History of Today 23 September: Important Events, Births and Deaths

Welcome to History of Today 23 September. On this page, you can read important historical events, famous births, notable deaths and general knowledge facts related to 23 September. This information is useful for UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railway, State PSC and other competitive exams.

Last updated on 23 September 2026, 01:00 AM

Important Events on 23 September in History

23 Sep 2024: Israel launches airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, killing more than 490 people. Read more
23 Sep 2022: Voting begins in the five-day sham annexation referendums in Russian-occupied Ukraine, leading to Russian annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. Read more
23 Sep 2020: A grand jury in Kentucky declines to indict three police officers for the shooting death of Breonna Taylor in a drug raid gone wrong, leading to nationwide protests in the U.S. Read more
23 Sep 2019: Twenty people die on the first of two days of rioting in Papua and West Papua over an alleged racist incident. Read more
23 Sep 2013: Twenty-five people are killed after Typhoon Usagi passes Hong Kong and China. Read more
23 Sep 2010: Teresa Lewis becomes the first woman to be executed by the U.S. state of Virginia since 1912, and the first woman in the state to be executed by lethal injection. Read more
23 Sep 2008: Matti Saari kills ten people at a school in Finland before committing suicide. Read more
23 Sep 2004: Over 3,000 people die in Haiti after Hurricane Jeanne produces massive flooding and mudslides. Read more
23 Sep 1999: Qantas Flight 1 overruns a runway in Bangkok during a storm, causing minor injuries to some passengers. Read more
23 Sep 1983: Gulf Air Flight 771 is destroyed by a bomb, killing all 112 people on board. Read more
23 Sep 1973: Argentine general election: Juan Perón returns to power in Argentina. Read more
23 Sep 1967: Seven people die, 46 people are injured, and more than 150 boats capsize when a squall hits Lake Michigan during Michigan's first coho salmon sport fishing season. Read more
23 Sep 1964: Typhoon Wilda, one of the strongest typhoons to ever strike Japan, makes landfall, causing at least 30 fatalities and sinking at least 64 ships. Read more
23 Sep 1962: Flying Tiger Line Flight 923, a Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation registered as N6923C, ditches into the Atlantic Ocean killing 28 out the 76 occupants onboard. The remaining 48 were rescued six hours later. Read more
23 Sep 1961: U.S. President John F. Kennedy nominates African American civil rights lawyer Thurgood Marshall to the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, although pro-segregation Southern senators manage to delay his confirmation until September 11, 1962. Read more
23 Sep 1957: Little Rock schools integration crisis: President Dwight D. Eisenhower sends the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock, Arkansas, and federalizes the Arkansas National Guard, ordering both to support the integration of Little Rock Central High School. Read more
23 Sep 1956: A tropical storm originating in the eastern Pacific Ocean passes into the Gulf of Mexico and is upgraded and named Hurricane Flossy just hours before striking the Gulf Coast and causing 15 deaths and an estimated US$24.8 million in damages. Read more
23 Sep 1955: An all-white jury in Mississippi finds Roy Bryant and J. W. Milam not guilty in the torture-murder of 14-year-old African American boy Emmett Till. Read more
23 Sep 1952: After being accused of financial improprieties, Senator Richard Nixon delivers his "Checkers speech" nationwide on television and radio, defending his actions and successfully salvaging his nomination as the Republican candidate for Vice President. Read more
23 Sep 1951: George VI, king of the United Kingdom, has his left lung removed in an operation after a malignant tumour was found. Read more
23 Sep 1950: Korean War: The Battle of Hill 282 is the first US friendly-fire incident on British military personnel since World War II. Read more
23 Sep 1947: A magnitude 6.9 earthquake strikes South Khorasan in Iran, killing over 500 people. Read more
23 Sep 1942: World War II: The Matanikau action on Guadalcanal begins: U.S. Marines attack Japanese units along the Matanikau River. Read more
23 Sep 1932: Saudi National Day: Crown Prince (later king) Faisal of Saudi Arabia, on behalf of Ibn Saud, proclaims the unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the current iteration of the Third Saudi State. Read more
23 Sep 1920: The Louisiana hurricane dissipates over Kansas after forcing around 4,500 people to evacuate and causing $1.45 million in damages. Read more
23 Sep 1918: World War I: British forces capture Haifa, Acre, and Es Salt from the Ottoman Empire. Read more
23 Sep 1913: The United Mine Workers of America launch a strike which eventually escalated into the Colorado Coalfield War. Read more
23 Sep 1905: Norway and Sweden sign the Karlstad Treaty, peacefully dissolving the Union between the two countries. Read more
23 Sep 1899: Philippine-American War: the American Asiatic Squadron destroys a Filipino battery at the Battle of Olongapo. Read more
23 Sep 1889: Nintendo is founded in Kyoto as a card game company. Read more
23 Sep 1885: Ethiopian forces under Ras Alula defeat Mahdist Sudanese forces in the battle of Kufit. Read more
23 Sep 1884: On the night of 23–24 September, the steamship Arctique runs aground near Cape Virgenes leading to the discovery of nearby placer gold, beginning the Tierra del Fuego gold rush. Read more
23 Sep 1879: The Macedo-Romanian Cultural Society is founded. Read more
23 Sep 1868: The Grito de Lares occurs in Puerto Rico against Spanish rule. Read more
23 Sep 1846: Astronomers Urbain Le Verrier, John Couch Adams and Johann Gottfried Galle collaborate on the discovery of Neptune. Read more
23 Sep 1821: Tripolitsa, Greece, is captured by Greek rebels during the Greek War of Independence. Read more
23 Sep 1803: Second Anglo-Maratha War: The Battle of Assaye is fought between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India. Read more

Famous Births on 23 September

23 Sep 2001: Lai Kuan-lin, Taiwanese film director Lai Kuan-lin, also romanized as Lai Guanlin and better known mononymously as Guanlin, is a Taiwanese former singer and actor. After finishing seventh on second season of South Korean competition series Produce 101, he joined the boy band Wanna One. After it was disbanded in January 2019, he formed a duo with Pentagon's Wooseok as Wooseok x Kuanlin in March 2019 and released an album. From 2019, he pursued a solo career in China, primarily as an actor, before moving into behind-the-scenes work in 2024. Read more
23 Sep 1999: Song Yu-qi, Chinese singer Song Yuqi, known mononymously as Yuqi, is a Chinese singer-songwriter, dancer and record producer. She is a member of the South Korean girl group I-dle, which debuted as (G)I-dle under Cube Entertainment in May 2018. She has been a cast member of the Chinese variety show Keep Running since 2019 and hosted the KakaoTV reality show Learn Way (2020–2021). In May 2021, Yuqi made her solo debut with a single album A Page. Read more
23 Sep 1997: John Collins, American basketball player John Martin Collins III is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Collins was selected with the 19th overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2017 NBA draft. He has also played for the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers. Read more
23 Sep 1996: Napheesa Collier, American basketball player Napheesa Collier, nicknamed "Phee", is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for the Lunar Owls of Unrivaled. Collier is also a founder of the Unrivaled basketball league along with Breanna Stewart. After playing college basketball for the UConn Huskies, Collier was drafted by the Lynx with the 6th overall pick in the 2019 WNBA draft. She has won two Olympic gold medals playing on the United States women's national basketball team in the Tokyo 2020 and the Paris 2024 games. She is also a vice president on the Women's National Basketball Players Association executive committee. Read more
23 Sep 1994: Lee Mi-joo, South Korean singer and entertainer Lee Seung-ah, known as Mijoo (미주), is a South Korean singer and entertainer. She debuted as a member of South Korean girl group Lovelyz under Woollim Entertainment in November 2014. Apart from her group's activities, Mijoo has starred in various Korean variety shows such as, Hit The Stage (2016), Dunia: Into a New World (2018), Sixth Sense (2020–2022), Hangout with Yoo (2021) and season 2 of Learn Way (2021–2022). Mijoo made her acting debut with I'm a Job Seeker (2016). Read more
23 Sep 1994: Bai Lu, Chinese Actress Bai Mengyan, known professionally by her stage name Bai Lu, is a Chinese actress, model and singer, best known for her roles in Untouchable Lovers (2018), The Legends (2019), Arsenal Military Academy (2019), Love Is Sweet (2020), One and Only (2021), Forever and Ever (2021), Story of Kunning Palace (2023), and Till the End of the Moon (2023). Read more
23 Sep 1993: Petteri Lindbohm, Finnish ice hockey player Petteri Lindbohm is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for HIFK of the Liiga. He has previously played with Lausanne HC and EHC Biel of the National League (NL), Jokerit of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), and with the St. Louis Blues and Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Blues selected him in the 6th round of the 2012 NHL entry draft. Read more
23 Sep 1992: Angel Garza, Mexican wrestler Humberto Garza Solano is a Mexican professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Angel. He also appears in Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide as a member of Los Perros del Mal where he is one-third of the AAA World Trios Champions with stablemates Daga and Berto in their first reign both as a stable and individually. Read more
23 Sep 1991: Lee Alexander, Scottish footballer Lee Helen Gibson is a Scottish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Scottish Women's Premier League club Glasgow City and the Scotland women's national team. Read more
23 Sep 1991: Key, South Korean singer and entertainer Kim Ki-bum, known professionally as Key (키), is a South Korean singer, songwriter and television personality. Born and raised in Daegu, South Korea, he joined SM Entertainment in 2005 after a successful audition. In May 2008, Key debuted as a member of South Korean boy band Shinee, who later went on to become one of the best-selling artists in South Korea. Key is widely recognized as a singer and dancer, but he has also ventured into different careers, notably as a television personality. Read more
23 Sep 1991: Melanie Oudin, American tennis player Melanie Jennings Oudin is an American former professional tennis player. The former world junior No. 2 was a member of the American Fed Cup team from 2009 to 2011 and the winner of the 2011 US Open mixed-doubles title, with fellow American player Jack Sock. Read more
23 Sep 1989: Brandon Jennings, American basketball player Brandon Byron Jennings is an American former professional basketball player who played nine seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is known for being the first American high school prospect to bypass college basketball to play professionally in Europe. Read more
23 Sep 1989: Taniela Lasalo, Australian rugby league player Taniela Lasalo is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a lock, second-row forward or as a centre for the Hills District Bulls in the Ron Massey Cup. Read more
23 Sep 1988: Juan Martín del Potro, Argentinian tennis player Juan Martín del Potro is an Argentine former professional tennis player. He was ranked world No. 3 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), in August 2018. Del Potro won 22 ATP Tour-level singles titles, including a major at the 2009 US Open, where he defeated Rafael Nadal and the five-time defending champion Roger Federer en route. Del Potro's other career highlights include storming to the 2018 US Open final, winning an Olympic silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, winning Indian Wells in 2018, and leading Argentina to the 2016 Davis Cup title. Notably, his career was hampered by a succession of wrist and knee injuries. Read more
23 Sep 1988: Kairi Sane, Japanese wrestler Kaori Housako is a Japanese professional wrestler and actress. She is best known for her two tenures in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Kairi Sane . Read more
