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Historical events on February 23

FEBRUARY 23, 1739
The identity of English highwayman Dick Turpin was uncovered by his former schoolmate, who recognised his handwriting, leading to Turpin's trial.
A highwayman was a robber who stole from travellers. This type of thief usually travelled and robbed by horse as compared to Read More
FEBRUARY 23, 1941
Plutonium was first chemically identified by chemist Glenn T. Seaborg and his team at the University of California, Berkeley.
Plutonium is a chemical element; it has symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is a silvery-gray actinide metal that tarnishes when Read More
FEBRUARY 23, 1943
35 children and 1 adult employee were killed in a fire at an orphanage in the town of Cavan, Ireland.
The Cavan Orphanage fire occurred on the night of 23 February 1943 at St Joseph's Orphanage in Cavan, Ireland. 35 children and Read More
FEBRUARY 23, 1886
American inventor Charles Martin Hall discovered an inexpensive method of producing aluminium.
Charles Martin Hall was an American inventor, businessman, and chemist. He is best known for his invention in 1886 of an inexpensive Read More
FEBRUARY 23, 1847
Mexican–American War: The United States Army used artillery to repulse the much larger Mexican army at the Battle of Buena Vista near Saltillo.
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Read More
FEBRUARY 23, 1725
J. S. Bach first performed his Shepherd Cantata for the birthday of Christian, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels (pictured).
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across Read More
FEBRUARY 23, 1945
Second World War: An Allied bombing run on Pforzheim, Germany, killed approximately 31 percent of its population and destroyed about 83 percent of its buildings.
World War II or the Second World War was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all Read More
FEBRUARY 23, 2008
A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber crashed on the runway shortly after takeoff from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam in the most expensive crash in U.S. Air Force history.
The Northrop B-2 Spirit, also known as the monkey bomber
FEBRUARY 23, 2017
Syrian civil war: Allied troops led by the Turkish Armed Forces captured the city of al-Bab from the Islamic State.
The Syrian civil war is an ongoing conflict in Syria that began with the Syrian Revolution in March 2011 when popular discontent Read More
FEBRUARY 23, 1854
The Orange River Convention was signed in Bloemfontein, with the United Kingdom agreeing to recognise the independence of the Orange Free State in present-day South Africa.
The Orange River Convention was a convention whereby the British formally recognised the independence of the Boers in the area between the Read More
FEBRUARY 23, 1971
Vietnam War: South Vietnamese General Đỗ Cao Trí was killed in a helicopter crash en route to taking control of the faltering Operation Lam Son 719.
The Vietnam War was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam and their allies. Read More
FEBRUARY 23, 1945
American photographer Joe Rosenthal took the Pulitzer Prize–winning photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima during the Battle of Iwo Jima, an image that was later reproduced on the Marine Corps War Memorial.
Joseph John Rosenthal was an American photographer who received the Pulitzer Prize for his iconic World War II photograph Raising the Flag Read More
FEBRUARY 23, 1987
SN 1987A, the first supernova that modern astronomers were able to study in great detail, was observed from Earth occurring in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
SN 1987A was a type II supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. It occurred approximately Read More
FEBRUARY 23, 1944
In response to an insurgency in Chechnya, the Soviet Union began the forced deportation of the native Chechen and Ingush of North Caucasus.
The 1940–1944 insurgency in Chechnya was an autonomous revolt against the Soviet authorities in the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Beginning in Read More
FEBRUARY 23, 1778
American Revolutionary War: Prussian military officer Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben arrived at Valley Forge in Pennsylvania as a volunteer for the Continental Army.
The American Revolutionary War, also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the Read More

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