Today in history....
Saturday, May 23, 2009
* 1430 – Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne.
* 1498 – Girolamo Savonarola is burned at the stake in Florence, Italy, on the orders of Pope Alexander VI.
* 1533 – The marriage of King Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon is declared null and void.
* 1568 – The Netherlands declare their independence from Spain.
* 1568 – Dutch rebels led by Louis of Nassau, brother of William I of Orange, defeat Jean de Ligne, Duke of Aremberg and his loyalist troops in the Battle of Heiligerlee, opening the Eighty Years' War.
* 1609 – Official ratification of the Second Charter of Virginia takes place.
* 1618 – The Second Defenestration of Prague precipitates the Thirty Years' War.
* 1701 – After being convicted of piracy and of murdering William Moore, Captain William Kidd is hanged in London.
* 1706 – Battle of Ramillies: John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough, defeats a French army under Marshal Villeroi.
* 1788 – South Carolina ratifies the Constitution as the 8th American state.
* 1805 – Napoleon Bonaparte is crowned King of Italy with the Iron Crown of Lombardy in the Cathedral of Milan.
* 1813 – South American independence leader Simón Bolívar enters Mérida, leading the invasion of Venezuela, and is proclaimed El Libertador ("The Liberator").
* 1844 – Declaration of the Báb: a merchant of Shiraz announces that he is a Prophet and founds a religious movement that would later be brutally crushed by the Persian government. He is considered to be a forerunner of the Bahá'í Faith, and Bahá'ís celebrate the day as a holy day.
* 1846 – Mexican-American War: President Mariano Paredes of Mexico unofficially declares war on the United States.
* 1863 – Organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Battle Creek, Michigan.
* 1863 – The Siege of Port Hudson takes place.
* 1863 – American Civil War: Sergeant William Harvey Carney becomes the first African American to be awarded the Medal of Honor, for his heroism in the Assault on the Battery Wagner.
* 1873 – The Canadian Parliament establishes the North West Mounted Police, the forerunner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
* 1907 – The unicameral Parliament of Finland gathers for its first plenary session.
* 1911 – The New York Public Library is dedicated.
* 1915 – World War I: Italy joins the Allies after they declare war on Austria-Hungary.
* 1923 – Launch of Belgium's SABENA airline.
* 1929 – The first talking cartoon of Mickey Mouse, "The Karnival Kid", is released.
* 1934 – American bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde are ambushed by police and killed in Black Lake, Louisiana.
* 1934 – The Auto-Lite Strike culminates in the "Battle of Toledo", a five-day melée between 1,300 troops of the Ohio National Guard and 6,000 picketers.
* 1939 – The U.S. Navy submarine USS Squalus sinks off the coast of New Hampshire during a test dive, causing the death of 24 sailors and two civilian technicians. The remaining 32 sailors and one civilian naval architect are rescued the following day.
* 1945 – World War II: Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS, committs suicide while in Allied custody.
* 1945 – World War II: The Flensburg government under Reichspräsident Karl Dönitz is dissolved when its members are captured and arrested by British forces at Flensburg in Northern Germany.
* 1949 – The Federal Republic of Germany is established and the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany is proclaimed.
* 1951 – Tibetans sign the Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet with the People's Republic of China.
* 1958 – Explorer 1 ceases transmission.
* 1960 – Prime Minister of Israel David Ben-Gurion announces that Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann had been captured.
* 1967 – Egypt closes the Straits of Tiran and blockades the port of Eilat at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba to Israeli shipping, laying the foundations for the Six Day War.
* 1970 – A fire breaks out in the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait in north Wales contributing to its partial destruction and causing approximately £1,000,000 worth of fire damage.
* 1977 – Two terrorist actions unfold in The Netherlands: several dozen hostages are taken on board a train, and about 100 others (mostly children) are held at a school. The train siege lasts until June 11.
* 1984 – Methane gas explosion at Abbeystead water treatment works near Lancaster, England kills 16 people.
* 1988 – The true day that Spartans became extinct and a greater being came into existence in the form of Jerry Astro
* 1995 – Oklahoma City bombing: In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the remains of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building are imploded.
* 1995 – The first version of the Java programming language was released.
* 1998 – The Good Friday Agreement is accepted in a referendum in Northern Ireland with 75% voting yes.
* 2002 – The "55 parties" clause of the Kyoto protocol is reached after its ratification by Iceland.
* 2004 – Part of Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport's Terminal 2E collapses, killing four people and injuring three others.
* 2006 – Alaskan stratovolcano Mount Cleveland erupts.
* 2008– The International Court of Justice (ICJ) awards Middle Rocks to Malaysia and Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh) to Singapore, ending a 29-year territorial dispute between the two countries.