23 Sep 1988: Yannick Weber, Swiss ice hockey player Yannick Cyril Weber is a Swiss professional ice hockey defenceman for the ZSC Lions of the National League (NL). He was selected in the third round, 73rd overall, by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2007 NHL entry draft. Weber has also previously played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Nashville Predators, and Vancouver Canucks. Read more
23 Sep 1987: Skylar Astin, American actor and singer Skylar Astin Lipstein is an American actor and singer, known for portraying Jesse Swanson in the musical films Pitch Perfect (2012) and Pitch Perfect 2 (2015). He originated the role of Georg in the Broadway musical Spring Awakening, and has since appeared in films such as Hamlet 2 (2008), Taking Woodstock (2009), Cavemen (2013), and 21 & Over (2013). He played the role of Greg Serrano on the last season of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, a role originally played by Santino Fontana, and Max in the musical dramedy Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (2020). He played the eponymous role of Todd in the television drama So Help Me Todd, which premiered in September 2022 and concluded on May 16, 2024. Read more
23 Sep 1986: Martin Cranie, English footballer Martin James Cranie is an English former professional footballer. He last played as a centre back and right back for Championship club Luton Town. He is a former England U21 international. He began his career with the Southampton youth academy before moving to local rivals Portsmouth and later to Coventry City after several loan spells, then followed by three years at Barnsley. Read more
23 Sep 1986: Chris Volstad, American baseball player Christopher Kenneth Volstad is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He is a 2005 graduate of Palm Beach Gardens High School. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chicago White Sox, and in the KBO League for the Doosan Bears. Read more
23 Sep 1985: Joba Chamberlain, American baseball player Justin Louis "Joba" Chamberlain is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and Cleveland Indians. Read more
23 Sep 1985: Chris Johnson, American football player Christopher Duan Johnson is an American former professional football running back. Born in Orlando, Florida, he emerged as a senior for East Carolina University, breaking out for 2,960 all-purpose yards and 24 touchdowns. Johnson was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the first round of the 2008 NFL draft, after running a then-record breaking 4.24 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Read more
23 Sep 1985: Cush Jumbo, British actress Cush Jumbo is a British actress and writer. She is best known for her role as attorney Lucca Quinn in the CBS drama series The Good Wife (2015–2016) and its Paramount Plus spin-off series The Good Fight (2017–2021), Megan Pierce / Cassie Morris in Harlan Coben's Netflix miniseries Stay Close (2021), and most recently June Lenker in the Apple TV+ series Criminal Record (2024–). Read more
23 Sep 1985: Lukáš Kašpar, Czech ice hockey player Lukáš Kašpar is a Czech former professional ice hockey player. He last played for HC Kometa Brno of the Czech Extraliga (ELH). He was originally drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the 2004 NHL entry draft. Read more
23 Sep 1985: Hasan Minhaj, American comedian, actor, and television host Hasan Minhaj is an American comedian and actor. Much of his comedy involves Indian culture and the modern American political landscape through the use of satire, observational comedy and dark comedy. His Netflix series Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj won an Emmy Award, a Peabody Award, and two Webby Awards. In 2019, he was listed in Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Read more
23 Sep 1984: Patrick Ehelechner, German ice hockey player Patrick Ehelechner is a German retired professional ice hockey goaltender. Read more
23 Sep 1984: Matt Kemp, American baseball player Matthew Ryan Kemp is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He began his professional career in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in 2003, and played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Dodgers from 2006 until 2014, the San Diego Padres in 2015 and 2016 and the Atlanta Braves in 2016 and 2017 before returning to the Dodgers for the 2018 season, and briefly playing for the Cincinnati Reds in 2019 and Colorado Rockies in 2020. He was named to three All-Star teams and won two Gold Glove Awards and two Silver Slugger Awards. Read more
23 Sep 1984: Anneliese van der Pol, Dutch-American entertainer Anneliese Louise van der Pol is a Dutch actress and singer based in the United States. She is best known for her portrayal of Chelsea Daniels on the Disney Channel series That's So Raven (2003–2007) and its spin-off Raven's Home (2017–2022). In association with Disney Channel, van der Pol has recorded several songs, including "Over It", which was featured on the Stuck in the Suburbs soundtrack. Read more
23 Sep 1983: Shane del Rosario, American mixed martial artist and kick-boxer (died 2013) Shane Kalani del Rosario was an American professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's Heavyweight division, Strikeforce, M-1 Global, ShoXC, and King of the Cage. He held the distinction of being the first American to become the WBC Muay Thai World Heavyweight Champion. Read more
23 Sep 1983: Joffrey Lupul, Canadian ice hockey player Joffrey Lupul is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. In his professional career, Lupul played in the NHL for the Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs. He was selected seventh overall at the 2002 NHL entry draft by Anaheim, beginning his NHL career with the organization and later playing a second stint with the team prior to joining the Maple Leafs in 2011. A right-hand-shooting natural right winger earlier in his career, Lupul made the transition to become a left winger after joining Toronto. Read more
23 Sep 1982: Mait Künnap, Estonian tennis player Mait Künnap is an Estonian tennis player. His all-time world ranking high came on 4 August 2008 when he reached number 705, although his doubles ranking is somewhat better, having reached world number 377 on 4 July 2005. Read more
23 Sep 1982: Shyla Stylez, Canadian pornographic actress (died 2017) Amanda Hardy, known professionally as Shyla Stylez, was a Canadian pornographic film actress and model. Read more
23 Sep 1981: Robert Doornbos, Dutch racing driver Robert Michael Doornbos is a Dutch former racing driver who also competed with a Monégasque licence. He has been test and third driver for the Jordan and Red Bull Racing Formula One teams, as well as driving for Minardi and Red Bull Racing in 2005 and 2006. Doornbos then drove for Minardi Team USA in the 2007 and final season of the Champ Car World Series. He competed in the Superleague Formula racing series in 2008, and drove for the Netherlands team in A1 Grand Prix's 2008–2009 season. In 2009, Doornbos competed in the IndyCar Series. He began the season with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, but switched to HVM Racing after the race in Kentucky Speedway. Read more
23 Sep 1981: Helen Richardson-Walsh, English field hockey player Helen Richardson-Walsh is an English hockey player who plays as a midfielder. She has been a member of both the England and the Great Britain women's field hockey teams since 1999, and was a member of the Great Britain team who won gold at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Read more
23 Sep 1979: Ricky Davis, American basketball player Tyree Ricardo Davis is an American former professional basketball player who played twelve seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Read more
23 Sep 1979: Bryant McKinnie, American football player Bryant Douglas McKinnie is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, twice earning All-American honors. Read more
23 Sep 1979: Fábio Simplício, Brazilian footballer Fábio Henrique Simplício is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He appeared in 243 Serie A games for three clubs and scored 43 goals, having played for nearly a decade in the country. Read more
23 Sep 1979: Lote Tuqiri, Fijian-Australian rugby player Lote Daulako Tuqiri is a former professional dual-code rugby footballer who primarily played as a winger across both codes. He represented Australia in both rugby league and rugby union, and Fiji in rugby league. Tuqiri first rose to prominence as a professional rugby league footballer for the Brisbane Broncos and Queensland Maroons, as well as the Fiji and Australia national sides. He was therefore a high-profile signing for rugby union in 2002, winning 67 caps for Australia and being a part of their 2003 and 2007 World Cup squads. He played rugby union for the Waratahs in the Super 14 and Leicester Tigers in England in season 2009–10. Tuqiri's contract with the Australian Rugby Union was terminated on 1 July 2009. No immediate reason was given, and Tuqiri returned to rugby league in 2010, playing for the Wests Tigers of the NRL. In September 2013, he signed a short-term contract with Irish rugby union giants, Leinster to play in the Pro12 in a three-month deal. Just 6 weeks out from the 2014 NRL season, Tuqiri signed with his third NRL club, the South Sydney Rabbitohs, on a one-year deal. Read more
23 Sep 1978: Benjamin Curtis, American guitarist, drummer, and songwriter (died 2013) Benjamin Curtis was an American guitarist and drummer. He was a member of the bands Tripping Daisy, Secret Machines, and School of Seven Bells. Read more
23 Sep 1978: Anthony Mackie, American actor Anthony Dwane Mackie is an American actor. After graduating from Juilliard in 2001, he appeared in several stage productions and made his film debut with 8 Mile (2002). He then received numerous accolades for his starring roles in the films Brother to Brother (2004) and The Hurt Locker (2008). He further developed his career with films including Million Dollar Baby (2004), Half Nelson (2006), Notorious (2009) as Tupac Shakur, and Real Steel (2011). Read more
23 Sep 1977: Matthieu Descoteaux, Canadian ice hockey player Matthieu Andre Jean Marc Luc Descoteaux is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Montreal Canadiens. Read more
23 Sep 1977: Dmitri Kulikov, Estonian footballer Dmitri Kulikov is an Estonian football referee and a former footballer, who played as defender and midfielder for Estonian Meistriliiga club FC Kuressaare and Latvian Virsliga club FK Jaunība Rīga. Read more
23 Sep 1977: Fabio Ongaro, Italian rugby player Fabio Ongaro is an Italian rugby union footballer. Although he now plays as a hooker, he played in the Italian youth teams as a flanker. Read more
23 Sep 1977: Rachael Yamagata, American singer-songwriter and pianist Rachael Amanda Yamagata is an American singer-songwriter and pianist from Arlington, Virginia. She began her musical career with the band Bumpus before becoming a solo artist and releasing five EPs and four studio albums. Her songs have appeared on numerous television shows and she has collaborated with Jason Mraz, Rhett Miller, Bright Eyes, Ryan Adams, Toots and the Maytals, Ray LaMontagne and Matt Nathanson. Read more
23 Sep 1976: Sarah Blasko, Australian singer-songwriter and producer Sarah Elizabeth Blaskow, known professionally as Sarah Blasko, is an Australian singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. From April 2002, Blasko developed her solo career after fronting Sydney-based band Acquiesce between the mid-1990s and 2001. She had performed under her then married name, Sarah Semmens, and, after leaving Acquiesce, as Sorija in a briefly existing duo of that name. As a solo artist, Blasko has released seven studio albums: The Overture & the Underscore ; What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have, which peaked at No. 7 on the ARIA Albums Chart; As Day Follows Night, which reached No. 5; I Awake, which made No. 9, Eternal Return ; Depth of Field ; and I Just Need to Conquer This Mountain. Read more
23 Sep 1976: Robert James-Collier, English actor Robert James-Collier is a British actor widely known for his roles as Liam Connor in Coronation Street, Thomas Barrow in Downton Abbey, and Martin Evershed in Ackley Bridge. Read more
23 Sep 1976: Kip Pardue, American actor and model Kevin Ian Pardue is a former American actor and model, who became known for his roles in the films But I'm a Cheerleader (1999), Remember the Titans (2000), Driven (2001), The Rules of Attraction (2002), and Thirteen (2003). Read more
