October 23

Today in History
• 1091 - Tornado strikes the heart of London killing two and demolishing London Bridge
• 1157 - The Battle of Grathe Heath ends the civil war in Denmark
• 1641 - Outbreak of the Irish Rebellion of 1641 - Catholic uprising in Ulster
• 1690 - Revolt in Haarlem after public ban on smoking
• 1760 - First Jewish prayer books printed in North America
• 1819 - 1st ship sails through the Erie Canal from Rome, New York to Utica, New York
• 1910 - Ritz Hotel in Madrid opens with 200 chambers and 100 bathtubs
• 1917 - 1st Infantry division "Big Red One" shoots 1st US shot in WW I


Holidays - Traditional and Obscure
• Ayudha Puja
• Chulalongkorn Day / Piyamararaj Day
• Hungarian Republic Day
• International: Chung Yeung Festival
• Libya Liberation Day
• Maha Navami
• National Boston Cream Pie Day
• New Zealand Labour Day

Birthdays
• 1491 - Ignatius of Loyola, Spanish-Basque nobleman, priest, co-founder of the Jesuits
• 1634 - Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden
• 1715 - Peter II Alexeyevich, Tsar of Russia (1727-30)
• 1762 - Samuel Morey, American inventor (a pioneer in steamships)
• 1797 - John Jacob Rochussen, Dutch governor-general of Dutch-Indies (1845-51)
• 1813 - Ludwig Leichhardt, German explorer of northern and central Australia
• 1835 - Adlai Stevenson I, American politician (D), 23rd Vice President of the United States
• 1873 - William D. Coolidge, American physicist and inventor (modern x-ray tube)