# On this day: May 23

May 23 is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years), with 222 days left until the end of the year.

## May 23 in one line

Headline entries for May 23, from Wikipedia: in 1568, The Dutch Revolt broke out when rebels led by Louis of Nassau invaded Friesland at the Battle of Heiligerlee; born 1707: Carl Linnaeus, Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist (died 1778); died 1906: Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian director, playwright, and poet (born 1828). In 2026 it is a Saturday, in 2027 a Sunday.

## Events on May 23

- 1430 Hundred Years' War: Joan of Arc was captured by Burgundian forces at the Siege of Compiègne. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Compi%C3%A8gne)
- 1498 Girolamo Savonarola is burned at the stake in Florence, Italy. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girolamo_Savonarola)
- 1533 Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, annulled Henry VIII's marriage to his first wife Catherine of Aragon, beginning events that would culminate in the English Reformation. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Reformation)
- 1555 Gian Pietro Carafa became Pope Paul IV, beginning a tumultuous four-year papacy during which the Papal States suffered a serious military defeat. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Paul_IV)
- 1568 The Dutch Revolt broke out when rebels led by Louis of Nassau invaded Friesland at the Battle of Heiligerlee. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighty_Years'_War)
- 1706 War of the Spanish Succession: The Grand Alliance armies routed the Franco-Spanish-Bavarian army in Ramillies, present-day Belgium. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ramillies)
- 1788 South Carolina became the eighth state to ratify the United States Constitution. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Carolina)
- 1862 American Civil War: Confederate troops under Stonewall Jackson defeated a Union force at the Battle of Front Royal in Virginia, taking around 700 prisoners. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Front_Royal)
- 1873 The North-West Mounted Police, the forerunner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, was established to bring law and order to and assert Canadian sovereignty over the Northwest Territories. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North-West_Mounted_Police)
- 1895 Backed by Samuel J. Tilden, the Astor Library and the Lenox Library agreed to merge and form the New York Public Library. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Public_Library)
- 1915 World War I: Italy joins the Allies, fulfilling its part of the Treaty of London. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_London_(1915))
- 1939 The U.S. Navy submarine Squalus sank off Portsmouth, New Hampshire, during tests, causing 26 men to drown. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Sailfish_(SS-192))
- 1945 World War II: Heinrich Himmler, head of the Schutzstaffel, commits suicide while in Allied custody. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Himmler)
- 1960 A tsunami caused by an earthquake in Chile the previous day kills 61 people in Hilo, Hawaii. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Valdivia_earthquake)
- 1974 The Airbus A300, the first twin-engined wide-body airliner, went into service with Air France. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_A300)
- 1980 The Shining, the psychological horror film directed by Stanley Kubrick, premiered on 10 screens in New York City and Los Angeles. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shining_(film))
- 1995 The first version of the Java programming language is released. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_(programming_language))
- 1998 The Good Friday Agreement is accepted in a referendum in Northern Ireland with roughly 75% voting yes. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Friday_Agreement)
- 1999 Professional wrestler Owen Hart died immediately before a World Wrestling Federation match after dropping 70 feet (21 m) onto the ring during a botched entrance. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over_the_Edge_(1999))
- 2002 The "55 parties" clause of the Kyoto Protocol is reached after its ratification by Iceland. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol)
- 2008 The International Court of Justice awarded the Middle Rocks to Malaysia and Pedra Branca to Singapore, resolving a 29-year-old territorial dispute in the Singapore Strait. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedra_Branca_dispute)
- 2016 Two suicide bombings, conducted by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, kill at least 45 potential army recruits in Aden, Yemen. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State)
- 2017 Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao following the Maute Group attack on Marawi. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Marawi)
- 2021 A cable car crashed, killing 14 people near Lake Maggiore in northern Italy. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stresa%E2%80%93Mottarone_cable_car_crash)
- 2021 Ryanair Flight 4978 was forced to land by Belarusian authorities, who detained dissident journalist Roman Protasevich. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryanair_Flight_4978)
- 2022 Anthony Albanese of the Australian Labor Party is sworn in as the 31st Prime Minister of Australia after winning the 2022 Australian federal election, ending 9 years of conservative rule. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Albanese)

## Born on May 23

- 1052 Philip I of France (died 1108) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_I_of_France)
- 1707 Carl Linnaeus, Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist (died 1778) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Linnaeus)
- 1734 Franz Mesmer, German physician and astrologer (died 1815) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Mesmer)
- 1790 Jules Dumont d'Urville, French admiral and explorer (died 1842) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Dumont_d'Urville)
- 1810 Margaret Fuller, American journalist and critic (died 1850) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Fuller)
- 1844 ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, Iranian religious leader (died 1921) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CA%BBAbdu'l-Bah%C3%A1)
- 1848 Otto Lilienthal, German pilot and engineer (died 1896) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Lilienthal)
- 1883 Douglas Fairbanks, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1939) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Fairbanks)
- 1891 Pär Lagerkvist, Swedish novelist, playwright, and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1974) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A4r_Lagerkvist)
- 1900 Hans Frank, German lawyer and politician (died 1946) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Frank)
- 1908 John Bardeen, American physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1991) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bardeen)
- 1925 Joshua Lederberg, American biologist and geneticist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2008) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Lederberg)
- 1928 Rosemary Clooney, American singer and actress (died 2002) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary_Clooney)
- 1933 Joan Collins, English actress [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Collins)
- 1934 Robert Moog, electronic engineer and inventor of the Moog synthesizer (died 2005) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Moog)
- 1949 Alan García, Peruvian lawyer and politician, twice President of Peru (died 2019) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Garc%C3%ADa)
- 1951 Anatoly Karpov, Russian chess player [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatoly_Karpov)
- 1951 Antonis Samaras, Greek economist and politician, 185th Prime Minister of Greece [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonis_Samaras)
- 1961 Daniele Massaro, Italian footballer and manager [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniele_Massaro)
- 1972 Rubens Barrichello, Brazilian race car driver [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubens_Barrichello)
- 1991 Lena Meyer-Landrut, German singer-songwriter [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lena_Meyer-Landrut)
- 1997 Joe Gomez, English footballer [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Gomez)

