On This Day in History — November 23

Highlights of November 23

• 2011 — Arab Spring: After months of protests in Yemen, President Ali Abdullah Saleh agreed to transfer power to Vice President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. Read more
• 2009 — A crowd of people on their way to register Esmael Mangudadatu's candidacy for governor of Maguindanao, Philippines, were kidnapped and killed by supporters of his rival, resulting in 58 deaths. Read more
• 2007 — MS Explorer became the first cruise ship to sink in the Southern Ocean. Read more
• 2003 — Rose Revolution: Eduard Shevardnadze resigned as President of Georgia following weeks of mass protests over disputed election results. Read more
• 1980 — An earthquake struck the Irpinia region of Italy, killing at least 2,483 people, injuring more than 7,700 and leaving 250,000 homeless. Read more
• 1976 — Jacques Mayol became the first person to freedive to a depth of 100 metres (330 ft). Read more
• 1963 — The first episode of Doctor Who, the world's longest-running science fiction television show, was broadcast on BBC television, starring William Hartnell as the first incarnation of the title role. Read more
• 1924 — The New York Times published evidence from Edwin Hubble (pictured) stating that the Andromeda Nebula, previously believed to be part of the Milky Way, is in fact another galaxy. Read more
• 1876 — William "Boss" Tweed, a New York City politician who had been arrested for embezzlement, was handed over to US authorities after having escaped from prison and fled to Spain. Read more
• 1867 — The Manchester Martyrs were hanged in Manchester, England, for involvement in a scheme to free two Irish nationalists from custody in which a police officer was killed. Read more
• 1733 — African slaves in the Danish West Indies began an insurrection in one of the earliest and longest slave revolts in the Americas. Read more
• 1700 — A papal conclave, which had been deadlocked due to concerns over how a successor would respond to the impending death of Charles II of Spain, ended with the election of Clement XI. Read more
• 1644 — In opposition to licensing and censorship during the English Civil War, John Milton's Areopagitica was published, arguing for the right to free expression. Read more
• 1635 — Dutch pacification campaign on Formosa: Soldiers from the Dutch East India Company (flag depicted) razed the village of Mattau, now part of modern-day Tainan, Taiwan. Read more

