On This day October 23rd

 OTD

October 23rd is the 296th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 69 days remain until the end of the year.

 

Events

42 BC – Liberators' Civil War: Mark Antony and Octavian decisively defeat an army under Brutus in the second part of the Battle of Philippi, with Brutus committing suicide and ending the civil war.

1295 – The first treaty forming the Auld Alliance between Scotland and France against England was signed in Paris.

1666 – The most intense tornado on record in English history, an F4 storm on the Fujita scale or T8 on the TORRO scale, strikes the county of Lincolnshire with winds of more than 213 miles per hour (343 km/h).

1927 – The Imatra Cinema was destroyed in a fire in Tampere, Finland, during the 1924 film Wages of Virtue; 21 people died, and almost 30 were injured.

1955 – Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm defeats former emperor Bảo Đại in a referendum and founds the Republic of Vietnam.

1970 – Gary Gabelich sets a land speed record in a rocket-powered automobile, the Blue Flame, fueled with natural gas.

1995 – Yolanda Saldívar is found guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting death of famous Latin singer Selena.

2001 – Apple Computer releases the iPod.

 

 

Birthdays

1762 – Samuel Morey, American engineer (d. 1843)

1813 – Ludwig Leichhardt, German-Australian explorer (d. 1848)

1835 – Adlai Stevenson I, American lawyer and politician, 23rd Vice President of the United States (d. 1914)

1869 – John Heisman, American football player and coach (d. 1936)

1905 – Gertrude Ederle, American swimmer (d. 2003)

1925 – Johnny Carson, American comedian and talk show host (d. 2005)

1931 – Jim Bunning, American baseball player, and politician (d. 2017)

1940 – Pelé, Brazilian footballer and actor (d. 2022)

1946 – Mel Martínez, American lawyer and politician, 12th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

1956 – Dwight Yoakam, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor

1959 – "Weird Al" Yankovic, American singer-songwriter, comedian, and actor

1986 – Emilia Clarke, English actress

 

Holiday Spotlight

Swallows Depart from San Juan Capistrano Day

Most of us have a fantasy of flying through the sky like Superman. But that is likely to be impossible. But birds can do that on an everyday basis. Most birds can dance with the winds and sing with the trees. However, we can admire the grace and beauty of these remarkable birds instead of fantasizing about being Superman. And October 23 is the best day for that, as swallows will nest at San Juan Capistrano in Orange County, California.

 Swallows are a family of passerine birds found worldwide and occasionally found even in Antarctica. Swallows are also known as martins, saw-wings, or Hirundinidae. They evolved around 22 million years ago. But they became more widespread in the evolution of humans and the start of agriculture. They are excellent insect hunters. Many species visit agricultural lands and other human-altered landscapes, searching for food and nesting grounds.

 There is an interesting legend about the San Juan Capistrano church in California and the swallows. An innkeeper destroyed the nests of swallows from the eaves of buildings as he thought of them as filthy and a nuisance. Father St. John O’Sullivan of the San Juan Capistrano happened upon this moment and invited the birds to the Mission. He provided sanctuary for the birds, and they started visiting the church every year from that year.

 

Others Include

Event Organizers Day

Hungarian Republic Day

iPod Day

Libya Liberation Day

Lung Health Day

National Boston Cream Pie Day

National Canning Day

National Croc Day

National Mole Day - (related to Chemistry)

National Slap Your Irritating Co-Worker Day

New Zealand Labor Day

Paralegal Day

TV Talk Show Host Day

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