Events 4.23 (before 1950)

215 BC – A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene. 599 – Maya king Uneh Chan of Calakmul attacks rival city-state Palenque in southern Mexico, defeating queen Yohl Ik'nal and sacking the city. 711 – Dagobert III succeeds his father King Childebert III as King of the Franks. 1014 – Battle of Clontarf: High King of Ireland Brian Boru defeats Viking invaders, but is killed in battle. 1016 – Edmund Ironside succeeds his father Æthelred the Unready as King of England. 1343 – St. George's Night Uprising commences in the Duchy of Estonia. 1348 – The founding of the Order of the Garter by King Edward III is announced on St. George's Day. 1500 – Portuguese explorer Pedro Alvarez Cabral reaches new coastline (Brazil). 1516 – The Munich Reinheitsgebot (regarding the ingredients of beer) takes effect in all of Bavaria. 1521 – Battle of Villalar: King Charles I of Spain defeats the Comuneros. 1635 – The first public school in the United States, the Boston Latin School, is founded. 1655 – The Siege of Santo Domingo begins during the Anglo-Spanish War, and fails seven days later. 1660 – Treaty of Oliva is established between Sweden and Poland. 1661 – King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland is crowned in Westminster Abbey. 1724 – Johann Sebastian Bach leads the first performance of his cantata Du Hirte Israel, höre, BWV 104, illustrating the topic of the Good Shepherd in pastoral music. 1815 – The Second Serbian Uprising: A second phase of the national revolution of the Serbs against the Ottoman Empire, erupts shortly after the annexation of the country to the Ottoman Empire. 1879 – Fire burns down the second main building and dome of the University of Notre Dame, which prompts the construction of the third, and current, Main Building with its golden dome. 1891 – Chilean Civil War: The ironclad Blanco Encalada is sunk at Caldera Bay by torpedo boats. 1918 – World War I: The British Royal Navy makes a raid in an attempt to neutralise the Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge. 1919 – The Estonian Constituent Assembly is held in Estonia, which marks the birth of the Estonian Parliament, the Riigikogu. 1920 – The Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) is founded in Ankara. The assembly denounces the government of Sultan Mehmed VI and announces the preparation of a temporary constitution. 1927 – Cardiff City defeat Arsenal in the FA Cup Final, the only time it has been won by a team not based in England. 1935 – The Polish Constitution of 1935 is adopted. 1940 – The Rhythm Club fire at a dance hall in Natchez, Mississippi, kills 198 people. 1941 – World War II: The Greek government and King George II evacuate Athens before the invading Wehrmacht. 1942 – World War II: Baedeker Blitz: German bombers hit Exeter, Bath and York in retaliation for the British raid on Lübeck. 1945 – World War II: Adolf Hitler's designated successor, Hermann Göring, sends him a telegram asking permission to take leadership of Nazi Germany. Martin Bormann and Joseph Goebbels advise Hitler that the telegram is treasonous. 1946 – Manuel Roxas is elected the last President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. 1949 – Chinese Civil War: Establishment of the People's Liberation Army Navy.

On This Day In History

April 23rd, 599: Maya king Uneh Chan of Calakmul attacked Palenque, defeating queen Yohl Ik'nal and sacking the city.

get to know us ❖ favourite female rulers in their own right 

See a YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems "Key to a Storyline" (written 12/21, on and for National Short Story Day), "Overturn the Futility" (written 12/22, on and for the 1849 date Fyodor Dostoyevsky was supposed to be killed for crimes against the Czar), "Vaulted to Silhouette the Sky" (written 12/23, on and for the 583 date the Maya queen Yohl Ik'nal is crowned ruler of Palenque), "Usual Conquest Style" (written 12/24, on and for the 1777 date that Kiritimati, AKA Christmas Island, is discovered by James Cook), "Exploit the Island" (written 12/25, on and for the 1643 date that Christmas Island was discovered), "Lost Cross" (for Christmas), and "Dilemmas in Gift Giving" (for Christmas) from the Janet Kuypers poetry book "Every Event of the Year (Volume Two: July-December)" for The Cafe Gallery 12/23/20 Book Reading in The Cafe Gallery book reading series (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). https://youtu.be/h4WuR-OONno #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersbookreading #janetkuypersthecafegallery y #janetkuypersinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CJzBQumhVqb/?igshid=dz816kq08259

Palenque - Mexico

Le couvercle du sarcophage, à l'iconographie cosmique complexe, représente le souverain défunt dans une position curieuse qui a suscité différentes interprétations. La plus communément admise est que Pakal   tombe dans la gueule du monstre terrestre au moment de sa mort à l'image du soleil couchant. Une autre possibilité serait que le roi émerge de la terre à l'image du soleil levant. Derrière le roi se dresse un arbre cosmique en forme de croix sur lequel est perché un oiseau. Une inscription sur la tranche du couvercle mentionne les dates de naissance, d'accession et de décès de Pakal, ainsi que les dates d'accession  et de décès de ses prédécesseurs. Sur les côtés du sarcophage figurent des portraits d'ancêtres émergeant à mi-corps de la terre sous forme d'arbres fruitiers: sa  mère, la Dame Sak K'uk', et son père K'an Hix Mo' représentés chacun deux fois, Ahkal Mo' Nahb, K'an Joy Chitam, la reine Yohl Ik'nal, représentée également deux fois et Janaab' Pakal.

Les murs de la crypte sont décorés de neuf personnages en stuc tenant chacun un sceptre K'awiil et qu'on identifie généralement à des ancêtres royaux, notamment Yoh Ik'nal que l'on distingue grâce à sa longue jupe.

Dans le sarcophage, l'archéologue Alberto Ruz Lhuillier découvrit un squelette dont la face était couverte d'un masque de jade. Tout un trésor dormait à côté du défunt dont une partie a été volée en 1985.

Les ruines en détail

Les principales structures

Palais

Situé au nord-est du Temple des Inscriptions sur une plate-forme de base trapézoïdale, le complexe connu sous le nom de «Palais» est le plus grand de Palenque[10]. Les archéologues ne s'accordent pas sur sa destination: bien que certains, comme son nom peut le laisser penser, le considèrent comme un ensemble résidentiel, d'autres pensent plutôt qu'il s'agit d'un complexe administratif ou de bâtiments à vocation cérémonielle. On y accède par de grands escaliers au nord, à l'est et à l'ouest. Le Palais est en fait un agrégat de souterrains, de patios, de galeries et d'édifices traditionnellement appelés «Maisons», chacune étant affectée d'une lettre par les archéologues.

