April, the birthday of William Shakespeare. The day celebrates the English language and its cultural significance in global communication and understanding. It encourages the learning and teaching of English as a means of promoting linguistic diversity and multilingual education worldwide.
World Laboratory Animal Day
World Laboratory Animal Day, observed on 23rd April since 1979, commemorates the birth of the antivivisection pioneer William Russell. The day aims to raise awareness about laboratory animals used in research and advocates for the replacement, reduction, and refinement of animal testing. It has grown into an international platform for dialogue between scientists, animal welfare advocates, and the public regarding ethical research practices.
DayAtlas provides comprehensive information for any date and location, displaying weather conditions, significant historical events, and notable births and deaths. Users can explore what happened on a specific day in history whilst reviewing contemporary weather data and astrological information for their chosen place and date.
Find out what's happening today in Lissabon.
What the Weather Had in Store for Lissabon on 23rd April 2026
Stillness teaches what movement cannot reveal.
Fortune of the Day
23rd April in the Stars – Star Sign Taurus
Personality Profile
Personality People born on 23 April blend Taurus stability with Saturn discipline into a mature, dependable character. They appreciate beauty and comfort while maintaining structured ambition. This mix makes them both pleasure-seeking and remarkably responsible.
Strengths & Weaknesses Their strengths include patience, practical thinking, and unwavering loyalty. However, stubbornness and resistance to change can hinder progress. Saturn's influence moderates impulses but may also foster excessive caution.
Love Those born on this day seek deep, stable partnerships with sensual foundations. They are faithful, attentive partners who need time to build trust. Their love is grounded and practical rather than theatrically romantic.
Caree & Finance These individuals excel in management, finance, or skilled trades. Their patience and structured approach lead to steady careers and financial security. They build wealth methodically and avoid unnecessary risks.
Health Regular exercise and stress management are vital, as these people tend toward tension. Their love of fine food requires mindful eating habits. Time in nature restores their inner balance.
That night, the moon was in its waning gibbous phase.
Chinese year of the Horse (Fire).
Fun Facts About 23rd April
Name Days in Your Language: Brayan, Breana, Breanna, Breanne, Brian, Briana, Brianna, Brianne, Brielle, Brien, Briona, Bryan, Bryana, Bryanna, Bryant, Brynn, Bryon, Shirlee, Shirleen, Shirley
Someone born on this day would be just 40 days old today — roughly 978 hours, 58,695 minutes, or 3,521,719 seconds spent on Earth so far.
It's the 113. day of the year. In 2026, 23rd April falls on a Thursday.
There are 252 days still to come.
We’re currently in Week 17 — the year marches on.
Famous Birthdays on 23rd April
On this day, 231 notable people were born on 23rd April — spanning from 1185 to 2018. From world leaders to artists and scientists, discover who shares this birthday.
23/04/2018
Prince Louis of Wales, British royal
Prince Louis of Wales is a member of the British royal family. He is the third and youngest child of William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, and a grandson of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales. He is fourth in the line of succession to the British throne. Louis was born at St Mary's Hospital, London, during the reign of his paternal great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and was fifth in line before her death.
23/04/2000
Chloe Kim, American snowboarder
Chloe Kim is an American professional snowboarder and two-time Olympic gold medalist. At the 2018 Winter Olympics, she became the youngest woman to win an Olympic snowboarding gold medal when she won gold in the women's snowboard halfpipe at 17 years old.
Lee Jeno, South Korean rapper, vocalist and dancer
Lee Je-no, known professionally as Jeno, is a South Korean rapper and singer. Jeno began his career as a child commercial model. He was discovered by SM Entertainment at the age of thirteen. Jeno officially debuted in August 2016 as a member of South Korean boy band NCT through the sub-units NCT Dream and NCT JNJM.
23/04/1999
Son Chaeyoung, South Korean rapper and singer-songwriter
Son Chae-young, known mononymously as Chaeyoung, is a South Korean singer and rapper. She is a member of the girl group Twice, formed by JYP Entertainment in 2015.
Laufey, Icelandic singer-songwriter and musician
Laufey Lín Bing Jónsdóttir, known mononymously as Laufey, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter and writer. Her musical style blends genres such as jazz pop and classical music. Laufey began performing as a cello soloist with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra at age 15. She then emerged as a finalist in the 2014 edition of Ísland Got Talent and a semifinalist on The Voice Iceland in 2015.
23/04/1997
Zach Apple, American swimmer
Zachary Douglas Apple is an American retired competitive swimmer who specialized in the sprint freestyle events. He used to swim for DC Trident in the International Swimming League. He won his first Olympic gold medal in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay at the 2020 Summer Olympics, swimming in the prelims and the final of the event, and later in the same Olympic Games won a gold medal and helped set a new world record and Olympic record in the 4x100-meter medley relay, swimming the freestyle leg of the relay in the final.
23/04/1996
Carolina Alves, Brazilian tennis player
Carolina Meligeni Rodrigues Alves, also known as Carol Meligeni, is a Brazilian professional tennis player. She has a career-high WTA singles ranking of No. 165, achieved on 12 September 2022 and a best doubles ranking of No. 110, achieved on 18 July 2022.
23/04/1995
Gigi Hadid, American fashion model and television personality
Jelena Noura "Gigi" Hadid is an American fashion model and television personality. In 2016, she was named International Model of the Year by the British Fashion Council. Throughout her career, Hadid has made at least 50 appearances in international Vogue. Models.com ranks her as one of the "New Supers". Since 2017, Hadid has been one of the highest-paid models in the world, earning $20 million.
Jamie Hayter, English professional wrestler
Paige Wooding, better known by her ring name Jamie Hayter, is an English professional wrestler. She is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where she is one-half of the Brawling Birds with Alex Windsor, and a former one-time AEW Women's World Champion.
23/04/1994
Patrick Olsen, Danish footballer
Patrick Haakon Olsen is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Danish 1st Division club Horsens.
Song Kang, South Korean actor
Song Kang is a South Korean actor. He is known for starring in the dramas Love Alarm (2019–2021), Sweet Home (2020–2024), Nevertheless (2021), Forecasting Love and Weather (2022), and My Demon (2023–2024). He has been called the "Son of Netflix" because the majority of the series he has starred in were streamed on the platform.
23/04/1991
Britt Baker, American professional wrestler
Brittany Ann Baker is an American professional wrestler and dentist. She is signed to All Elite Wrestling, where she performs under the ring name Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. and is a former AEW Women's World Champion. She is also the first female wrestler signed to AEW.
Nathan Baker, English footballer
Nathan Luke Baker is an English former professional footballer who played as a central defender. Baker is a product of the Aston Villa Academy and had loan spells at Lincoln City and Millwall before joining Bristol City in 2017. He has represented England at U19, U20, and U21 levels.
Caleb Johnson, American singer-songwriter
Caleb Perry Johnson is an American singer who won the thirteenth season of American Idol. Prior to appearing on the series, he was the front man for the band Elijah Hooker. After American Idol, Johnson released his debut solo album, Testify, through Interscope Records. After leaving his label, he formed another group, Caleb Johnson and the Ramblin' Saints, and in 2019, the group self-released its first album, Born from Southern Ground.
Kyle Juszczyk, American football player
Kyle Patrick Juszczyk is an American professional football fullback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Harvard Crimson and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft.
Paul Vaughan, Australian-Italian rugby league player
Paul Vaughan is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop forward for the York Knights in the Super League. He has played for both Italy and Australia at international level.
23/04/1990
Rui Fonte, Portuguese footballer
Rui Pedro da Rocha Fonte is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a forward.
Dev Patel, English actor
Dev Patel is a British actor and filmmaker. His accolades include a British Academy Film Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Patel was included in Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2024.
23/04/1989
Nicole Vaidišová, Czech tennis player
Nicole Vaidišová Štěpánková is a Czech former professional tennis player.
23/04/1988
Victor Anichebe, Nigerian footballer
Victor Chinedu Anichebe is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a forward.
Sandra Borch, Norwegian politician
Sandra Konstance Nygård Borch is a Norwegian politician who served as the minister of research and higher education from 2023 to 2024 until her resignation over the extensive plagiarism in her master's thesis.
Alistair Brownlee, English triathlete
Alistair Edward Brownlee is an English former triathlete. He is the only athlete to hold two Olympic titles in the individual triathlon event, winning gold medals in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. He is also a four-time World Champion in triathlon being Triathlon World Champion twice and World Team Champion twice, a four-time European Champion, and the 2014 Commonwealth champion. Brownlee is the only male athlete,, to have completed a grand slam of Olympic, World, and continental championships. Brownlee is also a one-time world champion in aquathlon. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest male Triathletes ever.
Patrick Maroon, American ice hockey player
Patrick Maroon is an American former professional ice hockey player who was a left winger in the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Big Rig", Maroon played for the Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks. Maroon is a three-time Stanley Cup champion, winning in three consecutive seasons.
Signe Ronka, Canadian figure skater
Signe Ronka is a Latvian Canadian former competitive figure skater. She won three medals on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series and competed at the 2003 World Junior Championships.
Lenka Wienerová, Slovak tennis player
Lenka Wienerová is a Slovak former tennis player.
23/04/1987
Michael Arroyo, Ecuadorian footballer
Michael Antonio Arroyo Mina is an Ecuadorian professional footballer, who plays for Espartanos as a winger or attacking midfielder.
John Boye, Ghanaian footballer
John Boye is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who played as a defender.
Emily Fox, American basketball player
Emily Fox is an American former basketball player and former world record holder in sport stacking. She set the overall world record in the cycle in April 2002 and the 3–6–3. However, in 2006, her cycle record was beaten. Her 3–6–3 record was also broken in 2007 by Robin Stangenberg and Yannick Zittlau of Germany with a time of 2.70 seconds. She has appeared on several television shows, including The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, to demonstrate her skills.
23/04/1986
Sven Kramer, Dutch speed skater
Sven Kramer is a retired Dutch long track speed skater who has won an all-time record nine World Allround Championships as well as a record ten European Allround Championships. He is the Olympic champion of the 5000 meters at the Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics, and won a record 21 gold medals at the World Single Distance Championships; eight in the 5000 meters, five in the 10,000 meters, and eight in the team pursuit. Kramer used to be the world record holder in the team pursuit and broke the world records in the 5000 meter and 10,000 meter events three times. By winning the 2010 World Allround Championship, Kramer became the first speed skater in history to win four consecutive world allround championships and eight consecutive international all round championships. He was undefeated in the 18 international allround championships he participated in from the 2006/2007 season until the 2016/2017 season. From November 2007 to March 2009, he was ranked first in the Adelskalender, but despite his dominance as an all-round skater he has since been overtaken on that list by Shani Davis and, more recently, by his teammate Patrick Roest and Jordan Stolz.
Alysia Montaño, American runner
Alysia Montaño is an American middle distance runner. She is a six-time USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships 800 metres champion. She gained significant publicity for the 2014 race that she competed while 8 months pregnant.
Rafael Fernandes, Brazilian baseball player
Rafael Miranda Fernandes is a Brazilian professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.
23/04/1985
Angel Locsin, Filipino actress, producer, and fashion designer
Angelica Locsin Colmenares is a Filipino actress and humanitarian. She is known for her dramatic roles and portrayals of heroines and mythological characters in film and television. She is a recipient of various accolades, including four Star Awards, three FAMAS Awards, two Box Office Entertainment Awards, and a Luna Award.
23/04/1984
Alexandra Kosteniuk, Russian chess player
Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk is a Russian and Swiss chess grandmaster who was the Women's World Chess Champion from 2008 to 2010 and Women's World Rapid Chess Champion in 2021. She was European women's champion in 2004 and a two-time Russian Women's Chess Champion. Kosteniuk won the team gold medal playing for Russia at the Women's Chess Olympiads of 2010, 2012 and 2014; the Women's World Team Chess Championship of 2017; and the Women's European Team Chess Championships of 2007, 2009, 2011, 2015 and 2017 and the Women's Chess World Cup 2021. In 2022, due to sanctions imposed on Russian players after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she switched federations, and since March 2023 she has represented Switzerland.
Moose, American professional wrestler and football player
Quinn Ojinnaka, better known by his ring name Moose, is an American professional wrestler and former professional football player. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he is the former leader of The System stable. He also makes appearances for TNA's partner promotion WWE on its NXT brand.
Jesse Lee Soffer, American actor
Jesse Lee Soffer is an American actor and television director. He is known for portraying Will Munson on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, and received three Emmy nominations for his work on the show. From 2014 to 2022, he starred as Jay Halstead on the NBC drama Chicago P.D. and guest-starred on Chicago P.D. crossover episodes with Chicago Med and Chicago Fire, as part of the main cast. He is also known for his role as Bobby Brady in the comedy The Brady Bunch Movie and its sequel A Very Brady Sequel. In 2024, Soffer played Wesley "Wes" Mitchell, the new International Fly Team leader on the fourth season of CBS drama FBI: International, after the departure of Luke Kleintank, who played Scott Forester.
23/04/1983
Leon Andreasen, Danish international footballer
Leon Hougaard Andreasen is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a defender or midfielder. He won 20 caps and scored three goals for the Denmark national team.
Daniela Hantuchová, Slovak tennis player
Daniela Hantuchová is a Slovak tennis commentator and retired player. She turned professional in 1999 and had her breakthrough year in 2002, when she won her first WTA Tour title at the Indian Wells Open, defeating Martina Hingis in the final and becoming the lowest-ranked player to ever win the tournament. She also reached the quarterfinals of that year's Wimbledon Championships and US Open, ending the year in the top ten. She was part of the Slovak team that won the 2002 Fed Cup and the 2005 Hopman Cup.
Ian Henderson, English rugby league player
Ian Henderson is a former professional rugby league footballer who last played for the Sydney Roosters in the NRL. A Scotland international hooker, his brothers, Andrew Henderson and Kevin, are also international rugby league players.,
23/04/1982
Kyle Beckerman, American footballer
Kyle Robert Beckerman is an American former professional soccer player who played as a midfielder. He spent 21 seasons in Major League Soccer (MLS) with the Miami Fusion (2000–2001), Colorado Rapids (2002–2007) and Real Salt Lake (2007–2020). He was a starting central defensive midfielder and captain when RSL won MLS Cup 2009. He also earned 58 caps with the United States national team.
Tony Sunshine, American singer-songwriter
Antonio Cruz, known professionally as Tony Sunshine, is an American R&B singer of Puerto Rican descent. He is best known as a member of Fat Joe's hip hop group Terror Squad in the late 1990s, and notably guest appeared on group cohort Big Pun's 2000 single, "100%" and also appeared on Cuban Link's single "Still Telling Lies" that same year. His guest appearance alongside Armageddon on Fat Joe's 2003 single, "All I Need" peaked at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100, while his guest appearance on Lumidee's 2007 cover "She's Like the Wind" peaked at number 43 on the chart. He was led by Joe to sign with Jive Records to release his 2004 debut single "Oh My God", which failed to chart.
23/04/1980
Nicole den Dulk, Dutch Paralympic equestrian
Nicole den Dulk is a Paralympic equestrian.
23/04/1979
Barry Hawkins, English snooker player
Barry Hawkins is an English professional snooker player from Ditton, Kent. He turned professional in 1996, but only rose to prominence in the 2004–05 snooker season when he reached the last 16 of the 2004 UK Championship, the quarter-finals of the 2004 British Open and the semi-finals of the 2005 Welsh Open. He has spent twenty successive seasons ranked inside the top 32. Hawkins reached his first ranking final and won his first ranking title at the 2012 Australian Goldfields Open. Hawkins has played in 13 ranking finals and won five ranking titles.
Jaime King, American actress and model
Jaime Barbara King is an American actress and model best known for her roles in the TV series Hart of Dixie (2011–2015) and Black Summer (2019–2021), and in films such as Pearl Harbor (2001), Slackers (2002), White Chicks (2004), Sin City (2005), Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005), Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014), Ocean’s 8 (2018) and Lights Out (2024).
Joanna Krupa, Polish-American model and television personality
Joanna Krupa is a Polish-born American model, actress, and television presenter. She is known internationally as the host and head judge of Polish Top Model (2010–present) and has appeared on the reality television series Dancing with the Stars (2009) and The Real Housewives of Miami (2012–2013).
Samppa Lajunen, Finnish skier
Samppa Lajunen is a retired Finnish Winter Olympic Games gold medalist, entrepreneur, and investor. At the 2002 Winter Olympics, he became the first athlete to sweep the gold medals at all three Nordic combined events, a feat that was only equalished by Jens Lurås Oftebro twenty four years later at the 2026 Winter Olympics
23/04/1978
Gezahegne Abera, Ethiopian runner
Gezahegne Abera is an Ethiopian athlete and winner of the marathon race at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
23/04/1977
John Cena, American professional wrestler and actor
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American actor, retired professional wrestler, and former rapper. In professional wrestling, he is signed to WWE as a brand ambassador. He is best known for his in-ring career from 2001 to 2025, where he is recognized by WWE as a record 17-time world champion.
Andruw Jones, Curaçaoan baseball player
Andruw Rudolf Jones is a Curaçaoan former professional baseball center fielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), most notably for the Atlanta Braves. He also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, and New York Yankees, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. Jones was a strong defensive player for much of his career, winning the Rawlings Gold Glove Award for outfielders every year from 1998 through 2007. He had a strong throwing arm in addition to his elite fielding. He was an MLB All-Star five times, and he won both the Hank Aaron Award and a Silver Slugger Award for outfielders in 2005.
David Kidwell, New Zealand rugby league player and coach
David Kidwell is a New Zealand professional rugby coach and former rugby league player who is the defence coach for the Highlanders in Super Rugby. As a player, he represented New Zealand as a member of the 2005 Tri-Nations and 2008 World Cup winning New Zealand teams. He primarily played as a second-row, though he started his career as a centre.
Willie Mitchell, Canadian ice hockey player
William Mitchell is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is known primarily as a physical defensive defenceman. Mitchell played Junior A in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) and Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) before joining the college ranks with the Clarkson Knights of ECAC Hockey in 1997. He won an ECAC championship with Clarkson in 1999, while also earning playoff MVP and ECAC First Team All-Star honours.
