Louis XVI
b. 1754
of France
On This Day · The 235th day of the year
August 23
August 23 carries 10 recorded events spanning between 1799 and 2006. Napoleon Bonaparte leaves Egypt for France en route to seizing power.
Compiled & reviewed by Roman Tailor · Last reviewed July 13, 2026
What happened on August 23?
August 23 is the 235th day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 1799 and 2006. Famous people born on August 23 include Louis XVI, Michel Rocard and Peter Lilley.
The shape of the day
August 23's recorded history is unusually compressed, gathered within recent centuries rather than reaching into antiquity. Its center of gravity is the 20th century, and conflict is a recurring thread.
Virgo is the sign for August 23 — read more on the Virgo page, or see August's birthstone & birth flower.
Released on August 23
Movies, games, albums & shows2024
- TV Dating Naked UK
2022
- Game Midnight Fight Express
2021
- Game Aliens: Fireteam Elite
Release data from TMDB & IGDB.
Events
10 notable moments- 1799
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte leaves Egypt for France en route to seizing power.
- 1873
Albert Bridge, London
The Albert Bridge in Chelsea, London opens.
- 1898
Southern Cross Expedition
The Southern Cross Expedition, the first British venture of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, departs from London.
- 1914
World War I
World War I: The British Expeditionary Force and the French Fifth Army begin their Great Retreat before the German Army.
- 1939
World War II
World War II: Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union sign the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. In a secret protocol to the pact, Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Romania are divided into German and Soviet "spheres of influence".
- 1954
Cruise of the Kings
The Cruise of the Kings, a royal cruise organised by the Queen Consort of Greece, Frederica of Hanover, departs from Marseille, France.
- 1989
Singing Revolution
Singing Revolution: Two million people from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania stand on the Vilnius–Tallinn road, holding hands.
- 1990
Armenia
Armenia declares its independence from the Soviet Union.
- 1991
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is opened to the public.
- 2006
Natascha Kampusch
Natascha Kampusch, who had been abducted at the age of ten, escapes from her captor Wolfgang Přiklopil, after eight years of captivity.
Famous birthday twins
Born on August 23Michel Rocard
b. 1930
French civil servant and politician, 160th Prime Minister of France
Peter Lilley
b. 1943
English politician, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
Kobe Bryant
b. 1978
American basketball player and businessman
Santillana (footballer)
b. 1952
Spanish footballer
Henry Lee Lucas
b. 1936
American murderer
Nancy Richey
b. 1942
American tennis player
Moritz Cantor
b. 1829
German mathematician and historian
Deaths
- 1995Alfred Eisenstaedt
- 1962Walter Anderson (folklorist)
- 1933Adolf Loos
- 1305William Wallace
- -30Caesarion
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
Historical facts, event summaries, and biographical lines above are adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. DateLore adds curation, structure, and original editorial commentary. DateLore is not affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation.
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