La plus grande partie des bâtiments fut construite sous le règne de K'inich Janaab' Pakal I. La partie la plus ancienne est constituée de galeries enterrées appelées «souterrains». On ne sait trop si elles existaient avant le règne de Pakal et ont été ensevelies sous les constructions ultérieures ou si elles ont été conçues par Pakal. Consacrée en 654, la Maison E, la première de celles visibles actuellement, se situe au cœur du complexe. C'était la salle du trône. Sur le mur du fond se trouve un panneau connu sous le nom de «Tablette ovale». Elle représente Pakal et sa mère Dame Sak K'uk qui lui remet une coiffure - connue sous le vocable anglais de «drum major» - lors de son accession au trône. Sous la Tablette ovale se trouvait le trône soutenu par des bacabs. Actuellement fort endommagé, on en conserve cependant une vue sur une gravure de 1787, lorsqu'il était encore intact.

Immédiatement au nord de la Maison E, Pakal fit construire la Maison C, consacrée en 661. De chaque côté de l'escalier qui y conduit depuis la Cour est, se trouvent des panneaux représentant des prisonniers. Il s'agit de nobles de Santa Elena, un royaume allié à Calakmul, que Pakal avait défait en 659, et de Pomona. La Maison C commémore cette victoire. Sur son escalier hiéroglyphique, une inscription relate la défaite de Palenque par Calakmul à la fin du vie siècle. Reconnaître une défaite n'est ici qu'un moyen de souligner la revanche remportée sous le règne de Pakal.

De l'autre côté de la Cour est un escalier mène à la Maison A, consacrée en 668. Ici aussi on trouve des dalles grossièrement sculptées représentant des prisonniers sur un mur incliné. Ces bas-reliefs firent une forte impression sur John Lloyd Stephens lorsqu'il explora le site en 1840: «Ces personnages sont parés de coiffes et de colliers somptueux, mais leur attitude trahit la souffrance et l'affliction. Le dessin et les proportions anatomiques de ces figures sont fautifs, mais il en émane une force d'expression qui témoigne de l'habileté et du talent créateur de l'artiste[13].». Composé de deux galeries parallèles de 2,30 m de largeur, Les piliers par lesquels le bâtiment s'ouvre vers l'extérieur sont ornés de personnages en stuc représentant sans doute Pakal lui-même. Les personnages assis à ses pieds pourraient être des figures d'ancêtres.

La Maison D délimite le Palais à l'ouest. Son architecture ressemble à celle de la Maison A. Ses sculptures en stuc sont cependant très différentes de celles de cette dernière. Il pourrait s'agir de scènes mythologiques situées à Matwiil, le lieu d'origine mythique de la dynastie de Palenque[14]. Une première version de la Maison A-D, qui ferme l'ensemble vers le nord, daterait également du règne de Pakal. Le deuxième fils de Pakal, K'inich k'an Joy Chitam II, apporta des modifications à cet édifice et y fit installer la «Tablette du Palais», qui le représente entouré de son père et de sa mère. La maison A-D est actuellement en grande partie effondrée.

Le trait le plus distinctif du Palais, un édifice en forme de tour de quatre étages, de base presque carrée (7 m × 7,50 m), a été ajouté à l'ensemble sous le règne de K'inich K'uk Bahlam. Les archéologues pensent qu'il servait d'observatoire. Le dernier étage est une reconstitution.

Temple des inscriptions

Le Temple des inscriptions, conçu par K'inich Janaab' Pakal I comme son propre monument funéraire et achevé par son fils K'inich Kan Bahlam II, se dresse au sommet d'une pyramide à neuf degrés, haute de 20 m. On y accède par un escalier axial. Le temple était surmonté d'une crête faîtière qui a pratiquement entièrement disparu. Cinq portes s'ouvrent sur une salle rectangulaire qui communique avec trois pièces à l'arrière.

À l'intérieur se trouvent trois tablettes couvertes d'inscriptions. Le temple leur doit son nom. Ensemble, elles forment un seul texte de 617 blocs glyphiques, un des plus longs du monde maya[15]. Il traite de l'histoire de Palenque au cours des huit katuns entre 514 et 672, nous plonge dans un passé mythologique, lors de l'accession d'une divinité 1 246 826 années auparavant et nous projette ensuite dans le futur, lors de la célébration de la fin d'un katun en 4772 ap. J.-C. Le texte détaille certains événements du règne de K'inich Janaab' Pakal I, mentionne son décès et se termine par l'accession au trône pde son fils.

À l'extérieur, les six piliers de la façade du temple étaient décorés de bas-reliefs en stuc. Les quatre piliers centraux sont ornés chacun d'un personnage portant dans ses bras un enfant dont une jambe a la forme d'un serpent. L'interprétation de ces panneaux reste sujette à discussion. Le découvreur de la tombe de Pakal, Alberto Ruz Lhuillier, y voyait des offrandes d'enfants au dieu de la pluie. Linda Schele et David Freidel ont émis l'idée que l'enfant était le fils de Pakal, K'inich Kan bahlam II, dans les bras de ses ancêtres, dont Pakal lui-même et son épouse. La jambe de serpent l'identifie à GII, une des divinités de la Triade de Palenque, tandis qu'une difformité connue de ce souverain - six doigts de pied - l'identifie en tant qu'individu[16]. Ces auteurs voient dans cette mise en scène une forme de légitimation du souverain. Une autre hypothèse serait que l'enfant est Pakal lui-même sous la forme de GII. Les piliers situés à chaque extrémité du temple portaient des inscriptions qui auraient pu nous éclairer mais elles ont malheureusement disparu.

Depuis le temple, un escalier qui était dissimulé par une dalle tourne deux fois à angle droit et mène à une crypte située 22 m plus bas, un peu au-dessous du niveau du sol extérieur. Une grande dalle triangulaire fermait la crypte. Le long de l'escalier court un conduit en pierre reliant le temple à la crypte. Les archéologues baptisèrent ce conduit «psychoduc» ou «conduit de l'âme», considérant que sa fonction était de servir de trait d'union entre l'esprit du défunt et le monde des vivants. La crypte mesure 4 m × 10 m et la voûte a une hauteur de 7 m. L'espace est pratiquement entièrement occupé par le sarcophage.

Le couvercle du sarcophage, à l'iconographie cosmique complexe, représente le souverain défunt dans une position curieuse qui a suscité différentes interprétations. La plus communément admise est que Pakal tombe dans la gueule du monstre terrestre au moment de sa mort à l'image du soleil couchant. Une autre possibilité serait que le roi émerge de la terre à l'image du soleil levant. Derrière le roi se dresse un arbre cosmique en forme de croix sur lequel est perché un oiseau. Une inscription sur la tranche du couvercle mentionne les dates de naissance, d'accession et de décès de Pakal, ainsi que les dates d'accession et de décès de ses prédécesseurs. Sur les côtés du sarcophage figurent des portraits d'ancêtres émergeant à mi-corps de la terre sous forme d'arbres fruitiers: sa mère, la Dame Sak K'uk', et son père K'an Hix Mo' représentés chacun deux fois, Ahkal Mo' Nahb, K'an Joy Chitam, la reine Yohl Ik'nal, représentée également deux fois et Janaab' Pakal.