## Died on May 23

- 230 Urban I, pope of the Catholic Church [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Urban_I)
- 1125 Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (born 1086) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_V%2C_Holy_Roman_Emperor)
- 1498 Girolamo Savonarola, Italian friar and preacher (born 1452) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girolamo_Savonarola)
- 1524 Ismail I, First Emperor of Safavid Empire (born 1487) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ismail_I)
- 1857 Augustin-Louis Cauchy, French mathematician and academic (born 1789) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustin-Louis_Cauchy)
- 1886 Leopold von Ranke, German historian and academic (born 1795) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_von_Ranke)
- 1906 Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian director, playwright, and poet (born 1828) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henrik_Ibsen)
- 1934 Clyde Barrow, American criminal (born 1909) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnie_and_Clyde)
- 1934 Bonnie Parker, American criminal (born 1910) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnie_and_Clyde)
- 1937 John D. Rockefeller, American businessman and philanthropist, founded the Standard Oil Company and Rockefeller University (born 1839) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_D._Rockefeller)
- 1945 Heinrich Himmler, German commander and politician, Reich Minister of the Interior and head of the SS (born 1900) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Himmler)
- 2009 Roh Moo-hyun, South Korean soldier and politician, 9th President of South Korea (born 1946) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roh_Moo-hyun)
- 2015 John Forbes Nash Jr., American mathematician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1928) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Forbes_Nash_Jr.)
- 2017 Roger Moore, English actor (born 1927) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Moore)

## Holidays and observances

- Aromanian National Day [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aromanian_National_Day)
- Christian feast day: Aaron the Illustrious (Syriac Orthodox Church) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martyrology_of_Rabban_Sliba)
- Christian feast day: Desiderius of Vienne [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desiderius_of_Vienne)
- Christian feast day: Giovanni Battista de' Rossi [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Battista_de'_Rossi_(priest))
- Christian feast day: Julia of Corsica [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_of_Corsica)
- Christian feast day: Michael of Synnada [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_of_Synnada)
- Christian feast day: Nicolaus Copernicus and Johannes Kepler (Episcopal Church (USA)) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolaus_Copernicus)
- Christian feast day: Quintian, Lucius and Julian [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintian%2C_Lucius_and_Julian)
- Christian feast day: William of Perth [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_of_Perth)
- Christian feast day: May 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_23_(Eastern_Orthodox_liturgics))
- Constitution Day (Germany) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_Day)
- Labour Day (Jamaica) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labour_Day)
- Students' Day (Mexico) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Mexico)
- World Turtle Day [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Turtle_Day)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia — “May 23”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_23) — events, births, deaths and observances (text under CC BY-SA 4.0) (checked 2026-10-15)
- [Wikipedia — “Selected anniversaries/May 23”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Selected_anniversaries/May_23) — the anniversaries editors chose for the date and the article each one is about (checked 2026-10-15)
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/) — in how many language editions each entry's own article exists, used to fill the lists (CC0) (checked 2026-10-15)
- [vacanza/holidays (open-source holiday rules, MIT licence)](https://github.com/vacanza/holidays) — holiday rules used to build the lists (checked 2026-10-15)

The events, births, deaths and observances above are from the English Wikipedia article [“May 23”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_23) and the articles it links to ([authors and history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_23?action=history)), retrieved 2026-10-15 through the Wikimedia “On this day” feed. They are licensed under [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/); this selection is shared under the same licence. Every anniversary that Wikipedia's editors selected for May 23 stays on the list; the remaining places, up to 26 events, 22 births and 14 deaths, go to the entries whose own article — about the event itself, or else the person or thing it is about — appears in the most language editions (counted from Wikidata); an article about a person or thing, which covers far more than one day, counts half. An entry with no article of its own counts, also at half, by the least covered article it links, and one that links only places counts for nothing. Each list runs by year, and the wording is unchanged apart from removing references to pictures, audio and video.

## May 23 in the calendar

| Year | Weekday | ISO week | Moon (UTC) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026 | Saturday | 2026-W21 | 🌓 First Quarter |
| 2027 | Sunday | 2027-W20 | 🌖 Waning Gibbous |
| 2028 | Tuesday | 2028-W21 | 🌘 Waning Crescent |
| 2029 | Wednesday | 2029-W21 | 🌔 Waxing Gibbous |
| 2030 | Thursday | 2030-W21 | 🌖 Waning Gibbous |

Moon phases are for the day in UTC; at the edges of a phase your local date can differ.

## Public holidays on May 23

None of the 28 countries we track has a public holiday on May 23 in 2026 or 2027.

[Today's holidays in 28 countries →](https://whathappen.today/holidays/)

## Nearby dates

[← May 22](https://whathappen.today/on-this-day/may-22/) · [May 24 →](https://whathappen.today/on-this-day/may-24/)

[All 366 days](https://whathappen.today/on-this-day/)

Last updated: 15 October 2026

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Web page: https://whathappen.today/on-this-day/may-23/