23 Sep 1976: Valeriy Sydorenko, Ukrainian boxer Valeriy Petrovych Sydorenko is a Ukrainian former amateur boxer. He competed for his native country at the 2000 Olympics and later won the 2000 European Amateur Boxing Championships. Read more
23 Sep 1976: Volodymyr Sydorenko, Ukrainian boxer Volodymyr Petrovych Sydorenko, also known as Wladimir Sidorenko, is a Ukrainian former professional boxer who competed from 2001 to 2010, and held the WBA bantamweight title from 2005 to 2008. As an amateur, he won a silver medal at the 2001 World Championships, and consecutive golds at the 1998 and 2000 European Championships; all in the flyweight division. His twin brother is former amateur boxer Valeriy Sydorenko. Read more
23 Sep 1975: Kim Dong-moon, South Korean badminton player Kim Dong-moon is a retired South Korean badminton player who won titles between the mid-1990s and the mid-2000s (decade). Kim won the gold medal in the mixed doubles event with Gil Young-ah at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics and won gold medals both in men's and mixed doubles at the 1999 World Championships. Kim and Ra Kyung-min, partnered up and did not drop a single match from April to November in 2003. They won 10 straight tournaments: 9 consecutive Grand Prix events and one World Championship title. Their results in 2003 earned Kim and Ra the Eddie Choong Player of the Year award. He captured this award previously by himself in 2002. Despite their domination, the golden couple crashed in the second round against the Danish partnership of Jonas Rasmussen and Rikke Olsen at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Kim however won a gold medal in men's doubles with Ha Tae-kwon. After the 2004 Olympics, Kim retired from playing and married his former mixed doubles partner, Ra in 2005. Kim is the only South Korean player to have ever won Olympic gold in both the men's and mixed doubles events and was inducted into the BWF Hall of Fame in 2009. Read more
23 Sep 1975: Chris Hawkins, English journalist and producer Chris Hawkins is a British radio presenter on BBC Radio 6 Music and the host of the podcast How To DJ. Read more
23 Sep 1975: Eric Miller, Irish rugby player, footballer, and coach Eric Miller is an Irish former rugby union and Gaelic football player. As a rugby player Miller played for, among others Old Wesley, Leicester Tigers, Ulster, Leinster, the Barbarians, Ireland and the British and Irish Lions. After retiring as a rugby player, Miller switched football codes and went on to play Gaelic football for the Dublin county team. Read more
23 Sep 1975: Vitali Yeremeyev, Kazakhstani ice hockey player Vitali Mikhailovich Yeremeyev is a Kazakhstani former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 4 games in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers during the 2000–01 season. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1992 to 2014, was spent in the Russian Superleague and Kontinental Hockey League. Internationally Yeremeyev played for the Kazakhstani national team at several World Championships and the 1998 and 2006 Winter Olympics. Read more
23 Sep 1974: Ben Duckworth, Australian rugby league player Ben Duckworth is a former professional rugby league footballer who played for the Illawarra Steelers, Eastern Suburbs, Balmain Tigers, Wests Tigers and Parramatta Eels. Read more
23 Sep 1974: Matt Hardy, American wrestler Matthew Moore Hardy is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he is a former five-time TNA World Tag Team Champion with brother Jeff. He is also known for his tenures with WWE and All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Read more
23 Sep 1974: Layzie Bone, American rapper Steven Howse, known professionally as Layzie Bone, is an American rapper known primarily for being a member of the group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. He has also gone by the names L-Burna, Lil Lay, and The #1 Assassin. He is the younger brother of fellow group member Flesh-N-Bone and cousin of group member Wish Bone. Layzie is also a member of the rap group Bone Brothers and CEO of the record label Harmony Howse Entertainment. Read more
23 Sep 1973: Ingrid Fliter, Argentinian pianist Íngrid Fliter is an Argentinian pianist. She began her piano studies with Lolita Lechner and Elizabeth Westerkamp. Her first public appearance in recital was at age 11, and she made her concerto debut at the Teatro Colón at age 16. Read more
23 Sep 1973: Vangelis Krios, Greek footballer and coach Vangelis Krios is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Read more
23 Sep 1972: Sam Bettens, Belgian singer-songwriter and guitarist Sam Bettens is a Belgian singer and musician, best known as the lead singer of the Belgian band, K's Choice. Read more
23 Sep 1972: Alistair Campbell, Zimbabwean cricketer Alistair Douglas Ross Campbell is a Zimbabwean former cricketer and a former captain of the Zimbabwe national cricket team. He is also a cricket commentator. He played 60 matches in his Test career, captaining Zimbabwe on 21 occasions. He also played 188 One Day Internationals, being captain in 86 of them. He retired from cricket in 2003. Read more
23 Sep 1972: Jermaine Dupri, American rapper and producer Jermaine Dupri Mauldin is an American record producer, rapper, songwriter and record executive. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, as the son of Columbia Records executive Michael Mauldin, he began his musical career at the age of 9. He discovered the teen hip-hop duo Kris Kross in 1991; Dupri wrote and produced their 1992 single "Jump", which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and was named the 23rd most successful song of that decade. He established his own record label, So So Def Recordings, in a joint venture with Columbia the following year. The label has since signed acts including Xscape, Bow Wow, Da Brat, Jagged Edge, Dem Franchize Boyz, YoungBloodZ, and Anthony Hamilton, among others. Read more
23 Sep 1972: Karl Pilkington, English actor and producer Karl Pilkington is an English presenter, actor and author, who worked with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant as their producer on their Radio X show. Pilkington became a co-host of The Ricky Gervais Show due to his unique and idiosyncratic opinions and views that he often expressed when challenged by the hosts. Read more
23 Sep 1971: Moin Khan, Pakistani cricketer and coach Muhammad Moin Khan is a Pakistani cricket administrator, coach, and former cricketer, primarily a wicket-keeper-batsman, who remained a member of the Pakistani national cricket team from 1990 to 2004. He was a part of the Pakistani squad which won the 1992 Cricket World Cup. He has also captained the Pakistani team, and led the team to be the champions of the 2000 Asia Cup. Read more
23 Sep 1971: Eric Montross, American basketball player and sportscaster (died 2023) Eric Scott Montross was an American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for eight seasons with the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, and Toronto Raptors. Born in Indianapolis, he played for Lawrence North High School before playing college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he twice earned All-American honors and was the starting center for their 1993 National championship team. Read more
23 Sep 1971: Sean Spicer, American political aide, 30th White House Press Secretary Sean Michael Spicer is an American political commentator, naval officer, and former political aide who served as the 30th White House press secretary and as the White House communications director under President Donald Trump in 2017. Spicer was communications director of the Republican National Committee from 2011 to 2017, and its chief strategist from 2015 to 2017. Since 2023, Spicer has served as a political contributor for cable network NewsNation. Spicer was also the co-host of the daily podcast The Morning Meeting with Mark Halperin and Dan Turrentine on the 2WAY Network. Read more
23 Sep 1970: Adrian Brunker, Australian rugby league player Adrian Brunker is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s. He played at representative level for Queensland, and at club level for Newcastle Knights, Gold Coast Seagulls, St George Dragons and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, as a fullback, wing, centre. Read more
23 Sep 1970: Lucia Cifarelli, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player Lucia Cifarelli is an American singer, best known for her work with industrial band KMFDM. She was formerly the vocalist for the band Drill and also performed in KMFDM offshoots MDFMK and KGC, and the / Buck-Tick project Schwein. Read more
23 Sep 1970: Ani DiFranco, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Angela Maria "Ani" DiFranco is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums. DiFranco's music has been classified as folk rock and alternative rock, although it has additional influences from punk, funk, hip-hop and jazz. She has released all her albums on her own record label, Righteous Babe. Read more
23 Sep 1970: Giorgos Koltsidas, Greek footballer Georgios Koltsidas is a retired football player, who played as a defender and was known for his strong tackles. He is currently the general director of Aris. Read more
23 Sep 1969: Donald Audette, Canadian ice hockey player Donald Daniel Audette is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings, Atlanta Thrashers, Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens and Florida Panthers. Read more
23 Sep 1969: Patrick Fiori, French singer-songwriter Patrick Chouchayan, known professionally as Patrick Fiori, is a French singer. Read more
23 Sep 1969: Jan Suchopárek, Czech footballer and manager Jan Suchopárek is a Czech football coach and former defender. Read more
23 Sep 1968: Yvette Fielding, English actress and producer Yvette Paula Fielding is an English television presenter, producer, actress, writer and paranormal investigator. In 1987, aged 18, she became the youngest presenter on the BBC television programme Blue Peter. With her husband Karl Beattie, she co-created and presented the Most Haunted series on the Living channel, via their own production company, followed by Ghosthunting With…. She has appeared in a wide range of other programmes, including The Wright Stuff and I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!. Read more
23 Sep 1968: Adam Price, Welsh politician Adam Robert Price is a Welsh politician who served as Leader of Plaid Cymru from September 2018 to May 2023. He has been the Member of the Senedd (MS) for Sir Gaerfyrddin, and formerly Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, since 2016. Price was previously a Member of Parliament (MP) for the same Westminster constituency from 2001 to 2010. He is currently serving as Member of Senedd for Sir Gaerfyrddin and Cabinet Minister for Enterprise. Read more
23 Sep 1967: LisaRaye McCoy, American actress, model, fashion designer, and First Lady of the Turks and Caicos Islands LisaRaye McCoy, known as LisaRaye, is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Diana "Diamond" Armstrong in the 1998 film The Players Club, Neesee James on the UPN/The CW sitcom All of Us from 2003 until 2007 and Keisha Greene in the VH1 romantic comedy series Single Ladies which originally aired from 2011 to 2015. She was also married to Michael Misick, the first Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands, from 2006 until 2010; during that time she served as First Lady of Turks and Caicos. Read more
23 Sep 1967: Chris Wilder, English footballer and manager Christopher John Wilder is an English professional football manager who formerly played as a right-back. He is the manager of EFL Championship club Sheffield United. Read more
23 Sep 1966: Pete Harnisch, American baseball player and coach Peter Thomas Harnisch is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played in college at Fordham University from 1984 through 1987, and was an All-American pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball from 1988 through 2001 for the Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds. Read more
23 Sep 1965: Mark Woodforde, Australian tennis player and sportscaster Mark Raymond Woodforde, OAM is a former professional tennis player from Australia. He is best known as one half of "The Woodies", a doubles partnership with Todd Woodbridge. Read more