John Oliver, English comedian, actor, producer, and screenwriter
John William Oliver is a British and American comedian, political commentator, and television personality. He hosts Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on HBO and started his career as a stand-up comedian in the United Kingdom. He came to wider attention for his work in the United States as the senior British correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart from 2006 to 2013.
Kal Penn, Indian-American actor
Kalpen Suresh Modi, known professionally as Kal Penn, is an American actor, author, and former White House staff member in the Barack Obama administration.
Bram Schmitz, Dutch cyclist
Bram Schmitz is a retired Dutch professional road cyclist.
Lee Young-pyo, South Korean international footballer
Lee Young-pyo is a South Korean former professional footballer who played as a right-footed left back. Lee was recognized for his speed and dribbling skills. His former manager Martin Jol once called him "the best left back in Holland".
23/04/1976
Gabriel Damon, American actor
Gabriel Damon Lavezzi is an American former child actor. His acting career involved providing the voices of Littlefoot in the 1988 film The Land Before Time and Little Nemo in the 1989 film Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland. He also played Hob in RoboCop 2 and a variety of live-action guest roles on television.
Aaron Dessner, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
Aaron Brooking Dessner is an American musician. He is best known as a founding member of the rock band the National, with whom he has recorded ten studio albums; a co-founder of the indie rock duo Big Red Machine, teaming with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon; and a collaborator on Taylor Swift's critically acclaimed studio albums Folklore and Evermore, both of which contended for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2021 and 2022, respectively, with the former winning the accolade; as well as The Tortured Poets Department (2024).
23/04/1975
Bobby Shaw, American football player
Bobby T. Shaw II is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears, earning third-team All-American honors in 1997. Shaw played for five NFL teams: Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, and San Diego Chargers.
23/04/1974
Carlos Dengler, American bass player
Carlos Andres Dengler is an American musician, actor, composer, and writer. He has performed in regional theaters, appeared in various short films, and released three albums. His essays have appeared in n+1 and Tablet Magazine. He is the co-founder and former bass guitarist and keyboardist for the rock band Interpol.
Michael Kerr, New Zealand-German rugby player
Michael Kerr is a German international rugby union player, playing for the RG Heidelberg in the Rugby-Bundesliga and the Germany national rugby union team. He is originally from New Zealand and qualified to play for Germany after five years of residence in the country.
23/04/1973
Patrick Poulin, Canadian ice hockey player
Joseph Emelien Patrick Poulin is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 634 games in the National Hockey League between 1991 and 2002.
23/04/1972
Pierre Labrie, Canadian poet and playwright
Pierre Labrie is a Québécois poet, born at Mont-Joli, Quebec. He now lives in Trois-Rivières.
Peter Dench, English photographer and journalist
Peter Dench is a British photojournalist, photographer, writer, curator, educator and TV presenter. His work has been published in a number of books. In 2025, Dench served as Acting Features Editor at Amateur Photographer.
Amira Medunjanin, Bosnian singer
Amira Medunjanin is a Bosnian singer and interpreter of sevdalinka. She holds both citizenship of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
23/04/1971
Uli Herzner, German-American fashion designer
Ulrike "Uli" Herzner is a fashion designer originally from East Germany, currently living in Miami Beach, Florida. She was a contestant on the third season of the Bravo network reality television series Project Runway, where she finished runner-up to Jeffrey Sebelia. She starred in her own show, It's Very Uli on Plum TV, and finished as second runner-up on season 2 of Project Runway All-Stars.
23/04/1970
Egemen Bağış, Turkish politician, 1st Minister of European Union Affairs
Egemen Bağış is a former Turkish politician of, former member of the Turkish parliament, the former minister for EU Affairs and chief negotiator of Turkey in accession talks with the European Union and a former ambassador of Turkey to the Czech Republic.
Dennis Culp, American singer-songwriter and trombonist
Dennis Culp is an American trombonist and singer-songwriter best known for his work with the bands Brave Saint Saturn and Five Iron Frenzy.
Andrew Gee, Australian rugby league player and manager
Andrew Gee is an Australian rugby league administrator and former football operations manager at the Brisbane Broncos of the NRL. Also a former player with the club, he was a Queensland State of Origin representative prop, and at the time of his retirement, held the Broncos' club record for most appearances of any forward.
Hans Välimäki, Finnish chef and author
Hans Välimäki is a Finnish chef, and since 1998, was the owner of the now closed restaurant Chez Dominique. Välimäki was the chief judge of the Sub culinary show Top Chef Suomi and hosts the Finnish version of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, Kuppilat kuntoon, Hans Välimäki!.
Tayfur Havutçu, Turkish international footballer and manager
Tayfur Havutçu is a Turkish football manager and former professional player who was most recently the manager of Süper Lig club Kasımpaşa. He was part of the Turkey national team squad that reached third place at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
23/04/1969
Martín López-Zubero, American-Spanish swimmer and coach
Martín López-Zubero Purcell, also known as Martin Zubero, is a former competition swimmer and Olympic gold medalist. López-Zubero was born in the United States, swam in international competition for Spain, and holds dual Spanish-American citizenship.
Yelena Shushunova, Russian gymnast (died 2018)
Yelena Lvovna Shushunova was a Soviet Russian gymnast. Shushunova was one of five women who have won all-around titles at all major competitions: Olympics, World Championships and European/Continental Championships and one of eleven women who medaled on every event at World Championships. Shushunova was renowned for pioneering complex skills as well as her explosive and dynamic tumbling and high consistency.
23/04/1968
Bas Haring, Dutch philosopher, writer, television presenter and professor.
Sebastiaan (Bas) Haring is a Dutch writer of popular science and children's literature, television presenter and professor. He is a full professor at Leiden University, where he has held a chair in "public understanding of science" since 2007. He also hosted his own philosophical TV program for Dutch public broadcasting.
Ken McRae, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
Kenneth Duncan McRae is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. McRae is the former head coach of the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League. McRae is also a former right wing who played 137 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Quebec Nordiques and Toronto Maple Leafs. He was drafted by the Nordiques in the first round, 18th overall, in the 1986 NHL entry draft.
Timothy McVeigh, American terrorist, Oklahoma City bombing co-perpetrator (died 2001)
Timothy James McVeigh was an American domestic terrorist who masterminded and perpetrated the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995. The bombing itself killed 167 or 168 people, injured 684 people, and destroyed one-third of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. A rescue worker was killed after the bombing when debris struck her head, bringing the total to 168–169 killed. It remains the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history.
23/04/1967
Rhéal Cormier, Canadian baseball player (died 2021)
Rhéal Paul Cormier was a Canadian-American professional baseball left-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB), for the St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox (twice), Montreal Expos, Philadelphia Phillies, and Cincinnati Reds for 16 seasons, between 1991 through 2007.
Melina Kanakaredes, American actress
Melina Kanakaredes Constantinides is a Greek-American actress. She is widely known for her roles in American primetime television dramas as Dr. Sydney Hansen in Providence (1999–2002) and as Detective Stella Bonasera in CSI: NY Seasons 1-6 (2004–2010), as well as on the American daytime television drama series Guiding Light as Eleni Andros Cooper (1991–1995).
23/04/1966
Jörg Deisinger, German bass player
Joerg Deisinger is a German photographer, musician and the former bassist and a founding member of the German 1980s heavy metal band Bonfire.
Matt Freeman, American bass player
Roger Matthew Freeman, also known as Matt McCall, is an American musician best known as the bassist of punk rock band Rancid. After forming several bands with guitarist and vocalist Tim Armstrong in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including ska-punk pioneers Operation Ivy, he and Armstrong formed Rancid with drummer Brett Reed. The band's success helped revive mainstream interest in punk, and they have released ten albums since their formation. Freeman has several side projects as well, including Devil's Brigade, in which Freeman sings lead vocals and plays bass. Freeman's style is characterized by aggressive walking lines and fills, typically played on a Fender Precision Bass.
Lembit Oll, Estonian chess Grandmaster (died 1999)
Lembit Oll was an Estonian chess grandmaster.
23/04/1965
Leni Robredo, Filipina human rights lawyer, 14th Vice President of the Philippines
Maria Leonor "Leni" Gerona Robredo is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 14th vice president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022 under President Rodrigo Duterte. She is currently serving as the 18th mayor of Naga since 2025. Robredo is the second female vice president of the Philippines, after Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and the first from the Bicol Region.
23/04/1964
Gianandrea Noseda, Italian pianist and conductor
Gianandrea Noseda is an Italian conductor. He is currently the music director of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., general music director (Generalmusikdirektor) of Zurich Opera, principal guest conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, and music director of the Tsinandali Festival in Tsinandali, Georgia.
23/04/1963
Paul Belmondo, French race car driver
Paul Alexandre Belmondo is a French actor and racing driver who raced in Formula One for the March and Pacific Racing teams. He was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, the son of actor Jean-Paul Belmondo and grandson of sculptor Paul Belmondo. Around 1981, Paul gained publicity for becoming the lover of Princess Stéphanie of Monaco.
Robby Naish, American windsurfer
Robert Staunton Naish is an American athlete and entrepreneur who has won 24 World Championship Windsurfing titles. He is also considered a pioneer of kiteboarding and standup paddleboarding.
23/04/1962
John Hannah, Scottish actor and producer
John Hannah is a Scottish actor and narrator. He came to prominence in Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), for which he was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role as Matthew. His other film appearances include Sliding Doors (1998), The Hurricane (1999), and The Mummy trilogy (1999–2008).
Shaun Spiers, English businessman and politician
Shaun Mark Spiers is the Executive Director of the environmental think-tank, Green Alliance and a former Member of the European Parliament.
23/04/1961
George Lopez, American comedian, actor, and talk show host
George Edward Lopez is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is most known for starring in his self-produced ABC sitcom George Lopez. His stand-up comedy examines race and ethnic relations, including Mexican American culture. Lopez has received several honors for his work and contributions to the Latino community, including the 2003 Imagen Vision Award, the 2003 Latino Spirit Award for Excellence in Television and the National Hispanic Media Coalition Impact Award. He was also named one of the "25 Most Influential Hispanics in America" by Time magazine in 2005.
Pierluigi Martini, Italian race car driver
Pierluigi Martini is an Italian former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1984 to 1985 and from 1988 to 1995. In endurance racing, Martini won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1999 with BMW.
23/04/1960
Valerie Bertinelli, American actress
Valerie Anne Bertinelli is an American actress and television personality. She began acting as a child and made her screen debut in a 1974 episode of Apple's Way. She gained wide recognition for portraying Barbara Cooper Royer on the sitcom One Day at a Time (1975–1984), winning two Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actress. She also starred in several television films and played the titular character in the sitcom Sydney (1990).
Steve Clark, English guitarist and songwriter (died 1991)
Stephen Maynard Clark was an English musician. He was a guitarist and songwriter for the hard rock band Def Leppard until his death in 1991. In 2007, Clark was ranked No. 11 on Classic Rock Magazine's "100 Wildest Guitar Heroes". In 2019, he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Def Leppard.
Barry Douglas, Irish pianist and conductor
William Barry Douglas in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is a classical pianist and conductor.
Léo Jaime, Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
Leonardo "Léo" Jaime is a Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor and writer, famous for being one of the founding members of the rockabilly band João Penca e Seus Miquinhos Amestrados.
Claude Julien, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
Claude Julien is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is currently an assistant coach of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). Before his firing by the Boston Bruins in 2017, he was the longest tenured head coach in the NHL. He had previously served as head coach of the New Jersey Devils in the NHL, as well as in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Hamilton Bulldogs. In 2011, he coached the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final, against the Vancouver Canucks, winning in seven games, guiding Boston to their sixth franchise Stanley Cup title. In 2013, he brought Boston to another Stanley Cup Final; however, they lost the series to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.
23/04/1959
Unity Dow, Botswanan judge, author, and rights activist
Unity Dow is a Motswana lawyer, author, human rights activist and Member of Parliament for Kgatleng West since November 2024. She formerly served as a judge on the High Court of Botswana and in various Botswana government ministries. Born in the Bechuanaland Protectorate to a seamstress and a farmer, who insisted on their children obtaining an education, Dow grew up in a traditional rural village before modernisation. She earned a law degree in 1983 from the University of Botswana and Swaziland, though her studies were completed in Swaziland and University of Edinburgh, Scotland, as Botswana had no law school at the time. After her graduation, Dow opened the first all-woman law firm in Botswana and in 1997 became the first woman to be appointed as a judge to the country's High Court.
23/04/1958
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, Icelandic composer and producer
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, also known as HÖH, is a musician, an art director, and allsherjargoði of Ásatrúarfélagið.
Ryan Walter, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
Ryan William Walter is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League. He won the 1986 Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens.
23/04/1957
Neville Brody, English graphic designer, typographer, and art director
Neville Stanley Brody is an English graphic designer, typographer and art director. He is known for his work on The Face magazine (1981–1986), Arena magazine (1987–1990), and designing record covers for artists such as Clock DVA, Cabaret Voltaire, The Bongos, 23 Skidoo and Depeche Mode. He created the company Research Studios in 1994 and is a founding member of Fontworks. His work is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). He was the Dean of the School of Communication at the Royal College of Art, London until September 2018. He is now Professor of Communication.
Jan Hooks, American actress and comedian (died 2014)
Janet Vivian Hooks was an American actress and comedian. She was best known for her tenure on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, where she was a repertory player from 1986 to 1991. After leaving SNL, she continued to make cameo appearances until 1994. Her subsequent work included a regular role on the last two seasons of Designing Women, a recurring role on 3rd Rock from the Sun, and a number of other film and television roles, including on 30 Rock and The Simpsons. She died of complications of throat cancer on October 9, 2014 at the age of 57.
23/04/1955
Judy Davis, Australian actress
Judith Davis is an Australian actress. In a career spanning over four decades of both screen and stage, she is known for portraying brittle, neurotic women in independent film. She is commended for her versatility and regarded as one of the finest actresses of her generation with collaborator Woody Allen describing her as "one of the most exciting actresses in the world". She is the most rewarded recipient of the AACTA Award with nine wins and has received numerous other accolades, including three Primetime Emmy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards and an Laurence Olivier Award.
Tony Miles, English chess player (died 2001)
Anthony John Miles was an English chess player and the first Englishman to earn the Grandmaster title.
Urmas Ott, Estonian journalist and author (died 2008)
Urmas Ott or Oti Ummi, was an Estonian television and radio journalist, and talk show host in Soviet Union, Estonia and Russia.
Serge Vohor, Vanuatuan politician, 4th Prime Minister of Vanuatu (died 2024)
Rialuth Serge Vohor was a Vanuatuan politician. He hailed from the largest island of Vanuatu, Espiritu Santo, from Port Olry.
23/04/1954
Stephen Dalton, English air marshal
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Gary George Dalton, is a retired senior officer of the Royal Air Force and former Lieutenant-Governor of Jersey.
Michael Moore, American director, producer, and activist
Michael Francis Moore is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and author. Moore's work frequently addresses various social, political, and economic topics. He first became publicly known for his award-winning debut documentary Roger & Me, a scathing look at the downfall of the automotive industry in 1980s Flint and Detroit.
23/04/1953
James Russo, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
James Vincent Russo is an American film and television actor. He has appeared in over 150 films in three decades.
23/04/1952
Narada Michael Walden, American singer-songwriter, drummer, and producer
Narada Michael Walden is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He was given the name Narada by guru Sri Chinmoy.
23/04/1951
Martin Bayerle, American treasure hunter
Martin Gerard Bayerle is an American treasure hunter and author, best known for discovering the wreck of the RMS Republic, a White Star Line passenger ship that sank in 1909. He was featured in the History Channel television series Billion Dollar Wreck in 2016.
23/04/1950
Rowley Leigh, English chef and journalist
Richard Rowland Leigh, known commonly as Rowley Leigh, is a British chef, restaurateur and journalist who lives in Shepherd's Bush, London.
Barbara McIlvaine Smith, Sac and Fox Nation Native American politician
Barbara McIlvaine Smith is an American politician. A Democrat, she is a former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 156th district from 2007 to 2010. She previously served on the West Chester, Pennsylvania Borough Council and was the Council's vice-president from 2004 to 2006. She is an enrolled member of the federally recognized Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma.
23/04/1949
Paul Collier, English economist and academic
Sir Paul Collier, is a British development economist who serves as the Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford and co-director of the International Growth Centre. He is also a Professeur invité at Sciences Po and a Professorial Fellow of St Antony's College, Oxford.
David Cross, English violinist
David Cross is an English electric violinist and keyboardist best known for playing with progressive rock band King Crimson from 1972 to 1974.
John Miles, British rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist (died 2021)
John Miles was an English rock singer, guitarist and keyboard player best known for his 1976 top 3 UK hit single "Music", which won an Ivor Novello Award, and his frequent appearances at Night of the Proms. He won the "Outstanding Musical Achievement" award at the 2017 Progressive Music Awards. He released 10 albums from 1976 to 1999 and was a touring musician for Tina Turner from 1987 to 2009.
23/04/1948
Pascal Quignard, French author and screenwriter
Pascal Quignard is a French writer born in Verneuil-sur-Avre, Eure. In 1980 his novel Carus was awarded the Prix des Critiques. In 2002 Les Ombres errantes won the Prix Goncourt, France's most prestigious literary prize. Terrasse à Rome, received the French Academy prize in 2000. He also won the 2023 Prix Formentor.
Serge Thériault, Canadian actor
Serge Thériault is a Canadian comedian and actor from Quebec. He is best known for his collaborations with Claude Meunier, including the Ding et Dong comedy duo and the spinoff television series La Petite Vie, in which he played the role of Môman.
23/04/1947
Robert Burgess, English sociologist and academic (died 2022)
Sir Robert George Burgess DL, FAcSS was a British sociologist and academic. He was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester in 1999, succeeding Ken Edwards. He was President of the British Sociological Association 1989–1991 and chair of the board of GSM London.
