Summary of the Day ✨ 23 August (23/08)
India achieved its historic first Moon landing with the Chandrayaan-3 mission while a business jet carrying Wagner Group leadership crashed killing all 10 aboard, and a deadly riot at a Bolivian prison claimed 31 lives. Additionally, a hot-air balloon crash near Ljubljana killed six and injured 28, and a magnitude 5.8 earthquake in Virginia caused an estimated $200-300 million in damage to monuments and structures in Washington D.C.
Historical Events 📜
- 2023: Chandrayaan-3 mission initiated first Moon landing in Indian history.
- 2023: A business jet carrying key leadership members of the Russian private military company Wagner Group crashes, killing all ten people on board.
- 2013: A riot at the Palmasola prison complex in Santa Cruz, Bolivia kills 31 people.
- 2012: A hot-air balloon crashes near the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, killing six people and injuring 28 others.
- 2011: A magnitude 5.8 (class: moderate) earthquake occurs in Virginia. Damage occurs to monuments and structures in Washington, D.C. and the resulted damage is estimated at 200 million–300 million USD.
- 2011: Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is overthrown after the National Transitional Council forces take control of Bab al-Azizia compound during the Libyan Civil War.
- 2010: The Manila hostage crisis occurred near the Quirino Grandstand in Manila, Philippines killing 9 people including the perpetrator while injuring 9 others.
- 2007: The skeletal remains of Russia’s last royal family members Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia, and his sister Grand Duchess Anastasia are discovered near Yekaterinburg, Russia.
- 2006: Natascha Kampusch, who had been abducted at the age of ten, escapes from her captor Wolfgang Přiklopil, after eight years of captivity.
- 2000: Gulf Air Flight 072 crashes into the Persian Gulf near Manama, Bahrain, killing 143.
- 1994: Eugene Bullard, the only African American pilot in World War I, is posthumously commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force.
- 1991: The World Wide Web is opened to the public.
- 1990: Saddam Hussein appears on Iraqi state television with a number of Western “guests” (actually hostages) to try to prevent the Gulf War.
- 1990: Armenia declares its independence from the Soviet Union.
- 1990: West and East Germany announce that they will reunite on October 3.
Famous Births 👶
- 2000: Boryana Kaleyn, Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast and Olympic silver medalist
- 1998: P. J. Washington, American basketball player
- 1997: Lil Yachty, American rapper and singer
- 1996: Alejo Igoa, Argentine YouTuber
- 1995: Gabriela Lee, Romanian tennis player
- 1995: Cameron Norrie, British tennis player
- 1994: August Ames, Canadian pornographic actress (died 2017)
- 1994: Jusuf Nurkić, Bosnian basketball player
- 1993: Taylor Decker, American football player
- 1993: Tyler Glasnow, American baseball player
- 1993: Iván López, Spanish professional footballer
- 1992: Nicola Docherty, Scottish footballer
- 1992: Will Toledo, American singer-songwriter
- 1990: Seth Curry, American basketball player
- 1990: Mike Yastrzemski, American baseball player
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2023: Dmitry Utkin, Russian army officer, founder of Wagner Group (born 1970)
- 2023: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russian businessman, chief of Wagner Group (born 1961)
- 2023: Terry Funk, American professional wrestler (born 1944)
- 2021: Elizabeth Blackadder, Scottish painter and printmaker (born 1931)
- 2015: Augusta Chiwy, Congolese-Belgian nurse (born 1921)
- 2015: Guy Ligier, French rugby player and race car driver (born 1930)
- 2015: Enrique Reneau, Honduran footballer (born 1971)
- 2015: Paul Royle, Australian lieutenant and pilot (born 1914)
- 2014: Albert Ebossé Bodjongo, Cameroonian footballer (born 1989)
- 2014: Annefleur Kalvenhaar, Dutch cyclist (born 1994)
- 2014: Birgitta Stenberg, Swedish author and illustrator (born 1932)
- 2014: Jaume Vallcorba Plana, Spanish philologist and publisher (born 1949)
- 2013: Richard J. Corman, American businessman, founded the R.J. Corman Railroad Group (born 1955)
- 2013: William Glasser, American psychiatrist and author (born 1925)
- 2013: Charles Lisanby, American production designer and set director (born 1924)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Battle of Kursk Day (Russia)
- Christian feast day:
Ascelina - Christian feast day:
Asterius, Claudius, and Neon - Christian feast day:
Éogan of Ardstraw - Christian feast day:
Lupus (Luppus) of Novae - Christian feast day:
Philip Benitius - Christian feast day:
Quiriacus and companions, of Ostia - Christian feast day:
Rose of Lima - Christian feast day:
Tydfil - Christian feast day:
Zacchaeus of Jerusalem - Christian feast day:
August 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - Day of the National Flag (Ukraine)
- European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism or Black Ribbon Day (European Union and other countries), and related observances:
Liberation from Fascist Occupation Day (Romania) - International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
- National Day for Physicians (Iran)