What Happened on August 23
Important 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)
- 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
August 23 in Film & TV
- 1946 "The Big Sleep" directed by Howard Hawks and starring Humphrey Bogart (Philip Marlowe) and Lauren Bacall first premieres
August 23 in Music
- 1994 Jeff Buckley releases his album "Grace", featuring his cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah"
August 23 in Sport
- 1933 1st TV boxing match - Archie Sexton & Laurie Raiteri in London
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
Famous Birthdays
Louis XVI
(1754 - 1793)- Vera Miles
90 Years Old - Barbara Eden
88 Years Old - Keith Moon
(1946 - 1978) - River Phoenix
(1970 - 1993) - Kobe Bryant
(1978 - 2020)
Louis XVI
Vera Miles
Barbara Eden
Keith Moon
River Phoenix
Kobe BryantFamous 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 John Lennon, musician and member of the Beatles, weds Cynthia Powell
Famous Divorces
- 2010 Former Swedish model Elin Nordegren (30) divorces professional golfer Tiger Woods (34) after 6 years of marriage
William Wallace
George Villiers
Rudolph Valentino
Ed WarrenAugust in History
First Faltering Steps of Jane Eyre
With hope, pride – and some subterfuge – Charlotte Brontë sent her hefty manuscript of Jane Eyre to publishers in London on this day, then crossed her fingers.
August 15, 1847The 17 Year-Old Witness to the Eruption of Vesuvius
17 year-old Pliny the Younger's account of the eruption of Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii made the event famous long after Pompeii was buried and forgotten.
August 24, 79 ADHow 200 Conquistadors Conquered an Empire of 10 Million
How did a mere 200 Spanish conquistadors capture the Incan Emperor-god Atahualpa, execute him and conquer an entire empire?
August 29, 1533How Paula Yates Discovered Her Real Father
Controversial television presenter Paula Yates married pop star Bob Geldof on this day. Fate decided she would not remain happy ever after
August 31, 1986
