Discover what happened on May 23 in history, along with notable events that shaped entertainment, technology, sports, and American culture.
What Happened on May 23 in History?
Important events on this day include Mickey Mouse speaking for the first time in a cartoon, the release of the Java programming language, and the ambush of Bonnie and Clyde.
MAY 23 – TODAY IN HISTORY:
1785 – Benjamin Franklin wrote in a letter that he had invented bifocals.
1788 – South Carolina became the eighth state to ratify U.S. Constitution.
1827 – The first nursery school in the U.S. was established in New York, NY.
1846 – Arabella Mansfield was born. She was the first woman in the U.S. to pass the bar exam, though she never used her law degree.
1876 – Boston’s Joe Borden pitched the very first no-hitter in the history of the National League.
1879 – The first U.S. veterinary school was established by Iowa State University.
1922 – Walt Disney incorporated his first movie company, LaughoGram Films.
1922 – “Daylight Saving Time” was debated in the first debate ever to be heard on radio in Washington, DC.
1929 – The first cartoon with Mickey Mouse talking was released. It was called “The Karnival Kid”.
1934 – In Bienville Parish, LA, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were ambushed and killed by Texas Rangers. The bank robbers were riding in a stolen Ford Deluxe.
1941 – Joe Louis beat Buddy Baer in the seventh round to retain the heavyweight crown.
1962 – The National Basketball Association agreed to transfer the Philadelphia Warriors to San Francisco, CA. The team became the San Francisco Warriors (and later the Golden State Warriors).
1973 – Clive Davis was fired as president of Columbia Records for allegedly using company funds for his personal use. They included $53,700 for work on his apartment and $20,000 for his son’s bar mitzvah.
1984 – The movie “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” premiered in theaters.
1984 – The Surgeon General warned that smokers can inflict lung damage on non-smokers who inhale second-hand smoke.
1995 – The first version of the Java programming language was released.
1995 – The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, OK, was demolished.
1997 – The movie “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” premiered in theaters.
1999 – Gerry Bloch, at age 81, became the oldest climber to scale El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. He broke his own record that he set in 1986 when he was 68 years old.
2005 – Tom Cruise publicly declared his love for Katie Holmes on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” by jumping up and down on Winfrey’s couch during the show. Cruise and Holmes married in 2006 and divorced in 2012.
2010 – Bret Michaels won Season 3 of TV’s “The Celebrity Apprentice”.
2012 – Phillip Phillips won the 11th season of TV’s “American Idol”.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON MAY 23:
Barbara Barrie – 95 years old (1931) – Actress
Rod Thorn – 85 years old (1941) – Basketball player, coach, and executive
Daniel DiNardo – 77 years old (1949) – Cardinal
Buck Showalter – 70 years old (1956) – Baseball player, coach, and manager
Mitch Albom – 68 years old (1958) – Journalist, author, and screenwriter
Drew Carey – 68 years old (1958) – Actor, game show host, and entrepreneur
Lea DeLaria – 68 years old (1958) – Actress and singer
Linden Ashby – 66 years old (1960) – Actor
Karen Duffy – 64 years old (1962) – Actress
Melissa McBride – 61 years old (1965) – Actress
H. Jon Benjamin – 60 years old (1966) – Actor, comedian, writer, and producer
Guinevere Turner – 58 years old (1968) – Actress and screenwriter
Bryan Herta – 56 years old (1970) – Race car driver and businessman, co-founded Bryan Herta Autosport
Maxwell – 53 years old (1973) – Singer-songwriter and producer
Jewel – 52 years old (1974) – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, actress, and poet
Scott Raynor – 48 years old (1978) – Drummer
Chris Gethard – 46 years old (1980) – Actor, comedian and writer
Tim Robinson – 45 years old (1981) – Comedian, actor, and screenwriter
Ryan Coogler – 40 years old (1986) – Film director and screenwriter
Morgan Pressel – 38 years old (1988) – Golfer
Aaron Donald – 35 years old (1991) – Football player
Coy Craft – 29 years old (1997) – Footballer
Luca de la Torre – 28 years old (1998) – Soccer player
James Charles – 27 years old (1999) – Internet personality
Trinidad Cardona – 27 years old (1999) – Singer and songwriter
Sandro Mamukelashvili – 27 years old (1999) – Georgian-American basketball player
DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR MAY 23:
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For additional information check out websites like: www.on-this-day.com, www.born-today.com, www.famousbirthdays.com, www.daysoftheyear.com, and www.nationaldaycalendar.com.