* 2009 – Former President of South Korea Roh Moo-hyun commits suicide.
Birthdays today...
* 1052 – King Philip I of France (d. 1108)
* 1100 – Emperor Qinzong of China (d. 1161)
* 1606 – Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz, Spanish writer (d. 1682)
* 1617 – Elias Ashmole, English antiquarian (d. 1692)
* 1707 – Carolus Linnaeus, Swedish botanist (d. 1778)
* 1718 – William Hunter, Scottish anatomist (d. 1783)
* 1729 – Giuseppe Parini, Italian writer (d. 1799)
* 1734 – Franz Anton Mesmer, Austrian physician/hypnotist (d. 1815)
* 1741 – Andrea Luchesi, Italian composer (d. 1801)
* 1790 – Jules Dumont d'Urville, French explorer (d. 1842)
* 1795 – Charles Barry , English architect (d. 1860)
* 1810 – Margaret Fuller, American journalist and feminist (d. 1850)
* 1820 – James Buchanan Eads, American engineer and inventor (d. 1887)
* 1820 – Lorenzo Sawyer, 9th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of California (d. 1891)
* 1824 – Ambrose Burnside, American Union Civil War general (d. 1881)
* 1834 – Carl Heinrich Bloch, Danish painter (d. 1890)
* 1844 – `Abdu'l-Bahá, Successor to Prophet of the Bahá'í Faith (d. 1921)
* 1848 – Otto Lilienthal, German aviation pioneer (d. 1896)
* 1865 – Epitácio Pessoa, 11th President of Brazil (d. 1942)
* 1875 – Alfred P. Sloan, American long-time president and chairman of General Motors (d. 1966)
* 1879 – Dezső Lauber, Hungarian sportsman (d. 1966)
* 1883 – Douglas Fairbanks, American actor (d. 1939)
* 1884 – Corrado Gini, Italian sociologist (d. 1965)
* 1887 – Thoralf Skolem, Norwegian mathematician (d. 1963)
* 1888 – Zack Wheat, American baseball player (d. 1972)
* 1889 – Ernst Niekisch, German politician (d. 1967)
* 1890 – Herbert Marshall, English actor (d. 1966)
* 1891 – Pär Lagerkvist, Swedish writer, Nobel laureate (d. 1974)
* 1893 – Ulysses S. Grant IV, American geologist and paleontologist (d. 1977)
* 1895 – Billy Smith English Footballer. (d. 1956)
* 1896 – Felix Martin Julius Steiner, German Heer and Waffen-SS officer (d. 1966)
* 1898 – Scott O'Dell, American author (d. 1989)
* 1898 – Josef Terboven, Reichskommissar of Nazi-occupied Norway (d. 1945)
* 1900 – Hans Frank, German Nazi war criminal (d. 1946)
* 1906 – General P.N. Thapar, 5th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army (d. 1975)
* 1908 – John Bardeen, American physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1991)
* 1908 – Hélène Boucher, French aviatrix (d. 1934)
* 1910 – Margaret Wise Brown, American author (d. 1952)
* 1910 – Sir Hugh Casson, British architect and painter (d. 1999)
* 1910 – Scatman Crothers, American actor and musician (d. 1986)
* 1910 – Artie Shaw, American clarinetist and bandleader (d. 2004)
* 1912 – Jean Françaix, French composer (d. 1997)
* 1912 – Betty Astell, English actress (d. 2005)
* 1912 – John Payne, American actor (d. 1989)
* 1913 – Ruth Fernández, Puerto Rican singer
* 1917 – Edward Norton Lorenz, American mathematician and meteorologist (d. 2008)
* 1918 – Denis Compton, English cricketer (d. 1997)
* 1919 – Betty Garrett, American actress and dancer
* 1920 – Helen O'Connell, American singer (d. 1993)
* 1921 – James Blish, American author (d. 1975)
* 1921 – Humphrey Lyttelton, English musician (d. 2008)
* 1923 – Alicia de Larrocha, Spanish pianist
* 1923 – Walter Wolfrum, German fighter pilot
* 1925 – Joshua Lederberg, American molecular biologist, Nobel laureate (d. 2008)
* 1925 – Mac Wiseman, American musician
* 1928 – Jeannie Carson, English actress and comedian
* 1928 – Rosemary Clooney, American singer and actress (d. 2002)
* 1928 – Nigel Davenport, English actor
* 1928 – Pauline Julien, French Canadian singer (d. 1998)
* 1929 – Ulla Jacobsson, Swedish actress (d. 1982)
* 1930 – Friedrich Achleitner, German poet
* 1931 – Barbara Barrie, American actress
* 1933 – Joan Collins, English actress
* 1934 – Robert Moog, American inventor (d. 2005)
* 1936 – Ingeborg Hallstein, German opera singer
* 1936 – Charles Kimbrough, American actor
* 1938 – Peter Preston, English journalist and author
* 1939 – Reinhard Hauff, German film director
