Daily historical facts, events, famous birthdays, world history. Discover what happened today in history.
Day History: February-23

Famous Birthdays
1417- Pope Paul II -(d. 1471)
1443- Matthias Corvinus -Hungarian king (d. 1490)
1583- Jean-Baptiste Morin (mathematician)|Jean-Baptiste Morin -French mathematician, astrologer, and astronomer (d. 1656)
1633- Samuel Pepys -English politician (d. 1703)
1646- Tokugawa Tsunayoshi -Japanese shogun (d. 1709)
1648- Arabella Churchill (royal mistress)|Arabella Churchill -English mistress of James II of England (d. 1730)
1664- Georg Dietrich Leyding -German organist and composer (d. 1710)
1680- Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville -Canadian politician (d. 1767)
1685- George Frideric Handel -German-English composer (d. 1759)
1723- Richard Price -Welsh philosopher (d. 1791)
1729- Josiah Hornblower -English-American engineer and politician (d. 1809)
1744- Mayer Amschel Rothschild -German banker (d. 1812)
1752- Simon Knéfacz -Croatian monk and author (d. 1819)
1809- William Sprague (Michigan)|William Sprague -American minister and politician (d. 1868)
1840- Carl Menger -Austrian economist (d. 1921)
1840- Frederick Wicks -English author and inventor (d. 1910)
1842- Karl Robert Eduard von Hartmann -German philosopher (d. 1906)
1850- César Ritz -Swiss businessman, founded The Ritz London Hotel and Hôtel Ritz Paris (d. 1918)
1852- Dục Đức -Vietnamese emperor (d. 1883)
1868- W. E. B. Du Bois -American sociologist, historian, and activist (d. 1963)
1868- Anna Hoffman-Uddgren -Swedish actress and director (d. 1947)
1873- Liang Qichao -Chinese scholar (d. 1929)
1874- Konstantin Päts -Estonian politician, 1st President of Estonia (d. 1956)
1877- Frederic L. Paxson -American historian (d. 1948)
1878- Kazimir Malevich -Ukrainian painter and theorist (d. 1935)
1882- Max Hainle -German swimmer (d. 1961)
1883- Karl Jaspers -German philosopher (d. 1969)
1886- Antonio Alice -Argentinian painter (d. 1943)
1889- János Garay -Jewish Hungarian 1928 Summer Olympics gold medalist in fencing, murdered at Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp (d. 1945)
1889- Musidora -French actress and director (d. 1957)
1889- Victor Fleming -American director, cinematographer, and producer (d. 1949)
1889- John Gilbert Winant -American politician, 60th Governor of New Hampshire (d. 1947)
1889- Cyril Delevanti -English actor (d. 1975)
1891- Harold Horder -Australian rugby player (d. 1978)
1892- Kathleen Harrison -English actress (d. 1995)
1899- Erich Kästner -German author and poet (d. 1974)
1899- Norman Taurog -American director and screenwriter (d. 1981)
1901- Edgar Ende -German painter (d. 1965)
1904- Terence Fisher -English director and screenwriter (d. 1980)
1904- William L. Shirer -American journalist and historian (d. 1993)
1904- Leopold Trepper -Polish-Austrian spy (d. 1982)
1907- Lee Hyo-seok -South Korean author and poet (d. 1942)
1908- William McMahon -Australian politician, 20th Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1988)
1914- Theofiel Middelkamp -Dutch cyclist (d. 2005)
1915- Jon Hall (actor)|Jon Hall -American actor (d. 1979)
1915- Paul Tibbets -American general and pilot (d. 2007)
1918- Richard Girnt Butler -American engineer, founded the Aryan Nations (d. 2004)
1919- Derek Ezra, Baron Ezra -English politician
1919- William McLean Hamilton -Canadian politician (d. 1989)
1920- Paul Gérin-Lajoie -Canadian lawyer and politician
1923- Miljenko Smoje -Croatian journalist (d. 1995)
1923- Rafael Addiego Bruno -Uruguayan jurist and politician, President of Uruguay (d. 2014)
1923- Ioannis Grivas -Greek judge and politician, 176th Prime Minister of Greece
1923- Mary Francis Shura -American author (d. 1991)
1924- Allan McLeod Cormack -South-African-American physicist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine|Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1998)
1924- Claude Sautet -French director and author (d. 2000)
