On This Day in History for February 23
Events in History
- 1455 Johannes Gutenberg prints his first Bible (estimated date) [1]
- 1540 Francisco Vázquez de Coronado's expedition sets off from Mexico in search of the 7 cities of Cibola
- 1574 France begins 5th "holy war" against Huguenots
- 1660 Charles XI becomes king of Sweden
- 1668 Fire in the Hofburg in Vienna, Emperor Leopold I rescued
- 1672 Joan Blaeus publishers destroyed by fire in Amsterdam
- 1689 Dutch prince William III proclaimed King of England
- 1778 Baron von Steuben joins Continental Army at Valley Forge
- More Events in History
Nicolas Fouquet
Samuel Pepys
W.E.B. Du Bois
Marc Garneau
Naruhito
Michael Dell
John Keats
John Quincy Adams
Carl Friedrich Gauss
Leo Baekeland
James HerriotFebruary in History
Wonder of Woolworths Begins its Meteoric Rise
It was a simple idea: opening a store where nothing cost more than five cents. The idea caught on so quickly that Woolworth’s became a retail phenomenon.
February 22, 1879
Remembering The Alamo
A siege by Mexican forces of the Alamo mission compound in Texas began on this day. It lasted 13 days and led to one of the most famous battles in US history.
February 23, 1836
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
United States Marines raise the U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi, during the Battle of Iwo Jima
February 23, 1945
The Man Who Re-wrote 'Offensive' Shakespeare
Thomas Bowdler, the man who re-wrote Shakespeare to remove the "offensive" bits, died on this day and added a new word – bowdlerise – to the language.
February 24, 1825