* 1939 – Michel Colombier, French composer and songwriter (d. 2004)
* 1939 – Jack McCarthy, American poet
* 1940 – Giles Gordon, Scottish literary agent (d. 2003)
* 1942 – K. Raghavendra Rao, Indian film director
* 1942 – Gabriel Liiceanu, Romanian philosopher
* 1943 – General Norman Johnson, American singer (Chairmen of the Board)
* 1943 – Alan Walden, American manager, publisher, promoter, and booking agent (Outlaws and September Hase)
* 1944 – John Newcombe, Australian tennis player
* 1945 – Padmarajan, Indian film director (d. 1991)
* 1946 – Frederik de Groot, Dutch actor
* 1946 – H. Paul Shuch, American SETI scientist
* 1947 – Bernard Comrie, English linguist
* 1947 – Ann Hui, Hong Kong film director
* 1947 – Jane Kenyon, American poet (d. 1995)
* 1948 – Reggie Cleveland, Canadian baseball player
* 1951 – Anatoly Karpov, Russian chess player
* 1951 – Antonis Samaras, Greek politician
* 1952 – Anne-Marie David, French singer
* 1952 – "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler, American boxer
* 1955 – Luka Bloom, Irish singer/songwriter
* 1956 – Ursula Plassnik, Austrian politician
* 1956 – Mark Shaw, New Zealand rugby footballer
* 1956 – Buck Showalter, American baseball player and manager
* 1957 – Mark Arnold, American actor
* 1957 – Jimmy McShane Northern Irish singer and front man of Baltimora, (d. 1995)
* 1958 – Mitch Albom, American writer
* 1958 – Drew Carey, American actor, comedian, and game show host
* 1958 – François Feldman, French singer
* 1959 – Ryuta Kawashima, Japanese neuroscientist
* 1961 – Karen Duffy, American actress
* 1962 – Imran Anwar, Pakistani Internet pioneer and American TV personality
* 1963 – Wally Dallenbach Jr., American race car driver and announcer
* 1963 – Gregg "Opie" Hughes, American radio personality (The Opie and Anthony Show)
* 1964 – Ruth Metzler-Arnold, member of the Swiss Federal Council
* 1965 – Tom Tykwer, German film director
* 1965 – Manuel Sanchís Hontiyuelo, Real Madrid footballer
* 1966 – Graeme Hick, English cricketer
* 1966 – Gary Roberts, professional ice hockey player
* 1967 – Anna Ibrisagic, Swedish politician
* 1967 – Phil Selway, English drummer (Radiohead)
* 1968 – Guinevere Turner, American actress
* 1970 – Yigal Amir, Israeli assassin of Yitzhak Rabin
* 1970 – Nanette Burstein, American director/producer
* 1970 – Bryan Herta, American race car driver
* 1970 – Matt Flynn, American Musician
* 1970 – Blake Schwendiman, American author
* 1971 – Laurel Holloman, American actress
* 1972 – Rubens Barrichello, Brazilian formula one driver
* 1973 – Jacopo Gianninoto, Italian Musician
* 1974 – Ken Jennings, American game show contestant
* 1974 – Matt Hindle, Canadian bobsledder
* 1974 – Jewel, American singer
* 1974 – Mónica Naranjo, Spanish singer
* 1974 – Charlie Yeung, Hong Kong actress and singer
* 1975 – Kim Sung-soo, South Korean actor
* 1976 – Kelly Monaco, American actress
* 1976 – Ricardinho, Brazilian footballer
* 1977 – Ilia Kulik, Russian figure skater
* 1978 – Mike González, American baseball player
* 1978 – Carolyn Moos, American model and professional basketball player
* 1978 – Scott Raynor, American drummer (blink-182)
* 1979 – Brian Campbell, Canadian ice hockey player
* 1979 – Kirk Saarloos, American baseball player
* 1979 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player
* 1980 – Lane Garrison, American actor
* 1980 – Theofanis Gekas, Greek footballer
* 1981 – Gwenno Saunders, Welsh dancer and singer (The Pipettes)
* 1982 – Cyrill Gloor, Swiss footballer
* 1982 – Malene Mortensen, Danish singer
* 1982 – Tristan Prettyman, American musician
* 1983 – Cristiano Bilanzola, Canadian musician and film-maker
* 1983 – Heidi Range, English singer (Sugababes)
* 1983 – Alex Shelley, American professional wrestler
* 1984 – Adam Wylie, American actor
* 1985 – Ross Wallace, Scottish footballer
* 1986 – Ruben Zadkovich, Australian footballer
* 1986 – Jordan Zimmermann, American baseball player
* 1987 – Walker Lane, American Musician
* 1988 – Morgan Pressel, American golfer
Famous deaths...
