August 23

Today in History
• 1305 - Scottish patriot William Wallace is executed for high treason
• 1617 - 1st one-way streets open (London)
• 1784 - Eastern Tennessee settlers declare their area an independent state and name it Franklin
• 1789 - French Revolution: The National Assembly proclaims freedom of religious opinions
• 1796 - African Methodist Episcopal Church incorporated
• 1850 - 1st US National Women's Rights Convention convenes in Worcester, Massachusetts
• 1869 - 1st carload of rail freight (boots and shoes) arrives in San Francisco, from Boston
• 1900 - National Negro Business League organizes (Boston)


Holidays - Traditional and Obscure
• Cheap Flight Day
• Day of the National Flag
• Health Unit Coordinators Day
• International Blind Dog Day
• National Cuban Sandwich Day
• National Ride The Wind Day
• National Sponge Cake Day
• Slavery Remembrance Day

Birthdays
• 1724 - Abraham Yates, American Continental Congressman
• 1740 - Ivan VI, Emperor of Russia (1740-41)
• 1754 - ILouis XVI, King of France (1774-93)
• 1836 - Marie Henriette of Austria, Queen of the Belgians
• 1852 - Arnold Toynbee, English economic historian and social reformer
• 1864 - Eleftherios K. Venizalos, Premier of Greece (1910-15, 28-32)
• 1869 - James (Sunny Jim) Rolph, San Francisco mayor (1912-31)
• 1884 - Ogden L. Mills, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury (1927-1932)