Les murs de la crypte sont décorés de neuf personnages en stuc tenant chacun un sceptre K'awiil et qu'on identifie généralement à des ancêtres royaux, notamment Yoh Ik'nal que l'on distingue grâce à sa longue jupe[17].

Dans le sarcophage, l'archéologue Alberto Ruz Lhuillier découvrit un squelette dont la face était couverte d'un masque de jade. Tout un trésor dormait à côté du défunt dont une partie a été volée en 1985.

Le Groupe de la Croix

Le Groupe de la Croix comporte le Temple de la Croix, le Temple du soleil et le Temple de la Croix feuillue. Le nom du groupe lui vient du premier de ces trois édifices. Le Temple de la Croix lui-même tire son nom du motif central d'un panneau qui orne le mur du fond du sanctuaire. Les premiers explorateurs du site l'avaient pris - à tort - pour une croix. Le Groupe de la Croix est situé au sud-est du Palais, de l'autre côte de la rivière Otulum, au pied d'une colline appelée «El Mirador».

Les trois temples, dressés sur des pyramides à degrés, sont groupés autour d'une place, an centre de laquelle se trouve une petite pyramide radiale[18]. Chaque temple était couronné d'une crête faîtière ajourée (cresteria) ornée de stucs et peinte. Cette disposition en triade rappelle des modèles de l'Époque préclassique à Nakbe ou à El Mirador[19].

Ils furent consacrés tous les trois le même jour, le 10 janvier 692, par K'inich Kan Bahlam II, fils de K'inich Janaab' Pakal I. Leur architecture, leur programme iconographique et leurs textes hiéroglyphiques sont extrêmement sophistiqués et cohérents. Nous savons par les inscriptions que le Groupe de la Croix est associé à la Triade de Palenque, un groupe de trois divinités identifiées par Heinrich Berlin en 1963[20], qui les nomma God I, God II et God III, qu'on abrège en GI, GII et GIII. Chaque temple est associé à une des trois divinités et correspond à un aspect du cosmos et de la royauté divine telle que les Mayas de l'Époque classique les concevaient. L'ensemble constitue une légitimation dynastique en rattachant le souverain régnant à des événements mythiques et à des ancêtres royaux.

Les trois temples présentent un plan identique: la façade s'ouvre par trois portes sur deux pièces qui communiquent également entre elles par trois portes. Au milieu de la pièce du fond se trouve une pièce plus petite, le sanctuaire proprement dit, appelé pib naah en maya. Au fond de ce sanctuaire se trouvent trois tablettes. Dans chaque sanctuaire, la tablette centrale obéit au même schéma: autour d'un motif central différent se font face deux personnages. L'un représente K'inich Kan Bahlam II âgé de six ans, vêtu d'un costume qui reste énigmatique. L'autre représente le même Kan Bahlam adulte, vêtu de manière beaucoup plus simple. Les inscriptions forment un ensemble cohérent, du Temple de la Croix, en passant par le Temple du Soleil puis la Croix feuillue.

La façade du Temple de la Croix s'est en grande partie effondrée, révélant l'intérieur de l'édifice. Il est associé à GI. La Tablette de la Croix au centre du sanctuaire est une réplique. L'original se trouve aujourd'hui exposée au Musée national d'anthropologie de Mexico.Encadrée par les figures de K'inich Kan Bahlam, jeune et vieux, l'icône centrale représente l'arbre de la création qui se trouve au centre du monde (« axis mundi ») selon la mythologie maya[21]. L'arbre émerge d'un masque du monstre terrestre. A son sommet se trouve perché un oiseau surnaturel. Les personnages se tiennent sur une bande céleste[22]. Tout le programme iconographique du Temple de la Croix fait référence à la sphère céleste et aux ancêtres.

Le Temple de la Croix feuillue, qui est maintenant dépourvu de façade, est consacré à GII. Les acteurs du panneau central, dit de la Croix feuillue, se tiennent de part et d'autre d'un plant de maïs ressemblant grossièrement à un croix, ce qui explique son nom. Il émerge d'un masque représentant la terre sous son aspect nourricier. Les branches de cette «croix» sont des feuilles, où des têtes du Dieu du maïs ont pris la place des épis. À son sommet se trouve perché un oiseau. L'imagerie de l'édifice est associée à l'eau et à l'agriculture

Le Temple du soleil, dressé sur une pyramide de 4 m de hauteur, est le plus petit mais aussi le mieux conservé des trois édifices. Il est consacré à GIII. Sur le panneau central du sanctuaire, les personnages se tiennent de part et d'autre d'un motif central formé d'un bouclier et de deux lances entrecroisées. Sur le bouclier figure la représentation frontale d'une tête de jaguar. Le jaguar est l'aspect nocturne du soleil, associé à la guerre[23]. Dans cet édifice, la thématique générale de l'iconographie relève de l'inframonde et de la guerre.

Autres structures

* Temple XII. C'est le premier temple à l'entrée du site, il est appelé aussi Temple du Crâne à cause du bas relief en stuc qui orne le haut de son escalier d'accès. Il est situé sur la même plateforme que le Temple XIII et le Temple des Inscriptions.

* Temple XIII. Au cours de travaux effectués en 1994, on y découvrit un couloir et trois chambres, dont l'une abritait un sarcophage. Celui-ci contenait les ossements d'une femme d'âge moyen couverts d'une épaisse couche de cinabre - d'où son sobriquet de «Reine rouge» - et accompagnés de nombreux objets en jade. De chaque côté du sarcophage gisait le squelette d'une victime sacrificielle. La proximité du Temple des inscriptions contenant le sarcophage de K'inich Janaab' Pakal I fit penser aux archéologues que la Reine rouge pourrait être la Dame Sak K'uk', mère de ce dernier. Cette hypothèse fut cependant infirmée par un examen de l'ADN excluant toute parenté entre les deux[24]. Faute de la moindre inscription, l'identité de la Reine rouge reste donc mystérieuse, même si on a spéculé qu'il pourrait s'agir de l'épouse de K'inich Janaab' Pakal I.

* Aqueduc. Il s’agit d’une structure voûtée de trois mètres de haut qui conduit au fleuve Otolum en passant sous la place principale de Palenque, dans la section qui correspond à la façade orientale du Palais. L’aqueduc est complété par un pont de pierre qui enjambe les eaux de l’endroit que l’on appelle « le bain de la Reine », à l’extrême nord du groupe principal.