23 Sep 1964: Clayton Blackmore, Welsh footballer and manager Clayton Graham Blackmore is a Welsh former international footballer. He was a combative player known for his attacking free kicks and a utility player who excelled in defence, but could play equally well in midfield. Read more
23 Sep 1964: Josefa Idem, German-born Italian kayaker Josefa Idem married Guerrini is an Italian canoe sprinter turned politician. Competing in eight Summer Olympics, she has five medals. Winning 35 international medals during her career, Idem was the first Italian woman to win World Championships and Olympic medals in canoe sprint. At the 2009 world championships, she became the oldest medalist in the history of the world championships. Read more
23 Sep 1964: Koshi Inaba, Japanese singer-songwriter Koshi Inaba is a Japanese singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the rock duo B'z, the best-selling music act in their native Japan. He also has a successful solo career, with six studio albums and five singles topping the Japanese music charts. Inaba collaborated with Slash on the latter's 2009 single "Sahara", and with Stevie Salas on the albums Chubby Groove (2017) and Maximum Huavo (2020). Read more
23 Sep 1964: Larry Krystkowiak, American basketball player and coach Larry Brett Krystkowiak is an American retired professional basketball player, and former head coach of the Utah Utes men's basketball team. Read more
23 Sep 1964: Katie Mitchell, English director and producer Katrina Jane Mitchell is an English theatre director. Read more
23 Sep 1964: Julian Parkhill, English biologist and academic Julian Parkhill is Marks & Spencer Professor of Farm Animal Health, Food Science and Food Safety at the University of Cambridge. He previously served as head of pathogen genomics at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. Read more
23 Sep 1964: Bill Phillips, American businessman and author William Nathaniel Phillips is an American entrepreneur and author. He wrote Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength with Mike D'Orso. He is also the author of Eating for Life and the founder and former editor in chief of Muscle Media magazine and the former CEO of EAS, a performance nutritional supplement company. Other books that Phillips has authored are Anabolic Reference Guide, The Natural Supplement Review, and Transformation: The Mindset You Need. The Body You Want. The Life You Deserve. Phillips made a promotional movie called Body of Work which was filmed in Las Vegas, Nevada and chronicled the first EAS Challenge. Read more
23 Sep 1963: Anne-Marie Cadieux, Canadian actress, director, and screenwriter Anne-Marie Cadieux is a Canadian actress, film director and screenwriter. She has won a Jutra Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Streetheart and in 2008 was nominated for a Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for her role in You (Toi). Read more
23 Sep 1963: Alex Proyas, Egyptian-Australian director, producer, and screenwriter Alexander Proyas is an Australian filmmaker. He is known for directing the films The Crow (1994), Dark City (1998), I, Robot (2004) and Knowing (2009). Read more
23 Sep 1962: Deborah Orr, Scottish journalist (died 2019) Deborah Jane Orr was a British journalist who worked for The Guardian, The Independent and other publications. Read more
23 Sep 1961: Chi McBride, American actor Kenneth "Chi" McBride is an American actor. He has appeared in films, where he is known primarily as a character actor, and in television, where he has had numerous starring roles. Read more
23 Sep 1961: William C. McCool, American commander, pilot, and astronaut (died 2003) William Cameron "Willie" McCool was an American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, and NASA astronaut, who was the pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-107. He and the rest of the crew of STS-107 were killed when Columbia disintegrated during reentry into the atmosphere. McCool was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. Read more
23 Sep 1960: Kurt Beyer, American wrestler Kurt Beyer is a semi-retired American professional wrestler who competed in Japanese and international promotions during the 1990s, most notably teaming with his father The Destroyer during his last tour with All Japan Pro Wrestling in 1993. Read more
23 Sep 1960: Luis Moya, Spanish race car driver Luis Rodríguez Moya is a Spanish former rally co-driver, synonymous with driver Carlos Sainz. He is the third most successful co-driver in the history of the World Rally Championship (WRC), after Daniel Elena and Timo Rautiainen. He was born in A Coruña. Read more
23 Sep 1959: Jason Alexander, American actor, singer, and voice artist Jason Alexander is an American actor and comedian. Over the course of his career, he has received an Emmy Award and a Tony Award as well as nominations for four Golden Globe Awards. He gained stardom for his role as George Costanza in the NBC sitcom Seinfeld (1989–1998), for which he won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series and was nominated for seven consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and four Golden Globe Awards for Best Supporting Actor in Television. Read more
23 Sep 1959: Frank Cottrell-Boyce, English author and screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce is a British screenwriter, novelist and occasional actor, known for his children's fiction and for his collaborations with film director Michael Winterbottom. He has achieved fame as the writer for the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony and for sequels to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car, a children's classic by Ian Fleming. Read more
23 Sep 1959: Hans Nijman, Dutch mixed martial artist and wrestler (died 2014) Johannes Petrus "Hans" Nijman was a Dutch professional mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. He competed in the heavyweight division. He was a RINGS Holland veteran and fought for many other top promotions such as Pride FC and It's Showtime. Nijman is believed to have had connections with Willem Holleeder and other big names in the Dutch criminal underworld. His name appeared in several police records and has also been used in big court cases. Read more
23 Sep 1959: Chris O'Sullivan, Australian rugby league player Chris O'Sullivan is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s, and coached in the 1990s. O'Sullivan played for the Canberra Raiders. O'Sullivan's position of choice was five-eighth. Read more
23 Sep 1959: Elizabeth Peña, American actress (died 2014) Elizabeth Maria Peña was an American actress. Her film credits include Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), Batteries Not Included, La Bamba, Jacob's Ladder (1990), Rush Hour (1998), and Nothing like the Holidays (2008). Peña won the 1996 Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female and a Bravo Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film for her work in Lone Star (1996). She also voiced Rosa Santos in the animated television series Maya & Miguel (2004-2007) and Mirage in the animated film The Incredibles (2004). Read more
23 Sep 1959: Karen Pierce, English diplomat Dame Karen Elizabeth Pierce is a British diplomat and senior civil servant who most recently served as the British Ambassador to the United States from 2020 to 2025. Read more
23 Sep 1958: Danielle Dax, English singer-songwriter and producer Danielle Gardner, known professionally as Danielle Dax, is an English rock musician, music producer, and artist most active from the late-1970s to the mid-1990s. Read more
23 Sep 1958: Khaled El Sheikh, Bahraini singer-songwriter Khaled El Sheikh is a Bahraini singer. Read more
23 Sep 1958: Tony Fossas, Cuban-American baseball player and coach Emilio Antonio Fossas Morejon is a Cuban former left-handed professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1988 to 1999 for the Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, and New York Yankees. Read more
23 Sep 1958: Marvin Lewis, American football player and coach Marvin Roland Lewis Jr. is an American professional football coach who served as the head coach for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He came to prominence as the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens from 1996 to 2001, whose defense in 2000 set the record for the fewest points allowed in a 16-game season and led the franchise to their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXV. Following his Baltimore tenure, Lewis was named the Bengals' head coach, where he served from 2003 to 2018. Read more
23 Sep 1958: Larry Mize, American golfer Lawrence Hogan Mize is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour. He is well known for one career-defining shot – a chip from off the green at the 11th hole at Augusta to win the playoff for the 1987 Masters Tournament, which is his only major title to date. He is also the only winner of that tournament to come from Augusta. Read more
23 Sep 1957: Rosalind Chao, American actress Rosalind Chao is an American actress. She appeared as Soon-Lee Klinger in the mid-1980s CBS show AfterMASH, Rose Hsu Jordan in the 1993 movie The Joy Luck Club, the recurring character Keiko O'Brien on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the 1990s, and Dr. Kim on The O.C. in 2003. She also played Hua Li, Mulan's mother, in the live-action 2020 remake of Mulan. In 2024, she starred as Ye Wenjie in the Netflix production of 3 Body Problem. She played the role of Pei Pei in the 2003 film Freaky Friday and its 2025 sequel Freakier Friday. From 2023–2024, Chao appeared in the Netflix fantasy series Sweet Tooth, earning a Children's and Family Emmy Award for her performance. Read more
23 Sep 1956: Peter David, American author, actor, and screenwriter (died 2025) Peter Allen David, often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor. Read more
23 Sep 1956: Tom Hogan, Australian cricketer Tom George Hogan is a former Australian cricketer. Read more
23 Sep 1956: Paolo Rossi, Italian footballer (died 2020) Paolo Rossi was an Italian professional footballer who played as a striker. He led Italy to the 1982 FIFA World Cup title, scoring six goals to win the Golden Boot as top goalscorer, and the Golden Ball for the player of the tournament. Rossi was also awarded the 1982 Ballon d'Or as the European Footballer of the Year for his performances. Along with Roberto Baggio and Christian Vieri, he is Italy's top scorer in World Cup history, with nine goals overall. Read more
23 Sep 1954: Charlie Barnett, American actor (died 1996) Charles Barnett was an American comedian and actor. He is best known for his role as Nugart Neville "Noogie" Lamont on the NBC television series Miami Vice. Barnett was a mentor and major influence on comedians Dave Chappelle and Jeff Ross. Read more
23 Sep 1954: Cherie Blair, English lawyer and academic Cherie, Lady Blair is an English barrister, judge, and writer. Blair has appeared in a number of leading cases, including arguing Lisa Grant v South West Trains Ltd before the European Court of Justice. In June 1999, she was appointed a recorder or part-time judge. Blair was the third Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University from 1999 to 2006. She is also Governor of the London School of Economics and the Open University. Blair was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to women and charity. Read more
23 Sep 1953: Nicholas Witchell, English journalist Nicholas Newton Henshall Witchell OStJ FRGS is a retired English journalist and news presenter. The latter half of his career was as royal correspondent for BBC News. Read more
23 Sep 1952: Mark Bego, American author Mark Joseph Bego is an author known for his biographies on the rock and roll and show business genres. Bego has written 59 books, two of which have gone on to become New York Times Best Sellers. Bego has written biographies about notable people in entertainment, including Linda Ronstadt, Elton John, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Billy Joel, Patsy Cline, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Whitney Houston. Read more
23 Sep 1952: Anshuman Gaekwad, Indian cricketer Anshuman Dattajirao Gaekwad was an Indian cricketer and two-time Indian national cricket coach. In a career spanning over a decade, he played 40 Test matches and 15 One Day Internationals between 1974 and 1984. His father, Datta Gaekwad was also an Indian test cricketer. Gaekwad was the coach of the Indian team that finished joint-winners at the 2000 ICC Champions Trophy. Read more
