23 April is the 113th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (114th in Leap Year s). There are 252 days remaining.
- 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene .
- defeats Viking invaders, but is killed in battle.
- 1348 - The founding of the Order Of The Garter by King Edward III Of England is announced on St George's Day .
- defeats the Comuneros .
- 1533 - The Church Of England annuls the marriage between Catherine Of Aragon and Henry VIII of England.
- 1597 - Shakespeare's '' The Merry Wives Of Windsor '' is first performed, with Queen Elizabeth I Of England in attendance.
- 1660 - Treaty Of Oliwa is established between Sweden and Poland .
- 1661 - King Charles II Of England , Scotland and Ireland is crowned in Westminster Abbey .
- 1827 - William Rowan Hamilton presents his ''Theory of systems of rays''.
- 1867 - William Lincoln patents the Zoetrope , a machine which shows animated pictures by mounting a strip of drawings in a wheel.
- 1920 - The national council in Turkey denounces the government of Sultan Mehmed VI and announces a temporary constitution.
- 1923 - Inauguration ceremonies take place of Gdynia as a temporary military port and fishers' shelter.
- 1932 - The 153-year old De Adriaan Windmill in Haarlem , The Netherlands burns down.
- 1935 - Polish Constitution Of 1935 is adopted.
- 1940 - Rhythm Night Club Fire at a dance hall in Natchez, Mississippi kills 198 people.
- – German bombers hit Exeter , Bath and York in retaliation for the British raid on Lübeck .
- , the major port of Israel , is captured from Palestinian forces.
- 1954 - Hank Aaron hits his first major league Home Run .
- 1956 - Elvis Presley makes his first appearance in Las Vegas, Nevada .
- 1967 - A group of young radicals are expelled from the Nicaraguan Socialist Party (PSN). This group goes on to found the Socialist Workers Party (POS).
- 1968 - The United Kingdom produces its first decimalised coins, a 5p and a 10p coin.
- 1968 - in New York City take over administration buildings and shut down the university.
- 1974 - A Pan American World Airways Boeing 707 crashes in Bali , Indonesia , killing 107.
- 1979 - Fighting in London between the Anti-Nazi League and the Metropolitan Police 's Special Patrol Group results in the death of protestor Blair Peach .
- 1981 - Stefano Bontade , Mafia boss in Sicily , is murdered in Palermo , the opening shot in a Mob War orchestrated by Salvatore Riina .
- 1985 - Coca Cola changes its 99 year old formula to the sweeter New Coke . (It is doomed to failure and the company is later forced to reintroduce the original).
- 1990 - Namibia becomes the 160th member of the United Nations and the 50th member of the Commonwealth Of Nations .
- 1993 - Eritrea ns vote overwhelmingly for independence from Ethiopia in a United Nations -monitored referendum.
- 1994 - Physicists discover the Top Quark Subatomic Particle .
- 1995 - Association Of Autonomous Astronauts founded.
- 1997 - Omaria Massacre in Algeria ; 42 villagers killed.
- 2003 - Beijing closes all schools for two weeks due to the SARS virus.