* Temple du lion. Il se situe à 200 mètres au sud du groupe principal. Il doit son nom au bas-relief finement ciselé qui représente un roi assis sur un trône en forme de jaguar bicéphale.

* Temple du Comte. C’est Waldeck qui le nomma ainsi. En effet c’est là qu’il séjourna lors de son voyage à Palenque. Entre autres extravagances, il aimait à se faire appeler Comte (et parfois Baron ou Duc). Cet élégant édifice possède une base à cinq degrés. Dans la partie supérieure se trouve un temple qui a conservé la totalité de ses éléments architecturaux originaux.

* Jeu de pelote. Deux plateformes parallèles constituent la structure permettant de faire un jeu de pelote.

6th October, Yohl Ik’nal

The Calendar Woman for 6th October is Yohl Ik’nal (500s-600s)

Yohl Ik’nal was a Mayan Queen of Palenque (now a famous archaeological site in south Mexico) who ruled from 583-604. Her name means ‘Heart of the Wind Place’ and she the first female ruler in recorded Maya history, one of the few Mayan women to rule in her own right. Historians have uncovered the history of Palenque from reading the hieroglyphic inscriptions on monuments and though we don’t know how she became queen – she was the only woman to rule Palenque that we know of - it is likely that she was the sister or daughter of Kan B’alam, her predecessor.

During her reign Palenque suffered a defeat by one of the great Maya powers of the age, Calakmul, but Yohl Ik’nal was able to negotiate a way that Palenque retained its individual political identity. This was probably in the form of a monetary tribute and Yohl Ik’nal evidently used this as a way of buying time as there are suggestions that either she or her successor successfully rebelled against the Calakmul before 611. We don’t know when or how Yohl Ik’nal died, but she was considered important enough to be depicted twice on the sarcophagus of her grandson and to be sculpted in stucco on the wall of his tomb. Archaeologist Merle Robertson has suggested that a vaulted tomb under Temple 20 in Palenque is that of Yohl Ik’nal but it hasn’t yet been confirmed.

Events 12.23 (before 1950)

484 – The Arian Vandal Kingdom ceases its persecution of Nicene Christianity. 558 – Chlothar I is crowned King of the Franks. 583 – Maya queen Yohl Ik'nal is crowned ruler of Palenque. 962 – The Sack of Aleppo as part of the Arab–Byzantine wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops storm the city of Aleppo. 1598 – Arauco War: Governor of Chile Martín García Óñez de Loyola is killed in the Battle of Curalaba by Mapuches led by Pelantaru. 1688 – As part of the Glorious Revolution, King James II of England flees from England to Paris, France after being deposed in favor of his son-in-law and nephew, William of Orange and his daughter Mary. 1783 – George Washington resigns as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Maryland. 1793 – The Battle of Savenay: A decisive defeat of the royalist counter-revolutionaries in War in the Vendée during the French Revolution. 1815 – The novel Emma by Jane Austen is first published. 1876 – First day of the Constantinople Conference which resulted in agreement for political reforms in the Balkans. 1893 – The opera Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck is first performed. 1905 – The Tampere conference, where Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin meet for the first time, is held in Tampere, Finland. 1913 – The Federal Reserve Act is signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson, creating the Federal Reserve System. 1914 – World War I: Australian and New Zealand troops arrive in Cairo, Egypt. 1914 – World War I: During the Battle of Sarikamish, Ottoman forces mistook one another for Russian troops. The following friendly fire incident leaves 2,000 Ottomans dead and many more wounded. 1916 – World War I: Battle of Magdhaba: Allied forces defeat Turkish forces in the Sinai Peninsula. 1919 – Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 becomes law in the United Kingdom. 1936 – Colombia becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty. 1936 – Spanish Civil War: The Spanish Republic legalizes the Regional Defence Council of Aragon. 1941 – World War II: After 15 days of fighting, the Imperial Japanese Army occupies Wake Island. 1947 – The transistor is first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories. 1948 – Seven Japanese military and political leaders convicted of war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East are executed by Allied occupation authorities at Sugamo Prison in Tokyo, Japan.

Events 4.23

215 BC – A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene. 599 – Maya king Uneh Chan of Calakmul attacks rival city-state Palenque in southern Mexico, defeating queen Yohl Ik'nal and sacking the city. 711 – Dagobert III succeeds his father King Childebert III as King of the Franks. 1014 – Battle of Clontarf: High King of Ireland Brian Boru defeats Viking invaders, but is killed in battle. 1016 – Edmund Ironside succeeds his father Æthelred the Unready as King of England. 1343 – St. George's Night Uprising commences in the Duchy of Estonia. 1348 – The founding of the Order of the Garter by King Edward III is announced on St. George's Day. 1500 – Portuguese explorer Pedro Alvarez Cabral reaches new coastline (Brazil). 1516 – The Munich Reinheitsgebot (regarding the ingredients of beer) takes effect in all of Bavaria. 1521 – Battle of Villalar: King Charles I of Spain defeats the Comuneros. 1635 – The first public school in the United States, Boston Latin School, is founded in Boston. 1655 – The Siege of Santo Domingo begins during the Anglo-Spanish War, and fails seven days later. 1660 – Treaty of Oliva is established between Sweden and Poland. 1661 – King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland is crowned in Westminster Abbey. 1815 – The Second Serbian Uprising: A second phase of the national revolution of the Serbs against the Ottoman Empire, erupts shortly after the annexation of the country to the Ottoman Empire. 1879 – Fire burns down the second main building and dome of the University of Notre Dame, which prompts the construction of the third, and current, Main Building with its golden dome. 1891 – Chilean Civil War: The ironclad Blanco Encalada is sunk at Caldera Bay by torpedo boats. 1914 – First baseball game at Wrigley Field, then known as Weeghman Park, in Chicago. 1918 – World War I: The British Royal Navy makes a raid in an attempt to neutralise the Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge. 1919 – The Estonian Constituent Assembly was held in Estonia, which marked the birth of the Estonian Parliament, the Riigikogu. 1920 – The Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) is founded in Ankara. The assembly denounces the government of Sultan Mehmed VI and announces the preparation of a temporary constitution. 1927 – Cardiff City defeat Arsenal in the FA Cup Final, the only time it has been won by a team not based in England. 1935 – The Polish Constitution of 1935 is adopted. 1940 – The Rhythm Club fire at a dance hall in Natchez, Mississippi, kills 198 people. 1941 – World War II: The Greek government and King George II evacuate Athens before the invading Wehrmacht. 1942 – World War II: Baedeker Blitz: German bombers hit Exeter, Bath and York in retaliation for the British raid on Lübeck. 1945 – World War II: Adolf Hitler's designated successor, Hermann Göring, sends him a telegram asking permission to take leadership of Nazi Germany. Martin Bormann and Joseph Goebbels advise Hitler that the telegram is treasonous. 1946 – Manuel Roxas is elected the last President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. 1949 – Chinese Civil War: Establishment of the People's Liberation Army Navy. 1951 – Cold War: American journalist William N. Oatis is arrested for espionage by the Communist government of Czechoslovakia. 1961 – Algiers putsch by French generals. 1967 – Soviet space program: Soyuz 1 (Russian: Союз 1, Union 1) a crewed spaceflight carrying cosmonaut Colonel Vladimir Komarov is launched into orbit. 1968 – Vietnam War: Student protesters at Columbia University in New York City take over administration buildings and shut down the university. 1971 – Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army and Razakars massacre approximately 3,000 Hindu emigrants in the Jathibhanga area of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). 1985 – Coca-Cola changes its formula and releases New Coke. The response is overwhelmingly negative, and the original formula is back on the market in less than three months. 1990 – Namibia becomes the 160th member of the United Nations and the 50th member of the Commonwealth of Nations. 1993 – Eritreans vote overwhelmingly for independence from Ethiopia in a United Nations-monitored referendum. 1993 – Sri Lankan politician Lalith Athulathmudali is assassinated while addressing a gathering, approximately four weeks ahead of the Provincial Council elections for the Western Province. 1999 – NATO bombs the headquarters of Radio Television of Serbia, as part of their aerial campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. 2005 – The first YouTube video, titled "Me at the zoo", was published by co-founder Jawed Karim. 2013 – At least 28 people are killed and more than 70 are injured as violence breaks out in Hawija, Iraq. 2018 – A vehicle-ramming attack kills 11 people and injures 15 in Toronto. A 25-year-old suspect, Alek Minassian, is arrested. 2019 – The April 2019 Hpakant jade mine collapse in Myanmar kills four miners and two rescuers.

