William Shakespeare

1564

William Shakespeare born

Born on This Day

Roy Orbison Portrait

Roy Orbison

1936 - 1988

Singer-songwriter known for his lyrical descriptions of heartache on hits like "Only the Lonely" and "Oh, Pretty Woman."

The Today Show Gallery of Olympians

Chloe Kim

2000 -

American snowboarder and two-time gold medalist in the halfpipe.

Portrait Of Halston

Halston

1932 - 1990

American designer whose streamlined looks—like figure-hugging halter dresses—helped define 1970s fashion.

1937

APR

23

Soon-to-be law school grad Richard Nixon applies for a job at the FBI but, for reasons that remain murky, isn’t hired. FBI director J. Edgar Hoover later remarks that “the FBI’s loss ultimately became the country’s gain.”

Timeline

Also on This Day in History

Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on April 23rd

1014

Brian, High King of Ireland, killed in victory over Vikings

Brian Boru, the high king of Ireland, is assassinated by a group of retreating Norsemen shortly after his Irish forces defeated them. Brian, a clan prince, seized the throne of the southern Irish state of Dal Cais from its Eoghanacht rulers in 963. He subjugated all of Munster, extended his power over all of southern Ireland, and […]

1778

John Paul Jones leads American raid on Whitehaven, England

At 3 a.m. on April 23, 1778, Commander John Paul Jones leads a small detachment of two boats from his ship, the USS Ranger, to raid the shallow port at Whitehaven, England, where, by his own account, 400 British merchant ships are anchored. Jones was hoping to reach the port at midnight when ebb tide […]

1791

James Buchanan is born

Future President James Buchanan is born in Cove Gap near Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, on April 23, 1791. Buchanan, remembered mostly for his administration’s corruption and his failure to solve the country’s crisis over slavery, also inspired salacious gossip about his love life over the course of his career. The son of wealthy Scottish and Irish immigrant […]

1865

“Panic has seized the country,” writes Confederate President Jefferson Davis

Confederate President Jefferson Davis writes to his wife, Varina, of the desperate situation facing the Confederates. “Panic has seized the country,” he wrote to his wife in Georgia. Davis was in Charlotte, North Carolina, on his flight away from Yankee troops. It was three weeks since Davis had fled the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, […]

1915

Poet-soldier Rupert Brooke dies in Greece

On April 23, 1915, Rupert Brooke, a young scholar and poet serving as an officer in the British Royal Navy, dies of blood poisoning on a hospital ship anchored off the Greek island of Skyros, while awaiting deployment in the Allied invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula. Brooke, born in 1887 in Rugby, Britain, attended King’s […]

1945

President Truman confronts Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov

Less than two weeks after taking over as president after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman gives a tongue-lashing to Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov. The incident indicated that Truman was determined to take a “tougher” stance with the Soviets than his predecessor had. When Roosevelt died of a massive stroke on […]

1954

Hank Aaron hits first home run of his MLB career

On April 23, 1954, Hank Aaron knocks out the first home run of his Major League Baseball career. Twenty years later, Aaron becomes baseball’s new home run king when he broke Babe Ruth’s long-standing record of 714 career homers. A native of Mobile, Alabama, Aaron began his professional baseball career in 1952 in the Negro […]

1961

Judy Garland plays Carnegie Hall

On April 23, 1961, Judy Garland performs a gig at Carnegie Hall, often referred to as “the greatest night in showbiz history.” She was one of the biggest and most popular movie stars of all time, making her first film appearance at the age of seven and earning the first of three Oscar nominations at […]

1969

Sirhan Sirhan receives death penalty for assassination of Robert F. Kennedy

On April 23, 1969, Sirhan Sirhan is sentenced to the death penalty after being convicted in the assassination of politician Robert F. Kennedy. In 1972, Sirhan’s sentence was commuted to life in prison after California abolished the death penalty. In the early morning hours of June 5, 1968, Robert Kennedy, a U.S. senator from New […]

1975

President Ford says that war is finished for America

At a speech at Tulane University, President Gerald Ford says the Vietnam War is finished as far as America is concerned. “Today, Americans can regain the sense of pride that existed before Vietnam. But it cannot be achieved by re-fighting a war.” This was devastating news to the South Vietnamese, who were desperately pleading for […]

1985

New Coke debuts, one of the biggest product flops in history

On April 23, 1985, The Coca-Cola Company announces that it is changing the formula of its signature soft drink for the first time in 99 years. The short-lived, sweeter New Coke, as it is called, debuts to a consumer backlash that pundits call the marketing blunder of the century. Coca-Cola, which had been the world’s […]

History Every Day

Sign Up for "This Day in History"

Uncover fascinating moments from the past every day! Learn something new with key events in history, from the American Revolution to pop culture, crime and more.

By submitting your information, you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Global Media. You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States.

More details: Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Contact Us