February 23rd in History

303 - Roman Emperor Diocletian orders the destruction of the Christian church in Nicomedia, beginning eight years of Diocletianic Persecution.

1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western book printed with movable type.

1778 - American Revolution: Baron von Steuben arrives at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania to help to train the Continental Army.

1821 - Alexander Ypsilantis starts the Greek War of Independence in Iași, Wallachia, modern-day Romania.


1847 - Mexican-American War: Battle of Buena Vista – In Mexico, American troops under General Zachary Taylor defeat Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna.

1854 - The official independence of the Orange Free State is declared.

1870 - In the United States, post-Civil War military control of Mississippi ends and it is readmitted to the Union.


1900 - In South Africa, Boers and British troops fight in the Battle of Hart's Hill.

1903 - Cuba leases Guantánamo Bay to the United States "in perpetuity".


1917 - First demonstrations in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The beginning of the February Revolution.

1918 - Last monarch of Mecklenburg-Strelitz commits suicide.

1934 - Leopold III becomes King of Belgium.

1945 - World War II: During the Battle of Iwo Jima, a group of United States Marines and a commonly forgotten US Navy Corpsman, reach the top of Mount Suribachi on the island and are photographed raising the American flag.

1947 - The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is founded.

1991 - Gulf War: Ground troops cross the Saudi Arabian border and enter Iraq, thus beginning the ground phase of the war.

2010 - Unknown criminals pour more than 2.5 million litres of diesel oil and other hydrocarbons into the river Lambro, in Northern Italy, causing an environmental disaster.

Famous Birthdays

1417 - Pope Paul II

1648 - Arabella Churchill, mistress of James II of England

1852 - Emperor Duc Duc, the fifth Emperor of the Vietnamese Nguyễn Dynasty

1874 - Konstantin Päts, 1st President of Estonia

1915 - Jon Hall, actor

1929 - Alexy II of Moscow, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia

1952 - Brad Whitford, musician

1960 - HIH Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan

1969 - Marc Wauters, cyclist

1983 - Emily Blunt, actress

1988 - Nicolás Gaitán, footballer

2012 - HRH Princess Estelle of Sweden, Duchess of Östergötland, second in the line to the Swedish throne