Historical Events on 23 May

Historical Events on 23 May

1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne.
1498 - Girolamo Savonarola is burned at the stake in Florence, Italy, on the orders of Pope Alexander VI.
1533 - The marriage of King Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon is declared null and void.
1568 - The Netherlands declare their independence from Spain.
1568 - Dutch rebels led by Louis of Nassau, brother of William I of Orange, defeat Jean de Ligne, Duke of Aremberg and his loyalist troops in the Battle of Heiligerlee, opening the Eighty Years' War.
1609 - Official ratification of the Second Charter of Virginia takes place.
1618 - The Second Defenestration of Prague precipitates the Thirty Years' War.
1701 - After being convicted of piracy and of murdering William Moore, Captain William Kidd is hanged in London.
1706 - Battle of Ramillies: John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough, defeats a French army under Marshal Villeroi.
1805 - Napoleon Bonaparte is crowned King of Italy with the Iron Crown of Lombardy in the Cathedral of Milan.
1813 - South American independence leader Simón Bolívar enters Mérida, leading the invasion of Venezuela, and is proclaimed El Libertador ("The Liberator").
1844 - Declaration of the Báb: During the previous night, the Persian Prophet the Báb announced his revelation, founding Bábísm. He announced to the world the coming of "He whom God shall make manifest". He is considered the forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh, the
1846 - Mexican-American War: President Mariano Paredes of Mexico unofficially declares war on the United States.
1863 - Organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Battle Creek, Michigan.
1863 - The Siege of Port Hudson takes place.
1873 - The Canadian Parliament establishes the North West Mounted Police, the forerunner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
1900 - American Civil War: Sergeant William Harvey Carney becomes the first African American to be awarded the Medal of Honor, for his heroism in the Assault on the Battery Wagner.
1907 - The unicameral Parliament of Finland gathers for its first plenary session.
1911 - the New York Public Library is dedicated.
1915 - World War I: Italy joins the Allies after they declare war on Austria-Hungary.
1923 - Launch of Belgium's SABENA airline.
1929 - The first talking cartoon of Mickey Mouse, "The Karnival Kid", is released.
1934 - American bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde are ambushed by police and killed in Black Lake, Louisiana.
1934 - The Auto-Lite Strike culminates in the "Battle of Toledo", a five-day melée between 1,300 troops of the Ohio National Guard and 6,000 picketers.
1939 - The U.S. Navy submarine USS Squalus sinks off the coast of New Hampshire during a test dive, causing the death of 26 sailors. The remaining 32 crewmen and one passenger are rescued the following day.
1945 - World War II: The Flensburg government under Reichspräsident Karl Dönitz is dissolved when its members are captured and arrested by British forces at Flensburg in Northern Germany.
1945 - World War II: Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS, committs suicide while in Allied custody.
1949 - The Federal Republic of Germany is established and the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany is proclaimed.
1951 - Tibetans are forced to sign the Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet with the People's Republic of China.
1958 - Explorer 1 ceases transmission.
1960 - Prime Minister of Israel David Ben-Gurion announces that Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann had been captured.
1967 - Egypt closes the Straits of Tiran and blockades the port of Eilat at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba to Israeli shipping, laying the foundations for the Six Day War.
1970 - A fire breaks out in the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Straits in north Wales contributing to its partial destruction and causing approximately £1,000,000 worth of fire damage.
1977 - Two terrorist actions unfold in The Netherlands: several dozen hostages are taken on board a train, and about 100 others (mostly children) are held at a school. The train siege lasts until June 11.
1995 - Oklahoma City bombing: In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the remains of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building are imploded.
1996 - 1996 Everest Disaster : The deadliest year for climbers of Everest
1998 - The Good Friday Agreement is accepted in a referendum in Northern Ireland with 75% voting yes.
2002 - The "55 parties" clause of the Kyoto protocol is reached after its ratification by Iceland.
2003 - The euro exceeds its initial trading value as it hits $1.18 for the first time since its introduction in 1999.
2004 - Part of Paris Charles De Gaulle International Airport Terminal 2E collapses, killing four people and injuring three others.
2008 - The International Court of Justice (ICJ) awards Middle Rocks to Malaysia and Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh) to Singapore, ending a 29-year territorial dispute between the two countries.