What Happened on August 23

Historical Events

  • 1542 Rabbi Joseph Caro completes his commentary of Tur Code
  • 1850 1st US National Women's Rights Convention convenes in Worcester, Massachusetts
  • 1942 Battle of Stalingrad: 600 Luftwaffe planes bomb Stalingrad (40,000 die)
  • 1943 50th day of Battle of Kursk, USSR: Largest tank battle in history ends with Russia's defeat of Germany; over 10,000 tanks take part, nearly 250,000 combatants killed
  • 1996 Osama bin Laden issues message entitled "A declaration of war against the Americans occupying the land of the two holy places"
  • 2005 Hurricane Katrina forms over the Bahamas, later becoming a category 5 hurricane
  • More Historical Events

Aug 23 in Film & TV

  • 1933 First televised boxing match — 6-round exhibition at Broadcasting House in London between middleweights Archie Sexton and Lauri Raiteri; aired by BBC-TV
  • 1946 "The Big Sleep" directed by Howard Hawks and starring Humphrey Bogart (Philip Marlowe) and Lauren Bacall, premieres

Aug 23 in Music

  • 1994 Jeff Buckley releases his album "Grace", featuring his cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah"

Aug 23 in Sport

  • 1933 First televised boxing match — 6-round exhibition at Broadcasting House in London between middleweights Archie Sexton and Lauri Raiteri; aired by BBC-TV

Did You Know?

World War II: last cavalry charge in history takes place at Isbushenskij, Russia; the Italian Savoia Cavalleria charges Soviet infantry

On August 23, 1942

Would You Believe?

Mars' closest approach to Earth since 10th century

On August 23, 1924

Famous Weddings

  • 1876 Sharp Shooter Annie Oakley weds traveling show marksman Frank E. Butler
  • 1942 "King Kong" actress Fay Wray (34) weds screenwriter and playwright Robert Riskin (45)
  • 1962 British "Beatles" musician John Lennon (21) weds Cynthia Powell (22); divorce in 1968

Famous Divorces

  • 2010 Former Swedish model Elin Nordegren (30) divorces professional golfer Tiger Woods (34) after 6 years of marriage

More Weddings & Divorces