Summary of the Day ✨ 23 February (23/02)
Germany and Djibouti held elections as political events, while Ecuador experienced deadly prison riots that killed at least 62 people, and the United States faced both a fatal plane crash in Texas and the racially motivated murder of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia.
Historical Events 📜
- 2025: A snap election is held in Germany.
- 2021: Four simultaneous prison riots leave at least 62 people dead in Ecuador.
- 2020: Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old African-American citizen, is shot and murdered by three white men after visiting a house under construction while jogging at a neighborhood in Satilla Shores near Brunswick in Glynn County, Georgia.
- 2019: Atlas Air Flight 3591, a Boeing 767 freighter, crashes into Trinity Bay near Anahuac, Texas, killing all three people on board.
- 2018: Parliamentary elections are held in Djibouti.
- 2017: The Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army captures Al-Bab from ISIL.
- 2012: A series of attacks across Iraq leave at least 83 killed and more than 250 injured.
- 2010: Unknown criminals pour more than 2+1⁄2 million liters of diesel oil and other hydrocarbons into the river Lambro, in northern Italy, sparking an environmental disaster.
- 2008: A United States Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber crashes on Guam, marking the first operational loss of a B-2.
- 2008: The Japanese WINDS satellite is launched.
- 2007: A train derails on an evening express service near Grayrigg, Cumbria, England, killing one person and injuring 88. This results in hundreds of points being checked over the UK after a few similar accidents.
- 2002: An Ariane 4 rocket is launched from the Guiana Space Centre carrying Intelsat 904.
- 1999: Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Öcalan is charged with treason in Ankara, Turkey.
- 1999: An avalanche buries the town of Galtür, Austria, killing 31.
- 1998: In the United States, tornadoes in central Florida destroy or damage 2,600 structures and kill 42 people.
Famous Births 👶
- 2002: Alice Litman, English transgender woman
- 2000: Femke Bol, Dutch hurdler and sprinter
- 1997: Jamal Murray, Canadian basketball player
- 1996: D’Angelo Russell, American basketball player
- 1995: Andrew Wiggins, Canadian basketball player
- 1994: Triptii Dimri, Indian actress
- 1994: Neviana Vladinova, Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast
- 1992: Casemiro, Brazilian footballer
- 1992: Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Greek footballer
- 1990: Kevin Connauton, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1990: Marco Scandella, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1989: Evan Bates, American ice dancer
- 1989: Jérémy Pied, French footballer
- 1989: Wilin Rosario, Dominican baseball player
- 1988: Nicolás Gaitán, Argentine footballer
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2025: Larry Dolan, American attorney (born 1931)
- 2025: Chris Jasper, American singer, composer and producer (born 1951)
- 2025: Al Trautwig, American sports commentator (born 1956)
- 2024: Flaco, Eurasian eagle-owl (born 2010)
- 2023: Tony Earl, American politician, 40th Governor of Wisconsin (born 1936)
- 2023: John Motson, English football commentator (born 1945)
- 2021: Ahmed Zaki Yamani, Saudi Arabian politician (born 1930)
- 2019: Katherine Helmond, American actress (born 1929)
- 2016: Peter Lustig, German television host and author (born 1937)
- 2016: Jacqueline Mattson, American baseball player (born 1928)
- 2015: James Aldridge, Australian-English journalist and author (born 1918)
- 2015: Rana Bhagwandas, Pakistani lawyer and judge, Chief Justice of Pakistan (born 1942)
- 2015: W. E. “Bill” Dykes, American soldier and politician (born 1925)
- 2014: Alice Herz-Sommer, Czech-English Holocaust survivor, pianist and educator (born 1903)
- 2014: Roger Hilsman, American soldier, academic, and politician (born 1919)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Christian feast day:
Polycarp of Smyrna - Christian feast day:
Blessed Rafaela Ybarra de Vilallonga - Christian feast day:
Serenus the Gardener - Christian feast day:
Willigis - Christian feast day:
February 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - The Emperor’s Birthday, birthday of Naruhito, the current Emperor of Japan (Japan)
- Mashramani-Republic Day (Guyana)
- National Day (Brunei)
- Red Army Day or Day of Soviet Army and Navy in the former Soviet Union, also held in various former Soviet republics:
Defender of the Fatherland Day (Russia) - Red Army Day or Day of Soviet Army and Navy in the former Soviet Union, also held in various former Soviet republics:
Defender of the Fatherland and Armed Forces day (Belarus) - Red Army Day or Day of Soviet Army and Navy in the former Soviet Union, also held in various former Soviet republics:
Armed Forces Day (Tajikistan) (Tajikistan)