Glenn Cornick, English bass player (died 2014)
Glenn Douglas Barnard Cornick was an English bass guitarist, and the original bassist for the British rock band Jethro Tull from 1967 to 1970. Rolling Stone has called his playing with Tull as "stout, nimble underpinning, the vital half of a blues-ribbed, jazz-fluent rhythm section".
Bernadette Devlin McAliskey, Irish civil rights leader and politician
Josephine Bernadette McAliskey, usually known as Bernadette Devlin or Bernadette McAliskey, is an Irish civil rights leader and former politician. She served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mid Ulster in Northern Ireland from a 1969 by-election until February 1974. McAliskey came to national and international prominence at the age of 21 when she became the youngest woman ever to become a British Member of Parliament. McAliskey broke with the traditional Irish republican policy of abstentionism and took her seat in Westminster.
23/04/1946
Blair Brown, American actress
Bonnie Blair Brown is an American theater, film and television actress. She has had a number of high-profile roles, including in the play Copenhagen on Broadway, the leading actress in the films Altered States (1980), Continental Divide (1981) and Strapless (1989), as well as a run as the title character in the comedy-drama television series The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, which ran from 1987 to 1991 and earned her four consecutive Outstanding Comedy Series Actress Emmy Award nominations. Her later roles include Nina Sharp on the Fox television series Fringe and Judy King on the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black.
Carlton Sherwood, American soldier and journalist (died 2014)
Carlton Alex Sherwood was an American journalist who produced the anti-John Kerry film Stolen Honor. Sherwood served on two news teams which were responsible for the award of the Pulitzer Prize and the Peabody Award to their organizations.
23/04/1944
Jean-François Stévenin, French actor and director (died 2021)
Jean-François Stévenin was a French actor and filmmaker. He appeared in 150 films and television shows since 1968. He starred in the film Cold Moon, which was entered into the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.
23/04/1943
Gail Goodrich, American basketball player and coach
Gail Charles Goodrich Jr. is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is best known for scoring a then record 42 points for UCLA in the 1965 NCAA championship game vs. Michigan, and his part in the Los Angeles Lakers' 1971–72 season. During that season the team won a still-record 33 consecutive games, posted what was at the time the best regular season record in NBA history, and also won the franchise's first NBA championship since relocating to Los Angeles. Goodrich was the leading scorer on that team. He is also acclaimed for leading UCLA to its first two national championships under the legendary coach John Wooden, the first in 1963–64 being a perfect 30–0 season when he played with teammate Walt Hazzard. In 1996, 17 years after his retirement from professional basketball, Goodrich was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Goodrich is the leader in highest average minutes per game played in Suns franchise history with 39.9.
Tony Esposito, Canadian-American ice hockey player, coach, and manager (died 2021)
Anthony James "Tony O" Esposito was a Canadian-American professional ice hockey goaltender, who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), 15 of those for the Chicago Blackhawks. He was one of the pioneers of the now popular butterfly style. Tony was the younger brother of Phil Esposito, a centre. Both brothers had notable careers and are enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Esposito's jersey number 35 was retired by the Blackhawks in 1988.
Frans Koppelaar, Dutch painter
Frans Thomas Koppelaar is a Dutch painter, who was born in The Hague, Netherlands.
Hervé Villechaize, French actor (died 1993)
Hervé Jean-Pierre Villechaize was a French actor. He is best known for his roles as the evil henchman Nick Nack in the 1974 James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun and as Mr. Roarke's assistant, Tattoo, on the American television series Fantasy Island that he played from 1977 to 1983. On Fantasy Island, his shout of "De plane! De plane!" became one of the show's signature phrases. He died by suicide in 1993.
23/04/1942
Sandra Dee, American model and actress (died 2005)
Sandra Dee was an American actress. Dee began her career as a child model, working first in commercials and then film in her teenage years. Best known for her portrayal of ingénues, Dee earned a Golden Globe Award as one of the year's most promising newcomers for her performance in Robert Wise's Until They Sail (1957). She became a teenage star for her performances in Imitation of Life, Gidget and A Summer Place, which made her a household name.
23/04/1941
Jacqueline Boyer, French singer and actress
Eliane Ducos, known professionally as Jacqueline Boyer, is a French singer and actress. She is also the daughter of performers Jacques Pills and Lucienne Boyer.
Arie den Hartog, Dutch road bicycle racer (died 2018)
Arie den Hartog was a Dutch road bicycle racer. Den Hartog won the Milan–San Remo Classic in 1965, as well as the Amstel Gold Race in 1967.
Paavo Lipponen, Finnish journalist and politician, 38th Prime Minister of Finland
Paavo Tapio Lipponen is a Finnish politician and former reporter. He was prime minister of Finland from 1995 to 2003, and chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Finland from 1993 to 2005. He also served as speaker of the Parliament of Finland from 2003 to 2007 and was his party's nominee in the 2012 Finnish presidential election but received only 6.7% of the votes, making it the biggest defeat the Social Democratic Party had ever received in Finnish presidential elections at the time. Lipponen is currently the oldest living former prime minister of Finland.
Michael Lynne, American film producer, co-founded New Line Cinema (died 2019)
Michael Lynne was an American film executive, best known as the former co-chair of New Line Cinema alongside its founder Robert Shaye.
Ed Stewart, English radio and television host (died 2016)
Edward Stewart Mainwaring, known as Ed "Stewpot" Stewart, was an English radio broadcaster and TV presenter. He was principally known for his work with the BBC as a DJ on Radio 1 and Radio 2, and as a presenter on Top of the Pops and Crackerjack both on BBC Television.
Ray Tomlinson, American computer programmer and engineer (died 2016)
Raymond Samuel Tomlinson was an American computer programmer who invented the first email program on the ARPANET system, the precursor to the Internet, in 1971; it was the first system able to send mail between users on different hosts connected to ARPANET. Previously, mail could be sent only to others who used the same computer. To achieve this, he used the @ sign to separate the username from the name of their machine, a scheme which has been used in email addresses ever since.
23/04/1940
Michael Copps, American academic and politician
Michael Joseph Copps is a former commissioner of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), an independent agency of the United States government. He was sworn in on May 31, 2001, and served until December 31, 2011. He took on the additional role of acting chairman from January 22, 2009, through June 28, 2009. He relinquished the chairmanship to Julius Genachowski after Genachowski was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 25 and then sworn in on June 29, 2009. In 2014, he joined Common Cause, a nonpartisan citizen advocacy organization, to lead a Media and Democracy Initiative.
Dale Houston, American singer-songwriter (died 2007)
Dale & Grace was an American singing duo consisting of Dale Houston and Grace Broussard. They had two Billboard chart hits. The first was the No. 1 gold record "I'm Leaving It Up to You" in 1963. "Stop and Think It Over" reached No. 8 in 1964. The duo broke up in 1965, but they reunited onstage on several occasions. Their recordings are highly regarded examples of the Louisiana-Texas style known as "Swamp Pop".
Michael Kadosh, Israeli footballer and manager (died 2014)
Michael "Lufa" Kadosh was an Israeli footballer who also worked as the manager of Hapoel Jerusalem. He died on 29 April 2014 from cancer at the age of 74.
23/04/1939
Jorge Fons, Mexican director and screenwriter (died 2022)
Jorge Fons Pérez was a Mexican film director.
Bill Hagerty, English journalist (died 2025)
William John Gell Hagerty was a British newspaper editor and the chairman emeritus of British Journalism Review.
Lee Majors, American actor
Harvey Lee Yeary, known professionally as Lee Majors, is an American actor. He portrayed the characters of Heath Barkley on the American television Western series The Big Valley (1965–1969), Colonel Steve Austin on the American television science-fiction action series The Six Million Dollar Man (1973–1978), and Colt Seavers on the American television action series The Fall Guy (1981–1986).
Ray Peterson, American pop singer (died 2005)
Ray Peterson was an American pop singer who is best remembered for singing "Tell Laura I Love Her". He also scored numerous other hits, including "Corrine, Corrina" and "The Wonder of You".
23/04/1937
Victoria Glendinning, English author and critic
Victoria Glendinning is a British biographer, critic, broadcaster and novelist. She is an honorary vice-president of English PEN and vice-president of the Royal Society of Literature. She won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Whitbread Prize for biography.
David Mills, English cricketer (died 2013)
David Cecil Mills was an English cricketer. Mills was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium pace. He was born in Camborne, Cornwall and educated at Clifton College, where he represented the college cricket team.
Barry Shepherd, Australian cricketer (died 2001)
Barry Kenneth Shepherd was an Australian cricketer who played in nine Test matches from 1963 to 1965.
23/04/1936
Roy Orbison, American singer-songwriter (died 1988)
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist known for his distinctive and powerful voice, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. Orbison's most successful periods were in the early 1960s and the late 1980s. Many of Orbison's songs conveyed vulnerability at a time when most male performers projected strength. He performed with minimal motion and in black clothes, matching his dyed black hair and dark sunglasses.
23/04/1934
George Canseco, Filipino composer and producer (died 2004)
George Masangkay Canseco was a Filipino composer and former politician. He composed numerous popular Filipino songs.
23/04/1933
Annie Easley, American computer scientist, mathematician, and engineer (died 2011)
Annie Jean Easley was an African American computer scientist who contributed significantly to the beginning iterations of NASA's rocket technologies.
23/04/1932
Halston, American fashion designer (died 1990)
Roy Halston Frowick, known mononymously as Halston, was an American fashion designer. His minimalist, sleek designs for his Halston brand helped define the look of 1970s American style. Newsweek dubbed him "the premier fashion designer of all America."
Jim Fixx, American runner and author (died 1984)
James Fuller Fixx was an American who wrote the 1977 best-selling book The Complete Book of Running; he is credited with helping start America's fitness revolution by popularizing the sport of running and demonstrating the health benefits of regular jogging. Fixx died of a heart attack while jogging at 52 years of age; his genetic predisposition for heart problems and other previous lifestyle factors may have caused his heart attack.
Rafał Gan-Ganowicz, Polish mercenary, activist, and journalist (died 2002)
Rafał Gan-Ganowicz was a Polish soldier-in-exile, mercenary, journalist, member of the National Council of Poland, and political and social activist, dedicating his life to anti-communism.
23/04/1929
George Steiner, French-American philosopher, author, and critic (died 2020)
Francis George Steiner, FBA was a French and American literary critic, essayist, philosopher, novelist and educator. He wrote extensively about the relationship between language, literature and society, as well as the impact of the Holocaust. A 2001 article in The Guardian described Steiner as a "polyglot and polymath".
23/04/1928
Shirley Temple, American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat (died 2014)
Shirley Temple Black was an American actress, singer, dancer, politician, and diplomat, who was Hollywood's number-one box-office draw as a child actress from 1934 to 1938. Later, she was named United States Ambassador to Ghana and to Czechoslovakia, and also served as Chief of Protocol of the United States.
23/04/1926
J.P. Donleavy, American-Irish novelist and playwright (died 2017)
James Patrick Donleavy, popularly known as J. P. Donleavy, was an American-Irish author, short story writer, novelist, and playwright. Known for the dark humor in his writings, he first achieved critical acclaim with his picaresque novel The Ginger Man (1955), initially published in Paris. The novel became an international bestseller, selling 50 million copies worldwide. It is one of the best-selling books of all time and has been translated into over 30 languages. The novel is Donleavy's best-known work, and in 1998, it was ranked 99th by the Modern Library in its list of the "100 Best Novels of the 20th century".
Rifaat el-Mahgoub, Egyptian politician (died 1990)
Rifaat El Mahgoub was an Egyptian politician who served as the 8th speaker of the People's Assembly of Egypt from 1984 until his assassination in 1990. He was a member of the then ruling National Democratic Party.
23/04/1924
Chuck Harmon, American baseball player and scout (died 2019)
Charles Byron Harmon was an American professional baseball utility player in Major League Baseball (MLB), who played for the Cincinnati Redlegs (1954–1956), St. Louis Cardinals (1956–1957), and Philadelphia Phillies (1957). He batted and threw right-handed.
Bobby Rosengarden, American drummer and bandleader (died 2007)
Robert Marshall Rosengarden was an American jazz drummer, percussionist and bandleader. A native of Elgin, Illinois, United States, he played on many recordings and in television orchestras and talk show bands.
23/04/1923
Dolph Briscoe, American lieutenant and politician, 41st Governor of Texas (died 2010)
Dolph Briscoe Jr. was an American rancher and businessman from Uvalde, Texas, who was the 41st governor of Texas between 1973 and 1979. He was a conservative Democrat.
Avram Davidson, American soldier and author (died 1993)
Avram Davidson was an American writer of fantasy fiction, science fiction, and crime fiction, as well as the author of many stories that do not fit into a genre niche. He won a Hugo Award and three World Fantasy Awards in the science fiction and fantasy genres, a World Fantasy Life Achievement award, and an Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine short story award and an Edgar Award in the mystery genre. Davidson edited The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction from 1962 to 1964. His last novel The Boss in the Wall: A Treatise on the House Devil was completed by Grania Davis and was a Nebula Award finalist in 1998. His posthumous collection The Avram Davidson Treasury won the Locus Award for Best Collection in 1999. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction says "he is perhaps sf's most explicitly literary author".
23/04/1921
Judy Agnew, Second Lady of the United States (died 2012)
Elinor Isabel "Judy" Agnew was the second lady of the United States from 1969 to 1973. She was the wife of the 39th vice president of the United States, Spiro Agnew, who had previously served as Governor of Maryland and Baltimore County Executive. Although Judy Agnew attempted to avoid political discussion during her tenure as second lady, preferring to cultivate her image primarily as a wife and mother, her dismissive remarks about the women's liberation movement were quoted by media.
Cleto Bellucci, Italian archbishop (died 2013)
Cleto Bellucci was an Italian Prelate of Roman Catholic Church.
Janet Blair, American actress and singer (died 2007)
Janet Blair was an American big-band singer who later became a popular film and television actress.
Warren Spahn, American baseball player and coach (died 2003)
Warren Edward Spahn was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed pitcher, Spahn played in 1942 and then from 1946 until 1965, most notably for the Boston Braves, who became the Milwaukee Braves after the team moved west before the 1953 season. His baseball career was interrupted by his military service in the United States Army during World War II.
23/04/1920
Eric Grant Yarrow, 3rd Baronet, English businessman (died 2018)
Sir Eric Grant Yarrow, 3rd Baronet, was a British businessman.
23/04/1919
Oleg Penkovsky, Russian colonel (died 1963)
Oleg Vladimirovich Penkovsky, codenamed Hero and Yoga was a Soviet military intelligence (GRU) colonel during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Penkovsky informed the United States and the United Kingdom about Soviet military secrets, including the appearance and footprint of Soviet intermediate-range ballistic missile installations and the weakness of the Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program. This information was decisive in allowing the US to recognize that the Soviets were placing missiles in Cuba before most of them were operational. It also gave US President John F. Kennedy, during the Cuban Missile Crisis that followed, valuable information about Soviet weakness that allowed him to face down Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and resolve the crisis without a nuclear war.
23/04/1918
Maurice Druon, French author and screenwriter (died 2009)
Maurice Druon was a French novelist and a member of the Académie Française, of which he served as "Perpetual Secretary" (chairman) between 1985 and 1999.
23/04/1917
Dorian Leigh, American model (died 2008)
Dorian Elizabeth Leigh Parker, known professionally as Dorian Leigh, was an American model and one of the earliest modeling icons of the fashion industry. She is considered one of the first supermodels, and was well known in the United States and Europe.
Tony Lupien, American baseball player and coach (died 2004)
Ulysses John "Tony" Lupien Jr. was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was a left-handed batter who played for the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox. Lupien was an all-around athlete and successful coach. He was the grandfather of former professional wrestler, and actor John Cena.
23/04/1916
Ivo Lola Ribar, Yugoslav communist politician, military leader, and People's Hero of Yugoslavia (died 1943)
Ivan Ribar, known as Ivo Lola or Ivo Lolo, was a Yugoslav Croat communist politician and military leader. In the 1930s, he became one of the closest associates of Josip Broz Tito, leader of the Yugoslav Communist Party. In 1936, Ribar became secretary of the Central Committee of SKOJ. During World War II in Yugoslavia, Ribar was among the main leaders of the Yugoslav Partisans and was a member of the Partisan Supreme Headquarters. During the war, he founded and ran several leftist youth magazines. In 1942, Ribar was among the founders of the Unified League of Anti-Fascist Youth of Yugoslavia (USAOJ). He was killed by a German bomb in 1943 near Glamoč while boarding an airplane for Cairo, where he was to become the first representative of Communist Yugoslavia to the Middle East Command.
Yiannis Moralis, Greek painter and educator (died 2009)
Yiannis Moralis was an important Greek visual artist and part of the so-called "Generation of the '30s". He is a person who carried weight in many fields and found himself to be equally au courant. Furthermore, he exhibited a strong sense of responsibility when it came to confronting modern day problems. His art is distinct for the esoteric nature of its forms and its capacity and ability to suggest space.
Sinah Estelle Kelley, American chemist (died 1982)
Sinah Estelle Kelley was an American chemist who worked on the mass production of penicillin.
23/04/1915
Arnold Alexander Hall, English engineer, academic, and businessman (died 2000)
Sir Arnold Alexander Hall was an English aeronautical engineer, scientist and industrialist.
23/04/1913
Diosa Costello, Puerto Rican-American entertainer, producer, and club owner (died 2013)
Juana de Dios Castrello, better known as Diosa Costello, was a Puerto Rican entertainer, performer, producer and club owner, often referred to as "the Latin Bombshell".
23/04/1911
Ronald Neame, English-American director, cinematographer, producer, and screenwriter (died 2010)
Ronald Neame CBE, BSC was an English filmmaker and cinematographer. Beginning his career as a cinematographer, for his work on the British war film One of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1943) he received nomination for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. During a partnership with director David Lean, he produced Brief Encounter (1945), Great Expectations (1946), and Oliver Twist (1948), receiving two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
23/04/1910
Sheila Scott Macintyre, Scottish mathematician (died 1960)
Sheila Scott Macintyre FRSE was a Scottish mathematician best known for her work on the Whittaker constant. Macintyre is also known for co-authoring a German–English mathematics dictionary with Edith Witte.
