59 The Roman emperor Nero reportedly machinated the murder of his mother Agrippina on March 23, 59. His former tutor Seneca attempted to convince the Senate that she had been orchestrating a conspiracy against her son, but the reputation of the Emperor was damaged beyond repair by this case of matricide.
1699 Anglo-American colonial botanist and horticulturist, John Bartram, was born into a Quaker farming family in colonial Darby, Pennsylvania near Philadelphia, on March 23, 1699. He developed an early interest in botany while growing up on his father's farm. He founded Bartram's Garden in 1728, which is the oldest surviving botanical garden in North America.
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| Nero and Agrippina. Agrippina crowns her young son Nero with a laurel wreath |
1699 Anglo-American colonial botanist and horticulturist, John Bartram, was born into a Quaker farming family in colonial Darby, Pennsylvania near Philadelphia, on March 23, 1699. He developed an early interest in botany while growing up on his father's farm. He founded Bartram's Garden in 1728, which is the oldest surviving botanical garden in North America.
1743 George Frideric Handel's "The Messiah" was first performed in Dublin the previous year to much acclaim. However, the warm reception accorded to Handel's oratorio in Ireland was not repeated in London when Handel introduced the work at the Covent Garden Theatre on March 23, 1743. The press felt that the work's subject matter was too exalted to be performed in a theatre, particularly by secular singer-actresses such as Susanna Cibber and Kitty Clive.
1775 American attorney, planter and politician Patrick Henry delivered his famous speech, which included the sentiment "Give me liberty, or give me death!", on March 23, 1775. It's important to note that historians believe he likely didn't say those exact words, but the phrasing captures the essence of his powerful message urging the Virginia Convention to support the fight for independence.
1848 The ship John Wickliffe arrived at Port Chalmers on March 23, 1848 carrying the first Scottish settlers for Dunedin, the principal city of the Otago Region in New Zealand. Her sister ship, Philip Laing, arrived three weeks later. These Scottish settlers played an important role in the early development of Dunedin and the surrounding region, and their legacy can still be seen today in the many Scottish place names, buildings, and traditions that are part of the local culture.
1849 Henry "Box" Brown was a slave who shipped himself in a wooden crate from Richmond, Virginia to the Anti-Slavery Office in Philadelphia on March 23, 1849. The journey took 26 hours and upon his arrival, he was a free man. He later became an abolitionist and public speaker, using his story to raise awareness about the horrors of slavery and advocate for its abolition.
1857 Henry Waterman invented the modern elevator in 1850. He intended it to transport barrels of flour. Two years later, Elisha Otis introduced the safety elevator, which prevented the fall of the cab if the cable broke. The first passenger elevator was installed at E V Haughwout’s department store at 488 Broadway, New York City, on March 23, 1857. It was rather slow travelling at 40 feet per minute. The elevator, which cost $300, was powered by a steam-engine installed in the basement.
1860 The square-rigged clipper Andrew Jackson was built by the firm of Irons & Grinnell in Mystic, Connecticut in 1855. The ship was designed for the shipping firm of J.H. Brower & Co. to carry cargo intended for sale to participants in the California Gold Rush. When it arrived at San Francisco on March 23, 1860, the Andrew Jackson broke the record for the quickest run around Cape Horn from New York City to San Francisco, having taken 89 days and 4 hours to complete the journey.
1889 There had been a ferry service operating in Woolwich across the River Thames in East London since the 14th century, and commercial crossings operated intermittently until the mid-19th century. The free service opened on March 23, 1889 with the paddle steamer Gordon, following the abolition of tolls across bridges to the west of London.
1912 German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun was born on March 23, 1912. Among his designs were the V-2 ballistic missile used by Germany during World War II Following World War II, Von Brann was secretly moved from Germany to the United States, where he helped develop the rockets that launched the United States' first space satellite Explorer 1, and the Apollo program manned lunar landings.
1919 Benito Mussolini founded his Fascist political movement, the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento, in Milan on March 23, 1919. It became the Partito Nazionale Fascista in November 1921. Fascism is named after the fasces, an old Roman Empire name for a group of sticks tied together - the idea being it is easy to break one stick in half, but very hard to break many sticks tied together in half. Fascists believe that everyone following the same leader makes the country strong the same way.
