March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (83rd in Leap years). There are 283 days remaining.

Events

up to 19th century

• 752 - Stephen II becomes Pope.
• 1568 - Peace of Longjumeau ends the Second War of Religion in France. Again Catherine de Medici and Charles IX of France make substantial concessions to the Huguenots.
• 1708 - James Francis Edward Stuart lands at the Firth of Forth.
• 1775 - American Revolutionary War: Patrick Henry delivers his famous speech - "give me liberty or give me death" in Williamsburg, Virginia.
• 1801 - Tsar Paul I of Russia was struck with a sword, and then strangled and trampled to death in his bedroom at St. Michael Palace.
• 1806 - After traveling through the Pacific Ocean, explorers Lewis and Clark and their "Corps of Discovery" begin their arduous journey home.
• 1839 - First recorded use of "OK" as an abbreviation for "oll korrect" (Boston Morning Post).
• 1857 - Elisha Otis' first elevator is installed (at 488 Broadway, New York City).
• 1868 - The University of California is founded in Oakland, California when the Organic Act is signed into law.
• 1889 - Land run: President Benjamin Harrison opens Oklahoma to white settlement starting on April 22.
• 1889 - free Woolwich Ferry officially opened in east London.

20th century

1900s-1960s

• 1903 - The Wright Brothers apply for a patent on their invention of the first successful airplane after much hard work.
• 1909 - Theodore Roosevelt leaves New York for a post-presidency safari in Africa. The trip was sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution and National Geographic Society.
• 1919 - In Milan, Italy, Benito Mussolini founds his Fascist political movement.
• 1931 - The Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt embrace gallows during the Indian struggle for independence. Their request to be shot by a firing squad was refused.
• 1933 - The Reichstag passes the Enabling Act, making Adolf Hitler dictator of Germany.
• 1935 - Signing of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Philippines
• 1940 - The famous Pakistan Resolution (Qarardad-e-Pakistan or the then Qarardad-e-Lahore) was put forward in the Annual General Convention of the All India Muslim League on this day.
• 1942 - World War II: In the Indian Ocean, Japanese forces capture the Anadaman Islands.
• 1956 - Pakistan becomes the first Islamic republic in the world.
• 1963 - In London, United Kingdom, Denmark singing "Dansevise" (Dancing tune).
• 1965 - NASA launches Gemini 3, the United States' first two-man space flight (crew: Gus Grissom and John Young).

1980s-1990s

• 1983 - Strategic Defense Initiative: President Ronald Reagan makes his initial proposal to develop technology to intercept enemy missiles.
• 1989 - Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann announce cold fusion at the University of Utah.
• 1989 - A 1,000-foot diameter Near-Earth asteroid misses the Earth by 400,000 miles.
• 1994 - At an election rally in Tijuana, Mexican presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio is assassinated by Mario Aburto Martínez.
• 1996 - The Republic of China on Taiwan holds its first direct elections for president
• 1999 - Gunmen assassinate Paraguay's Vice President Luis Maria Argana.

Births

up to 19th century

• 1699 - John Bartram, American botanist (d. 1777)
• 1749 - Pierre Simon de Laplace, mathematician and astronomer (d. 1827)
• 1754 - Baron Jurij Vega, Slovene mathematician, physicist and artillery officer (d. 1802)
• 1769 - William Smith, geologist/cartographer (d. 1839)
• 1823 - Schuyler Colfax, Vice President of the United States (d. 1885)
• 1834 - Julius Reubke, composer (d. 1858)
• 1878 - Franz Schreker, composer (d. 1934)
• 1882 - Emmy Noether, mathematician (d. 1935)
• 1887 - Juan Gris, painter and graphic artist (d. 1927)
• 1887 - Prince Felix Yussupov, assassin of Rasputin (d. 1967)
• 1889 - Yukichi Chuganji, oldest man alive on (d. 2003)

20th century

• 1900 - Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst (d. 1980)
• 1904 - Joan Crawford, actress (d. 1977)
• 1905 - Lale Andersen, singer and cabaretist (d. 1972)
• 1907 - Daniel Bovet, scientist, 1957 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• 1910 - Akira Kurosawa, film director (d. 1998)
• 1912 - Wernher von Braun, physicist and engineer (d. 1977)
• 1915 - Vasily Zaitsev, World War II hero (d. 1991)
• 1929 - Sir Roger Bannister, athlete, first "Miracle Mile"
• 1937 - Craig Breedlove, former land speed record holder
• 1942 - Walter Rodney, historian and political figure (d. 1980)
• 1949 - Ric Ocasek, musician ("The Cars")
• 1951 - Corinne Clery, French actress
• 1952 - Kim Stanley Robinson, science fiction author
• 1953 - Chaka Khan, singer
• 1956 - Portuguese politician, elected president of the European Commission
• 1968 - Damon Albarn, musician ("Blur")
• 1971 - Gail Porter, British television presenter
• 1972 - Judith Godrèche, actress/author
• 1973 - Jason Kidd, basketball player
• 1976 - Keri Russell, actress
• 1978 - Nicholle Tom, actress
• 1979 - Chad Dittman, President and CEO of the Intense Football League
• 1979 - Misty Hyman, US swimmer

Deaths

• 1548 - Itagaki Nobukata, a retainer of Takeda Shingen
• 1555 - Pope Julius III, (b. 1487)
• 1801 - Tsar Paul of Russia, (b. 1754)
• 1842 - Stendhal, writer, (b. 1783)
• 1931 - Bhagat Singh Indian Freedom Fighter (b. 1907)
• 1931 - Batukeshwar Dutt Indian Freedom Fighter.
• 1960 - Franklin Pierce Adams, American newspaper columnist (b. 1881)
• 1964 - Peter Lorre, actor, (b. 1904)
• 1970 - Del Lord, pioneer Hollywood director, (b. 1894)
• 1979 - Orlando Letelier, former Chilean ambassador to the United States, (b. 1932)
• 1983 - Barney Clark, first artificial heart recipient
• 1993 - Hans Werner Richter, author (b. 1908)
• 2003 - Fritz Spiegl, journalist, (b. 1926)
• 2004 - Rupert Hamer, Australian politician (b. 1916)

Holidays and observances

• Roman Empire - The fifth and final day of Quinquatria, held in honor of Minerva.
• Roman Empire - Tubilustrium was held in honor of Mars
• Ancient Latvia - Lieldienas held in honor of Mara and other goddesses
• Pakistan - National Day (Republic Day)

March 22 - March 24 - February 23 - April 23 -- listing of all days