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On this day in history - July 23

What Happened On This Day – July 23

  • 1995 Comet Hale–Bopp discovered

    Also known as C/1995 O1 by the scientific community, this well known comet was discovered independently by Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp.

  • 1992 Abkhazia declares independence from Georgia

    The Republic of Abkhazia, is a disputed territory of Georgia and is recognized as an independent state by only a handful of counties including Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru, Tuvalu.

  • 1982 International Whaling Commission bans commercial whale hunting

    The International Whaling Commission (IWC) passed a resolution to restrict commercial whaling and ban it completely after 1986. 25 countries voted to put the restrictions and ban in place.

  • 1972 Landsat 1 launched

    The first satellite in the US's LANDSAT program, the Landsat discovered an uninhabited island off the eastern coast of Canada in 1976. The island is now called Landsat Island.

  • 1962 First live transatlantic television signal

    Telstar 1, a communications satellite relayed the world's first transatlantic television signal in the form of a show that featured Walter Cronkite.

Illustration of stork, signifying birth

Births On This Day,
July 23

  • 1989 Daniel Radcliffe

    English actor

  • 1980 Michelle Williams

    American singer-songwriter, producer, actress

  • 1976 Judit Polgár

    Hungarian chess player

  • 1957 Theo van Gogh

    Dutch director

  • 1892 Haile Selassie I

    Ethiopian Emperor

Illustration of tombstone, signifying death

Deaths On This Day,
July 23

  • 2013 Emile Griffith

    Virgin Islander boxer

  • 2011 Amy Winehouse

    English singer-songwriter

  • 1973 Eddie Rickenbacker

    American pilot, Medal of Honor recipient

  • 1951 Philippe Pétain

    French general, politician, 119th Prime Minister of France

  • 1885 Ulysses S. Grant

    American general, politician, 18th President of the United States