1924- Lee Hu-rak -South Korean intelligence officer and politician (d. 2009)
1926- Merv Hunter -Australian politician (d. 2013)
1926- William R. Roy -American physician, journalist, and politician (d. 2014)
1927- Régine Crespin -French soprano (d. 2007)
1928- Hans Herrmann -German race car driver
1928- Vasily Lazarev -Russian colonel, physician, and astronaut (d. 1990)
1929- Jaan Einasto -Estonian astronomer and physicist
1929- Elston Howard -American baseball player and coach (d. 1980)
1929- Alexy II of Moscow -Estonian-Russian patriarch (d. 2008)
1931- Tom Wesselmann -American painter and sculptor (d. 2004)
1932- Majel Barrett -American actress and producer (d. 2008)
1933- Donna J. Stone -American poet (d. 1994)
1934- Linda Cristal -Argentine-American actress
1935- Gerrianne Raphael -American actress
1937- Tom Osborne -American football player, coach, and politician
1937- Christopher Tugendhat, Baron Tugendhat -English journalist, academic, and politician, Vice-President of the European Commission
1938- Paul Morrissey -American director, producer, and screenwriter
1938- Diane Varsi -American actress (d. 1992)
1940- Peter Fonda -American actor
1940- Jackie Smith -American football player
1941- Ron Hunt -American baseball player
1943- Fred Biletnikoff -American football player and coach
1943- Harry Pilling -English cricketer (d. 2012)
1944- Bernard Cornwell -English author
1944- John Sandford (novelist)|John Sandford -American author
1944- Johnny Winter -American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2014)
1945- Allan Boesak -South African cleric and politician
1946- Rusty Young (musician)|Rusty Young -American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Poco)
1947- Pia Kjærsgaard -Danish politician
1947- John McWethy -American journalist (d. 2008)
1947- Anton Mosimann -Swiss chef and author
1948- Bill Alexander (director)|Bill Alexander -English director and producer
1948- Doug Moench -American author
1948- Steve Priest -English singer-songwriter and bass player (Sweet (band)|Sweet)
1949- Marc Garneau -Canadian engineer, astronaut, and politician
1950- Maxi (singer)|Maxi -Irish singer, actor, and radio host
1951- Ed Jones (American football)|Ed Jones -American football player
1951- Patricia Richardson -American actress
1952- Brad Whitford -American guitarist (Aerosmith and The Joe Perry Project)
1953- Kenny Bee -Hong Kong singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (The Wynners)
1953- Satoru Nakajima -Japanese race car driver
1953- Walter Wick -American photographer and author
1954- Carlos Guirao -Spanish guitarist, keyboard player, and composer (Neuronium) (d. 2012)
1954- Rajini Thiranagama -Sri Lankan physician and academic (d. 1989)
1954- Viktor Yushchenko -Ukrainian politician, 3rd President of Ukraine
1955- Tom Bodett -American voice actor, radio host, and author
1955- Howard Jones (musician)|Howard Jones -English singer-songwriter
1955- Flip Saunders -American basketball player and coach
1955- Francesca Simon -American author
1956- Sandra Osborne -Scottish politician
1957- Ria Brieffies -Dutch singer (Dolly Dots) (d. 2009)
1957- Viktor Markin -Russian runner
1958- Patrick Marriott -English general
1958- David Sylvian -English singer-songwriter (Japan (band)|Japan and Nine Horses)
1959- Clayton Anderson -American engineer and astronaut
1959- Nick de Bois -English politician
1959- Richard Dodds -English field hockey player
1959- Ian Liddell-Grainger -Scottish soldier and politician
1959- Graeme Morrice -Scottish politician
1959- Linda Nolan -Irish singer and actress (The Nolans)
1959- Aris Pavlis -Greek musician
1960- Alan Griffin -Australian politician
1960- Crown Prince Naruhito -of Japan
1960- Ivan Vdović -Serbian drummer (Suncokret, Šarlo Akrobata, Supernaut (Serbian band)|Supernaut, and Ekatarina Velika) (d. 1992)
1962- Michael Wilton -American guitarist (Queensrÿche and Soulbender)
1962- Ahn Byeong-Keun -South Korean martial artist