Events 12.23

484 – The Arian Vandal Kingdom ceases its persecution of Nicene Christianity. 558 – Chlothar I is crowned King of the Franks. 583 – Maya queen Yohl Ik'nal is crowned ruler of Palenque. 962 – The Sack of Aleppo as part of the Arab–Byzantine wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops storm the city of Aleppo. 1598 – Arauco War: Governor of Chile Martín García Óñez de Loyola is killed in the Battle of Curalaba by Mapuches led by Pelantaru. 1688 – As part of the Glorious Revolution, King James II of England flees from England to Paris, France after being deposed in favor of his son-in-law and nephew, William of Orange and his daughter Mary. 1783 – George Washington resigns as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Maryland. 1793 – The Battle of Savenay: A decisive defeat of the royalist counter-revolutionaries in War in the Vendée during the French Revolution. 1815 – The novel Emma by Jane Austen is first published. 1876 – First day of the Constantinople Conference which resulted in agreement for political reforms in the Balkans. 1893 – The opera Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck is first performed. 1913 – The Federal Reserve Act is signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson, creating the Federal Reserve System. 1914 – World War I: Australian and New Zealand troops arrive in Cairo, Egypt. 1914 – World War I: During the Battle of Sarikamish, Ottoman forces mistook one another for Russian troops. The following friendly fire incident leave 2,000 Ottomans dead and many more wounded. 1916 – World War I: Battle of Magdhaba: Allied forces defeat Turkish forces in the Sinai Peninsula. 1919 – Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 becomes law in the United Kingdom. 1936 – Colombia becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty. 1936 – Spanish Civil War: The Spanish Republic legalizes the Regional Defence Council of Aragon. 1941 – World War II: After 15 days of fighting, the Imperial Japanese Army occupies Wake Island. 1947 – The transistor is first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories. 1948 – Seven Japanese military and political leaders convicted of war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East are executed by Allied occupation authorities at Sugamo Prison in Tokyo, Japan. 1950 – General Walton Walker dies in a jeep accident and is replaced by General Matthew Ridgway in the Eighth United States Army. 1954 – First successful kidney transplant is performed by J. Hartwell Harrison and Joseph Murray. 1955 – The first film adaptation of Väinö Linna's novel The Unknown Soldier, directed by Edvin Laine, premieres. 1960 – Hilkka Saarinen née Pylkkänen is murdered in the so-called the "oven homicide" case in Krootila, Kokemäki, Finland. 1968 – The 82 sailors from the USS Pueblo are released after eleven months of internment in North Korea. 1970 – The North Tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York, New York is topped out at 417 metres (1,368 ft), making it the tallest building in the world. 1970 – The Democratic Republic of the Congo officially becomes a one-party state. 1972 – The Immaculate Reception is caught by Franco Harris to win the Pittsburgh Steelers their first ever playoff victory, after defeating the Oakland Raiders. 1972 – A 6.5 magnitude earthquake strikes the Nicaraguan capital of Managua killing more than 10,000. 1972 – The 16 survivors of the Andes flight disaster are rescued after 73 days, surviving by cannibalism. 1978 – Alitalia Flight 4128 crashes into the Tyrrhenian Sea while on approach to Falcone Borsellino Airport in Palermo, Italy, killing 108. 1979 – Soviet–Afghan War: Soviet Union forces occupy Kabul, the Afghan capital. 1984 – After experiencing an engine fire, Aeroflot Flight 3519 attempts to make an emergency landing at Krasnoyarsk International Airport but crashes, killing 110 of the 111 people on board. 1986 – Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California becoming the first aircraft to fly non-stop around the world without aerial or ground refueling. 1990 – History of Slovenia: In a referendum, 88.5% of Slovenia's overall electorate vote for independence from Yugoslavia. 2002 – A U.S. MQ-1 Predator is shot down by an Iraqi MiG-25 in the first combat engagement between a drone and conventional aircraft. 2003 – An explosion at the PetroChina Chuandongbei natural gas field in Kai County, Chongqing, China, kills at least 234. 2005 – An Antonov An-140, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 217 from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Aktau, Kazakhstan, heading across the Caspian Sea, crashes, killing 23 people. 2007 – An agreement is made for the Kingdom of Nepal to be abolished and the country to become a federal republic with the Prime Minister becoming head of state. 2008 – A coup d'état occurs in Guinea hours after the death of President Lansana Conté. 2015 – A bomb explodes at Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen Airport, killing one airport cleaner. The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks claim responsibility for the attack four days later.

On This Day In History

December 23rd, 583: Maya queen Yohl Ik'nal is crowned ruler of Palenque.