23 Sep 1952: Dennis Lamp, American baseball player Dennis Patrick Lamp is an American former professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1977 through 1992, the breaking ball specialist played for the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Read more
23 Sep 1952: Kim Duk-soo, Korean musician Kim Duk-soo is a South Korean traditional musician and the founding professor of the School of Korean Traditional Arts at the Korea National University of Arts. He is best known for creating the samul nori genre of Korean music. Read more
23 Sep 1952: Jim Morrison, American baseball player and manager James Forrest Morrison is an American former professional baseball second baseman and third baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1977 to 1988 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers, and Atlanta Braves. He also spent time playing in the Italian Baseball League. Read more
23 Sep 1951: Steven Springer, American guitarist and songwriter (died 2012) The Esso Trinidad Steel Band was a steel band from Trinidad, active from 1942 to 1976. Read more
23 Sep 1950: George Garzone, American saxophonist and educator George Garzone is a saxophonist and jazz educator from Boston, Massachusetts. Read more
23 Sep 1949: Floella Benjamin, Trinidadian-English actress, academic, and politician Floella Karen Yunies Benjamin, Baroness Benjamin, is a Trinidadian-British actress, singer, presenter, author and politician. She is known as presenter of children's programmes such as Play School, Play Away, Jamboree and Fast Forward. On 28 June 2010, Lady Benjamin was introduced to the House of Lords as a life peer nominated by the Liberal Democrats. In 2024, she was honoured with the BAFTA Fellowship award for her services to television. Read more
23 Sep 1949: Bruce Springsteen, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most feature the E Street Band, his backing band since 1972. Read more
23 Sep 1949: Kostas Tournas, Greek singer-songwriter Kostas Tournas is one of the pioneers of modern Greek rock. He is a singer and composer of many hits in the '70s including Ti Na Mas Kanei I Nychta. Read more
23 Sep 1948: Dan Toler, American guitarist (died 2013) Daniel Lee Toler ,
known professionally as "Dangerous" Dan Toler, was an American guitarist. Read more
23 Sep 1947: Christian Bordeleau, Canadian ice hockey player Christian Gerrard "Chris" Bordeleau is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League between 1969 and 1972, and the World Hockey Association between 1972 and 1979. Read more
23 Sep 1947: Mary Kay Place, American actress Mary Kay Place is an American actress, screenwriter and director. She is best known for portraying Loretta Haggers on the television series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, a role that won her the 1977 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Comedy Series. Her numerous film appearances include Private Benjamin (1980), The Big Chill (1983), Captain Ron (1992) and The Rainmaker (1997). Place also recorded three studio albums for Columbia Records, one in the Haggers persona, which included the Top Ten country music hit "Baby Boy". For her performance in Diane (2018), Place won the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress and the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress. Read more
23 Sep 1947: Neal Smith, American drummer and songwriter Neal Smith is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the rock group Alice Cooper from 1967 to 1974. He performed on the group's early albums Pretties for You and Easy Action, their breakout album Love It to Death and the subsequent successful albums Killer, School's Out, and Billion Dollar Babies. The last new studio album with the five original Alice Cooper group members participating in new music was Muscle of Love in 1973. The original group's Greatest Hits studio album was released in 1974. In 2018, a live performance album Live from the Astroturf recorded in 2015 was released, featuring four of the original group members performing eight of their hit songs, with long-time Alice Cooper solo band guitarist and friend Ryan Roxie interplaying lead guitar parts with original group rhythm guitarist Michael Bruce, on behalf of original group lead guitarist Glen Buxton, who died in 1997 of pneumonia at age 49. Read more
23 Sep 1946: Franz Fischler, Austrian politician Franz Fischler is an Austrian politician from the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP). He was the European Union's Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries (1995–2004). He also was President of the European Forum Alpbach. Read more
23 Sep 1946: Bernard Maris, French economist and journalist (died 2015) Bernard Henri Maris, also known as "Oncle Bernard", was a French economist, writer and journalist who was also a shareholder in Charlie Hebdo magazine. He was murdered on 7 January 2015, during the shooting at the headquarters of the magazine in Paris. Read more
23 Sep 1946: Genista McIntosh, Baroness McIntosh, English politician Genista Mary "Jenny" McIntosh, Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall, is a British arts consultant, theatre executive and Labour politician. Read more
23 Sep 1946: Davorin Popović, Bosnian singer-songwriter (died 2001) Davorin Popović was a Bosnian Croat singer and songwriter. Born in Sarajevo and well known throughout the former Yugoslavia, he is considered to be one of the greatest rock singers of the region. Read more
23 Sep 1946: Anne Wheeler, Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter Anne Wheeler, OC, is a Canadian film and television writer, producer, and director. Read more
23 Sep 1945: Igor Ivanov, Russian politician and diplomat, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Sergeyevich Ivanov is a Russian politician and diplomat who was Foreign Minister of Russia from 1998 to 2004 under both the Yeltsin and the Putin administrations. Read more
23 Sep 1945: Alan Old, English rugby player Alan Gerald Bernard Old is an English rugby union player who had 16 caps for England. Read more
23 Sep 1945: Paul Petersen, American actor, singer, author, and activist Paul Petersen is an American actor, singer, novelist and activist. Read more
23 Sep 1944: Eric Bogle, Scottish-Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist Eric Bogle is a Scottish and Australian folk singer-songwriter and musician. Born and raised in Scotland, he emigrated to Australia at the age of 25 to settle near Adelaide, South Australia. Bogle's songs have covered a variety of topics and have been performed by many artists. Two of his best known songs are "No Man's Land" and "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda", with the latter named one of the APRA Top 30 Australian songs in 2001 as part of the celebrations for the Australasian Performing Right Association's 75th anniversary. Read more
23 Sep 1943: Julio Iglesias, Spanish singer-songwriter Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva is a Spanish singer and songwriter. Iglesias is recognized as the most commercially successful Spanish singer in the world and one of the top record sellers in music history, having sold more than 300 million records worldwide in 14 languages. It is estimated that during his career he has performed in more than 5,000 concerts, for over 60 million people in six continents. In April 2013, Iglesias was inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame. Read more
23 Sep 1943: Marty Schottenheimer, American football player and coach (died 2021) Martin Edward Schottenheimer was an American professional football coach and linebacker who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons. He was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 1984 to 1988, the Kansas City Chiefs from 1989 to 1998, the Washington Redskins in 2001, and the San Diego Chargers from 2002 to 2006. Eighth in career wins at 205 and seventh in regular season wins at 200, Schottenheimer has the most wins among the league's head coaches to not win an NFL championship. After coaching in the NFL, he won a 2011 championship in his one season with the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League (UFL). He was inducted to the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Honor in 2010. Read more
23 Sep 1942: Sila María Calderón, Puerto Rican-American businesswoman and politician, 12th Secretary of State of Puerto Rico Sila María Calderón Serra is a Puerto Rican politician, businesswoman, and philanthropist who served as the eighth democratically elected governor of Puerto Rico from 2001 to 2005. Calderón became the first female to be elected or serve as governor since the establishment of the office in 1508. She previously served as the mayor of San Juan, the capital municipality of Puerto Rico, from 1997 to 2001. She also held various positions in the government of Puerto Rico, including Secretary of State from 1988 to 1989. Read more
23 Sep 1942: Colin Low, Baron Low of Dalston, Scottish scholar and politician Colin Mackenzie Low, Baron Low of Dalston, is a British politician, law scholar and former member of the House of Lords. Read more
23 Sep 1942: David Renneberg, Australian cricketer David Alexander Renneberg was an Australian cricketer who played in eight Test matches from 1966 to 1968. Read more
23 Sep 1941: George Jackson, American activist and author, co-founded the Black Guerrilla Family (died 1971) George Lester Jackson was an American author, prisoner, and revolutionary. While serving an indeterminate sentence for stealing $71 at gunpoint from a gas station in 1960, Jackson became involved in the Black power movement and founded a far-left prison gang, the Black Guerrilla Family. Read more
23 Sep 1941: Simon Nolet, Canadian ice hockey player and coach Simon Laurent Nolet is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), most notably for the Philadelphia Flyers, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 1973-74. Read more
23 Sep 1941: Norma Winstone, English singer-songwriter Norma Ann Winstone MBE is an English jazz singer and lyricist. With a career spanning more than 50 years, she is best known for her contributions to improvised vocal music. Musicians with whom she has worked include Michael Garrick, John Surman, Michael Gibbs, Mike Westbrook, as well as pianist John Taylor, who was her former husband. Read more
23 Sep 1940: Michel Temer, Brazilian lawyer and politician, 25th Vice President of Brazil Michel Miguel Elias Temer Lulia is a Brazilian politician, lawyer, poet and writer who served as the 37th president of Brazil from 2016 to 2019. He took office after the impeachment and removal from office of his predecessor Dilma Rousseff. He had been the 24th vice president since 2011 and acting president since 12 May 2016, when Rousseff's powers and duties were suspended pending an impeachment trial. Read more
23 Sep 1940: Dick Thornett, Australian rugby player and water polo player (died 2011) Richard Norman Thornett was one of five Australians to have represented their country in three sports. He was an Olympic water polo player before becoming a rugby league and rugby union player – a dual code international representative. Read more
23 Sep 1939: Henry Blofeld, English cricketer and journalist Henry Calthorpe Blofeld, nicknamed Blowers by Brian Johnston, is an English retired sports journalist and broadcaster best known as a cricket commentator for Test Match Special on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra. He has established a reputation as a commentator with an accent, vocabulary and syntax that is quintessentially Old Etonian both in style and substance. He also writes on cricket and is the author of eight books. Read more
23 Sep 1939: Roy Buchanan, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1988) Leroy "Roy" Buchanan was an American guitarist and blues rock musician. A pioneer of the "Telecaster sound", Buchanan worked as a sideman and as a solo artist, with two gold albums early in his career and two later solo albums that made it to the Billboard chart. He never achieved stardom but is considered a highly influential guitarist. Guitar Player praised him as having one of the "50 Greatest Tones of All Time". He appeared on the PBS music program Austin City Limits in 1977. Read more
23 Sep 1939: Joan Hanham, Baroness Hanham, English politician Joan Brownlow Hanham, Baroness Hanham, was a British politician who was a member of the House of Lords. She sat as a Conservative. Read more
23 Sep 1939: Sonny Vaccaro, American businessman John Paul Vincent "Sonny" Vaccaro is an American former sports marketing executive. He lives in Santa Monica, California. Read more