* 1125 – Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1081)
* 1304 – Jehan de Lescurel, French poet and composer
* 1498 – Girolamo Savonarola, Italian religious reformer and ruler of Florence (b. 1452)
* 1523 – Ashikaga Yoshitane, Japanese shogun (b. 1466)
* 1524 – Ismail I, Shah of Persia (b. 1487)
* 1662 – John Gauden, English bishop and writer (b. 1605)
* 1670 – Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (b. 1610)
* 1691 – Adrien Auzout, French astronomer (b. 1622)
* 1701 – Captain Kidd, Scottish pirate (b. 1645)
* 1752 – William Bradford, English-born printer (b. 1663)
* 1754 – John Wood, the Elder, English architect (b. 1704)
* 1783 – James Otis, American lawyer and patriot (b. 1725)
* 1786 – Móric Benyovszky Hungarian count (b. 1746)
* 1813 – Geraud Duroc, French general (b. 1772)
* 1825 – Ras Gugsa of Yejju, Regent of the Emperor of Ethiopia
* 1841 – Franz Xaver von Baader, German philosopher and theologian (b. 1765)
* 1846 – Franciszek Ksawery Drucki-Lubecki, Polish politician (b. 1778)
* 1855 – Charles Robert Malden, English explorer (b. 1797)
* 1857 – Augustin Louis Cauchy, French mathematician (b. 1789)
* 1868 – Kit Carson, American trapper, scout, and Indian agent (b. 1809)
* 1886 – Leopold von Ranke, German historian (b. 1795)
* 1893 – Anton von Schmerling, Austrian statesman (b. 1805)
* 1895 – Franz Ernst Neumann, German mineralogist and physicist (b. 1798)
* 1906 – Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian writer (b. 1828)
* 1908 – François Coppée, French poet and novelist (b. 1842)
* 1920 – Svetozar Boroević, Austrian field marshal (b. 1856)
* 1937 – John D. Rockefeller, American industrialist and philanthropist (b. 1839)
* 1945 – Heinrich Himmler, Nazi official (b. 1900)
* 1949 – Jan Frans De Boever, Belgian painter (b. 1872)
* 1965 – Earl Webb, American baseball player (b. 1897)
* 1966 – Demchugdongrub, Mongolian politician (b. 1902)
* 1967 – Lionel Groulx, French Canadian priest and historian (b. 1878)
* 1975 – Moms Mabley, American comedian (b. 1894)
* 1981 – Gene Green, American baseball player (b. 1933)
* 1981 – Rayner Heppenstall, English novelist (d. 1911)
* 1981 – George Jessel, American actor (b. 1898)
* 1981 – David Lewis, Canadian labour lawyer and politician (b. 1909)
* 1986 – Sterling Hayden, American actor (b. 1916)
* 1988 – Aya Kitō, Japanese girl who inspired millions of people through her diary, titled '1 Litre of Tears' (b. 1962)
* 1989 – Georgy Tovstonogov, Russian theatre director (b. 1915)
* 1991 – Wilhelm Kempff, German pianist and composer (b. 1895)
* 1992 – Giovanni Falcone, Italian judge (b. 1939)
* 1994 – Ray Candy, American professional wrestler (b. 1951)
* 1994 – Joe Pass, American jazz guitarist (b. 1929)
* 1996 – Patrick Cargill, English actor (b. 1918)
* 1999 – Owen Hart, Canadian professional wrestler (b. 1965)
* 2002 – Sam Snead, American golfer (b. 1912)
* 2003 – Jean Yanne, French actor and director (b. 1933)
* 2004 – Ramon Margalef, Spanish scientist (b. 1919)
* 2006 – Clifford Antone, American businessman (b. 1949)
* 2006 – Lloyd Bentsen, American politician (b. 1921)
* 2006 – Frits Bernard, American activist (b. 1920)
* 2006 – Kazimierz Górski, Polish footballer (b. 1921)
* 2006 – Richard Quinn, Christopher Quinn's Brother (b. 1985)
* 2008 – David Mitton, British television director (b. 1939)
* 2008 – Utah Phillips, American folksinger and activist (b. 1935)
* 2009 – Roh Moo-hyun, 16th President of the Republic of Korea (b. 1946)
Holidays and observances...
* World Turtle Day
* Bahá'í Faith: Declaration of the Báb
* Sikhism: Birthday of Guru Amar Das
* Jamaica: Labour Day
* South Carolina: Statehood Day
Have a great Saturday.
~Brian