Events 4.23

215 BC – A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene. 599 – Maya king Uneh Chan of Calakmul attacks rival city-state Palenque in southern Mexico, defeating queen Yohl Ik'nal and sacking the city. 711 – Dagobert III succeeds his father King Childebert III as King of the Franks. 1014 – Battle of Clontarf: High King of Ireland Brian Boru defeats Viking invaders, but is killed in battle. 1016 – Edmund Ironside succeeds his father Æthelred the Unready as King of England. 1343 – St. George's Night Uprising commences in the Duchy of Estonia. 1348 – The founding of the Order of the Garter by King Edward III is announced on St. George's Day. 1500 – Portuguese explorer Pedro Alvarez Cabral reaches new coastline (Brazil). 1516 – The Munich Reinheitsgebot (regarding the ingredients of beer) takes effect in all of Bavaria. 1521 – Battle of Villalar: King Charles I of Spain defeats the Comuneros. 1635 – The first public school in the United States, Boston Latin School, is founded in Boston. 1655 – The Siege of Santo Domingo begins during the Anglo-Spanish War, and fails seven days later. 1660 – Treaty of Oliva is established between Sweden and Poland. 1661 – King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland is crowned in Westminster Abbey. 1815 – The Second Serbian Uprising: A second phase of the national revolution of the Serbs against the Ottoman Empire, erupts shortly after the annexation of the country to the Ottoman Empire. 1879 – Fire burns down the second main building and dome of the University of Notre Dame, which prompts the construction of the third, and current, Main Building with its golden dome. 1891 – Chilean Civil War: The ironclad Blanco Encalada is sunk at Caldera Bay by torpedo boats. 1914 – First baseball game at Wrigley Field, then known as Weeghman Park, in Chicago. 1918 – World War I: The British Royal Navy makes a raid in an attempt to neutralise the Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge. 1919 – The Estonian Constituent Assembly was held in Estonia, which marked the birth of the Estonian Parliament, the Riigikogu. 1920 – The Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) is founded in Ankara. The assembly denounces the government of Sultan Mehmed VI and announces the preparation of a temporary constitution. 1927 – Cardiff City defeat Arsenal in the FA Cup Final, the only time it has been won by a team not based in England. 1935 – The Polish Constitution of 1935 is adopted. 1940 – The Rhythm Club fire at a dance hall in Natchez, Mississippi, kills 198 people. 1941 – World War II: The Greek government and King George II evacuate Athens before the invading Wehrmacht. 1942 – World War II: Baedeker Blitz: German bombers hit Exeter, Bath and York in retaliation for the British raid on Lübeck. 1945 – World War II: Adolf Hitler's designated successor, Hermann Göring, sends him a telegram asking permission to take leadership of Nazi Germany. Martin Bormann and Joseph Goebbels advise Hitler that the telegram is treasonous. 1946 – Manuel Roxas is elected the last President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. 1949 – Chinese Civil War: Establishment of the People's Liberation Army Navy. 1951 – Cold War: American journalist William N. Oatis is arrested for espionage by the Communist government of Czechoslovakia. 1961 – Algiers putsch by French generals. 1967 – Soviet space program: Soyuz 1 (Russian: Союз 1, Union 1) a crewed spaceflight carrying cosmonaut Colonel Vladimir Komarov is launched into orbit. 1968 – Vietnam War: Student protesters at Columbia University in New York City take over administration buildings and shut down the university. 1971 – Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army and Razakars massacre approximately 3,000 Hindu emigrants in the Jathibhanga area of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). 1985 – Coca-Cola changes its formula and releases New Coke. The response is overwhelmingly negative, and the original formula is back on the market in less than three months. 1990 – Namibia becomes the 160th member of the United Nations and the 50th member of the Commonwealth of Nations. 1993 – Eritreans vote overwhelmingly for independence from Ethiopia in a United Nations-monitored referendum. 1993 – Sri Lankan politician Lalith Athulathmudali is assassinated while addressing a gathering, approximately four weeks ahead of the Provincial Council elections for the Western Province. 1999 – NATO bombs the headquarters of Radio Television of Serbia, as part of their aerial campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. 2005 – The first YouTube video, titled "Me at the zoo", was published by co-founder Jawed Karim. 2013 – At least 28 people are killed and more than 70 are injured as violence breaks out in Hawija, Iraq. 2018 – A vehicle-ramming attack kills 10 people and injures 16 in Toronto. A 25-year-old suspect, Alek Minassian, is arrested. 2019 – The April 2019 Hpakant jade mine collapse in Myanmar kills four miners and two rescuers.

Events 12.23

484 – The Arian Vandal Kingdom ceases its persecution of Nicene Christianity. 558 – Chlothar I is crowned King of the Franks. 583 – Maya queen Yohl Ik'nal is crowned ruler of Palenque. 962 – The Sack of Aleppo as part of the Arab–Byzantine wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops storm the city of Aleppo. 1598 – Arauco War: Governor of Chile Martín García Óñez de Loyola is killed in the Battle of Curalaba by Mapuches led by Pelantaru. 1688 – As part of the Glorious Revolution, King James II of England flees from England to Paris, France after being deposed in favor of his nephew, William of Orange and his daughter Mary. 1783 – George Washington resigns as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Maryland. 1793 – The Battle of Savenay: A decisive defeat of the royalist counter-revolutionaries in War in the Vendée during the French Revolution. 1815 – The novel Emma by Jane Austen is first published. 1876 – First day of the Constantinople Conference which resulted in agreement for political reforms in the Balkans. 1893 – The opera Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck is first performed. 1913 – The Federal Reserve Act is signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson, creating the Federal Reserve System. 1914 – World War I: Australian and New Zealand troops arrive in Cairo, Egypt. 1916 – World War I: Battle of Magdhaba: Allied forces defeat Turkish forces in the Sinai Peninsula. 1919 – Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 becomes law in the United Kingdom. 1936 – Colombia becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty. 1936 – Spanish Civil War: The Spanish Republic legalizes the Regional Defence Council of Aragon. 1941 – World War II: After 15 days of fighting, the Imperial Japanese Army occupies Wake Island. 1947 – The transistor is first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories. 1948 – Seven Japanese military and political leaders convicted of war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East are executed by Allied occupation authorities at Sugamo Prison in Tokyo, Japan. 1954 – First successful kidney transplant is performed by J. Hartwell Harrison and Joseph Murray. 1955 – The first film adaptation of Väinö Linna's novel The Unknown Soldier, directed by Edvin Laine, premieres. 1960 – Hilkka Saarinen née Pylkkänen is murdered in the so-called the "oven homicide" case in Krootila, Kokemäki, Finland. 1968 – The 82 sailors from the USS Pueblo are released after eleven months of internment in North Korea. 1970 – The North Tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York, New York is topped out at 417 metres (1,368 ft), making it the tallest building in the world. 1970 – The Democratic Republic of the Congo officially becomes a one-party state. 1972 – A 6.5 magnitude earthquake strikes the Nicaraguan capital of Managua killing more than 10,000. 1972 – The 16 survivors of the Andes flight disaster are rescued after 73 days, surviving by cannibalism. 1978 – Alitalia Flight 4128 crashes into the Tyrrhenian Sea while on approach to Falcone Borsellino Airport in Palermo, Italy, killing 108. 1979 – Soviet–Afghan War: Soviet Union forces occupy Kabul, the Afghan capital. 1984 – After experiencing an engine fire, Aeroflot Flight 3519 attempts to make an emergency landing at Krasnoyarsk International Airport but crashes, killing 110 of the 111 people on board. 1986 – Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California becoming the first aircraft to fly non-stop around the world without aerial or ground refueling. 1990 – History of Slovenia: In a referendum, 88.5% of Slovenia's overall electorate vote for independence from Yugoslavia. 2002 – A U.S. MQ-1 Predator is shot down by an Iraqi MiG-25 in the first combat engagement between a drone and conventional aircraft. 2003 – PetroChina Chuandongbei natural gas field explosion, Guoqiao, Kai County, Chongqing, China, killing at least 234. 2007 – An agreement is made for the Kingdom of Nepal to be abolished and the country to become a federal republic with the Prime Minister becoming head of state. 2015 – A bomb explodes at Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen Airport, killing one airport cleaner. The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks claim responsibility for the attack four days later.