1962- Louise Wilson -English designer and academic
1963- Bobby Bonilla -American baseball player
1963- Radosław Sikorski -Polish journalist and politician, 11th Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland
1964- David E. Clemmer -American chemist
1964- Jeff Green (comedian)|Jeff Green -English comedian and author
1964- John Norum -Norwegian guitarist and songwriter (Europe (band)|Europe)
1965- Michael Dell -American businessman, founded Dell
1965- Sylvie Guillem -French ballet dancer
1965- Ashok Kamte -Indian police officer (d. 2008)
1965- Helena Suková -Czech tennis player
1966- Mark Abrahamian -American guitarist (Starship (band)|Starship) (d. 2012)
1967- Hélène Darroze -French chef
1967- Chris Vrenna -American drummer, songwriter, and producer (Nine Inch Nails, Tweaker (band)|Tweaker, Die Warzau, and Exotic Birds)
1968- Justin Bell -English race car driver
1969- Michael Campbell -New Zealand golfer
1969- Daymond John -American fashion designer, founded FUBU
1969- Marc Wauters -Belgian cyclist
1970- Marie-Josée Croze -Canadian actress
1970- Niecy Nash -American actress
1971- Jung Chan -South Korean actor
1971- Risto Kallaste -Estonian footballer
1971- Arvo Kraam -Estonian footballer
1971- Don Maxwell -Canadian cricketer
1971- Melinda Messenger -English model and television host
1971- Joe-Max Moore -American soccer player
1972- Steve Holy -American singer
1972- Alessandro Sturba -Italian footballer
1972- Rondell White -American baseball player
1973- Jason Boyd (baseball)|Jason Boyd -American baseball player
1973- Arnold Dwarika -Trinidadian footballer
1973- Tatyana Gracheva -Russian volleyball player
1973- Lars-Olof Johansson -Swedish guitarist (The Cardigans)
1973- Jeff Nordgaard -American-Polish basketball player
1973- Peng Weijun -Chinese footballer
1973- Brad Young -Australian cricketer
1974- Leko (DJ)|Leko -American DJ and producer
1974- Herschelle Gibbs -South African cricketer
1975- Michael Cornacchia -American actor
1975- Robert Lopez -American composer
1975- Maryse Turcotte -Canadian weightlifter
1975- Natalia Verbeke -Argentinian actress
1976- Scott Elarton -American baseball player
1976- Kelly Macdonald -Scottish actress
1976- Jeff O'Neill -Canadian ice hockey player
1976- Satoshi Yoneyama -Japanese wrestler
1976- Irina Zahharenkova -Estonian pianist
1977- Kristina Šmigun-Vähi -Estonian skier
1978- Residente -Puerto Rican singer-songwriter (Calle 13 (band)|Calle 13)
1978- Dan Snyder -Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2003)
1979- Sascha Zacharias -Swedish actress
1979- S. E. Cupp -American journalist and author
1981- Gareth Barry -English footballer
1981- Mai Nakahara -Japanese voice actress
1981- Charles Tillman -American football player
1981- Dylan Ryder -American porn actress
1982- Anna-Maria Galojan -Estonian politician
1982- Karan Singh Grover -Indian actor
1982- Adam Hann-Byrd -American actor
1982- Malia Metella -French swimmer
1982- Nick Dupree -disability rights activist
1983- Mido (footballer)|Mido -Egyptian footballer
1983- Aziz Ansari -American comedian and actor
1983- Mirco Bergamasco -Italian rugby player
1983- Emily Blunt -English actress
1983- Courtney Culkin -American model
1986- Emerson da Conceição -Brazilian footballer
1986- Skylar Grey -American singer-songwriter
1986- Kazuya Kamenashi -Japanese singer-songwriter and actor (KAT-TUN and Shūji to Akira)
1986- Boipelo Makhothi -Lesotho swimmer
1986- Jerod Mayo -American football player
1986- Ola Svensson -Swedish singer-songwriter
1988- Nicolás Gaitán -Argentinian footballer
1989- Amara Baby -French footballer
1989- Evan Bates -American ice dancer
1990- Kevin Cheung (swimmer)|Kevin Cheung -Mauritian swimmer
1992- Casemiro -Brazilian footballer
1992- Kyriakos Papadopoulos -Greek footballer
1992- Samara Weaving -Australian actress and model
1993- Kasumi Ishikawa -Japanese table tennis player
1994- Dakota Fanning -American actress
1995- Andrew Wiggins -Canadian basketball player