Events

• 2019 — The last Sumatran rhinoceros in Malaysia, Imam, dies, making the species officially extinct in the country. Read more
• 2018 — Founders of Italian fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana issue an apology following a series of offensive advertisements on social media promoting a fashion show in Shanghai, China, which was canceled. Read more
• 2015 — Blue Origin's New Shepard space vehicle became the first rocket to successfully fly to space and then return to Earth for a controlled, vertical landing. Read more
• 2011 — Arab Spring: After 11 months of protests in Yemen, Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh signs a deal to transfer power to the vice president, in exchange for legal immunity. Read more
• 2010 — Bombardment of Yeonpyeong: North Korean artillery attack kills two civilians and two marines on Yeonpyeong Island, South Korea. Read more
• 2009 — The Maguindanao massacre occurs in Ampatuan, Philippines; 58 opponents of Andal Ampatuan Jr. are kidnapped and killed. Read more
• 2007 — MS Explorer, a cruise liner carrying 154 people, sinks in the Antarctic Ocean south of Argentina after hitting an iceberg near the South Shetland Islands. There are no fatalities. Read more
• 2006 — A series of bombings kills at least 215 people and injures 257 others in Sadr City, making it the second deadliest sectarian attack since the beginning of the Iraq War in 2003. Read more
• 2005 — Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is elected president of Liberia and becomes the first woman to lead an African country. Read more
• 2004 — The Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, the largest religious building in Georgia, is consecrated. Read more
• 2003 — Rose Revolution: Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze resigns following weeks of mass protests over flawed elections. Read more
• 2002 — Space Shuttle Endeavour launches on STS-113 to the International Space Station carrying the Expedition 6 crew and the P1 truss. Read more
• 2001 — The Budapest Convention on Cybercrime is signed in Budapest, Hungary. Read more
• 1996 — Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 is hijacked, then crashes into the Indian Ocean off the coast of Comoros after running out of fuel, killing 125. Read more
• 1992 — The first smartphone, the IBM Simon, is introduced at COMDEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. Read more
• 1991 — Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury announces in a statement that he is HIV-positive. He dies the following day. Read more
• 1985 — Gunmen hijack EgyptAir Flight 648 en route from Athens to Cairo. When the plane lands in Malta, Egyptian commandos storm the aircraft, but 60 people die in the raid. Read more
• 1981 — Iran–Contra affair: Ronald Reagan signs the top secret National Security Decision Directive 17 (NSDD-17), giving the Central Intelligence Agency the authority to recruit and support Contra rebels in Nicaragua. Read more
• 1980 — The 6.9 Mw Irpinia earthquake shakes southern Italy with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme), killing 2,483–4,900, and injuring 7,700–8,934. Read more
• 1978 — Cyclone kills about 1,000 people in eastern Sri Lanka. Read more
• 1978 — The Geneva Frequency Plan of 1975 goes into effect, realigning many of Europe's longwave and mediumwave broadcasting frequencies. Read more
• 1976 — Jacques Mayol is the first man to reach a depth of 100 m (330 ft) undersea without breathing equipment. Read more
• 1974 — Sixty Ethiopian politicians, aristocrats, military officers, and other persons are executed by the provisional military government. Read more
• 1972 — The Soviet Union makes its final attempt at launching the N1 rocket. Read more
• 1971 — Representatives of the People's Republic of China attend the United Nations, including the United Nations Security Council, for the first time. Read more
• 1963 — The first episode of Doctor Who ("An Unearthly Child") is broadcast by the BBC, which is now the world's longest running science fiction drama. Read more
• 1959 — French President Charles de Gaulle declares in a speech in Strasbourg his vision for "Europe, from the Atlantic to the Urals". Read more
• 1955 — The Cocos Islands are transferred from the control of the United Kingdom to that of Australia. Read more
• 1946 — French naval bombardment of Hai Phong, Vietnam, kills thousands of civilians. Read more
• 1944 — World War II: The Lotta Svärd Movement is disbanded under the terms of the armistice treaty in Finland after the Continuation War. Read more
• 1943 — World War II: The Deutsche Opernhaus on Bismarckstraße in the Berlin neighborhood of Charlottenburg is destroyed. It will eventually be rebuilt in 1961 and be called the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Read more
• 1943 — World War II: Tarawa and Makin atolls fall to American forces. Read more
• 1940 — World War II: Romania becomes a signatory of the Tripartite Pact, officially joining the Axis powers. Read more
• 1939 — World War II: HMS Rawalpindi is sunk by the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Read more
• 1934 — An Anglo-Ethiopian boundary commission in the Ogaden discovers an Italian garrison at Walwal, well within Ethiopian territory. This leads to the Abyssinia Crisis. Read more
• 1924 — Edwin Hubble's discovery, that the Andromeda "nebula" is actually another island galaxy far outside our own Milky Way, is first published in The New York Times. Read more
• 1923 — Thousands of Irish Republicans end the 1923 Irish hunger strikes, five die from starvation. Read more
• 1921 — Warren G. Harding, 29th President of the United States, signs the Willis–Campbell Act into law, prohibiting doctors from prescribing beer or liquor for medicinal purposes. Read more
• 1914 — Mexican Revolution: The last of U.S. forces withdraw from Veracruz, occupied seven months earlier in response to the Tampico Affair. Read more
• 1910 — Johan Alfred Ander becomes the last person to be executed in Sweden. Read more
• 1890 — King William III of the Netherlands dies without a male heir and a special law is passed to allow his daughter Princess Wilhelmina to succeed him. Read more
• 1876 — Corrupt Tammany Hall leader William Magear Tweed (better known as Boss Tweed) is delivered to authorities in New York City after being captured in Spain. Read more
• 1867 — The Manchester Martyrs are hanged in Manchester, England, for killing a police officer while freeing two Irish Republican Brotherhood members from custody. Read more
• 1863 — American Civil War: Battle of Chattanooga begins: Union forces led by General Ulysses S. Grant reinforce troops at Chattanooga, Tennessee, and counter-attack Confederate troops. Read more
• 1808 — French and Poles defeat the Spanish at Battle of Tudela. Read more
• 1733 — The start of the 1733 slave insurrection on St. John in what was then the Danish West Indies. Read more
• 1644 — John Milton publishes Areopagitica, a pamphlet decrying censorship. Read more
• 1499 — Seven days after being convicted of treason, Perkin Warbeck, a pretender to the throne of England, is hanged for attempting to escape from the Tower of London; his supporter John Atwater is executed with him. Read more
• 1248 — Conquest of Seville by Christian troops under King Ferdinand III of Castile. Read more
• 534 BC — Thespis of Icaria becomes the first recorded actor to portray a character on stage. Read more