23 Sep 1938: Arie L. Kopelman, American businessman (died 2024) Arie Leonard Kopelman was an American businessman and philanthropist. He served as the President and COO of Chanel from 1986 until 2004, when he retired and was succeeded by former Banana Republic President Maureen Chiquet. He remained at Chanel as Vice Chairman of the Board until 2008. Read more
23 Sep 1938: Romy Schneider, German-French actress (died 1982) Rosemarie Magdalena Albach, known professionally as Romy Schneider, was a German and French actress. She is regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses of all time and became a cult figure due to her role as Empress Elisabeth of Austria in the Sissi trilogy in the mid-1950s. She later reprised the role in a more mature version in Luchino Visconti's Ludwig (1973). She began her career in the German Heimatfilm genre in the early 1950s when she was 15. Schneider moved to France, where she made successful and critically acclaimed films with some of the most notable film directors of that era. Coco Chanel called Romy "the ultimate incarnation of the ideal woman". Bertrand Tavernier remarked: "Sautet is talking about Mozart with regard to Romy. Me, I want to talk of Verdi, Mahler…" Read more
23 Sep 1937: Jacques Poulin, Canadian author and translator (died 2025) Jacques Poulin was a Canadian novelist. Read more
23 Sep 1936: George Eastham, English footballer (died 2024) George Edward Eastham, OBE was an English footballer who played as a midfielder or inside forward for Newcastle United, Arsenal and Stoke City, as well as being a member of England's 1966 World Cup-winning squad. He is also notable for his involvement in a 1963 court case which proved a landmark in improving players' freedom to move between clubs. Read more
23 Sep 1936: Valentín Paniagua, Peruvian lawyer and politician, 91st President of Peru (died 2006) Valentín Toribio Demetrio Agustin Paniagua Corazao was a Peruvian lawyer and politician who briefly served as President of Peru from 2000 to 2001. Elected President of Congress on 16 November 2000, he ascended to the presidency as incumbent Alberto Fujimori and both his Vice Presidents resigned by 22 November 2000. Read more
23 Sep 1936: Sylvain Saudan, Swiss skier Sylvain Saudan was a Swiss extreme skier, dubbed "skier of the impossible." He was noted for skiing down large and steep mountains, including those in the Himalayas, North America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. In 1982, he entered the Guinness Book of World Records for descending the highest and steepest slope ever skied. Read more
23 Sep 1936: Tareq Suheimat, Jordanian physician, general, and politician (died 2014) Tareq Salah Attalla Suheimat, was a distinguished Jordanian physician, nephrologist, military General, and statesman. Born in the historic city of Al-Karak in southern Jordan, Suheimat studied in Amman's schools and then studied medicine in a number of universities, institutes and hospitals in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. He joined the Jordanian Armed Forces where he reached the rank of Major General, and has held a number of senior responsibilities at both medical and governmental levels. Read more
23 Sep 1935: Prem Chopra, Indian actor Prem Chopra is a Hindi film actor who has appeared in over 380 films in a career spanning more than six decades. He is best known for portraying villainous characters in Hindi cinema between the 1960s through the 1990s. Chopra has also played positive and character roles throughout his career. Read more
23 Sep 1935: Les McCann, American soul-jazz singer and pianist (died 2023) Leslie Coleman McCann was an American jazz pianist and vocalist. He is known for his innovations in soul jazz and his 1969 recording of the protest song "Compared to What". His music has been widely sampled in hip hop. Read more
23 Sep 1935: Ron Tindall, English-Australian footballer, cricketer, and manager (died 2012) Ronald Albert Ernest Tindall was an English footballer who played as a striker. He was also an accomplished cricketer, playing for Surrey. Read more
23 Sep 1934: Per Olov Enquist, Swedish journalist, author, and playwright (died 2020) Per Olov Enquist, also known as P. O. Enquist, was a Swedish author. He worked as a journalist, playwright and novelist. Read more
23 Sep 1933: Lloyd J. Old, American immunologist and academic (died 2011) Lloyd John Old was an American medical researcher, and one of the founders of the field of cancer immunology. When Old began his career in 1958, tumor immunology was in its infancy. Today, cancer immunotherapies are a significant advance in cancer therapy. Read more
23 Sep 1932: Georg Keßler, German footballer and manager Georg Kessler is a German former football manager. Read more
23 Sep 1931: Hilly Kristal, American businessman, founded CBGB (died 2007) Hillel Kristal was an American club owner, manager and musician who was the owner of the New York City club CBGB, which opened in 1973 and closed in 2006 over a rent dispute. Read more
23 Sep 1931: Stan Lynde, American author and illustrator (died 2013) Myron Stanford Lynde was an American comic strip artist, painter and novelist. Read more
23 Sep 1931: Gerald Merrithew, Canadian educator and politician (died 2004) Gerald Stairs "Gerry" Merrithew, born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, was an educator, provincial and federal politician, and statesman. Read more
23 Sep 1930: Sehba Akhtar, Pakistani poet and songwriter (died 1996) Sehba Akhtar was a poet and a film songwriter in Pakistan. Read more
23 Sep 1930: Colin Blakely, Northern Irish actor (died 1987) Colin George Edward Blakely was a Northern Irish stage and screen actor. He was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Sidney Lumet's Equus (1977), and was nominated twice for a Best Actor in Television. He was also an Olivier Award nominee. Read more
23 Sep 1930: Ray Charles, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actor (died 2004) Ray Charles Robinson was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Genius". Among friends and fellow musicians, Charles preferred being called "Brother Ray". He lost his vision as a child, possibly due to glaucoma, and consequently wore dark glasses. Read more
23 Sep 1928: Frank Foster, American saxophonist and composer (died 2011) Frank Benjamin Foster III was an American tenor and soprano saxophonist, flautist, arranger, and composer. Foster collaborated frequently with Count Basie and worked as a bandleader from the early 1950s. In 1998, Howard University awarded Frank Foster with the Benny Golson Jazz Master Award. Read more
23 Sep 1928: Roger Grimsby, American journalist and actor (died 1995) Roger Olin Grimsby was an American journalist, television news anchor and actor. Grimsby, who for eighteen years was seen on ABC's flagship station WABC in New York City, is known as one of the pioneers of local television broadcast news. Read more
23 Sep 1926: André Cassagnes, French toy maker, created the Etch A Sketch (died 2013) André Cassagnes was a French inventor, electrical technician, toymaker, and kite designer. Cassagnes is best known as the inventor of the Etch A Sketch, a popular mechanical drawing toy manufactured since 2016 by Spin Master, formerly by the Ohio Art Company. Read more
23 Sep 1926: John William Coltrane, American jazz saxophonist and composer (died 1967) John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Read more
23 Sep 1925: Denis C. Twitchett, English historian and scholar (died 2006) Denis Crispin Twitchett was a British Sinologist and historian, and is well known as one of the co-editors of The Cambridge History of China. Read more
23 Sep 1924: Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal, Nicaraguan journalist and publisher (died 1978) Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal was a Nicaraguan journalist and publisher. He was the editor of La Prensa, the only significant opposition newspaper to the long rule of the Somoza family. He was a 1977 laureate of the Maria Moors Cabot Prize of Columbia University in New York. He married Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, who later went on to become President of Nicaragua (1990–1997). In 1978, he was shot to death, one of the precipitating events of the overthrow of the Somoza regime the following year. Read more
23 Sep 1923: Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, Egyptian journalist (died 2016) Mohamed Hassanein Heikal was an Egyptian journalist. For 17 years (1957–1974), he was editor-in-chief of the Cairo newspaper Al-Ahram and was a commentator on Middle East affairs for more than 50 years. Read more
23 Sep 1923: Vello Helk, Estonian-Danish historian and author (died 2014) Vello Helk was an eminent Danish historian of Estonian origin. Read more
23 Sep 1920: Mickey Rooney, American actor, singer, director, and producer (died 2014) Mickey Rooney was an American actor. In a career spanning nearly nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the silent-film era. He was the top box-office attraction from 1939 to 1941, and one of the best-paid actors of that era. At the height of a career ultimately marked by declines and comebacks, Rooney performed the role of Andy Hardy in a series of 16 films in the 1930s and 1940s that epitomized the mainstream United States self-image. Read more
23 Sep 1917: El Santo, Mexican Luchador enmascarado, film actor, and folk icon (died 1984) Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta, best known by his ring name El Santo, was a Mexican professional wrestler and actor. He is the most famous and iconic of the Mexican professional wrestlers, and has been referred to as one of "the greatest legends in Mexican sports". His wrestling career spanned nearly five decades, during which he became a folk hero and a symbol of justice for the common man through his appearances in luchador films and comic books telling fictionalized stories of El Santo fighting for justice. He starred or co-starred in at least 53 movies between 1958 and 1982. Read more
23 Sep 1917: Asima Chatterjee, Indian chemist (died 2006) Asima Chatterjee was an Indian organic chemist noted for her work in the fields of organic chemistry and phytomedicine. Her most notable work includes research on vinca alkaloids, the development of anti-epileptic drugs, and development of anti-malarial drugs. She also authored a considerable volume of work on medicinal plants of the Indian subcontinent. She was the first woman to receive a Doctorate of Science from an Indian university. Read more
23 Sep 1916: Aldo Moro, Italian academic and politician, 39th Prime Minister of Italy (died 1978) Aldo Moro was an Italian statesman and prominent member of Christian Democracy (DC) and its centre-left wing. He served as prime minister of Italy for five terms from December 1963 to June 1968 and from November 1974 to July 1976. Read more
23 Sep 1915: Julius Baker, American flute player and educator (died 2003) Julius Baker was one of the foremost American orchestral flute players and educators. During the course of five decades he concertized with several of America's premier orchestral ensembles including the Chicago Symphony and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition, he was a faculty member at several premier conservatories of music including; The Juilliard School of Music, the Curtis Institute of Music and Carnegie Mellon University. Read more
23 Sep 1915: Clifford Shull, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2001) Clifford Glenwood Shull was an American physicist. Read more
23 Sep 1913: Carl-Henning Pedersen, Danish painter and sculptor (died 2007) Carl-Henning Pedersen was a Danish painter and a key member of the COBRA movement. He was known as the "Scandinavian Chagall", and was one of the leading Danish artists of the second half of the 20th century. He was married to Else Alfelt, another prominent CoBrA member. Read more
23 Sep 1912: Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Pakistani linguist, author, and critic (died 2005) Ghulam Mustafa Khan, SI was a Pakistani researcher, literary critic, linguist, author, scholar of Urdu literature and linguistics, educationist and religious and spiritual leader belonging to the Naqshbandi order of Sufism. Read more
23 Sep 1912: Tony Smith, American sculptor and educator (died 1980) Anthony Peter Smith was an American sculptor, painter, architectural designer, and a noted art theorist. As a leading sculptor in the 1960s and 1970s, Smith is often associated with the minimalist art movement. Read more