1956 In 1947, Pakistan was created an independent nation for Muslims from the regions in the east and west of the Subcontinent where there was a Muslim majority. Initially a dominion, Pakistan adopted a new constitution nine years later. Queen Elizabeth II ended her role as monarch of Pakistan on March 23, 1956, when it became the first country in the world to declare itself an Islamic Republic. (March 23rd is celebrated as Republic Day in Pakistan).
1964 John Lennon's book, In His Own Write, was published on March 23, 1964. It was the first solo effort by one of the Beatles. Lennon weaved whimsical line drawings and sharp satire into a collection of 31 poems and short stories. The book was an immediate hit, quickly selling out its first printing of more than 100,000 copies.
1984 On March 23, 1984, Wayne Gretzky scored his 802nd goal in a game against the Vancouver Canucks, breaking Gordie Howe's NHL record for most career goals scored. Gretzky went on to score a total of 894 goals in his career, a record that still stands today
1990 Princess Eugenie of York, the second child of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah Ferguson was born on March 23 1990. She is 12th in line in succession to the British throne. Despite being a member of the royal family, Princess Eugenie has pursued a career outside of royal duties, working in the art world.
1991 The Sierra Leone Civil War began on March 23, 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government. The Sierra Leone Civil War lasted until 2000. It devastated the country, leaving more than 50,000 people dead, much of the country's infrastructure destroyed and over two million Sierra Leoneans displaced.
2001 The Russian Federal Space Agency de-orbited the 15-year-old space station Mir on March 23, 2001, causing it to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and break up over the Pacific Ocean. When it began falling apart, astronaut Mike Foal said it was “a bit like a frat house, but more organized and better kept.”
2006 A tortoise called Adwaita died of liver failure in Calcutta Zoo on March 23, 2006 aged 255 years old. Adwaita was reportedly given to Robert Clive (1725–1774) of the East India Company by British seafarers who captured it in the Seychelles. This anecdotal report has not been confirmed so claims that Adwaita was 255-years old when he died cannot be substantiated.
2007 A golden retriever named Toby saved his owner from choking to death by jumping on her chest. Maryland resident Debbie Pankhurst said she was eating an apple at home on March 23, 2007 when a piece became lodged in her throat and she began to choke. Toby saved her by performing the Heimlich maneuver until the apple was dislodged. He also licked her face to keep her from passing out.
1857 Henry Waterman invented the modern elevator in 1850. He intended it to transport barrels of flour. Two years later, Elisha Otis introduced the safety elevator, which prevented the fall of the cab if the cable broke. The first passenger elevator was installed at E V Haughwout’s department store at 488 Broadway, New York City, on March 23, 1857. It was rather slow travelling at 40 feet per minute. The elevator, which cost $300, was powered by a steam-engine installed in the basement.
1860 The square-rigged clipper Andrew Jackson was built by the firm of Irons & Grinnell in Mystic, Connecticut in 1855. The ship was designed for the shipping firm of J.H. Brower & Co. to carry cargo intended for sale to participants in the California Gold Rush. When it arrived at San Francisco on March 23, 1860, the Andrew Jackson broke the record for the quickest run around Cape Horn from New York City to San Francisco, having taken 89 days and 4 hours to complete the journey.
1889 There had been a ferry service operating in Woolwich across the River Thames in East London since the 14th century, and commercial crossings operated intermittently until the mid-19th century. The free service opened on March 23, 1889 with the paddle steamer Gordon, following the abolition of tolls across bridges to the west of London.
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| Woolwich paddle steamer |
1919 Benito Mussolini founded his Fascist political movement, the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento, in Milan on March 23, 1919. It became the Partito Nazionale Fascista in November 1921. Fascism is named after the fasces, an old Roman Empire name for a group of sticks tied together - the idea being it is easy to break one stick in half, but very hard to break many sticks tied together in half. Fascists believe that everyone following the same leader makes the country strong the same way.
