From the archives
Classic headlineIraqi Head Seeks Arms
Source: Classic headline (CJR 'Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim' collections)View clipping source
Sunday 11 October 2026
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From CurioVault
Today's curiosity
Before dinosaurs existed, dragonflies with 2-foot wings ruled the sky.
Read on CurioVault.co →23 May in history
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What happened on this day · Odd history for today
Vintage News
Strange but true headlines of the day
OddlyTrue News Stand
Did you guess the year?
Streak 0 days Best 0
When was “Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, annulled Henry VIII's marriage to his first wife Catherine of Aragon, beginning events that would culminate in the English Reformation.” happening? Slide to your guess.
1950
Weird history, same day
???? First everThomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, annulled Henry VIII's marriage to his first wife Catherine of Aragon, beginning events that would culminate in the English Reformation.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1555 Oddly trueGian Pietro Carafa became Pope Paul IV, beginning a tumultuous four-year papacy during which the Papal States suffered a serious military defeat.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1829 Oddly trueAccordion patent granted to Cyrill Demian in Vienna, Austrian Empire.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Hall of Fame headlines are manually verified clippings (source linked); nothing is scraped from Newspapers.com. Facts from Wikipedia On This Day API (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia. Clippings from the Library of Congress, Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers site.
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Viewing 23 May — today is 11 October.
Born on this day
0No recorded births.
Died on this day
17 in the archiveFive infamous ends — executed, assassinated or murdered — drawn at random from the archive. All infamous ends →
Executed
1793Death
Death of Louis XVI
King Louis XVI of France was executed by guillotine in Paris during French Revolution.
Suicide
1890Death
Vincent van Gogh dies
Vincent van Gogh, painter, died on this day in 1890. Suicide by gunshot. Remembered as: Post-Impressionist whose work deeply influenced 20th-century art.
Assassinated
1968Death
Martin Luther King Jr. dies
Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights leader, died on this day in 1968. Assassinated in Memphis. Remembered as: Prominent leader in the American civil rights movement.
Suicide
1994Death
Kurt Cobain dies
Kurt Cobain, musician, died on this day in 1994. Suicide by gunshot. Remembered as: Frontman of Nirvana, voice of a generation.
Suicide
2008Death
Heath Ledger dies
Heath Ledger, actor, died on this day in 2008. Accidental prescription drug overdose. Remembered as: Acclaimed performances, including the Joker in The Dark Knight.
Famous birthdays
1 this weekToday · 23 May
No famous birthdays recorded for 23 May yet.
Coming up this week
- AGAriane GrandeBorn 199328 May · born 1993
Day of Recognition23 May
World Turtle Day
Encourages human action to help turtles and tortoises survive and thrive in their habitats.
Music · No.1 on this day
What was topping the charts
The official No.1 singles and albums in the UK and the USA on this date, decade by decade.
2016 10 yrs ago
2006 20 yrs ago
1996 30 yrs ago
1986 40 yrs ago
1976 50 yrs ago
1966 60 yrs ago
1956 70 yrs ago
Sport on this day
0Finals, medals and records decided on 23 May.
No recorded sporting finals on this date yet.
Sporting almanac
Who was champion, 10, 25 and 50 years ago
World Cups, Olympics, Wimbledon, the Masters, Super Bowl and more — year by year since 1877.
2016 10 yrs ago
- Olympic GamesSummer Olympics in Rio
- WimbledonAndy Murray and Serena Williams win Wimbledon
- Super BowlDenver Broncos win Super Bowl 50
- Tour de FranceChris Froome wins the Tour de France
- The MastersDanny Willett wins the Masters
- World SeriesChicago Cubs win the World Series
2001 25 yrs ago
- WimbledonGoran Ivanisevic and Venus Williams win Wimbledon
- Super BowlBaltimore Ravens win Super Bowl XXXV
- The MastersTiger Woods wins the Masters
- World SeriesArizona Diamondbacks win the World Series
- NBA FinalsLos Angeles Lakers win the NBA Finals
- Stanley CupColorado Avalanche win the Stanley Cup
1976 50 yrs ago
- Olympic GamesSummer Olympics in Montreal
- Olympic GamesWinter Olympics in Innsbruck
- WimbledonBjorn Borg and Chris Evert win Wimbledon
- Super BowlPittsburgh Steelers win Super Bowl X
- Tour de FranceLucien Van Impe wins the Tour de France
- The MastersRaymond Floyd wins the Masters
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