- 1185 - King Afonso II Of Portugal (d. 1223 )
- 1484 - Julius Caesar Scaliger , Italian philosopher (d. 1558 )
- 1500 - Alexander Ales , Scottish theologian (d. 1565 )
- 1516 - Georg Fabricius , German poet, historian, and archaeologist (d. 1571 )
- 1564 - William Shakespeare , English poet and playwright {Link without Title} (d. 1616 )
- 1598 - Maarten Tromp , Dutch admiral (d. 1653 )
- 1628 - Johann Van Waveren Hudde , Dutch mathematician (d. 1704 )
- 1676 - King Frederick I Of Sweden (d. 1751 )
- 1720 - Vilna Gaon , Lithuanian rabbi (d. 1797 )
- 1725 - Saint Gerard Majella , Catholic Saint (d. 1755 )
- 1775 - William Turner , English ornithologist (d. 1851 )
- 1791 - James Buchanan , 15th President Of The United States (d. 1868 )
- 1792 - John Thomas Romney Robinson , Irish astronomer and physicist (d. 1882 )
- 1805 - Johann Karl Friedrich Rosenkranz , German philosopher (d. 1879 )
- 1813 - Stephen A. Douglas , U.S. Senator from Illinois and Presidential candidate (d. 1861 )
- 1823 - Abd-ul-Mejid , Ottoman Sultan (d. 1861 )
- 1857 - Ruggiero Leoncavallo , Italian composer (d. 1919 )
- 1858 - Max Planck , German physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1947 )
- 1861 - Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby , British general (d. 1936 )
- 1867 - Johannes Andreas Grib Fibiger , Danish scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize In Physiology Or Medicine (d. 1928 )
- 1876 - Arthur Moeller Van Den Bruck , German historian (d. 1925 )
- 1880 - Michel Fokine , Russian choreographer and dancer (d. 1942 )
- 1882 - Albert Coates , British composer (d. 1953 )
- 1889 - Karel Doorman , Dutch admiral (d. 1942 )
- 1893 - Frank Borzage , American film director (d. 1952 )
- 1893 - Allen Dulles , American Central Intelligence Agency director (d. 1969 )
- 1895 - Ngaio Marsh , New Zealand writer (d. 1982 )
- 1897 - Lucius Clay , American general (d. 1978 )
- 1897 - Lester B. Pearson , fourteenth Prime Minister Of Canada , recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1972 )
- 1899 - Bertil Ohlin , Swedish economist, Bank Of Sweden Prize winner (d. 1979 )
- 1899 - Vladimir Nabokov , Russian and American writer (d. 1977 )
- 1900 - Joseph Green , Polish-born actor and director (d. 1996 )
- 1901 - E.B. Ford , British ecological geneticist (d. 1988 )
- 1902 - Halldór Laxness , Icelandic writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1998 )
- 1904 - Duncan Renaldo , Spanish-American actor (d. 1985 )
- 1907 - Fritz Wotruba , Austrian sculptor (d. 1975 )
- 1910 - Simone Simon , French actress (d. 2005 )
- 1918 - Maurice Druon , French author
- 1921 - Warren Spahn , baseball player (d. 2003 )
- 1923 - Dolph Briscoe , Governor of Texas
- 1923 - Avram Davidson , American writer (d. 1993 )
- 1928 - Shirley Temple , American actress and politician
- 1932 - Jim Fixx , American athlete and writer (d. 1984 )
- 1932 - Halston , American fashion designer (d. 1990 )
- 1932 - Estelle Harris , American actress
- 1935 - Bunky Green , American musician
- 1935 - Ray Peterson , American singer (d. 2005 )
- 1936 - Roy Orbison , American singer and musician (d. 1988 )
- 1939 - Lee Majors , American actor
- 1941 - Jacqueline Boyer , French singer
- 1941 - Paavo Lipponen , Prime Minister Of Finland 1995-2003
- 1942 - Sandra Dee , American actress (d. 2005 )
- 1943 - Tony Esposito , Canadian hockey player
- 1943 - Frans Koppelaar , Dutch painter
- 1943 - Hervé Villechaize , French actor (d. 1993 )
- 1947 - Bernadette Devlin , Irish politician
- 1947 - Glenn Cornick , British rock bassist ( Jethro Tull )
- 1948 - Pascal Quignard , French author
- 1949 - Joyce DeWitt , American actress
- 1952 - Narada Michael Walden , Grammy Award-winning Musician and producer
- 1954 - Michael Moore , American filmmaker
- 1955 - Judy Davis , Australian actress
- 1955 - Tony Miles , English chess player (d. 2001 )
- 1958 - Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson , music composer, art director and ''allsherjargoði'' (chief Goði ) of the Íslenska Ásatrúarfélagið (Icelandic Ásatrú Association)