Simone Simon, French actress (died 2005)
Simone Thérèse Fernande Simon was a French film actress who began her film career in 1931. She is perhaps best remembered for her role in the American horror film Cat People and its sequel The Curse of the Cat People.
23/04/1908
Myron Waldman, American animator and director (died 2006)
Myron Waldman was an American animator, best known for his work at Fleischer Studios.
23/04/1907
Lee Miller, American model and photographer (died 1977)
Elizabeth "Lee" Miller, Lady Penrose was an American photographer and photojournalist. Miller was a fashion model in New York City in the 1920s before going to Paris, becoming a fashion and fine-art photographer there.
Fritz Wotruba, Austrian sculptor, designed the Wotruba Church (died 1975)
Fritz Wotruba was an Austrian sculptor of Czecho-Hungarian descent. He was considered one of the most notable sculptors of the 20th century in Austria. In his work, he increasingly dissolves figurative components in favor of geometrical abstraction with the shape of the cube as the basic form.
23/04/1904
Clifford Bricker, Canadian long-distance runner (died 1980)
Clifford Bricker was a Canadian long-distance runner who competed in the 1928 and 1932 Summer Olympics. In 1927 he set the amateur world record for 15 miles.
Louis Muhlstock, Polish-Canadian painter (died 2001)
Louis Muhlstock, LL.D. was a Canadian painter best known for his depictions of the Great Depression and for landscapes and urban scenes in and around Montreal.
Duncan Renaldo, American actor (died 1985)
Renault Renaldo Duncan, better known as Duncan Renaldo, was a Romanian-born American actor best remembered for his portrayal of The Cisco Kid in films and on the 1950–1956 American TV series The Cisco Kid.
23/04/1903
Guy Simonds, English-Canadian general (died 1974)
Lieutenant-General Guy Granville Simonds, was a senior Canadian Army officer who served with distinction during World War II. Acknowledged by many military historians and senior commanders, among them Sir Max Hastings and Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery, as one of the best Canadian generals of the war, Simonds, after serving the first few years of the Second World War mainly as a staff officer, commanded the 1st Canadian Infantry Division with distinction in Sicily and Italy from July 1943 until January 1944, and later II Canadian Corps during the Battle of Normandy from June−August 1944 and throughout the subsequent campaign in Western Europe from 1944, towards the end of which he temporarily commanded the First Canadian Army during the Battle of the Scheldt, until victory in Europe Day in May 1945. The historian J. L. Granatstein states about Simonds: "No Canadian commander rose higher and faster in the Second World War, and none did as well in action. Simonds owed his success wholly to his own abilities and efforts—and those of the men who served under him".
23/04/1902
Halldór Laxness, Icelandic author and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1998)
Halldór Kiljan Laxness was an Icelandic writer and winner of the 1955 Nobel Prize in Literature. He wrote novels, poetry, newspaper articles, essays, plays, travelogues and short stories. Writers who influenced Laxness include August Strindberg, Sigmund Freud, Knut Hamsun, Sinclair Lewis, Upton Sinclair, Bertolt Brecht, and Ernest Hemingway.
23/04/1901
E. B. Ford, English biologist and geneticist (died 1988)
Edmund Brisco "Henry" Ford was a British ecological geneticist. He was a leader among those British biologists who investigated the role of natural selection in nature. As a schoolboy Ford became interested in lepidoptera, the group of insects which includes butterflies and moths. He went on to study the genetics of natural populations, and invented the field of ecological genetics. Ford was awarded the Royal Society's Darwin Medal in 1954. In the wider world his best known work is Butterflies (1945). Ford was a member of the UK Eugenics Society, of which he was a council member in 1933-1934, also contributing to its publications.
23/04/1900
Jim Bottomley, American baseball player and sportscaster (died 1959)
James Leroy Bottomley was an American professional baseball player, scout and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman from 1922 to 1937, most prominently as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals where he helped lead the team to four National League pennants and two World Series titles.
Joseph Green, Polish-American actor and director (died 1996)
Joseph Green, born Yoysef Grinberg, a.k.a. Josef Grünberg, Joseph Greenberg and Joseph Greene, a Polish-born Jew who emigrated to the United States in 1924, was an actor in Yiddish theater and one of the few directors of Yiddish-language films. He made four Yiddish films that he shot on location in Poland, beginning in 1935: Yidl mitn fidl, Der Purimspiler, Mamele, and A brivele der mamen. He also wrote the screenplays for the films, except for Mamele.
23/04/1899
Bertil Ohlin, Swedish economist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1979)
Bertil Gotthard Ohlin was a Swedish economist and politician. He was a professor of economics at the Stockholm School of Economics from 1929 to 1965. He was also leader of the People's Party, a social-liberal party which at the time was the largest party in opposition to the governing Social Democratic Party, from 1944 to 1967. He served briefly as Minister of Commerce and Industry from 1944 to 1945 in the Swedish coalition government during World War II. He was President of the Nordic Council in 1959 and 1964.
Minoru Shirota, Japanese physician and microbiologist, invented Yakult (died 1982)
Minoru Shirota was a Japanese microbiologist who made pioneering research on gut microbiota and developed the first commercial probiotic. In the 1930, he identified a strain of lactic acid bacteria that is part of normal gut flora that he originally called Lactobacillus casei Shirota, which appeared to help contain the growth of harmful bacteria in the gut. The species was later reclassified as Lactobacillus paracasei.
23/04/1898
Lucius D. Clay, American general (died 1978)
Lucius Dubignon Clay was a senior officer of the United States Army who was known for his administration of occupied Germany after World War II. He served as the deputy to General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1945; deputy military governor, Germany, in 1946; Commander in Chief, United States Forces in Europe and military governor of the United States Zone, Germany, from 1947 to 1949. Clay orchestrated the Berlin Airlift (1948–1949) when the USSR blockaded West Berlin.
23/04/1897
Folke Jansson, Swedish athlete (died 1965)
Folke Georg "Pytta" Jansson was a Swedish athlete who specialized in the triple jump.
Lester B. Pearson, Canadian historian and politician, 14th Prime Minister of Canada, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (died 1972)
Lester Bowles Pearson was a Canadian politician, diplomat, and scholar who served as the 14th prime minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968. He also served as leader of the Liberal Party from 1958 to 1968 and as leader of the Official Opposition from 1958 to 1963.
23/04/1895
Ngaio Marsh, New Zealand author and director (died 1982)
Dame Edith Ngaio Marsh was a New Zealand writer.
23/04/1894
Frank Borzage, American actor and director (died 1962)
Frank Borzage was an American film director and actor. He was the first person to win the Academy Award for Best Director for his film 7th Heaven (1927) at the 1st Academy Awards.
23/04/1889
Karel Doorman, Dutch admiral (died 1942)
Karel Willem Frederik Marie Doorman was a Royal Netherlands Navy officer who during World War II commanded remnants of the short-lived American-British-Dutch-Australian Command naval strike forces in the Battle of the Java Sea. He was killed in action when his flagship HNLMS De Ruyter was torpedoed during the battle, having chosen to go down with the ship.
23/04/1888
Georges Vanier, Canadian general and politician, 19th Governor General of Canada (died 1967)
Georges-Philias Vanier was a Canadian military officer, diplomat, and statesman who served as the 19th governor general of Canada from 1959 to 1967, the first Quebecker and second Canadian-born person to hold the position.
23/04/1882
Albert Coates, English composer and conductor (died 1953)
Albert Coates was an English conductor and composer. Born in Saint Petersburg, where his English father was a successful businessman, he studied in Russia, England and Germany, before beginning his career as a conductor in a series of German opera houses. He was a success in England conducting Wagner at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1914, and in 1919 was appointed chief conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra.
23/04/1880
Michel Fokine, Russian dancer and choreographer (died 1942)
Michael Fokine was a Russian choreographer and dancer. He is considered the founder of modern ballet.
23/04/1876
Arthur Moeller van den Bruck, German historian and author (died 1925)
Arthur Wilhelm Ernst Victor Moeller van den Bruck was a German cultural historian, philosopher, and key intellectual figure of the Conservative Revolution.
23/04/1867
Johannes Fibiger, Danish physician and pathologist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1928)
Johannes Andreas Grib Fibiger was a Danish physician and professor of anatomical pathology at the University of Copenhagen. He was the recipient of the 1926 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for his discovery of the Spiroptera carcinoma". He claimed to have shown that the roundworm which he called Spiroptera carcinoma could cause stomach cancer in rats and mice. His experimental results were later proven to be a case of mistaken conclusion.
23/04/1865
Ali-Agha Shikhlinski, Russian-Azerbaijani general (died 1943)
Ali Agha Ismail Agha oghlu Shikhlinski was an Azerbaijani lieutenant-general of the Imperial Russian Army, Deputy Minister of Defense and General of the Artillery of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and a Soviet military officer.
23/04/1861
Edmund Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby, English field marshal and diplomat, British High Commissioner in Egypt (died 1936)
Field Marshal Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby, was a senior British Army officer and imperial governor. He fought in the Second Boer War and in the First World War, in which he led the British Empire's Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign against the Ottoman Empire in the conquest of Palestine.
John Peltz, American baseball player and manager (died 1906)
John Peltz was an American professional baseball player in the 19th century. Peltz first played with the Indianapolis Hoosiers, in 1884 at the age of 23. He batted .219 and surrendered 38 errors in the outfield. Peltz did not appear in major league baseball until 1890, except for a brief one-game appearance in 1888 with the Baltimore Orioles. In 1890, his last year in the major leagues, he played with three teams, the Brooklyn Gladiators, Syracuse Stars, and the Toledo Maumees. He would continue to play with various minor league clubs until 1893, retiring with the Montgomery Colts. Peltz had a career batting average of .224. He died in New Orleans on February 27, 1906, at the age of 44.
23/04/1860
Justinian Oxenham, Australian public servant (died 1932)
Justinian Oxenham ISO was a senior Australian public servant. He was Secretary of the Postmaster-General's Department from January 1911 until December 1923.
23/04/1858
Max Planck, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1947)
Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck was a German theoretical physicist. He was awarded the 1918 Nobel Prize in Physics "for the services he rendered to the advancement of physics by his discovery of energy quanta".
23/04/1857
Ruggero Leoncavallo, Italian composer (died 1919)
Ruggero Leoncavallo was an Italian opera composer and librettist. Throughout his career, Leoncavallo produced numerous operas and songs, but it is his 1892 opera Pagliacci that remained his lasting contribution, despite attempts to escape the shadow of his greatest success.
23/04/1856
Granville Woods, American inventor and engineer (died 1910)
Granville Tailer Woods was an American inventor who held more than 60 patents in the United States. He was the first African American mechanical and electrical engineer after the Civil War. Self-taught, he concentrated most of his work on trains and streetcars. One of his inventions is the Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph, a variation of the induction telegraph that relied on ambient static electricity from existing telegraph lines to send messages between train stations and moving trains.
23/04/1853
Winthrop M. Crane, American businessman and politician, 40th Governor of Massachusetts (died 1920)
Winthrop Murray Crane was an American businessman and Republican Party politician who served as the 40th governor of Massachusetts from 1900 to 1903 and represented that state in the United States Senate from 1904 to 1913.
23/04/1819
Edward Stafford, Scottish-New Zealand educator and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of New Zealand (died 1901)
Sir Edward William Stafford served as the third premier of New Zealand on three occasions in the mid 19th century. His total time in office is the longest of any leader without a political party. He is described as pragmatic, logical, and clear-sighted.
23/04/1818
James Anthony Froude, English historian, novelist, biographer and editor (died 1894)
James Anthony Froude was an English historian, novelist, biographer, and editor of Fraser's Magazine. From his upbringing amidst the Anglo-Catholic Oxford Movement, Froude intended to become a clergyman, but doubts about the doctrines of the Anglican church, published in his scandalous 1849 novel The Nemesis of Faith, drove him to abandon his religious career. Froude turned to writing history, becoming one of the best-known historians of his time for his History of England from the Fall of Wolsey to the Defeat of the Spanish Armada.
23/04/1813
Stephen A. Douglas, American educator and politician, 7th Illinois Secretary of State (died 1861)
Stephen Arnold Douglas was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. A Democrat, he served in the United States Senate for fourteen years and defeated Abraham Lincoln to win reelection in 1858, a campaign known for the pivotal Lincoln–Douglas debates. He was the representative of the Northern Democrats in the 1860 United States presidential election; with the Democrats split between northern and southern factions in the leadup to the American Civil War, he was defeated by Lincoln, the Republican nominee. During his senate career, Douglas was one of the brokers of the Compromise of 1850, which sought to avert a sectional crisis over the issue of slavery. To deal with the volatile issue of whether to extend slavery into US territories, Douglas became the foremost advocate of popular sovereignty, which held that the voters of each territory should be allowed to decide. At just 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 m) tall, Douglas was nicknamed the "Little Giant" because he was short in physical stature but a forceful and dominant figure in politics.
Frédéric Ozanam, Italian-French historian and scholar (died 1853)
Antoine-Frédéric Ozanam was a French Catholic literary scholar, lawyer, journalist and equal rights advocate. He founded with fellow students the Conference of Charity, later known as the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris in 1997. His feast day is 9 September.
23/04/1812
Frederick Whitaker, English-New Zealand lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of New Zealand (died 1891)
Sir Frederick Whitaker was an English-born New Zealand politician who served twice as the premier of New Zealand and six times as Attorney-General.
23/04/1805
Johann Karl Friedrich Rosenkranz, German philosopher and academic (died 1879)
Johann Karl Friedrich Rosenkranz was a German philosopher and pedagogue.
23/04/1794
Wei Yuan, Chinese scholar and author (died 1856)
Wei Yuan, born Wei Yuanda (魏遠達), courtesy names Moshen (默深) and Hanshi (漢士), art name Liangtu (良圖), was a Chinese scholar-official, historian, geographer, and a major reformist thinker of the late Qing Dynasty of China. Born in Shaoyang, Hunan, he lived during the reigns of the Qianlong, Jiaqing, Daoguang, and Xianfeng emperors, and he is widely known as one of the first Qing scholar-officials to advocate for the reformation of the Qing military and government, and for the adaptation of western policies following the Qing's defeat in the First Opium War. Wei viewed the war as a signal that the Qing was significantly underdeveloped in comparison to western powers, prompting his advocacy for innovation and learning from the west to allow the Qing to catch up to the west technologically and militarily.
23/04/1792
Thomas Romney Robinson, Irish astronomer and physicist (died 1882)
John Thomas Romney Robinson, usually referred to as Thomas Romney Robinson, was an Irish astronomer. He was the director of the Armagh Observatory, one of the chief astronomical observatories in the UK of its time. He is remembered as inventor of the 4-cup anemometer.
23/04/1791
James Buchanan, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 15th President of the United States (died 1868)
James Buchanan Jr. was the 15th president of the United States, serving from 1857 to 1861. He also served as the 17th United States secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and represented Pennsylvania in both houses of the U.S. Congress. Buchanan was an advocate for states' rights, particularly regarding slavery, and argued for limiting the role of the federal government preceding the American Civil War.
23/04/1748
Félix Vicq-d'Azyr, French physician and anatomist (died 1794)
Félix Vicq d'Azyr was a French physician and anatomist, the originator of comparative anatomy and discoverer of the theory of homology in biology.
23/04/1744
Princess Charlotte Amalie Wilhelmine of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön (died 1770)
Charlotte Amalie Wilhelmine of (Schleswig-)Holstein-Plön, was a princess of the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön, a cadet branch of the Danish royal family. She was born at Plön to Frederick Charles, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön and Countess Christiane Armgard von Reventlow, the fourth of five children.
23/04/1720
Vilna Gaon, Lithuanian rabbi and author (died 1797)
Elijah ben Solomon Zalman,, also known as the Vilna Gaon, was a Lithuanian Jewish talmudist, halakhist, kabbalist, and the foremost leader of misnagdic (non-hasidic) Jewry of the past few centuries.
23/04/1715
Johann Friedrich Doles, German composer and conductor (died 1797)
Johann Friedrich Doles was a German composer and pupil of Johann Sebastian Bach.
23/04/1661
Issachar Berend Lehmann, German-Jewish banker, merchant and diplomat (died 1730)
Issachar Berend Lehmann, Berend Lehmann, Yissakhar Bermann Segal, Yissakhar ben Yehuda haLevi, or Berman Halberstadt, was a German banker, merchant, diplomatic agent as well as army and mint contractor working as a court Jew for Elector Augustus II the Strong of Saxony, King of Poland, and other German princes. He was privileged as a court Jew and resident. Thanks to his wealth, privileges as well as social and cultural commitment, he was a Jewish dignitary famous in his day in Central and Eastern Europe.
23/04/1628
Johannes Hudde, Dutch mathematician and politician (died 1704)
Johannes Hudde was a mathematician, burgomaster (mayor) of Amsterdam between 1672 – 1703, and governor of the Dutch East India Company.
23/04/1621
William Penn, English admiral and politician (died 1670)
Admiral Sir William Penn was an English naval officer and politician who represented Weymouth and Melcombe Regis in the House of Commons of England from 1660 to 1670. He was the father of William Penn, the founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, who named the colony after his father.
23/04/1598
Maarten Tromp, Dutch admiral (died 1653)
Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp, also known as Maarten van Tromp, was an army general and admiral in the Dutch navy during much of the Eighty Years' War and throughout the First Anglo-Dutch War.
23/04/1564
William Shakespeare, English playwright and poet (died 1616)
William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" or simply "the Bard". His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted.
23/04/1516
Georg Fabricius, German poet, historian, and archaeologist (died 1571)
Georg Fabricius was a Protestant German poet, historian and archaeologist who wrote in Latin during the German Renaissance.
23/04/1512
Henry FitzAlan, 19th Earl of Arundel, Chancellor of the University of Oxford (died 1580)
Henry Fitzalan, 12th Earl of Arundel was an English nobleman, who over his long life assumed a prominent place at the court of all the later Tudor sovereigns.