23 Sep 1911: Frank Moss, American lawyer and politician (died 2003) Frank Edward "Ted" Moss was an American lawyer and politician. From 1959 to 1977 he served as a United States senator from Utah, and as of 2026 was the last Democrat to do so. Read more
23 Sep 1910: Jakob Streit, Swiss anthroposophist and author (died 2009) Jakob Streit was a Swiss writer, teacher and anthroposophist. Besides this, he worked as musician and choirmaster as well as conductor and dramaturg. Read more
23 Sep 1909: Lorenc Antoni, Kosovo-Albanian composer and conductor (died 1991) Lorenc Antoni was an Albanian composer, conductor, and ethnomusicologist. Read more
23 Sep 1908: Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, Indian poet, academic, and politician (died 1974) Ramdhari Singh, known by his pen name Dinkar, was an Indian Hindi language poet, essayist, freedom fighter, patriot and academic. He emerged as a poet of rebellion as a consequence of his nationalist poetry written in the days before Indian independence. His poetry exuded Veer Rasa, and he has been hailed as a Rashtrakavi and Yuga-Chāraṇa on account of his inspiring patriotic compositions. He was a regular poet of Hindi Kavi Sammelan and is hailed to be as popular and connected to poetry lovers for Hindi speakers as Pushkin for Russians. Read more
23 Sep 1907: Tiny Bradshaw, American singer-songwriter and pianist (died 1958) Myron Carlton "Tiny" Bradshaw was an American jazz and rhythm and blues bandleader, composer, singer, pianist, and drummer. His biggest hit was "Well Oh Well" in 1950, and the following year he recorded "The Train Kept A-Rollin'", a song that was pivotal to the development of rock and roll. Bradshaw co-wrote and sang on both records. Read more
23 Sep 1907: Anne Desclos, French journalist and author (died 1998) Anne Cécile Desclos was a French literary critic, journalist, and novelist who wrote under the pen names Dominique Aury and Pauline Réage. She is best known for her erotic novel Story of O (1954). Read more
23 Sep 1907: Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza (died 1976) Dom Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza was the claimant to the defunct Portuguese throne, as both the Miguelist successor of his father, Miguel Januário, Duke of Braganza, and later as the head of the only Brigantine house, after the death of the last ruling Braganza, King Manuel II of Portugal. In 1952, when the Portuguese Laws of Banishment were repealed, the Duke moved his family to Portugal, thus returning the Miguelist Braganzas to their homeland and becoming the first of the former Portuguese royal dynasty to live in Portugal since the abolition of the monarchy in 1910. Read more
23 Sep 1906: Charles Ritchie, Canadian diplomat, High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom (died 1995) Charles Stewart Almon Ritchie, was a Canadian diplomat and diarist. Read more
23 Sep 1904: Arthur Folwell, English-Australian rugby league player, coach, and administrator (died 1966) Arthur Fitzgerald Folwell was a British-born Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, coached in the 1940s, and was an administrator in the mid-20th century. An Australia national and New South Wales state representative hooker, he played his club football in the New South Wales Rugby Football League for Sydney's Newtown before becoming their coach and taking them to the 1943 NSWRFL premiership. Read more
23 Sep 1903: Cec Fifield, Australian rugby league player and coach (died 1957) Cec "Dicky" Fifield (1903–1957) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s, and coached in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. An Australian international and New South Wales interstate representative centre, he played in the NSWRFL premiership for Sydney clubs, Western Suburbs, Balmain and Canterbury-Bankstown, as well as in England for Hull FC. Following his playing career, Fifield returned to the NSWRFL premiership as coach, first with Canterbury-Bankstown then with Parramatta. Read more
23 Sep 1902: Su Buqing, Chinese mathematician and academic (died 2003) Su Buqing, also spelled Su Buchin, was a Chinese mathematician, educator and poet. He was the founder of differential geometry in China, and served as president of Fudan University and honorary chairman of the Chinese Mathematical Society. Read more
23 Sep 1901: Jaroslav Seifert, Czech poet and journalist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1986) Jaroslav Seifert was a Czech writer, poet and journalist. Seifert was awarded the 1984 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his poetry which endowed with freshness, sensuality and rich inventiveness provides a liberating image of the indomitable spirit and versatility of man". Read more
23 Sep 1900: Bill Stone, English soldier (died 2009) William Frederick Stone was one of the last five surviving First World War veterans who served in the United Kingdom's armed forces and one of the last two surviving seamen worldwide, along with Claude Choules. They were also the last two to have also served in the Second World War, although Stone saw action only in the Second World War as he was still in training when the First World War ended. Read more
23 Sep 1899: Tom C. Clark, American lawyer and judge, 59th Attorney General of the United States (died 1977) Thomas Campbell Clark was an American lawyer who served as the 59th United States attorney general from 1945 to 1949 and as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1949 to 1967. Read more
23 Sep 1899: Louise Nevelson, American sculptor (died 1988) Louise Nevelson was an American sculptor known for her monumental, monochromatic, wooden wall pieces and outdoor sculptures. Born in Pereiaslav in the Poltava Governorate of the Russian Empire, she emigrated with her family to the United States in 1905. Nevelson learned English at school, as she spoke Yiddish at home. Read more
23 Sep 1898: Les Haylen, Australian journalist and politician (died 1977) Leslie Clement "Les" Haylen, also known by the pen-name Sutton Woodfield, was an Australian politician, playwright, novelist and journalist. Read more
23 Sep 1897: Paul Delvaux, Belgian painter (died 1994) Paul Delvaux was a Belgian painter noted for his dream-like scenes of women, classical architecture, trains and train stations, and skeletons, often in combination. He is often considered a surrealist, although he only briefly identified with the surrealist movement. He was influenced by the works of Giorgio de Chirico and René Magritte, but developed his own fantastical subjects and hyper-realistic styling, combining the detailed classical beauty of academic painting with the bizarre juxtapositions of surrealism. Read more
23 Sep 1897: Walter Pidgeon, Canadian-American actor and singer (died 1984) Walter Davis Pidgeon was a Canadian-American actor. A major leading man during the Golden Age of Hollywood, known for his "portrayals of men who prove both sturdy and wise," Pidgeon earned two Academy Award nominations for Best Actor for his roles in Mrs. Miniver (1942) and Madame Curie (1943). Read more
23 Sep 1895: Miron Merzhanov, Russian architect and engineer (died 1975) Miron Ivanovich Merzhanov, born Meran Merzhanyantz, was a Soviet architect of Armenian descent, notable for being the de facto personal architect of Joseph Stalin in 1933–1941. Arrested in 1942 on political charges, Merzhanov continued professional work as a sharashka architect, designing numerous public buildings in the Black Sea region, Krasnoyarsk and Komsomolsk-na-Amure. Read more
23 Sep 1895: Johnny Mokan, American baseball player (died 1985) John Leo Mokan was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He batted and threw right-handed. Read more
23 Sep 1890: Friedrich Paulus, German field marshal (died 1957) Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus was a German Generalfeldmarschall during World War II who is best known for being the commander of the German 6th Army during the Battle of Stalingrad. The battle ended in disaster for the Wehrmacht when Soviet forces encircled the Germans within the city, leading to the ultimate death or capture of most of the 265,000-strong 6th Army, their Axis allies, and collaborators. Read more
23 Sep 1889: Walter Lippmann, American journalist and publisher, co-founded The New Republic (died 1974) Walter Lippmann was an American journalist. With a career spanning 60 years, he is famous for being among the first to introduce the concept of the Cold War, coining the term "stereotype" in the modern psychological meaning, as well as critiquing media and democracy in his newspaper column and several books, most notably his 1922 Public Opinion. Read more
23 Sep 1880: John Boyd Orr, 1st Baron Boyd-Orr, Scottish biologist, physician, and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1971) John Boyd Orr, 1st Baron Boyd-Orr,, styled Sir John Boyd Orr from 1935 to 1949, was a British teacher, medical doctor, biologist, nutritional physiologist, politician, businessman and farmer who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his scientific research into nutrition and his work as the first Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Read more
23 Sep 1876: Moshe Zvi Segal, Israeli rabbi and scholar (died 1968) Moshe Zvi (Hirsch) Segal was an Israeli rabbi, linguist and Talmudic scholar. Read more
23 Sep 1869: Mary Mallon, American cook and typhoid carrier (died 1938) Mary Mallon, commonly known as Typhoid Mary, was an Irish-born cook who lived in the United States from a young age and is believed to have infected up to fifty-seven people with the bacteria that cause typhoid fever. The infections caused three confirmed deaths. She was the first person in the U.S. to be identified as an asymptomatic carrier of Salmonella Typhi bacteria. Read more
23 Sep 1867: John Lomax, American teacher, musicologist, and folklorist (died 1948) John Avery Lomax was an American teacher, a pioneering musicologist, and a folklorist who did much for the preservation of American folk music. He was the father of Alan Lomax, John Lomax Jr. and Bess Lomax Hawes, also distinguished collectors of folk music. Read more
23 Sep 1865: Pekka Halonen, Finnish painter (died 1933) Pekka Halonen was a Finnish painter of landscapes and people in the national romantic and Realist styles. Read more
23 Sep 1865: Emma Orczy, Hungarian-English author and playwright (died 1947) Baroness Emma Magdalena Rozália Mária Jozefa Borbála Orczy de Orci, usually known as Baroness Orczy, was a Hungarian-born British novelist and playwright. She is best known for her series of novels featuring The Scarlet Pimpernel, the alter ego of Sir Percy Blakeney, a wealthy English fop who turns into a quick-thinking escape artist in order to save French aristocrats from "Madame Guillotine" during the French Revolution, establishing the "hero with a secret identity" in popular culture. Read more
23 Sep 1865: Suzanne Valadon, French model and painter (died 1938) Marie-Clémentine "Suzanne" Valadon was a French painter who was born at Bessines-sur-Gartempe, Haute-Vienne, France. In 1894, Valadon became the first woman painter admitted to the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. She was also the mother of painter Maurice Utrillo. Read more
23 Sep 1863: Mary Church Terrell, American author and activist (died 1954) Mary "Mollie" Eliza Church Terrell was an American civil rights activist, journalist, teacher, and suffragist. She was one of the first African American women to earn a college degree. Read more
23 Sep 1861: Robert Bosch, German engineer and businessman, founded Robert Bosch GmbH (died 1942) Robert Bosch was a German business magnate, engineer and inventor. He was the founder of Bosch. Read more
23 Sep 1853: Princess Marie Elisabeth of Saxe-Meiningen (died 1923) Princess Marie Elisabeth of Saxe-Meiningen was the only daughter of George II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, by his first wife, Princess Charlotte of Prussia. She was notable as a musician and composer. One of her most famous works is Romanze in F major for clarinet and piano. Read more
23 Sep 1852: James Carroll Beckwith, American painter and academic (died 1917) James Carroll Beckwith was an American landscape, portrait and genre painter whose Naturalist style led to his recognition in the late nineteenth and very early twentieth century as a respected figure in American art. Read more
