Also on This Day in History May 23
Discover what happened on May 23 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.
Births on This Day, May 23
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1810
Margaret Fuller (1810-1850)
American feminist writer (Woman in the Nineteenth Century) and journalist (NY Tribune)
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1917
Edward Norton Lorenz
American mathematician and meteorologist
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1925
Joshua Lederberg
American molecular biologist, Nobel laureate
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1946
H. Paul Shuch
American scientist who coordinated radio amateurs to search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI)
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1950
Martin McGuinness (1950-2017)
Irish Sinn Féin politician and IRA member
Deaths on This Day, May 23
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1937
John D. Rockefeller
American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Standard Oil Company
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2017
Roger Moore
English Actor (James Bond Movies, The Saint)
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1945
Heinrich Himmler (1900-1945)
German Nazi leader (head of the SS)
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1960
Georges Claude
French engineer and inventor (neon light)
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1991
Jean Van Houtte
Belgian politician (Prime Minister of Belgium, 1952-56; Finance Minister, 1950-52 and 1958-61)
1785
Benjamin Franklin announces his invention of bifocals
In a letter dated May 23, 1785, Benjamin Franklin reveals his design for what would later be called bifocal glasses.
1430
Joan of Arc Captured
Joan of Arc is captured at Compiegne and sold to the English
1926
Lebanese constitution forms under French mandate
The Lebanese Constitution was enacted on May 23, 1926, during the period of the French Mandate in Lebanon. This constitution established Lebanon as a parliamentary republic and outlined the country's governmental structure, including the roles of the president, prime minister, and parliament.
2019
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wins re-election in 2019
In the 2019 Indian general elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a resounding victory, winning a majority of seats in the Lok Sabha.