23/04/1500
Alexander Ales, Scottish theologian and academic (died 1565)
Alexander Ales or Alexander Alesius was a Scottish theologian who emigrated to Germany and became a Lutheran supporter of the Augsburg Confession.
Johann Stumpf, Swiss writer (died 1576)
Johann Stumpf was an early writer on the history and topography of Switzerland as well as a theologian and cartographer.
23/04/1484
Julius Caesar Scaliger, Italian physician and scholar (died 1558)
Julius Caesar Scaliger, or Giulio Cesare della Scala, was an Italian scholar and physician, who spent a major part of his career in France. He employed the techniques and discoveries of Renaissance humanism to defend Aristotelianism against the New Learning. In spite of his contentious disposition, his contemporary reputation was high. Jacques Auguste de Thou claimed that none of the ancients could be placed above him and that he had no equal in his own time.
23/04/1464
Joan of France, Duchess of Berry (died 1505)
Joan of France, sometimes called Joan the Lame, was briefly Queen of France as wife of King Louis XII, in between the death of her brother, King Charles VIII, and the annulment of her marriage. After that, she retired to her domain, where she soon founded the monastic Order of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where she served as abbess. From this Order later sprang the religious congregation of the Apostolic Sisters of the Annunciation, founded in 1787 to teach the children of the poor. She was canonized on 28 May 1950.
Robert Fayrfax, English Renaissance composer (died 1521)
Robert Fayrfax was an English Renaissance composer, considered the most prominent and influential of the reigns of Kings Henry VII and Henry VIII of England. He represents the third stage of the development of the English votive style in the Eton Choirbook and the Caius Choirbook.
23/04/1420
George of Poděbrady, King of Bohemia (died 1471)
George of Kunštát and Poděbrady, also known as Poděbrad or Podiebrad, was the sixteenth King of Bohemia, who ruled in 1458–1471. He was a leader of the Hussites, but moderate and tolerant toward the Catholic faith. His rule was marked by great efforts to preserve peace and tolerance between the Hussites and Catholics in the religiously divided Crown of Bohemia – hence his contemporary nicknames: "King of two peoples" and "Friend of peace".
23/04/1408
John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford (died 1462)
John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford, was the son of Richard de Vere, 11th Earl of Oxford, and his second wife, Alice Sergeaux (1386–1452). A Lancastrian loyalist during the latter part of his life, he was convicted of high treason and executed on Tower Hill on 26 February 1462.
23/04/1185
Afonso II of Portugal (died 1223)
Afonso II, also called Afonso the Fat and Afonso the Leper, was King of Portugal from 1211 until 1223. Afonso was the third monarch of Portugal.
Lives Remembered on 23rd April
On 23rd April, 125 remarkable people passed away — from 303 to 2026. Remember the lives and legacies of those we lost on this day.
23/04/2026
Łukasz Litewka, Polish Parliment Member (born 1989)
Łukasz Karol Litewka was a Polish social democratic politician. He was elected to the Sejm in the 2023 Polish parliamentary election, representing constituency no. 32, which was centered on the city of Sosnowiec.
23/04/2024
Frank Field, British politician (born 1942)
Frank Ernest Field, Baron Field of Birkenhead, was a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Birkenhead for 40 years, from 1979 to 2019, serving as a Labour MP until 2018 and thereafter sitting as an independent. In 2019, he formed the Birkenhead Social Justice Party and stood unsuccessfully as its sole candidate in the 2019 election. After leaving the House of Commons, he was awarded a life peerage in 2020 and sat in the House of Lords as a crossbencher.
Helen Vendler, American Literary Critic (born 1933)
Helen Vendler was an American academic, writer and literary critic. She was a professor of English language and history at Boston University, Cornell, Harvard, and other universities.
23/04/2022
Orrin Hatch, American politician, President pro tempore of the United States Senate (born 1934)
Orrin Grant Hatch was an American attorney and politician who served as a United States senator from Utah from 1977 to 2019. Hatch's 42-year Senate tenure made him the longest-serving Republican U.S. senator in history, overtaking Ted Stevens, until Chuck Grassley surpassed him in 2023.
23/04/2021
Dan Kaminsky, American internet security researcher (born 1979)
Daniel Kaminsky was an American computer security researcher. He was a co-founder and chief scientist of Human Security, a computer security company. He previously worked for Cisco, Avaya, and IOActive, where he was the director of penetration testing. The New York Times labeled Kaminsky an "Internet security savior" and "a digital Paul Revere".
23/04/2019
Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick, American soprano singer and presenter (born 1983)
Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick was an American soprano and presenter. A recipient of two bilateral (double) lung transplants, she spoke and performed frequently at concerts, conferences and events around the United States.
Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (born 1921)
Jean was Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1964 until his abdication in 2000. He was the first Grand Duke of Luxembourg of French agnatic descent.
23/04/2016
Inge King, German-born Australian sculptor (born 1915)
Ingeborg Viktoria "Inge" King was a German-born Australian sculptor. She received many significant public commissions. Her work is held in public and private collections. Her best known work is Forward Surge (1974) at the Melbourne Arts Centre. She became a Member of the Order of Australia in January 1984.
Banharn Silpa-archa, Thai politician, Prime Minister from 1995 to 1996 (born 1932)
Banharn Silpa-archa was a Thai politician who served as the Prime Minister of Thailand from 1995 to 1996. Banharn made a fortune in the construction business before he became a Member of Parliament representing his home province of Suphan Buri. He held different cabinet posts in several governments. In 1994, he became the leader of the Thai Nation Party. In 2008, the party was dissolved by the Constitutional Court and Banharn was banned from politics for five years.
23/04/2015
Richard Corliss, American journalist and critic (born 1944)
Richard Nelson Corliss was an American film critic and magazine editor for Time. He focused on movies, with occasional articles on other subjects.
Ray Jackson, Australian activist (born 1941)
Ray Jackson was an Australian Aboriginal activist and Wiradjuri elder. He was President of the Indigenous Social Justice Association (ISJA), and a prominent campaigner for the rights of Indigenous Australians.
Pierre Claude Nolin, Canadian lawyer and politician, Speaker of the Canadian Senate (born 1950)
Pierre Claude Nolin was a Canadian politician and senator. A prominent member of the Conservative Party of Canada from 2004 until his death, he became an influential figure in the Party's parliamentary caucus.
Jim Steffen, American football player (born 1936)
James William Steffen was an American professional football defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions, Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. He was drafted in the thirteenth round of the 1959 NFL draft. He played college football at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Francis Tsai, American author and illustrator (born 1967)
Francis Tsai was an American comic book artist, illustrator, author and conceptual artist. He was of Taiwanese and Japanese ancestry.
23/04/2014
Benjamín Brea, Spanish-Venezuelan saxophonist, clarinet player, and conductor (born 1946)
Benjamín Brea was a Spanish-born Venezuelan musician, arranger and teacher, mostly associated with jazz, even though he had the advantage to play several music genres in various bands as a soloist as well as sideman and conductor.
Michael Glawogger, Austrian director, screenwriter, and cinematographer (born 1959)
Michael Glawogger was an Austrian film director, screenwriter and cinematographer, born in Graz.
Jaap Havekotte, Dutch speed skater and producer of ice skates (born 1912)
Jaap Havekotte was a Dutch speed skater. He skated in several Dutch championships during the 1940s, but is best known as the founder of Viking Schaatsenfabriek, a Dutch producer of ice skates. The Viking ice skate proved to be very popular, and by 1972 every speed skating world record was skated on Viking ice skates. Viking was the first company to produce the clap skate on a large scale. Due to his significant influence on speed skating in the Netherlands, speed skaters from later generations spoke fondly of Havekotte and used to call him 'Oom Jaap'. Havekotte died on 23 April 2014 at the age of 102.
Connie Marrero, Cuban baseball player and coach (born 1911)
Conrado Eugenio Marrero Ramos, nicknamed "Connie", was a Cuban professional baseball pitcher. The right-handed Marrero pitched in Major League Baseball from 1950 to 1954 for the Washington Senators.
F. Michael Rogers, American general (born 1921)
Felix Michael Rogers, usually known as Michael Rogers, was a general in the United States Air Force and the former commander of the Air Force Logistics Command, with headquarters at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The command mission is to provide worldwide technical logistics support to all Air Force active and Reserve force activities, Military Assistance Program countries, and designated United States Government agencies. He is a graduate of the National War College.
Mark Shand, English conservationist and author (born 1951)
Mark Roland Shand was an English travel writer and conservationist. He was the brother of Queen Camilla. Shand wrote four travel books, and as a BBC conservationist appeared in documentaries related to his journeys, most of which centred on the survival of elephants. His book Travels on My Elephant became a bestseller and won the Travel Writer of the Year Award at the British Book Awards in 1992. He was the chairman of Elephant Family, a wildlife foundation, which he co-founded in 2002.
Patric Standford, English composer and educator (born 1939)
Patric Standford was an English composer, supporter of composers' rights, educationalist and author.
23/04/2013
Bob Brozman, American guitarist (born 1954)
Bob Brozman was an American guitarist and ethnomusicologist.
Robert W. Edgar, American educator and politician (born 1943)
Robert William Edgar was an American politician, administrator, and religious leader. A native of the Philadelphia area, he began his career as a Methodist pastor and chaplain. He served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1987, representing the 7th district of Pennsylvania. He was the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for United States Senate in Pennsylvania in 1986.
Tony Grealish, English footballer (born 1956)
Anthony Patrick Grealish was a professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in England to Irish parents, he played for the Republic of Ireland at international level.
Antonio Maccanico, Italian banker and politician (born 1924)
Antonio Maccanico was an Italian constitutional specialist and politician who served in various capacities in the Italian Parliament and federal administrations of Italy. He was the former general secretary of the Quirinal Palace from 1978 to 1987, and was several times minister and undersecretary to the Prime Minister under Carlo Azeglio Ciampi. He was also president of Mediobanca.
Frank W. J. Olver, English-American mathematician and academic (born 1924)
Frank William John Olver was a professor of mathematics at the Institute for Physical Science and Technology and Department of Mathematics at the University of Maryland who worked on asymptotic analysis, special functions, and numerical analysis. He was the editor in chief of the NIST Digital Library of Mathematical Functions.
Kathryn Wasserman Davis, American philanthropist and scholar (born 1907)
Kathryn Wasserman Davis was an American investor, painter, philanthropist, and political activist. She was a longtime promoter of women's rights and planning parenthood. She was committed to engaging local communities, particularly regarding the environment on the Hudson River and Maine coast, and also concerned with access to high-quality education. At the age of 94, she began an artistic adventure, producing more than 200 paintings.
23/04/2012
Lillemor Arvidsson, Swedish trade union leader and politician, 34th Governor of Gotland (born 1943)
Maj Lillemor Arvidsson was a Swedish trade union leader and the Governor of Gotland from 1998 to 2004.
Billy Bryans, Canadian drummer, songwriter and producer (born 1947)
William Taylor Bryans was a Canadian percussionist, songwriter, music producer and DJ, known as one of the founders of The Parachute Club, among other accomplishments in music. As a producer, he worked on projects for artists as diverse as Dutch Mason, Raffi, Lillian Allen and the Downchild Blues Band. He was born in Montreal, but spent most of his adult life in Toronto, and was particularly supportive of world music as both a promoter and publicist, focusing on bringing Caribbean, Cuban and Latin American music to a wider audience.
Chris Ethridge, American bass player and songwriter (born 1947)
John Christopher Ethridge was an American country rock bass guitarist. He was a member of the International Submarine Band (ISB) and The Flying Burrito Brothers, and co-wrote several songs with Gram Parsons. Ethridge worked with Nancy Sinatra, Judy Collins, Leon Russell, Delaney Bramlett, Johnny Winter, Randy Newman, Graham Nash, Ry Cooder, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Jackson Browne, and Willie Nelson.
Raymond Thorsteinsson, Canadian geologist and paleontologist (born 1921)
Raymond Thorsteinsson, was a Canadian geologist who focused on the geology of the high Arctic. He was a Fellow of The Arctic Institute of North America, primarily known for his contribution to the geology of the Proterozoic and Paleozoic rocks.
LeRoy T. Walker, American football player and coach (born 1918)
LeRoy Tashreau Walker Sr. was an American track and field coach and the first African-American president of the United States Olympic Committee. In the 1996 Olympics, Walker was delegated to lead a 10,000 member group of the most talented athletes in the world.
23/04/2011
James Casey, English comedian, radio scriptwriter and producer (born 1922)
James Casey, known professionally as Jim Casey, was at various times during his long career a Variety comedian on the English music-halls, a scriptwriter for BBC Radio's variety shows and situation comedies, and a senior BBC Radio Light Entertainment producer.
Tom King, American guitarist and songwriter (born 1943)
Thomas R. King was an American songwriter, guitarist, and arranger. He founded the 1960s rock band The Outsiders, and co-wrote the band's biggest hit song, "Time Won't Let Me".
Geoffrey Russell, 4th Baron Ampthill, English businessman and politician (born 1921)
Geoffrey Denis Erskine Russell, 4th Baron Ampthill, was a British hereditary peer and businessman, whose paternity and succession to the peerage were disputed in the "Ampthill baby case".
Max van der Stoel, Dutch politician and Minister of State (born 1924)
Maximilianus "Max" van der Stoel was a Dutch politician and diplomat, member of the Labour Party (PvdA) and activist who served as High Commissioner on National Minorities of the OSCE from 1 January 1993 until 1 July 2001.
John Sullivan, English screenwriter and producer (born 1946)
John Richard Thomas Sullivan was an English television scriptwriter responsible for several British sitcoms, including Only Fools and Horses, Citizen Smith and Just Good Friends.
23/04/2010
Peter Porter, Australian-born British poet (born 1929)
Peter Neville Frederick Porter OAM was a British-based Australian poet.
23/04/2007
Paul Erdman, Canadian-American economist and author (born 1932)
Paul Emil Erdman was a Canadian-born American economist and banker who became known for writing novels based on monetary trends and international finance.
David Halberstam, American journalist, historian and author (born 1934)
David Halberstam was an American writer, journalist, and historian, known for his work on the Vietnam War, politics, history, the Civil Rights Movement, business, media, American culture, Korean War, and later, sports journalism. He won a Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in 1964. Halberstam was killed in a car crash in 2007 while doing research for a book.
Peter Randall, English sergeant (born 1930)
Peter John Randall, was a British Army soldier and a recipient of the George Medal, and the RSPCA's Margaret Wheatley Cross, for his actions on 8 October 1954 where he saved the life of a fellow soldier and a military dog from a burning truck.
Boris Yeltsin, Russian politician, 1st President of Russia (born 1931)
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was a Soviet and Russian politician who served as President of Russia from 1991 to 1999. He was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from 1961 to 1990. He later stood as a political independent, during which time he was viewed as being ideologically aligned with liberalism.
23/04/2006
Phil Walden, American record producer and manager, co-founder of Capricorn Records (born 1940)
Phil Walden was the American co-founder of the Macon, Georgia-based Capricorn Records, along with former Atlantic Records executive Frank Fenter.
23/04/2005
Joh Bjelke-Petersen, New Zealand-Australian politician, 31st Premier of Queensland (born 1911)
Sir Johannes "Joh" Bjelke-Petersen was an Australian politician and farmer who served as premier of Queensland from 1968 to 1987 as leader of the Queensland National Party. He was renowned for his political longevity and the institutional corruption that pervaded his government.
Robert Farnon, Canadian-English trumpet player, composer and conductor (born 1917)
Robert Joseph Farnon was a Canadian-born composer, conductor, musical arranger and trumpet player. As well as being a composer of original works, he was commissioned by film and television producers for theme and incidental music. In later life he composed a number of more serious orchestral works, including three symphonies, and was recognised with four Ivor Novello awards and the Order of Canada.
Al Grassby, Australian journalist and politician (born 1928)
Albert Jaime Grassby, AM was an Australian politician who served as Minister for Immigration in the Labor Whitlam government. He completed reforms in immigration and human rights, and is often known as the father of Australian "multiculturalism". He gained notoriety by acting as an agent of influence for the Calabrian Mafia that murdered anti-drugs campaigner Donald Mackay.
John Mills, English actor (born 1908)
Sir John Mills was an English actor who appeared in more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades. He excelled on camera as an appealing British everyman who often portrayed guileless, wounded war heroes. In 1971, he received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Ryan's Daughter.
Romano Scarpa, Italian author and illustrator (born 1927)
Romano Scarpa was one of the most famous Italian creators of Disney comics.
Earl Wilson, American baseball player, coach and educator (born 1934)
Robert Earl Wilson was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of eleven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers (1966–1970) and San Diego Padres (1970), primarily as a starting pitcher. Wilson batted and threw right-handed; he was born in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, and graduated from Greenville Park High School in Tangipahoa Parish.
23/04/2004
Herman Veenstra, Dutch water polo player (born 1911)
Herman Alex Veenstra was a Dutch water polo player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics. He was part of the Dutch team which finished fifth in the 1936 tournament. He played five matches as goalkeeper.
23/04/2003
Fernand Fonssagrives, French-American photographer (born 1910)
Fernand Fonssagrives, born Fernand Vigoureux near Paris, was a photographer known for his 'beauty photography' in the early 1940s, and as the first husband of the model Lisa Fonssagrives. He died in 2003 at Little Rock, Arkansas, United States.
23/04/1998
Konstantinos Karamanlis, Greek lawyer and politician, 172nd Prime Minister of Greece (born 1907)
Konstantinos G. Karamanlis was a Greek statesman who was the four-time Prime Minister of Greece and two-term president of the Third Hellenic Republic, serving in the former role from 1955 to 1963 and from 1974 to 1980. A towering figure of Greek politics, his political career spanned portions of seven decades, covering much of the latter half of the 20th century.
James Earl Ray, American assassin of Martin Luther King Jr. (born 1928)
James Earl Ray was an American fugitive who was convicted of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. After the assassination, Ray, who had planned on living in exile in Rhodesia, fled to London and was captured there. Ray was convicted in 1969 after entering a guilty plea—thus forgoing a jury trial and the possibility of a death sentence—and was sentenced to 99 years of imprisonment. He later made many attempts to withdraw his guilty plea and to be tried by a jury, but was unsuccessful.
