Anniversaries and commemorations come and go daily. Most of us, even the best historians, miss most occasions. If we think of history as events then we are faced with a continually showering in the grains of sand. Nevertheless, we do pick out certain patterns in the remembrance of historical dates. The blog here reminds us of some dates where the local, state, national, and global perspectives entwine.

On 23, Wednesday October 1844, The Báb is publicly proclaimed to be the promised one of Islam (the Qá’im, or Mahdi). He is also considered to be simultaneously the return of Elijah, John the Baptist, and the “Ushídar-Máh” referred to in the Zoroastrian scriptures. He announces to the world the coming of “He whom God shall make manifest”. He is considered the forerunner of Bahá’u’lláh — the founder of the Bahá’í Faith — whose claims include being the return of Jesus.
On 23, Wednesday October 1844, Robert Bridges, English poet, born (d. 1930)
On 23, Wednesday October 1844, Sarah Bernhardt, French actress, born (d. 1923)
On 23, Saturday October 1869, Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, died (b. 1799)
On 23, Thursday October 1919, Manolis Andronikos, Greek archaeologist, born (d. 1992)
On 23, Thursday October 1919, Charles Judd, British missionary to China, died (b. 1842)
On 23, Monday October 1944, WWII: The naval Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines begins (lasts until October 26). On October 24, the Japanese battleship Musashi is sunk by United States aircraft.
On 23, Monday October 1944, The Allies recognise Charles de Gaulle’s cabinet as the provisional government of France.
On 23, Monday October 1944, Charles Glover Barkla, British physicist, Nobel Prize laureate, died (b. 1877)
On 23, Friday October 1959, Nancy Grace, American television host, born
On 23, Friday October 1959, “Weird Al” Yankovic, American singer and parodist, born
On 23, Friday October 1959, Sam Raimi, American producer, writer and director, born
On 23, Tuesday October 1979, Jorge Solís, Mexican professional boxer, born
On 23, Monday October 1989, The Hungarian Republic is officially declared by President Mátyás Szűrös (replacing the Hungarian People’s Republic), exactly 33 years after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
On 23, Monday October 1989, The Phillips Disaster in Pasadena, Texas kills 23 and injures 314 others.
On 23, Monday October 1989, Jonita Gandhi, Indo-Canadian singer., born
On 23, Sunday October 1994, Robert Lansing, American actor, died (b. 1928)
On 23, Saturday October 1999, Joseph Andre Garcia, Filipino actor, born
On 23, Saturday October 1999, András Hegedüs, Hungarian politician, 45th Prime Minister of Hungary, died (b. 1922)
On 23, Thursday October 2014, 3 people are shot dead in North Western Victoria over a neighbourly dispute by Ian Jamieson.
On 23, Thursday October 2014, Tullio Regge, Italian physicist and academic, died (b. 1931)

Other On This Day days in history

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Neville Buch

Professional Historian at Professional Historians Association (Queensland) Inc.

Neville Buch (Pronounced Book) Ph.D. is a certified member of the Professional Historians Association (Queensland). Since 2010 he has operated a sole trade business in history consultancy. He was a Q ANZAC 100 Fellow 2014-2015 at the State Library of Queensland. Dr Buch was the PHA (Qld) e-Bulletin, the monthly state association’s electronic publication, and was a member of its Management Committee. He is the Managing Director of the Brisbane Southside History Network.

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