Events 4.23

215 BC – A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene. AD 599 – Maya king Uneh Chan of Calakmul attacks rival city-state Palenque in southern Mexico, defeating queen Yohl Ik'nal and sacking the city. 711 – Dagobert III succeeds his father King Childebert III as King of the Franks. 1014 – Battle of Clontarf: High King of Ireland Brian Boru defeats Viking invaders, but is killed in battle. 1016 – Edmund Ironside succeeds his father Æthelred the Unready as King of England. 1343 – St. George's Night Uprising commences in the Duchy of Estonia. 1348 – The founding of the Order of the Garter by King Edward III is announced on St. George's Day. 1516 – The Munich Reinheitsgebot (regarding the ingredients of beer) takes effect in all of Bavaria. 1521 – Battle of Villalar: King Charles I of Spain defeats the Comuneros. 1635 – The first public school in the United States, Boston Latin School, is founded in Boston. 1655 – The Siege of Santo Domingo begins during the Anglo-Spanish War, and fails seven days later. 1660 – Treaty of Oliva is established between Sweden and Poland. 1661 – King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland is crowned in Westminster Abbey. 1815 – The Second Serbian Uprising: A second phase of the national revolution of the Serbs against the Ottoman Empire, erupts shortly after the annexation of the country to the Ottoman Empire. 1879 – Fire burns down the second main building and dome of the University of Notre Dame, which prompts the construction of the third, and current, Main Building with its golden dome. 1891 – Chilean Civil War: The ironclad Blanco Encalada is sunk at Caldera Bay by torpedo boats. 1914 – First baseball game at Wrigley Field, then known as Weeghman Park, in Chicago. 1918 – World War I: The British Royal Navy makes a raid in an attempt to neutralise the Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge. 1920 – The Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) is founded in Ankara. The assembly denounces the government of Sultan Mehmed VI and announces the preparation of a temporary constitution. 1927 – Cardiff City defeat Arsenal in the FA Cup Final, the only time it has been won by a team not based in England. 1935 – The Polish Constitution of 1935 is adopted. 1940 – The Rhythm Club fire at a dance hall in Natchez, Mississippi, kills 198 people. 1941 – World War II: The Greek government and King George II evacuate Athens before the invading Wehrmacht. 1942 – World War II: Baedeker Blitz: German bombers hit Exeter, Bath and York in retaliation for the British raid on Lübeck. 1945 – World War II: Adolf Hitler's designated successor, Hermann Göring, sends him a telegram asking permission to take leadership of the Third Reich. Martin Bormann and Joseph Goebbels advise Hitler that the telegram is treasonous. 1946 – Manuel Roxas is elected the last President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. 1949 – Chinese Civil War: Establishment of the People's Liberation Army Navy. 1951 – Cold War: American journalist William N. Oatis is arrested for espionage by the Communist government of Czechoslovakia. 1961 – Algiers putsch by French generals. 1967 – Soviet space program: Soyuz 1 (Russian: Союз 1, Union 1) a manned spaceflight carrying cosmonaut Colonel Vladimir Komarov is launched into orbit. 1968 – Vietnam War: Student protesters at Columbia University in New York City take over administration buildings and shut down the university. 1971 – Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army and Razakars massacre approximately 3,000 Hindu emigrants in the Jathibhanga area of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). 1985 – Coca-Cola changes its formula and releases New Coke. The response is overwhelmingly negative, and the original formula is back on the market in less than three months. 1990 – Namibia becomes the 160th member of the United Nations and the 50th member of the Commonwealth of Nations. 1993 – Eritreans vote overwhelmingly for independence from Ethiopia in a United Nations-monitored referendum. 1993 – Sri Lankan politician Lalith Athulathmudali is assassinated while addressing a gathering, approximately four weeks ahead of the Provincial Council elections for the Western Province. 1999 – NATO bombs the headquarters of Radio Television of Serbia, as part of their aerial campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. 2005 – The first YouTube video, titled "Me at the zoo", was published by co-founder Jawed Karim. 2013 – At least 28 people are killed and more than 70 are injured as violence breaks out in Hawija, Iraq. 2018 – A vehicle-ramming attack kills 10 people and injures 16 in Toronto. A 25-year-old suspect, Alek Minassian, is arrested. 2019 – The 2019 Hpakant jade mine collapse in Myanmar kills four miners and two rescuers.