Born on November 23

• 2001 — Tino Anjorin, English footballer Read more
• 1999 — Boubacar Kamara, French footballer Read more
• 1998 — Caoimhín Kelleher, Irish footballer Read more
• 1996 — Alexis Ren, American social media personality, model, and actress Read more
• 1996 — James Maddison, English footballer Read more
• 1996 — Anna Yanovskaya, Russian ice dancer Read more
• 1995 — Kelly Rosen, Estonian footballer Read more
• 1994 — Wes Burns, Welsh footballer Read more
• 1992 — Miley Cyrus, American singer-songwriter and actress Read more
• 1992 — Gabriel Landeskog, Swedish ice hockey player Read more
• 1991 — Christian Cueva, Peruvian footballer Read more
• 1991 — Willian José, Brazilian footballer Read more
• 1991 — Ahmed Shehzad, Pakistani cricketer Read more
• 1990 — Shaun Hutchinson, English footballer Read more
• 1990 — Eddy Kim, South Korean singer-songwriter and guitarist Read more
• 1990 — Alena Leonova, Russian figure skater Read more
• 1990 — Christopher Quiring, German footballer[better source needed] Read more
• 1987 — Nicklas Bäckström, Swedish ice hockey player Read more
• 1987 — Snooki, American reality television personality Read more
• 1985 — Viktor An, South Korean speed skater Read more
• 1984 — Hilton Armstrong, American basketball player Read more
• 1984 — Lucas Grabeel, American actor, singer, and songwriter Read more
• 1984 — Amruta Khanvilkar, Indian actress and dancer Read more
• 1984 — Justin Turner, American baseball player Read more
• 1983 — Fatih Yiğituşağı, Turkish footballer Read more
• 1982 — Colby Armstrong, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
• 1982 — Asafa Powell, Jamaican sprinter Read more
• 1980 — Ishmael Beah, Sierra Leonean child soldier and American author Read more
• 1980 — Jonathan Papelbon, American baseball player Read more
• 1980 — Kirk Penney, New Zealand basketball player Read more
• 1979 — Kelly Brook, English model and actress Read more
• 1979 — Ivica Kostelić, Croatian skier Read more
• 1977 — Myriam Boileau, Canadian diver Read more
• 1977 — Adam Eaton, American baseball player Read more
• 1976 — Page Kennedy, American actor and rapper Read more
• 1976 — Tony Renna, American race car driver (died 2003) Read more
• 1976 — Murat Salar, German-Turkish footballer and manager Read more
• 1976 — Kohei Suwama, Japanese wrestler Read more
• 1974 — Saku Koivu, Finnish ice hockey player Read more
• 1974 — Malik Rose, American basketball player, sportscaster, and executive Read more