- 1958 - Tove Jensen , Swedish porn actress
- 1958 - Ryan Walter , Canadian ice hockey player
- 1960 - Valerie Bertinelli , American actress
- 1960 - Steve Clark , English guitarist ( Def Leppard ) (d. 1991 )
- 1961 - George Lopez , American actor and comedian
- 1967 - Melina Kanakaredes , American actress
- 1968 - Timothy McVeigh , American terrorist (d. 2001 )
- 1972 - Patricia Manterola , Mexican singer
- 1974 - Carlos Dengler , American musician, Interpol
- 1975 - Jón Þór Birgisson , Icelandic musician and singer
- 1977 - John Cena , American professional wrestler and rapper
- 1977 - Andruw Jones , American baseball player
- 1979 - Jaime King , American actress
- 1979 - Lauri Ylönen , Finnish singer
- 1983 - Daniela Hantuchová , Slovakian tennis player
- 1986 - Sven Kramer , Dutch speedskater and olympic medal winner
- 1989 - Nicole Vaidišová , Czech tennis player
- 1990 - Matthew Underwood , American Actor (Logan on Zoey 101)
- 303 - Saint George , Roman soldier and Christian martyr
- 725 - Wihtred , King Of Kent
- 871 - Ethelred Of Wessex
- 1014 - Brian Boru , High King Of Ireland (killed in battle)
- 1016 - Ethelred II Of England
- 1124 - King Alexander I Of Scotland (b. 1078 )
- 1151 - Queen Adeliza of England (b. 1103 )
- 1217 - King Inge II Of Norway (b. 1185 )
- 1407 - Olivier De Clisson , French soldier (b. 1326 )
- 1616 - Miguel Cervantes , Spanish author (b. 1547 )
- 1616 - William Shakespeare , English writer and actor (b. 1564 )
- 1616 - El Inca Garcilaso De La Vega , Peruvian writer (b. 1539 )
- 1625 - Maurice Of Nassau, Prince Of Orange (b. 1567 )
- 1702 - Margaret Fell , English Quaker leader (b. 1614 )
- 1740 - Thomas Tickell , English writer (b. 1685 )
- 1781 - James Abercrombie , British general (b. 1706 )
- 1792 - Karl Friedrich Bahrdt , German theologian and adventurer (b. 1741 )
- 1794 - Guillaume-Chrétien De Lamoignon De Malesherbes , French statesman (executed) (b. 1721 )
- 1850 - William Wordsworth , English poet (b. 1770 )
- 1889 - Jules Barbey D'Aurevilly , French writer (b. 1808 )
- 1895 - Carl Ludwig , German physician (b. 1815 )
- 1936 - Teresa De La Parra , Venezuelan writer (b. 1889 )
- 1951 - Charles G. Dawes , Vice President Of The United States , recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1865 )
- 1952 - Julius Freed , American inventor and banker (b. 1887 )
- 1975 - William Hartnell , English actor (b. 1908 )
- 1979 - Blair Peach , New Zealand-born anti-fascist (b. 1946 )
- 1983 - Buster Crabbe , American swimmer and actor (b. 1908 )
- 1984 - Red Garland , American jazz pianist (b. 1923 )
- 1985 - Sam Ervin , American politician (b. 1896 )
- 1986 - Harold Arlen , American composer (b. 1905 )
- 1986 - Jim Laker , English cricketer (b. 1922 )
- 1986 - Otto Preminger , Austrian-born film director (b. 1906 )
- 1990 - Paulette Goddard , American actress (b. 1911 )
- 1991 - Johnny Thunders , American musician (b. 1952 )
- 1992 - Satyajit Ray , Indian filmmaker (b. 1921 )
- 1993 - César Chávez , American labor activist (b. 1927 )
- 1995 - Howard Cosell , American sports journalist (b. 1918 )
- 1995 - John C. Stennis , U.S. Senator from Mississippi (b. 1904 )
- 1996 - P. L. Travers , Australian author (b. 1899 )
- 1997 - Denis Compton , English cricketer (b. 1918 )
- 1998 - James Earl Ray , American assassin (b. 1928 )
- 2003 - James H. Critchfield , American Central Intelligence agent (b. 1917 )
- 2003 - Fernand Fonssagrives , French photographer (b. 1910 )
- 2005 - Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen , Premier of Queensland (b. 1911 )
- 2005 - Al Grassby , Australian immigration minister (b. 1928 )
- 2005 - Sir John Mills , English actor (b. 1908 )
- 2005 - Romano Scarpa , Italian-born comic artist (b. 1927 )
- 2005 - Earl Wilson , baseball player (b. 1934 )
- 2006 - Johnnie Checketts , New Zealand fighter ace and war hero (b. 1912 )
April 22 - April 24 - March 23 - May 23 – Listing Of All Days
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