Events 12.23

484 – The Arian Vandal Kingdom ceases its persecution of Nicene Christianity. 558 – Chlothar I is crowned King of the Franks. 583 – Maya queen Yohl Ik'nal is crowned ruler of Palenque. 962 – The Sack of Aleppo as part of the Arab–Byzantine wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops storm the city of Aleppo. 1572 – Theologian Johann Sylvan is executed in Heidelberg for his heretical Antitrinitarian beliefs. 1598 – Arauco War: Governor of Chile Martín García Óñez de Loyola is killed in the Battle of Curalaba by Mapuches led by Pelantaru. 1688 – As part of the Glorious Revolution, King James II of England flees from England to Paris, France after being deposed in favor of his nephew, William of Orange and his daughter Mary. 1783 – George Washington resigns as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Maryland. 1793 – The Battle of Savenay: A decisive defeat of the royalist counter-revolutionaries in War in the Vendée during the French Revolution. 1815 – The novel Emma by Jane Austen is first published. 1876 – First day of the Constantinople Conference which resulted in agreement for political reforms in the Balkans. 1893 – The opera Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck is first performed. 1913 – The Federal Reserve Act is signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson, creating the Federal Reserve System. 1914 – World War I: Australian and New Zealand troops arrive in Cairo, Egypt. 1916 – World War I: Battle of Magdhaba: Allied forces defeat Turkish forces in the Sinai Peninsula. 1919 – Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 becomes law in the United Kingdom. 1936 – Colombia becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty. 1936 – Spanish Civil War: The Spanish Republic legalizes the Regional Defence Council of Aragon. 1941 – World War II: After 15 days of fighting, the Imperial Japanese Army occupies Wake Island. 1947 – The transistor is first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories. 1948 – Seven Japanese military and political leaders convicted of war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East are executed by Allied occupation authorities at Sugamo Prison in Tokyo, Japan. 1954 – First successful kidney transplant is performed by J. Hartwell Harrison and Joseph Murray. 1968 – The 82 sailors from the USS Pueblo are released after eleven months of internment in North Korea. 1970 – The North Tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York, New York is topped out at 1,368 feet (417 m), making it the tallest building in the world. 1970 – The Democratic Republic of the Congo officially becomes a one-party state. 1972 – A 6.5 magnitude earthquake strikes the Nicaraguan capital of Managua killing more than 10,000. 1972 – The 16 survivors of the Andes flight disaster are rescued after 73 days, surviving by cannibalism. 1979 – Soviet–Afghan War: Soviet Union forces occupy Kabul, the Afghan capital. 1984 – After experiencing an engine fire, Aeroflot Flight 3519 attempts to make an emergency landing at Krasnoyarsk International Airport but crashes, killing 110 of the 111 people on board. 1986 – Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California becoming the first aircraft to fly non-stop around the world without aerial or ground refueling. 1990 – History of Slovenia: In a referendum, 88.5% of Slovenia's overall electorate vote for independence from Yugoslavia. 2002 – A U.S. MQ-1 Predator is shot down by an Iraqi MiG-25 in the first combat engagement between a drone and conventional aircraft. 2003 – PetroChina Chuandongbei natural gas field explosion, Guoqiao, Kai County, Chongqing, China, killing at least 234. 2007 – An agreement is made for the Kingdom of Nepal to be abolished and the country to become a federal republic with the Prime Minister becoming head of state. 2015 – A bomb explodes at Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen Airport, killing one airport cleaner. The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks claim responsibility for the attack four days later.

Events 4.23

215 BC – A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene. 599 – Maya king Uneh Chan of Calakmul attacks rival city-state Palenque in southern Mexico, defeating queen Yohl Ik'nal and sacking the city. 711 – Dagobert III is crowned King of the Franks. 1014 – Battle of Clontarf: High King of Ireland Brian Boru defeats Viking invaders, but is killed in battle. 1016 – Edmund Ironside succeeds his father Æthelred the Unready as king of England. 1343 – St. George's Night Uprising commences in the Duchy of Estonia. 1348 – The founding of the Order of the Garter by King Edward III is announced on St. George's Day. 1516 – The Bayerische Reinheitsgebot (regarding the ingredients of beer) is signed in Ingolstadt. 1521 – Battle of Villalar: King Charles I of Spain defeats the Comuneros. 1635 – The first public school in the United States, Boston Latin School, is founded in Boston. 1655 – The Siege of Santo Domingo begins during the Anglo-Spanish War, and fails seven days later. 1660 – Treaty of Oliva is established between Sweden and Poland. 1661 – King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland is crowned in Westminster Abbey. 1815 – The Second Serbian Uprising: A second phase of the national revolution of the Serbs against the Ottoman Empire, erupts shortly after the annexation of the country to the Ottoman Empire. 1879 – Fire burns down the second main building and dome of the University of Notre Dame, which prompts the construction of the third, and current, Main Building with its golden dome. 1914 – First baseball game at Wrigley Field, then known as Weeghman Park, in Chicago. 1918 – World War I: The British Royal Navy makes a raid in an attempt to neutralise the Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge. 1920 – The Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) is founded in Ankara. The assembly denounces the government of Sultan Mehmed VI and announces the preparation of a temporary constitution. 1927 – Cardiff City defeat Arsenal in the FA Cup Final, the only time it has been won by a team not based in England. 1935 – The Polish Constitution of 1935 is adopted. 1940 – The Rhythm Club fire at a dance hall in Natchez, Mississippi, kills 198 people. 1941 – World War II: The Greek government and King George II evacuate Athens before the invading Wehrmacht. 1942 – World War II: Baedeker Blitz – German bombers hit Exeter, Bath and York in retaliation for the British raid on Lübeck. 1945 – World War II: Adolf Hitler's designated successor Hermann Göring sends him a telegram asking permission to take leadership of the Third Reich, which causes Hitler to replace him with Joseph Goebbels and Karl Dönitz. 1946 – Manuel Roxas is elected the last President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. 1949 – Chinese Civil War: Establishment of the People's Liberation Army Navy. 1951 – American journalist William N. Oatis is arrested for espionage by the Communist government of Czechoslovakia. 1955 – The Canadian Labour Congress is formed by the merger of the Trades and Labour Congress of Canada and the Canadian Congress of Labour. 1961 – Algiers putsch by French generals. 1967 – Soviet space program: Soyuz 1 (Russian: Союз 1, Union 1) a manned spaceflight carrying cosmonaut Colonel Vladimir Komarov is launched into orbit. 1968 – Vietnam War: Student protesters at Columbia University in New York City take over administration buildings and shut down the university. 1971 – Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army and Razakars massacre approximately 3,000 Hindu emigrants in the Jathibhanga area of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). 1985 – Coca-Cola changes its formula and releases New Coke. The response is overwhelmingly negative, and the original formula is back on the market in less than three months. 1990 – Namibia becomes the 160th member of the United Nations and the 50th member of the Commonwealth of Nations. 1993 – Eritreans vote overwhelmingly for independence from Ethiopia in a United Nations-monitored referendum. 1993 – Sri Lankan politician Lalith Athulathmudali is assassinated while addressing a gathering, approximately four weeks ahead of the Provincial Council elections for the Western Province. 2005 – The first ever YouTube video, titled "Me at the zoo", was published by user "jawed". 2013 – At least 28 people are killed and more than 70 are injured as violence breaks out in Hawija, Iraq.