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| The platform of Fasci italiani di combattimento, as published in "Il Popolo d'Italia" . |
1956 In 1947, Pakistan was created an independent nation for Muslims from the regions in the east and west of the Subcontinent where there was a Muslim majority. Initially a dominion, Pakistan adopted a new constitution nine years later. Queen Elizabeth II ended her role as monarch of Pakistan on March 23, 1956, when it became the first country in the world to declare itself an Islamic Republic. (March 23rd is celebrated as Republic Day in Pakistan).
1964 John Lennon's book, In His Own Write, was published on March 23, 1964. It was the first solo effort by one of the Beatles. Lennon weaved whimsical line drawings and sharp satire into a collection of 31 poems and short stories. The book was an immediate hit, quickly selling out its first printing of more than 100,000 copies.
1984 On March 23, 1984, Wayne Gretzky scored his 802nd goal in a game against the Vancouver Canucks, breaking Gordie Howe's NHL record for most career goals scored. Gretzky went on to score a total of 894 goals in his career, a record that still stands today
1990 Princess Eugenie of York, the second child of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah Ferguson was born on March 23 1990. She is 12th in line in succession to the British throne. Despite being a member of the royal family, Princess Eugenie has pursued a career outside of royal duties, working in the art world.
1991 The Sierra Leone Civil War began on March 23, 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government. The Sierra Leone Civil War lasted until 2000. It devastated the country, leaving more than 50,000 people dead, much of the country's infrastructure destroyed and over two million Sierra Leoneans displaced.
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| A school in Koindu destroyed by RUF rebel forces. |
2001 The Russian Federal Space Agency de-orbited the 15-year-old space station Mir on March 23, 2001, causing it to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and break up over the Pacific Ocean. When it began falling apart, astronaut Mike Foal said it was “a bit like a frat house, but more organized and better kept.”
2006 A tortoise called Adwaita died of liver failure in Calcutta Zoo on March 23, 2006 aged 255 years old. Adwaita was reportedly given to Robert Clive (1725–1774) of the East India Company by British seafarers who captured it in the Seychelles. This anecdotal report has not been confirmed so claims that Adwaita was 255-years old when he died cannot be substantiated.
2011 The actress Elizabeth Taylor suffered many years of ill health. In 2004, she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure for which she underwent cardiac surgery five years later. In early 2011, new symptoms related to congestive heart failure caused her to be admitted into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for treatment. Taylor died on March 23, 2011, surrounded by her four children at the same medical center in Los Angeles at the age of 79.
2017 The 2017 edition of the International Cloud Atlas added 12 new cloud formations in the first update to the official cloud classification scheme since 1986. They included the Volutus, more widely known as roll clouds. These are a relatively rare low, horizontal, tube-shaped, and relatively rare type of cloud formation influenced by wind shear. The atlas was released for World Meteorological Day on March 23, 2017.
2019 The Battle of Baghuz Fawqani was an offensive by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), assisted by American-led coalition airstrikes, artillery, and special forces personnel, that began in February 2019 as part of the Deir ez-Zor campaign against The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. It ended on March 23, 2019 when the SDF officially declared final victory over the Islamic State. By that date The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant had lost all of its territory in Syria.
2178 Pluto has an elongated and highly inclined orbit that takes it from 49 astronomical units (7.4 billion km) away from the Sun down to 30, closer than Neptune. It has not completed a full orbit around the sun since its discovery in 1930 and is not expected to complete its first full orbit until March 23, 2178.
2017 The 2017 edition of the International Cloud Atlas added 12 new cloud formations in the first update to the official cloud classification scheme since 1986. They included the Volutus, more widely known as roll clouds. These are a relatively rare low, horizontal, tube-shaped, and relatively rare type of cloud formation influenced by wind shear. The atlas was released for World Meteorological Day on March 23, 2017.
2019 The Battle of Baghuz Fawqani was an offensive by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), assisted by American-led coalition airstrikes, artillery, and special forces personnel, that began in February 2019 as part of the Deir ez-Zor campaign against The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. It ended on March 23, 2019 when the SDF officially declared final victory over the Islamic State. By that date The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant had lost all of its territory in Syria.
2178 Pluto has an elongated and highly inclined orbit that takes it from 49 astronomical units (7.4 billion km) away from the Sun down to 30, closer than Neptune. It has not completed a full orbit around the sun since its discovery in 1930 and is not expected to complete its first full orbit until March 23, 2178.
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