Thanassis Skordalos, Greek singer-songwriter and lyra player (born 1920)
Thanassis Skordalos was a musician from Crete, noted for playing the lyra, the bowed string instrument of Crete and most popular surviving form of the medieval Byzantine lyra.
23/04/1997
Denis Compton, English cricketer and footballer (born 1918)
Denis Charles Scott Compton was an English multi-sportsman. As a cricketer he played in 78 Test matches and spent his whole career with Middlesex. As a footballer, he played as a winger and spent most of his career at Arsenal, where he would win both the top flight and F.A. Cup.
23/04/1996
Jean Victor Allard, Canadian general (born 1913)
General Jean Victor Allard was the first French Canadian to become Chief of the Defence Staff, the highest position in the Canadian Forces, from 1966 to 1969. He was also the first to hold the accompanying rank of general.
P. L. Travers, Australian-English author and actress (born 1899)
Pamela Lyndon Travers was an Australian-British writer who spent most of her career in England. She is best known for the Mary Poppins series of books, which feature the eponymous magical nanny.
23/04/1995
Douglas Lloyd Campbell, Canadian farmer and politician, 13th Premier of Manitoba (born 1895)
Douglas Lloyd Campbell was a Canadian politician in Manitoba. He served as the 13th premier of Manitoba from 1948 to 1958. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for 47 years, longer than anyone in the province's history.
Howard Cosell, American lawyer and journalist (born 1918)
Howard William Cosell was an American sports journalist, broadcaster and author. Cosell became prominent and influential during his tenure with ABC Sports from 1953 until 1985.
Riho Lahi, Estonian journalist (born 1904)
Riho Lahi was an Estonian writer, journalist and cartoonist, probably best known by his fictional character Kihva Värdi.
John C. Stennis, American lawyer and politician (born 1904)
John Cornelius Stennis was an American politician who served as a U.S. senator from the state of Mississippi. He was a Democrat who served in the Senate for over 41 years, becoming its most senior member for his last eight years. He retired from the Senate in 1989, and is, to date, the last Democrat to have been a U.S. senator from Mississippi. At the time of his retirement, Stennis was the last senator to have served during the presidency of Harry S. Truman.
23/04/1993
Cesar Chavez, American activist, co-founded the United Farm Workers (born 1927)
Cesario Estrada "Cesar" Chavez was an American labor unionist and political activist. Along with Dolores Huerta and Gilbert Padilla, he co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), which later merged with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) to become the United Farm Workers (UFW). Ideologically, his worldview combined leftism with Catholic social teaching.
23/04/1992
Satyajit Ray, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1921)
Satyajit Ray was an Indian film director, screenwriter, author, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligrapher, and composer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential film directors in the history of cinema. He is celebrated for works including The Apu Trilogy (1955–1959), The Music Room (1958), The Big City (1963), Charulata (1964), and the Goopy–Bagha trilogy (1969–1992).[a]
Tanka Prasad Acharya, Nepalese politician, 27th Prime Minister of Nepal (born 1912)
Tanka Prasad Acharya, also known as Jeudo-Shahid, was a Nepali politician who served as the 19th Prime Minister of Nepal from 1956 to 1957. He was one of the founders and the leader of the Nepal Praja Parishad, the first political party in Nepal with the goal of removing the Rana Dynasty's dictatorship.
23/04/1991
Johnny Thunders, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1952)
John Anthony Genzale, known professionally as Johnny Thunders, was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He came to prominence in the early 1970s as a member of New York Dolls. He later formed the Heartbreakers and played as a solo artist.
23/04/1990
Paulette Goddard, American actress (born 1910)
Paulette Goddard was an American actress and socialite. She was a prominent leading actress during the Golden Age of Hollywood.
23/04/1986
Harold Arlen, American composer (born 1905)
Harold Arlen was an American composer of popular music, who composed over 500 songs, a number of which have become known worldwide. In addition to composing the songs for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, including "Over the Rainbow", which won him the Oscar for Best Original Song, he was nominated as composer for 8 other Oscar awards. Arlen is a contributor to the Great American Songbook. "Over the Rainbow" was voted the 20th century's No. 1 song by the RIAA and the NEA.
Jim Laker, English international cricketer and sportscaster; holder of world record for most wickets taken in a match (born 1922)
James Charles Laker was an English professional cricketer. A right-arm off break bowler, Laker is generally regarded as one of the greatest spin bowlers in cricket history.
Otto Preminger, Ukrainian-American actor, director, and producer (born 1905)
Otto Ludwig Preminger was an Austrian-American film and theatre director, film producer and actor. He directed more than 35 feature films in a five-decade career after leaving the theatre, and was one of the most influential directors in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, twice for Best Director and once for Best Picture, among many other accolades.
23/04/1985
Sam Ervin, American lawyer and politician (born 1896)
Samuel James Ervin Jr. was an American politician who served as a U.S. senator from North Carolina from 1954 to 1974. A Southern Democrat, he liked to call himself a "country lawyer", and often told humorous stories in his Southern drawl. During his Senate career, Ervin was at first a staunch defender of Jim Crow laws and racial segregation, as the South's constitutional expert during the congressional debates on civil rights. However, unexpectedly, he became a liberal hero for his support of civil liberties. He is remembered for his work in the investigation committees that brought down Senator Joseph McCarthy in 1954 and especially for his leadership of the Senate committee's investigation of the Watergate scandal that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974.
Frank Farrell, Australian rugby league player and policeman (born 1916)
Francis Michael "Bumper" Farrell was an Australian premiership winning and international representative rugby league footballer. A prop forward, his long club career with the Newtown Bluebags was from 1938 to 1951 with four Test appearances for the Australian national side between 1946 and 1948.
23/04/1984
Red Garland, American pianist (born 1923)
William McKinley "Red" Garland Jr. was an American modern jazz pianist. Known for his work as a bandleader and during the 1950s with Miles Davis, Garland helped popularize the block chord style of playing in jazz piano.
23/04/1983
Buster Crabbe, American swimmer and actor (born 1908)
Clarence Linden "Buster" Crabbe II was an American two-time Olympic swimmer and film and television actor. He won the 1932 Olympic gold medal for 400-metre freestyle swimming event, which launched his career on the silver screen and later television. He starred in a variety of popular feature films and movie serials released between 1933 and the 1950s, portraying the top three syndicated comic-strip heroes of the 1930s: Tarzan, Flash Gordon, and Buck Rogers.
23/04/1981
Josep Pla, Catalan journalist and author (born 1897)
Josep Pla i Casadevall was a Spanish journalist and a popular author. As a journalist he worked in France, Italy, Britain, Germany, and the Soviet Union, from where he wrote political and cultural chronicles in Catalan and Spanish.
23/04/1966
George Ohsawa, Japanese founder of the Macrobiotic diet (born 1893)
George Ohsawa was a Japanese author and proponent of alternative medicine who was the founder of the macrobiotic diet. When living in Europe he went by the pen names of Musagendo Sakurazawa, Nyoiti Sakurazawa, and Yukikazu Sakurazawa. He also used the French first name Georges while living in France, and his name is sometimes also given this spelling. He wrote about 300 books in Japanese and 20 in French. He defined health on the basis of seven criteria: lack of fatigue, good appetite, good sleep, good memory, good humour, precision of thought and action, and gratitude.
23/04/1965
George Adamski, Polish-American ufologist and author (born 1891)
George Adamski was a Polish-American author who became widely known in ufology circles, and to some degree in popular culture, after he displayed numerous photographs in the 1940s and 1950s that he said were of alien spacecraft, claimed to have met with friendly Nordic alien or "Space Brothers", and claimed to have taken flights with them to the Moon and other planets.
23/04/1959
Bak Jungyang, Korean politician (born 1872)
Pak Chungyang was a Korean bureaucrat and politician in the Japanese colonial government. His art names were Haeak (해악) and Ilso (일소), and his courtesy name was Wongeun (원근). He also had the Japanese names Shigeyō Hōchū (朴忠重陽), Jūyō Boku and Shin Yamamoto . Pak was Governor of the prefecture Kōkai Prefecture from 1921 to 1923 and in 1928. He was also governor of Chūseihoku Prefecture from 1923 to 1925.
23/04/1951
Jules Berry, French actor and director (born 1883)
Jules Berry was a French actor.
Charles G. Dawes, American banker and politician, 30th Vice President of the United States, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (born 1865)
Charles Gates Dawes was the 30th vice president of the United States from 1925 to 1929 under President Calvin Coolidge. He was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1925 for his work on the Dawes Plan for World War I reparations, and a member of the Republican Party.
23/04/1936
Teresa de la Parra, French-Venezuelan author (born 1889)
Ana Teresa Parra Sanojo, known by her pseudonym Teresa de la Parra, was a Venezuelan novelist. She is considered one of the most relevant writers of her time, particularly for her works on feminist ideology.
23/04/1915
Rupert Brooke, English poet (born 1887)
Rupert Chawner Brooke was an English poet known for his idealistic war sonnets written during the First World War, such as "The Dead" and "The Soldier". He was also known for his boyish good looks, which were said to have prompted the Irish poet W. B. Yeats to describe him as "the handsomest young man in England". He died of septicaemia following a mosquito bite whilst aboard a French hospital ship moored off the island of Skyros in the Aegean Sea.
23/04/1907
Alferd Packer, American prospector and convicted cannibal (born 1842)
Alfred Griner Packer, also known as the "Colorado Cannibal", was an American prospector and self-proclaimed wilderness guide who confessed to cannibalism during the winter of 1874. Though no clear or definitive evidence has been found to this day, and despite in-depth research about proof of his deeds, he is one of the four persons historically convicted for cannibalism in the United States. After emerging as the sole survivor of a six-man party who had attempted to travel through the San Juan Mountains of the Colorado Territory, he eventually confessed to having lived off the flesh of his companions, giving more than one version of his account as to the circumstances.
23/04/1905
Gédéon Ouimet, Canadian politician, 2nd Premier of Quebec (born 1823)
Gédéon Ouimet was a French-Canadian politician.
23/04/1895
Carl Ludwig, German physician and physiologist (born 1815)
Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig was a German physician and physiologist. His work as both a researcher and teacher had a major influence on the understanding, methods and apparatus used in almost all branches of physiology.
23/04/1889
Jules Amédée Barbey d'Aurevilly, French author and critic (born 1808)
Jules-Amédée Barbey d'Aurevilly was a French novelist, poet, short story writer, and literary critic. He specialised in mystery tales that explored hidden motivation and hinted at evil without being explicitly concerned with anything supernatural. He had a decisive influence on writers such as Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam, Henry James, Léon Bloy, Marcel Proust and Carmelo Bene.
23/04/1865
Silas Soule, American soldier and whistleblower of the Sand Creek Massacre (born 1838)
Silas Stillman Soule was an American abolitionist, teenage conductor on the Underground Railroad, military officer, and early example of what would later be called a "whistleblower". He is honored as a hero for disobeying orders to participate in a massacre of Native Americans, and then giving evidence against his commander despite threats on his life.
23/04/1850
William Wordsworth, English poet and author (born 1770)
William Wordsworth was an English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication Lyrical Ballads (1798).
John Joel Glanton, American outlaw, soldier, mercenary, and Texas ranger (born ~1819)
John Joel Glanton was an early settler of Arkansas Territory. He was also a Texas Ranger and a soldier in the Mexican–American War and the leader of a notorious gang of scalp-hunters in Northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States during the mid-19th century. Contemporary sources also describe him as a murderous outlaw and prominent participant in the Texas Revolution. He appears as a violent figure in the works of the prominent Western writers Larry McMurtry and Cormac McCarthy.
23/04/1839
Jacques Félix Emmanuel Hamelin, French admiral and explorer (born 1768)
Counter-Admiral Jacques Félix Emmanuel Hamelin was a French Navy officer and explorer. He fought in numerous naval engagements during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and conducted several exploratory voyages in the Indian Ocean and Southern Ocean. He has his name inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe.
23/04/1827
Georgios Karaiskakis, Greek general (born 1780)
Georgios Karaiskakis, born Georgios Karaiskos, was a Greek military commander and a leader of the Greek War of Independence.
23/04/1794
Guillaume-Chrétien de Lamoignon de Malesherbes, French lawyer and politician (born 1721)
Guillaume-Chrétien de Lamoignon de Malesherbes, often referred to as Malesherbes or Lamoignon-Malesherbes, was a French statesman and minister in the Ancien Régime, and later counsel for the defense of Louis XVI. He is known for his vigorous criticism of royal abuses as President of the Cour des aides and his role, as director of censorship, in helping with the publication of the Encyclopédie. Despite his committed monarchism, his writings contributed to the development of liberalism during the French Age of Enlightenment.
23/04/1792
Karl Friedrich Bahrdt, German theologian and author (born 1741)
Karl Friedrich Bahrdt, also spelled Carl Friedrich Bahrdt, was an unorthodox German Protestant biblical scholar, theologian, and polemicist. Controversial during his day, he is sometimes considered an "enfant terrible" and one of the most immoral characters in German learning.
23/04/1784
Solomon I of Imereti (born 1735)
Solomon I the Great was a Georgian monarch who reigned as king (mepe) of Imereti in western Georgia from 1752 to 1765 and again from 1767 until his death in 1784.
23/04/1781
James Abercrombie, Scottish general and politician (born 1706)
General James Abercrombie was a British Army officer and Whig politician who represented Banffshire in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1734 to 1754. He served as Commander-in-Chief, North America during the French and Indian War, and is best known for commanding the British defeat in the 1758 Battle of Carillon.
23/04/1702
Margaret Fell, English religious leader, founded the Religious Society of Friends (born 1614)
Margaret Fell or Margaret Fox was a founder and leading member of the Religious Society of Friends. Known popularly as the "mother of Quakerism," she is considered one of the Valiant Sixty early Quaker preachers and missionaries. Her daughters Isabel (Fell) Yeamans and Sarah Fell were also leading Quakers.
23/04/1695
Henry Vaughan, Welsh poet and author (born 1621)
Henry Vaughan was a Welsh metaphysical poet, author and translator writing in English, and a medical physician. His religious poetry appeared in Silex Scintillans in 1650, with a second part in 1655. In 1646 his Poems, with the Tenth Satire of Juvenal Englished was published. Meanwhile he had been persuaded by reading the religious poet George Herbert to renounce "idle verse". The prose Mount of Olives and Solitary Devotions (1652) show his authenticity and depth of convictions. Two more volumes of secular verse followed, ostensibly without his sanction, but it is his religious verse that has been acclaimed. He also translated short moral and religious works and two medical works in prose. In the 1650s he began a lifelong medical practice.
23/04/1625
Maurice, Prince of Orange (born 1567)
Maurice of Orange was stadtholder of all the provinces of the Dutch Republic—except Friesland—from 1585 until his death. Prior to inheriting the title Prince of Orange from his elder half-brother, Philip William, in 1618, he was known as Maurice of Nassau.
23/04/1620
Hayyim ben Joseph Vital, Jewish scholar (born 1542)
Hayyim ben Joseph Vital was a rabbi in Safed and the foremost disciple of Isaac Luria. He recorded much of his master's teachings. After Vital's death, his writings began to spread and led to a "powerful impact on various circles throughout the Jewish world."
23/04/1616
William Shakespeare, English playwright and poet (born 1564)
William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" or simply "the Bard". His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted.
Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Spanish writer and historian (born 1539)
Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, born Gómez Suárez de Figueroa and known as El Inca, was a chronicler and writer born in the Viceroyalty of Peru. Sailing to Spain at 21, he was educated informally there, where he lived and worked the rest of his life. The natural son of a Spanish conquistador and an Inca noblewoman born in the early years of the conquest, he is known primarily for his chronicles of Inca history, culture, and society. His work was widely read in Europe, influential and well received. It was the first literature by an author born in the Americas to enter the western canon.
23/04/1605
Boris Godunov, Russian ruler (born 1551)
Boris Feodorovich Godunov was the de facto regent of Russia from 1585 to 1598 and then tsar from 1598 to 1605 following the death of Feodor I, the last of the Rurik dynasty. After the end of Feodor's reign, Russia descended into the Time of Troubles.
23/04/1554
Gaspara Stampa, Italian poet (born 1523)
Gaspara Stampa was an Italian poet. She is considered to have been the greatest woman poet of the Italian Renaissance, and she is regarded by many as the greatest Italian woman poet of any age.
23/04/1501
Domenico della Rovere, Catholic cardinal (born 1442)
Domenico della Rovere was an Italian cardinal and patron of the arts.
23/04/1407
Olivier de Clisson, French soldier (born 1326)
Olivier V de Clisson, nicknamed "The Butcher", was a Breton soldier, the Constable of France, and the son of Olivier IV de Clisson. His father had been put to death by the French in 1343 on the suspicion of having willingly given up the city of Vannes to the English.
23/04/1400
Aubrey de Vere, 10th Earl of Oxford, English politician and nobleman (born c. 1338)
Aubrey de Vere, 10th Earl of Oxford was the third son of John de Vere, 7th Earl of Oxford and Maud de Badlesmere, daughter of Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Lord Badlesmere.
23/04/1307
Joan of Acre (born 1272)
Joan of Acre was an English princess, a daughter of Edward I of England and Eleanor of Castile. The name "Acre" derives from her birthplace in the Holy Land while her parents were on a crusade.
23/04/1266
Gilles of Saumur, French archbishop
Gilles of Saumur was an Angevin cleric and preacher who was the first archbishop of Damietta during the Seventh Crusade, and the archbishop of Tyre from 1253 to 1266. As archbishop of Tyre he was an important administrator and mediator in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. At the end of his life he returned to Europe where he was responsible for preaching and organizing a new crusade.
23/04/1262
Aegidius of Assisi, companion of Saint Francis of Assisi
Giles of Assisi, was one of the original companions of Francis of Assisi and holds a leading place among them. St. Francis called him "The Knight of our Round Table".