Died on November 23

• 2024 — Rico Carty, Dominican baseball player (born 1939) Read more
• 2024 — Fred R. Harris, American politician (born 1930) Read more
• 2024 — Chuck Woolery, American game show host and television personality (born 1941) Read more
• 2020 — Tarun Gogoi, Indian Chief Minister of Assam (born 1934) Read more
• 2017 — Stela Popescu, Romanian actress (born 1935) Read more
• 2016 — Rita Barberá Nolla, Spanish politician (born 1948) Read more
• 2016 — Ralph Branca, American baseball player (born 1926) Read more
• 2016 — Andrew Sachs, German-born British actor (born 1930) Read more
• 2016 — Joe Esposito, road manager for Elvis Presley (born 1938) Read more
• 2015 — Jamiluddin Aali, Pakistani poet, playwright, and critic (born 1925) Read more
• 2015 — Manmeet Bhullar, Canadian lawyer and politician (born 1980) Read more
• 2015 — Douglass North, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1920) Read more
• 2014 — Marion Barry, American lawyer and politician, 2nd Mayor of the District of Columbia (born 1936) Read more
• 2014 — Dorothy Cheney, American tennis player (born 1916) Read more
• 2014 — Murray Oliver, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (born 1937) Read more
• 2014 — Pat Quinn, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (born 1943) Read more
• 2013 — Connie Broden, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1932) Read more
• 2013 — Costanzo Preve, Italian philosopher and theorist (born 1943) Read more
• 2012 — José Luis Borau, Spanish actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1929) Read more
• 2012 — Chuck Diering, American baseball player (born 1923) Read more
• 2012 — Larry Hagman, American actor, director, and producer (born 1931) Read more
• 2012 — Diana Isaac, English-New Zealand businesswoman and philanthropist (born 1921) Read more
• 2011 — Jim Rathmann, American race car driver (born 1928) Read more
• 2010 — Nassos Daphnis, Greek-American painter and sculptor (born 1914) Read more
• 2010 — Joyce Howard, English-American actress (born 1922) Read more
• 2009 — José Arraño Acevedo, Chilean journalist and historian (born 1921) Read more
• 2007 — Joe Kennedy, American baseball player (born 1979) Read more
• 2007 — Óscar Carmelo Sánchez, Bolivian footballer and manager (born 1971) Read more
• 2007 — Robert Vesco, American-Cuban financier (born 1935) Read more
• 2007 — Pat Walsh, New Zealand rugby union player (born 1936) Read more
• 2006 — Jesús Blancornelas, Mexican journalist, co-founded Zeta Magazine (born 1936) Read more
• 2006 — Nick Clarke, English journalist (born 1948) Read more
• 2006 — Betty Comden, American actress, singer, and screenwriter (born 1917) Read more
• 2006 — Alexander Litvinenko, Russian spy and defector (born 1962) Read more
• 2006 — Philippe Noiret, French actor (born 1930) Read more
• 2006 — Anita O'Day, American singer (born 1919) Read more
• 2006 — Willie Pep, American boxer and referee (born 1922) Read more
• 2005 — Constance Cummings, American-English actress (born 1910) Read more
• 2005 — Frank Gatski, American football player and soldier (born 1919) Read more
• 2004 — Pete Franklin, American radio host (born 1928) Read more

Holidays & observances

Christian feast day: Alexander Nevsky (Repose, Russian Orthodox Church); Christian feast day: Blessed Miguel Agustín Pro – one of Saints of the Cristero War (Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Church); Christian feast day: Columbanus; Christian feast day: Felicitas of Rome; Christian feast day: Paulinus of Wales; Christian feast day: Pope Clement I (Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, and the Lutheran Church); Christian feast day: Trudo (or Trond); Christian feast day: Wilfetrudis (or Vulfetrude); Christian feast day: November 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Labor Thanksgiving Day (Japan); Repudiation Day (Frederick County, Maryland, United States); St George's Day (Georgia) or Giorgoba (Georgia)

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