23/04/1217
Inge II of Norway (born 1185)
Inge II was King of Norway from 1204 to 1217. His reign was within the later stages of the period known in Norwegian history as the age of civil wars. Inge was the king of the birkebeiner faction. The conclusion of the settlement of Kvitsøy with the bagler faction in 1208 led to peace for the last nine years of Inge's reign, at the price of Inge and the birkebeiner recognising bagler rule over Viken.
23/04/1200
Zhu Xi, Chinese philosopher (born 1130)
Zhu Xi, formerly romanized Chu Hsi, was a Chinese philosopher, historian, politician, poet, and calligrapher of the Southern Song dynasty. As a leading figure in the development of Neo-Confucianism, Zhu Xi played a pivotal role in shaping the intellectual foundations of later imperial China. He sought to integrate moral self-cultivation, classical interpretation, ritual practice, and cosmological theory into a coherent framework, emphasizing disciplined study and ethical cultivation while criticizing approaches—particularly within contemporary Buddhist traditions—that claimed immediate insight detached from ritual, learning, and moral practice. His extensive commentaries and editorial work on the Four Books became the core texts of the imperial civil service examinations from 1313 until their abolition in 1905. He advanced a rigorous philosophical methodology known as the "investigation of things" (格物) and emphasized meditation as an essential practice for moral and intellectual self-cultivation. Zhu Xi's thought exerted profound influence, becoming the official state ideology of China from the Yuan dynasty onward, and was later adopted in other East Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. In these regions, his Neo-Confucian doctrines were institutionalized through educational systems and civil service examinations, shaping political ideologies, social hierarchies, and cultural values for centuries.
23/04/1196
Béla III of Hungary (born c. 1148)
Béla III was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1172 and 1196. He was the second son of King Géza II and Géza's wife, Euphrosyne of Kiev. Around 1161, Géza granted Béla a duchy, which included Croatia, central Dalmatia and possibly Sirmium. In accordance with a peace treaty between his elder brother, Stephen III, who succeeded their father in 1162, and the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos, Béla moved to Constantinople in 1163. He was renamed to Alexios, and the emperor granted him the newly created senior court title of despotes. He was betrothed to the Emperor's daughter, Maria. Béla's patrimony caused armed conflicts between the Byzantine Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary between 1164 and 1167, because Stephen III attempted to hinder the Byzantines from taking control of Croatia, Dalmatia and Sirmium. Béla-Alexios, who was designated as Emperor Manuel's heir in 1165, took part in three Byzantine campaigns against Hungary. His betrothal to the emperor's daughter was dissolved after her brother, Alexios, was born in 1169. The emperor deprived Béla of his high title, granting him the inferior rank of kaisar.
23/04/1170
Minamoto no Tametomo, Japanese samurai (born 1139)
Minamoto no Tametomo , also known as Chinzei Hachirō Tametomo , was a Japanese samurai who fought in the Hōgen Rebellion of 1156.
23/04/1151
Adeliza of Louvain (born 1103)
Adeliza of Louvain was Queen of England from 1121 to 1135 as the second wife of King Henry I.
23/04/1124
Alexander I of Scotland (born 1078)
Alexander I, posthumously nicknamed The Fierce, was the King of Alba (Scotland) from 1107 to his death. He was the fifth son of Malcolm III and his second wife, Margaret, sister of Edgar Ætheling, a prince of the pre-conquest English royal house.
23/04/1016
Æthelred the Unready, English son of Edgar the Peaceful (born 968)
Æthelred II, known as Æthelred the Unready, was King of the English from March 978 to December 1013 and again from February 1014 until his death. The epithet "Unready" is a pun on his name in Old English, Æðel (noble) and ræd (counsel). He was the son of King Edgar and Queen Ælfthryth.
23/04/1014
Brian Boru, Irish king (born 941)
Brian Boru was the High King of Ireland from 1002 to 1014. He ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill, and is likely responsible for ending Viking invasions of Ireland. Brian Boru is mentioned in the Annals of Inisfallen and in Chronicon Scotorum as "Brian mac Cennétig". The name Brian of Bóruma or Brian Boru was given to him posthumously. Brian built on the achievements of his father, Cennétig mac Lorcain, and especially his elder brother, Mathgamain. Brian first made himself king of Munster, then subjugated Leinster, eventually becoming High King of Ireland. He was the founder of the O'Brien dynasty, and is widely regarded as one of the most successful and unifying monarchs in medieval Ireland.
Domnall mac Eimín, Mormaer of Mar
Domnall mac Eimín meic Cainnig was an eleventh-century Mormaer of Mar. He is attested by numerous accounts of the Battle of Clontarf in which he is said to have lost his life supporting the cause of Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig, High King of Ireland, a king whose forces fought against those of Sitriuc mac Amlaíb, King of Dublin, Máel Mórda mac Murchada, King of Leinster and Sigurðr Hlǫðvisson, Earl of Orkney. Domnall is the first Mormaer of Mar on record, and the Irish sources that note him are the earliest sources to note the province of Mar. Domnall is the only Scottish combatant recorded to have fought in the Battle of Clontarf. His motivations for fighting are uncertain.
23/04/0997
Adalbert of Prague, Czech bishop, missionary, and saint (born 956)
Adalbert of Prague, known in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia by his birth name Vojtěch, was a Czech missionary and Christian saint. He was the Bishop of Prague and a missionary to the Hungarians, Poles, and Prussians, who was martyred in his efforts to convert the Baltic Prussians to Christianity. He is said to be the composer of the oldest Czech hymn Hospodine, pomiluj ny and Bogurodzica, the oldest known Polish anthem but his authorship of them has not been confirmed.
23/04/0990
Ekkehard II, Swiss monk and abbot
Ekkehard II, called Palatinus, was a monk of the Abbey of Saint Gall who became known for his sequence poetry.
23/04/0944
Wichmann the Elder, Saxon nobleman
Wichmann I the Elder was a member of the Saxon House of Billung. He was a brother of Amelung, Bishop of Verden, and Herman, Duke of Saxony.
23/04/0915
Yang Shihou, Chinese general
Yang Shihou (楊師厚), formally the Prince of Ye (鄴王), was a major general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Later Liang, serving as the main obstacle to the expansion of Later Liang's archenemy Jin during latter parts of the reign of Emperor Taizu and the early parts of the reign of Emperor Taizu's son Zhu Zhen.
23/04/0871
Æthelred of Wessex (born 837)
Æthelred I was King of Wessex from 865 until his death in 871. He was the fourth of five sons of King Æthelwulf of Wessex, four of whom in turn became king. Æthelred succeeded his elder brother Æthelberht and was followed by his youngest brother, Alfred the Great. Æthelred had two sons, Æthelhelm and Æthelwold, who were passed over for the kingship on their father's death because they were still infants. Æthelwold later unsuccessfully disputed the throne with Alfred's son and successor, Edward the Elder.
23/04/0725
Wihtred of Kent
Wihtred was king of Kent from about 690 or 691 until his death. He was a son of Ecgberht I and a brother of Eadric. Wihtred ascended to the throne after a confused period in the 680s, which included a brief conquest of Kent by Cædwalla of Wessex, and subsequent dynastic conflicts. His immediate predecessor was Oswine, who was probably descended from Eadbald, though not through the same line as Wihtred. Shortly after the start of his reign, Wihtred issued a code of laws—the Law of Wihtred—that has been preserved in a manuscript known as the Textus Roffensis. The laws pay a great deal of attention to the rights of the Church, including punishment for irregular marriages and for pagan worship. Wihtred's long reign had few incidents recorded in the annals of the day. He was succeeded in 725 by his sons, Æthelberht II, Eadberht I, and Alric.
23/04/0711
Childebert III, Frankish king (born 670)
Year 711 (DCCXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 711 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.
23/04/0303
Saint George, Roman soldier and martyr
Year 303 (CCCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. It was known in the Roman Empire as the Year of the Consulship of Diocletian and Maximian. The denomination 303 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.
Celebrations & Special Days Worldwide on 23rd April
Christian feast day: Adalbert of Prague
Adalbert of Prague, known in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia by his birth name Vojtěch, was a Czech missionary and Christian saint. He was the Bishop of Prague and a missionary to the Hungarians, Poles, and Prussians, who was martyred in his efforts to convert the Baltic Prussians to Christianity. He is said to be the composer of the oldest Czech hymn Hospodine, pomiluj ny and Bogurodzica, the oldest known Polish anthem but his authorship of them has not been confirmed.
Christian feast day: Felix, Fortunatus, and Achilleus
Felix, Fortunatus, and Achilleus were 3rd-century Christian saints who suffered martyrdom during the reign of Caracalla. Felix, a priest, Fortunatus and Achilleus, both deacons, were sent by Irenaeus, to Valence, to convert the locals. It is said that they died c. 212.
Christian feast day: Saint George
Saint George, also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to holy tradition, he was a soldier in the Roman army. Of Cappadocian Greek origin, he became a member of the Praetorian Guard for Roman emperor Diocletian. During the Diocletianic Persecution, he was sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith. He became one of the most venerated saints, heroes, and megalomartyrs in Christianity. Since the Crusades, he has been venerated especially as a military saint. He is respected by Christians, Druze, as well as some Muslims as a martyr of monotheistic faith.
Christian feast day: Blessed Giles of Assisi
Giles of Assisi, was one of the original companions of Francis of Assisi and holds a leading place among them. St. Francis called him "The Knight of our Round Table".
Christian feast day: Gerard of Toul
Gerard was a German prelate who served as the Bishop of Toul from 963 until his death. His entrance into the priesthood came about due to his mother being struck dead in a lightning strike which he believed was divine judgment for his sins and a call to service. But he had been known for his piousness and he accepted the position to the Toul diocese despite his reluctance. His concern as a bishop was to the restoration of all properties the Church managed and to ensure secular involvement in Church affairs ceased.
Christian feast day: Ibar of Beggerin (Meath)
Ibar mac Lugna, whose name is also given as Iberius or Ivor, was an early Irish saint, patron of Beggerin Island, and bishop. The saint is sometimes said to have been one of the "Quattuor sanctissimi Episcopi" said to have preceded Saint Patrick in Ireland, although possibly they were just contemporaries. His feast day is 23 April.
Christian feast day: Blessed Maria Gabriella Sagheddu
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name. Beati is the plural form, referring to those who have undergone the process of beatification; they possess the title of "Blessed" before their names and are often referred to in English as "a Blessed" or, plurally, "Blesseds".
Christian feast day: Toyohiko Kagawa (Episcopal and Lutheran Church)
Toyohiko Kagawa was a Japanese Evangelical Christian pacifist, Christian reformer, and labour activist. Kagawa wrote, spoke, and worked at length on ways to employ Christian principles in the ordering of society and in cooperatives. His vocation to help the poor led him to live among them. He advocated for women's suffrage and promoted a peaceful foreign policy.
Christian feast day: Saint George's Day and its related observances: Saint George's Day (Catalonia)
Saint George's Day, also known as the Day of Books and Roses, is celebrated annually in Catalonia (Spain) on 23 April. Saint George is the patron saint of Catalonia in a tradition established in the Middle Ages. Despite being a working day, it is one of Catalonia’s national holidays due to its overwhelming popularity and cultural significance. It is also celebrated, to a lesser extent, in Northern Catalonia (France), in Andorra, and in some other areas of Spain.
Christian feast day: Saint George's Day and its related observances: Saint George's Day (England)
Saint George is the patron saint of England in a tradition established in the Tudor period, based in the saint's popularity during the times of the Crusades and the Hundred Years' War.
Christian feast day: Blessed Teresa Maria Manetti
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name. Beati is the plural form, referring to those who have undergone the process of beatification; they possess the title of "Blessed" before their names and are often referred to in English as "a Blessed" or, plurally, "Blesseds".
Christian feast day: April 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
April 22 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - April 24
Canada Book Day (Canada)
Canada Book Day is a yearly event celebrated in Canada on April 23 to promote reading and books during Canada Book Week. Canada Book Week takes place on the week of April 23.
Castile and León Day (Castile and León)
Castile and León Day is a holiday celebrated on 23 April in the autonomous community of Castile and León, a subdivision of Spain. The date is the anniversary of the Battle of Villalar, in which Castilian rebels called Comuneros were dealt a crushing defeat by the royalist forces of King Charles I in the Revolt of the Comuneros on 23 April 1521.
International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day
International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day is a commemoration declared by author Jo Walton, held on April 23 and first celebrated in 2007, in response to remarks made by Howard V. Hendrix stating that he was opposed "to the increasing presence in our organization the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America of webscabs, who post their creations on the net for free". The purpose of the day, according to Walton, was to encourage writers to post "professional quality" works for free on the internet.
Khongjom Day (Manipur)
The Anglo-Manipur War or Manipuri Rebellion of 1891 was a short armed conflict between the British Colonial Forces and the brave royal princes of Manipur Kingdom, Manipur was an independent kingdom at that time. The conflict began with a palace coup staged by the general (Senapati) of Manipur, ousting its reigning king, and installing a half-brother, the heir-apparent, in his place. The British government took objection to the action and attempted to arrest the general. The effort failed, with the Manipuri forces attacking the British residency and the resident and other British officials getting executed. The British launched a punitive expedition that lasted from 31 March to 27 April 1891. The general and other rebels were arrested and convicted. The British conquered Manipur and did not annex it under British India but governed it as a princely state till 1947.
National Sovereignty and Children's Day (Turkey and Northern Cyprus)
National Sovereignty and Children's Day is a public holiday in Turkey and Northern Cyprus commemorating the foundation of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, on 23 April 1920.
Navy Day (China)
Several nations observe or have observed a Navy Day to recognize their navy.
World Book Day
World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day or International Day of the Book, is an annual event organized by UNESCO to promote reading, publishing, and copyright. The first World Book Day was celebrated on 23 April in 1995, and continues to be recognized on that day. A related event in the United Kingdom and Ireland, also called World Book Day, is observed in March. On the occasion of World Book and Copyright Day, UNESCO along with the advisory committee from the major sectors of the book industry, select the World Book Capital for one year. Each designated World Book Capital City carries out a program of activities to celebrate and promote books and reading. In 2024, Strasbourg was designated as the World Book Capital.
UN English Language Day (United Nations)
UN English Day is observed annually on 23 April. The event was established by UN's Department of Public Information in 2010 "to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six official languages throughout the Organization".
UN Spanish Language Day (United Nations)
UN Spanish Language Day is observed annually on 23 April. The event was established by the UN's Department of Public Information in 2010, seeking "to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six of its official working languages throughout the organization". The day was first observed on 12 October to celebrate the Día de la Hispanidad in some Spanish-speaking countries for the discovery of American continent. Later, the day was changed to 23 April, to pay tribute to Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, who died on 22 April 1616.
What Happened on 23rd April?
48 significant events took place on Sunday, 23rd April — stretching from -215 to 2024. Explore the moments that shaped history on this day.
23/04/2024
The 2024 Lumut mid-air collision in Malaysia kills 10 people while rehearsing for the 90th anniversary of the Royal Malaysian Navy.
On 23 April 2024 at 09:32 MYT, two Royal Malaysian Navy helicopters – an AgustaWestland AW139 and a Eurocopter Fennec – collided over the Malaysian town of Lumut during a military parade rehearsal celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Royal Malaysian Navy. Ten people – seven on the AW139 and three on the Fennec – were killed. There were no survivors. Malaysian investigators determined the crash was caused by pilot error.
23/04/2019
The April 2019 Hpakant jade mine collapse in Myanmar kills four miners and two rescuers, with at least 50 others missing and presumed dead.
On 22 April 2019, a landslide triggered the collapse of a jade mine near Maw Wun Kalay, Hpakant, Kachin State, Myanmar, trapping at least 54 miners. The deaths of four miners were confirmed, along with the later deaths of two rescue workers. The remaining miners were presumed to have died.
23/04/2018
A vehicle-ramming attack kills 11 people and injures 15 in Toronto. A 25-year-old suspect, Alek Minassian, is arrested.
A vehicle-ramming attack occurred on April 23, 2018, when a rented van was driven along Yonge Street through the North York City Centre business district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The driver, 25-year-old Alek Minassian, targeted pedestrians, killing 11 and injuring 15, some critically. The attack started at the intersection of Yonge Street and Finch Avenue and proceeded south along the sidewalks of Yonge Street to near Sheppard Avenue. Nine of the eleven killed were women. The perpetrator was arrested just south of the crime scene, after exiting his vehicle van and attempting to commit suicide by cop.
23/04/2013
At least 111 people are killed and 233 injured as violence breaks out in Hawija, Iraq.
The 2013 Hawija clashes relate to a series of violent attacks within Iraq, as part of the 2012–2013 Iraqi protests and Iraqi insurgency (2011–2013). On 23 April, an army raid against a protest encampment in the city of Hawija, west of Kirkuk, led to dozens of civilian deaths and the involvement of several insurgent groups in organized action against the government, leading to fears of a return to a wide-scale Sunni–Shia conflict within the country. By 27 April, more than 300 people were reported killed and scores more injured in one of the worst outbreaks of violence since the U.S. withdrawal in December 2011.
23/04/2005
The first YouTube video, titled "Me at the zoo", is published by co-founder Jawed Karim.
YouTube is an American online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Chad Hurley, Jawed Karim, and Steve Chen who were all former employees at PayPal. Headquartered in San Bruno, California, it is the second-most-visited website in the world, after Google itself. In January 2024, YouTube had reached more than 2.7 billion monthly active users, who collectively watched more than one billion hours of video every day. As of May 2019, videos were being uploaded to the platform at a rate of more than 500 hours of video per minute, and as of mid-2024, there were approximately 14.8 billion videos in total.
23/04/1999
NATO bombs the headquarters of Radio Television of Serbia, as part of their aerial campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an intergovernmental military alliance between 32 member states—30 in Europe and two in North America. Founded in the aftermath of World War II, NATO was established with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949. The organization serves as a system of collective security and deterrence, whereby its independent members agree to defend each-other from attack by any outside party. This is enshrined in Article 5 of the treaty, which states that an armed attack against the territory of one member shall be considered an attack against them all.
23/04/1993
Eritreans vote overwhelmingly for independence from Ethiopia in a United Nations-monitored referendum.
Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. Its capital and largest city is Asmara. The country is bordered by Ethiopia to the south, Sudan to the west, and Djibouti to the southeast. The northeastern and eastern parts of Eritrea have an extensive coastline along the Red Sea. The country has a total area of approximately 117,600 km2 (45,406 sq mi), and includes the Dahlak Archipelago and several of the Hanish Islands.
Sri Lankan politician Lalith Athulathmudali is assassinated while addressing a gathering, approximately four weeks ahead of the Provincial Council elections for the Western Province.
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It is located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, and is separated from India by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. Sri Lanka shares a maritime border with the Maldives to the southwest and India to the northwest, and lies across the Bay of Bengal from Bangladesh and Myanmar to the northeast and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India to the east. Its capital is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, while Colombo is its largest city and the political, financial and cultural centre. Sri Lanka's population is 22 million; with the Sinhalese people, who speak the Sinhala language, forming the vast majority—while Tamil is spoken by the large Tamil minority. Other long-established ethnic groups include the Moors, Indian Tamils, Burghers, Malays, Chinese, and Vedda.
23/04/1990
Namibia becomes the 160th member of the United Nations and the 50th member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the northeast, approximating a quadripoint, Zimbabwe lies less than 200 metres away along the Zambezi river near Kazungula, Zambia. Namibia's capital and largest city is Windhoek.
23/04/1985
Coca-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.
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings each day. Coca-Cola ranked No. 94 in the 2024 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by revenue. Based on Interbrand's "best global brand" study of 2023, Coca-Cola was the world's sixth most valuable brand.
23/04/1979
SAETA Flight 011 crashes in Pastaza Province, Ecuador, killing all 57 people on board. The wreckage was not discovered until 1984.
On 23 April 1979, SAETA Flight 011, a Vickers Viscount passenger aircraft of Ecuadorian airline SAETA, crashed in a mountainous region of Pastaza Province, Ecuador, killing all 57 people on board. The wreckage of the aircraft was not found until five years later.
Blair 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.
Clement Blair Peach was a New Zealand teacher who was killed during an anti-racism demonstration in Southall, London, England. A campaigner and activist against the far right, in April 1979 Peach took part in an Anti-Nazi League demonstration in Southall against a National Front election meeting in the town hall and was hit on the head, probably by a member of the Special Patrol Group (SPG), a specialist unit within the Metropolitan Police Service. He died in hospital that night.
23/04/1971
Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army and Razakars massacre approximately 3,000 Hindu emigrants in the Jathibhanga area of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
The Bangladesh Liberation War, also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, was an armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali nationalist and self-determination movement in East Pakistan, which resulted in the independence of Bangladesh with the help of India. The war began when the Pakistani military junta based in West Pakistan—under the orders of Yahya Khan—launched Operation Searchlight against East Pakistanis on the night of 25 March 1971, initiating the Bangladesh genocide.
23/04/1968
Vietnam War: Student protesters at Columbia University in New York City take over administration buildings and shut down the university.
The Vietnam War was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam and their allies. North Vietnam was supported by the Soviet Union and China, while South Vietnam was supported by the United States and other anti-communist nations. The conflict was the second of the Indochina wars and a proxy war of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and US. The Vietnam War was one of the postcolonial wars of national liberation, a theater in the Cold War, and a civil war, with civil warfare a defining feature from the outset. Direct US military involvement escalated from 1965 until US forces were withdrawn in 1973. The fighting spilled into the Laotian and Cambodian civil wars, which ended with all three countries becoming communist in 1975.
23/04/1967
Soviet space program: Soyuz 1 (Russian: Союз 1, Union 1), a crewed spaceflight carrying cosmonaut Colonel Vladimir Komarov, is launched into orbit.
The Soviet space program was the state space program of the Soviet Union, active from 1951 until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Unlike its Space Race competitor, the United States, which consolidated its space program under NASA, the Soviet space program was divided between several competing design bureaus led by Korolev, Kerimov, Keldysh, Yangel, Glushko, Chelomey, Makeyev, Chertok and Reshetnev, often under the Ministry of General Machine-Building. The program was an important part of the Soviet claim to superpower status.
23/04/1966
Aeroflot Flight 2723 crashes into the Caspian Sea off the Absheron Peninsula, killing 33 people.
Aeroflot Flight 2723 was a Soviet domestic passenger flight from Bina International Airport to Makhachkala Airport. On 23 April 1966 the Ilyushin Il-14 operating the route ditched in the Caspian Sea following unexplained engine problems. None of the 33 on board survived.
23/04/1961
During 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.
The Algiers putsch, also known as the putsch of the generals, was a failed coup d'état intended to force French President Charles de Gaulle not to abandon French Algeria, the resident European community and pro-French Algerians. Organised in French Algeria by retired French Army generals Maurice Challe, Edmond Jouhaud, André Zeller and Raoul Salan, it took place from the afternoon of 21 to 26 April 1961 in the midst of the Algerian War (1954–1962) and brought the nation to the brink of a civil war.
23/04/1951
Cold War: American journalist William N. Oatis is arrested for espionage by the Communist government of Czechoslovakia.
The Cold War was a period of international geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc. It began in the aftermath of the Second World War and ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The term cold war is used because there was no direct fighting between the two superpowers, though each supported opposing sides in regional conflicts known as proxy wars. In addition to the struggle for ideological and economic influence and an arms race in both conventional and nuclear weapons, the Cold War was expressed through technological rivalries such as the Space Race, espionage, propaganda campaigns, embargoes, and sports diplomacy.
23/04/1949
Chinese Civil War: Establishment of the People's Liberation Army Navy.
The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and the forces of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Armed conflict continued intermittently from 1 August 1927 until Communist victory resulted in their near-complete control over mainland China on 10 December 1949.
23/04/1946
Manuel Roxas is elected the last President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.
Manuel Acuña Roxas was the fifth president of the Philippines, serving from 1946 until his death in 1948. He served briefly as the third and last President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from May 28, 1946, to July 4, 1946, and became the first President of the Independent Third Philippine Republic after the United States ceded its sovereignty over the Philippines.
23/04/1945
World 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.
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Germany during the Nazi era from 1933 until his suicide in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor of Germany in 1933 and then taking the title of Führer und Reichskanzler in 1934. Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 under his leadership marked the outbreak of the Second World War. Throughout the ensuing conflict, Hitler was closely involved in the direction of German military operations and was central to the perpetration of the genocide of about six million Jews in the Holocaust as well as the deaths of millions of other victims.
23/04/1942
World War II: Baedeker Blitz: German bombers hit Exeter, Bath and York in retaliation for the British raid on Lübeck.
The Baedeker Blitz or Baedeker raids was a series of bombing raids by the Luftwaffe on the United Kingdom during World War II in April and May 1942. Towns and cities in England were targeted for their cultural value as part of a demoralisation campaign.
23/04/1941
World War II: The Greek government and King George II evacuate Athens before the invading Wehrmacht.
World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. Tanks and aircraft played major roles, the latter enabling the strategic bombing of cities and delivery of the only nuclear weapons used in war. World War II was the deadliest conflict in history, causing the death of 60 to 75 million people. Millions died as a result of massacres, starvation, disease, and genocides, including the Holocaust. After the Allied victory, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Korea were occupied, and German and Japanese leaders were tried for war crimes.
23/04/1940
The Rhythm Club fire at a dance hall in Natchez, Mississippi, kills 198 people.
The Rhythm Club fire was a fire in a dance hall in Natchez, Mississippi on the night of April 23, 1940, which killed 209 people and severely injured many others. Hundreds of people were trapped inside the building. It is the fourth deadliest assembly and club fire in U.S. history.
23/04/1935
The Polish Constitution of 1935 is adopted.
The April Constitution of Poland was the general law passed by the act of the Polish Sejm on 23 April 1935. It introduced in the Second Polish Republic an authoritarian presidential system that no longer operated on the basis of the functional separation of powers. The constitution was adopted in violation of the previous March Constitution of 1921 as well as the rules of procedure of parliament, which is why it was questioned by a significant part of the opposition to the Sanacja government.
23/04/1927
Cardiff City defeat Arsenal in the FA Cup Final, the only time it has been won by a team not based in England.
Cardiff City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in EFL League One, the third tier of English football, but will compete in the EFL Championship in the 2026–27 season following promotion. Founded in 1899 as Riverside A.F.C., the club changed its name to Cardiff City in 1908 and entered the Southern Football League in 1910 before joining the English Football League in 1920. The team has spent 17 seasons in the top tier of English football, the longest period being between 1921 and 1929. Their most recent season in the top flight was the 2018–19 Premier League season.
23/04/1920
The 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.
The Grand National Assembly of Turkey is the unicameral legislative branch of the Turkish government. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by the unitary Turkish Constitution.
23/04/1919
The Estonian Constituent Assembly is held in Estonia, which marks the birth of the Estonian Parliament, the Riigikogu.
The Estonian Constituent Assembly was elected on 5–7 April 1919, called by the Estonian Provisional Government during the Estonian War of Independence.
23/04/1918
World War I: The British Royal Navy makes a raid in an attempt to neutralise the Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge.
World War I, or the First World War, also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Central Powers. Major areas of conflict included Europe and the Middle East, as well as parts of Africa and the Asia-Pacific. The war saw important developments in weaponry including tanks, aircraft, artillery, machine guns, and chemical weapons. One of the deadliest conflicts in history, it resulted in an estimated 15 to 22 million military and civilian casualties and genocide. The movement of large numbers of people was a major factor in the deadly Spanish flu pandemic.
23/04/1909
In Portugal, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake strikes near Lisbon, killing at least 60 people and injuring 75.
The 1909 Benavente earthquake occurred on 23 April at 17:39 GMT with an epicenter in the Lisbon region of Portugal. The earthquake had an estimated moment magnitude of 6.0 and had maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). Beneath the Lower Tagus Valley, where the earthquake occurred, is a system of normal faults that were reactivated during the Eocene as reverse faults. The earthquake was caused by movement along one of these buried faults. At least 30 people died and 75 people were injured; the towns of Samora Correia and Muge in Benavente were the hardest-hit, with 90 percent of it destroyed. Another 13,000 people were made homeless. In Lisbon, the earthquake caused minor damage to some homes, started fires, and injured several people.
23/04/1891
Chilean Civil War: The ironclad Blanco Encalada is sunk at Caldera Bay by torpedo boats.
The Chilean Civil War of 1891, or the Second Chilean Civil War or Revolution of 1891, was a civil war in Chile fought between forces supporting Congress and forces supporting the President, José Manuel Balmaceda, from 16 January 1891 to 18 September 1891. The war saw a confrontation between the Chilean Army and the Chilean Navy, siding with the president and the Congress, respectively. This conflict ended with the defeat of the Chilean Army and the presidential forces, and with President Balmaceda committing suicide as a consequence of the defeat. In Chilean historiography the war marks the end of the Liberal Republic and the beginning of the Parliamentary Era.
23/04/1879
Fire 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.
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The university was founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Catholic religious order of priests and brothers. Its main campus covers 1,261 acres in a suburban setting and has landmarks such as the Golden Dome main building, Sacred Heart Basilica, the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, the Word of Life mosaic mural, and Notre Dame Stadium.
23/04/1815
The 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.
The Second Serbian Uprising was the second phase of the Serbian Revolution against the Ottoman Empire, which erupted shortly after the re-annexation of the country to the Ottoman Empire in 1813. The occupation was enforced following the defeat of the First Serbian Uprising (1804–1813), during which Serbia existed as a de facto independent state for over a decade. The second revolution ultimately resulted in Serbian semi-independence from the Ottoman Empire. The Principality of Serbia was established, governed by its own parliament, constitution and royal dynasty. De jure independence, however, was attained in 1878, following the decisions of the Congress of Berlin.
23/04/1724
Johann Sebastian Bach leads the first performance of his cantata Du Hirte Israel, höre, BWV 104, illustrating the topic of the Good Shepherd in pastoral music.
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including the orchestral Brandenburg Concertos; solo instrumental works such as the Cello Suites and Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin; keyboard works such as the Goldberg Variations and The Well-Tempered Clavier; organ works such as the Schübler Chorales and the Toccata and Fugue in D minor; and choral works such as the St. Matthew Passion and the Mass in B minor. He is known for his mastery of counterpoint, as heard in The Musical Offering and The Art of Fugue. Felix Mendelssohn precipitated the Bach Revival with a performance of the St. Matthew Passion in 1829. Ever since, Bach has been acclaimed as one of the greatest composers of classical music.
23/04/1661
King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland is crowned in Westminster Abbey.
Charles II was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651 and King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685.
23/04/1660
Treaty of Oliva is established between Sweden and Poland.
The Treaty or Peace of Oliva was one of the peace treaties ending the Second Northern War (1655–1660). It was signed on 3 May [O.S. 23 April] 1660. The Treaty of Oliva, the Treaty of Copenhagen in the same year, and the Treaty of Cardis in the following year marked the high point of the Swedish Empire.
23/04/1655
The Siege of Santo Domingo begins during the Anglo-Spanish War, and fails seven days later.
The siege of Santo Domingo was fought between April 23, 1655 and April 30, 1655, at the Spanish Colony of Santo Domingo. A force of 2,400 Spanish troops led by Governor Don Bernardino Meneses y Bracamonte, Count of Peñalba successfully resisted a force of 13,120 soldiers led by General Robert Venables and 34 ships under Admiral Sir William Penn of the English Commonwealth.
23/04/1635
The first public school in the United States, the Boston Latin School, is founded.
The Boston Latin School is a magnet Latin grammar state school in Boston, Massachusetts. It has been in continuous operation since it was established on April 23, 1635, and is one of the oldest existing schools in the United States, the other being Collegiate School in New York City.
23/04/1521
Battle of Villalar: King Charles I of Spain defeats the Comuneros.
The Battle of Villalar was a battle in the Revolt of the Comuneros fought on 23 April 1521 near the town of Villalar in Valladolid province, Spain. The royalist supporters of King Charles I won a crushing victory over the comuneros rebels. Three of the most important rebel leaders were captured, Juan de Padilla, Juan Bravo, and Francisco Maldonado. They were executed the next day, effectively ending armed resistance to Charles I.
23/04/1516
The Munich Reinheitsgebot (regarding the ingredients of beer) takes effect in all of Bavaria.
The Reinheitsgebot is a series of regulations limiting the ingredients in beer in Germany and the states of the former Holy Roman Empire. The best known version of the law was adopted in Bavaria in 1516, but similar regulations predate the Bavarian order, and modern regulations also significantly differ from the 1516 Bavarian version. Although today the Reinheitsgebot is mentioned in various texts about the history of beer, historically it was only applied in the duchy, electorate, then Kingdom of Bavaria and from 1906 in Germany as a whole, and it had little or no effect in other countries or regions. However, Norway adopted a similar law in 1912.
23/04/1500
Portuguese explorer Pedro Alvarez Cabral reaches new coastline (Brazil).
Pedro Álvares Cabral was a Portuguese nobleman, colonizer, military commander, navigator and explorer regarded as the European discoverer of Brazil. He was the first human in history to ever be on four continents, uniting all of them in his famous voyage of 1500, where he also conducted the first substantial exploration of the northeast coast of South America and claimed it for Portugal. While details of Cabral's early life remain unclear, it is known that he came from a minor noble family and received a good education. He was appointed to head an expedition to India in 1500, following Vasco da Gama's newly opened route around Africa. The undertaking had the aim of returning with valuable spices and of establishing trade relations in India—bypassing the monopoly on the spice trade then in the hands of Arab, Turkish and Italian merchants. Although the previous expedition of Vasco da Gama to India, on its sea route, had recorded signs of land west of the southern Atlantic Ocean, Cabral led the first known expedition to have touched four continents: Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia.
23/04/1348
The founding of the Order of the Garter by King Edward III is announced on St. George's Day.
The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by King Edward III in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, it is outranked in precedence only by the decorations of the Victoria Cross and the George Cross. The Order of the Garter is dedicated to the image and arms of Saint George, England's patron saint.
23/04/1343
St. George's Night Uprising commences in the Duchy of Estonia.
Saint George's Night Uprising in 1343–1345 was an unsuccessful attempt by the indigenous Estonian population in the Duchy of Estonia, the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek, and the insular territories of the State of the Teutonic Order to rid themselves of German and Danish rulers and landlords who had conquered the country in the 13th century during the Livonian Crusade; and to eradicate the non-indigenous Christian religion. After initial success the revolt was ended by the invasion of the Teutonic Order. In 1346, the Duchy of Estonia was sold for 19,000 Köln marks by the King of Denmark to the Teutonic Order. The shift of sovereignty from Denmark to the State of the Teutonic Order took place on November 1, 1346.
23/04/1016
Edmund Ironside succeeds his father Æthelred the Unready as King of England.
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.
23/04/1014
Battle of Clontarf: High King of Ireland Brian Boru defeats Viking invaders, but is killed in battle.
The Battle of Clontarf took place on 23 April 1014 at Clontarf, near Dublin, on the east coast of Ireland. It pitted an army led by Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, against a Norse-Irish alliance comprising the forces of Sigtrygg Silkbeard, King of Dublin; Máel Mórda mac Murchada, King of Leinster; and a Viking army from abroad led by Sigurd of Orkney and Brodir of Mann. It lasted from sunrise to sunset, and ended in a rout of the Viking and Leinster armies.
23/04/0711
Dagobert III succeeds his father King Childebert III as King of the Franks.
Year 711 (DCCXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 711 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.
23/04/0599
Maya king Uneh Chan of Calakmul attacks rival city-state Palenque in southern Mexico, defeating queen Yohl Ik'nal and sacking the city.
Year 599 (DXCIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 599 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.
01/01/1970
A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene.
The Temple of Venus Erycina was a temple on the Capitoline Hill in Ancient Rome dedicated to Venus Erycina. This was an aspect of the goddess Venus. Later this temple was probably called the Temple of the Capitoline Venus. There was another temple with the same name in Rome, the Temple of Venus Erycina.