23 Sep 1852: William Stewart Halsted, American physician and surgeon (died 1922) William Stewart Halsted, M.D. was an American surgeon who emphasized strict aseptic technique during surgical procedures, was an early champion of newly discovered anesthetics, and introduced several new operations, including the radical mastectomy for breast cancer. Along with William Osler, Howard Atwood Kelly and William H. Welch, Halsted was one of the "Big Four" founding professors at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. His operating room at Johns Hopkins Hospital is in Ward G, and was described as a small room where medical discoveries and miracles took place. According to an intern who once worked in Halsted's operating room, Halsted had unique techniques, operated on the patients with great confidence and often had perfect results which astonished the interns. His development of the surgical residency at Hopkins marked the first of its kind in North America, but its strict pyramidal structure and hierarchical environment were later criticized by surgeons such as Edward Churchill. Read more
23 Sep 1851: Ellen Hayes, American mathematician and astronomer (died 1930) Ellen Amanda Hayes was an American mathematician and astronomer. She was a controversial figure, both for being a female college professor and for embracing many radical causes. Read more
23 Sep 1838: Victoria Woodhull, American journalist and activist (died 1927) Victoria Claflin Woodhull, later Victoria Woodhull Martin, was an American leader of the women's suffrage movement who ran for president of the United States in the 1872 election. While many historians and authors agree that Woodhull was the first woman to run for the presidency, some disagree with classifying it as a true candidacy because according to the Constitution she would have been too young to be president if elected. Read more
23 Sep 1823: John Colton, English-Australian politician, 13th Premier of South Australia (died 1902) Sir John Blackler Colton, was an Australian politician, Premier of South Australia and philanthropist. His middle name, Blackler, was used only rarely, as on the birth certificate of his first son. Read more
23 Sep 1819: Hippolyte Fizeau, French physicist and academic (died 1896) Armand Hippolyte Louis Fizeau was a French physicist who, in 1849, measured the speed of light to within 5% accuracy. In 1851, he measured the speed of light in moving water in an experiment known as the Fizeau experiment. Read more
23 Sep 1800: William Holmes McGuffey, American author and academic (died 1873) William Holmes McGuffey was an American college professor and president who is best known for writing the McGuffey Readers, the first widely used series of elementary school-level textbooks. More than 120 million copies of McGuffey Readers were sold between 1836 and 1960, placing its sales in a category with the Bible and Webster's Dictionary. Read more

Notable Deaths on 23 September

23 Sep 2021: John Elliott, Australian businessman (born 1941) John Dorman Elliott was an Australian businessman and state and federal president of the Liberal Party. He had also been president of the Carlton Football Club. He frequently provoked controversy due to his political affiliations, his brushes with the law, and his abrasive personal style. Read more
23 Sep 2021: Nino Vaccarella, Italian race car driver (born 1933) Antonino Vaccarella was an Italian sports car racing and Formula One driver from the island of Sicily. He was considered a specialist for the main local race, the Targa Florio, then the world's oldest automobile race, introduced in 1906. It was run over 72km of mountain roads that were hard to memorize, giving locals an advantage. Read more
23 Sep 2020: Juliette Gréco, French singer and actress (born 1927) Juliette Gréco was a French singer and actress. Her best-known songs are "Paris Canaille", "La Javanaise" and "Déshabillez-moi" (1967). She often sang tracks with lyrics written by French poets such as Jacques Prévert and Boris Vian, as well as singers like Jacques Brel and Charles Aznavour. Her 60-year career concluded with her final worldwide tour titled "Merci", which began in 2015. Read more
23 Sep 2018: Charles Kuen Kao, Hong Kong-American-British electrical engineer and physicist (born 1933) Sir Charles Kuen Kao was a Hong Kong electrical engineer who contributed to the development and use of fibre optics in telecommunications. In the 1960s, Kao created various methods to combine glass fibres with lasers in order to transmit digital data, which laid the groundwork for the evolution of the Internet and the eventual creation of the World Wide Web. Read more
23 Sep 2018: Gary Kurtz, American film producer (born 1940) Gary Douglas Kurtz was an American film producer whose list of credits includes American Graffiti (1973), Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), The Dark Crystal (1982) and Return to Oz (1985). Kurtz also co-produced the 1989 science fiction adventure film Slipstream, which reunited him with Star Wars star Mark Hamill. Read more
23 Sep 2018: Jane Fortune, American author, journalist, and philanthropist (born 1942) Jane Fortune was an American author and journalist. Many of her publications and philanthropic activities were centered on the research, restoration, and exhibition of art by women in Florence, Italy. Read more
23 Sep 2015: Dayananda Saraswati, Indian monk and philosopher (born 1930) Swami Dayananda Saraswati was a renunciate monk of the Hindu Saraswati order of sannyasa. He was also known as Pujya Swamiji and was a traditional teacher of Advaita Vedanta. He was the founder of the Arsha Vidya Gurukulams in Pennsylvania, USA; Rishikesh, Uttarakhand and Coimbatore Tamil Nadu, India. He was also the spiritual Guru of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan,, for his service to the nation in the field of spirituality in 2016. Read more
23 Sep 2014: A. W. Davis, American basketball player and coach (born 1943) Arvis W. Davis was an American basketball player and coach. Davis is best known for his All-American college career at the University of Tennessee (UT). He was known by several nicknames, including the "Rutledge Rifle" and "The Man With the Golden Arm." Read more
23 Sep 2014: Irven DeVore, American anthropologist and biologist (born 1934) Irven DeVore was an anthropologist and evolutionary biologist, and Curator of Primatology at Harvard University's Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. He headed Harvard's Department of Anthropology from 1987 to 1992. He taught generations of students at Harvard both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He mentored many young scientists who went on to prominence in anthropology and behavioral biology, including Richard Lee, Robert Trivers, Sarah Hrdy, Peter Ellison, Barbara Smuts, Henry Harpending, Marjorie Shostak, Robert Bailey, Leda Cosmides, John Tooby, Richard Wrangham and Terrence Deacon. Read more
23 Sep 2014: Don Manoukian, American football player and wrestler (born 1934) Donald J. Manoukian was an American football guard and professional wrestler of Armenian descent from Reno, Nevada. Read more
23 Sep 2014: Al Suomi, American ice hockey player and referee (born 1913) Albert William Suomi was an American ice hockey player, who played 5 games in the National Hockey League with the Chicago Black Hawks during the 1936–37 season. Although he did not aspire to play at a professional level, Suomi nevertheless spent his young life playing hockey and was eventually scouted while playing with friends. Suomi began his career playing for the Chicago Baby Ruth team in 1934, a marketing ploy started by the company that produced the candy of the same name. In 1936, he joined a minor league team in Detroit, Michigan and, based on his experiences with the Chicago Baby Ruth team, was deemed too professional to be eligible for the 1936 United States Olympic ice hockey team. Read more
23 Sep 2013: Abdel Hamid al-Sarraj, Syrian colonel and politician (born 1925) Abdul Hamid Sarraj was a Syrian military officer and politician. When the union between Egypt and Syria — the United Arab Republic (UAR) — was declared in 1958, Sarraj, a staunch Arab nationalist and supporter of Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, played a key role in the leadership of the Syrian region of the UAR. Due to the repression by the UAR of the Syrian communists he was nicknamed Sultan Abdul Hamid referring to the Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid II. He is alleged to have founded the initial absolute security regime in Syria, constructing the framework of a police state and introducing systematized torture during his tenure as head of the Military Intelligence in 1955, which held the authority to interfere in all facets of political and civil life. Read more
23 Sep 2013: Gil Dozier, American captain, lawyer, and politician (born 1934) Gilbert Lynel Dozier, was an attorney, businessman, farmer, and rancher who served from 1976 to 1980 as the Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry. A Democrat, Dozier's political career ended with felony convictions and imprisonment for nearly four years. Most of his adult life was spent in and about Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Read more
23 Sep 2013: Ruth Patrick, American botanist and immunologist (born 1907) Ruth Myrtle Patrick was an American botanist and limnologist specializing in diatoms and freshwater ecology. She authored more than 200 scientific papers, developed ways to measure the health of freshwater ecosystems and established numerous research facilities. Read more
23 Sep 2012: Henry Champ, Canadian journalist and academic (born 1937) Stephen Henry Champ was a veteran Canadian broadcast journalist, working for CTV News, NBC News and CBC News. Read more
23 Sep 2012: Pavel Grachev, Russian general and politician, 1st Minister of Defence for Russia (born 1948) Pavel Sergeyevich Grachev, sometimes transliterated as Grachov or Grachyov, was a Russian Army General and the Defence Minister of the Russian Federation from 1992 to 1996; in 1988 he was awarded Hero of the Soviet Union gold star. Read more
23 Sep 2012: Roberto Rodríguez, Venezuelan baseball player and coach (born 1941) Roberto Muñoz Rodríguez was a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, and Chicago Cubs. He played in the United States under the name of Roberto Rodriguez. Read more
23 Sep 2012: Corrie Sanders, South African boxer (born 1966) Cornelius Johannes Sanders was a South African professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2008. He won the WBO heavyweight title in 2003 after knocking out Wladimir Klitschko in two rounds, which was considered one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight boxing history; The Ring magazine named it the Upset of the Year. In 2004, having vacated the WBO title, Sanders faced Wladimir's brother Vitali Klitschko in an unsuccessful challenge for the vacant WBC and Ring heavyweight titles. He also held the WBU heavyweight title from 1997 until 2000 and the South Africa national heavyweight title in 1991. Read more
23 Sep 2012: Sam Sniderman, Canadian businessman, founded Sam the Record Man (born 1920) Sam Sniderman, was a Canadian businessman best known as the founder of the Canadian record shop chain Sam the Record Man. Sniderman was also a major promoter of Canadian music including involvement in pushing for the Canadian content (CANCON) broadcast regulations and creating the Juno Awards. Read more
23 Sep 2010: Malcolm Douglas, Australian hunter and television host (born 1941) Malcolm Douglas was an Australian wildlife documentary film maker, and crocodile hunter. Douglas started in the 1960s as a professional crocodile hunter and farmer, but later dedicated himself to their preservation. Read more
23 Sep 2009: Paul B. Fay, American sailor and politician, United States Secretary of the Navy (born 1918) Paul Burgess Fay Jr. was the Acting United States Secretary of the Navy in November 1963, and a close confidant of President John F. Kennedy. Read more
23 Sep 2008: Peter Leonard, Australian journalist (born 1942) Peter Antony Leonard was an Australian journalist and newsreader. Read more
23 Sep 2008: Loren Pope, American journalist and author (born 1910) Loren Brooks Pope was an American writer and educational consultant, best known for his book, Colleges That Change Lives. He was also the education editor of The New York Times. Read more
23 Sep 2006: Malcolm Arnold, English trumpet player and composer (born 1921) Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold was an English composer and conductor. His works feature music in many genres, including a cycle of nine symphonies, numerous concertos, concert works, chamber music, choral music and music for brass band and wind band. His style is tonal and rejoices in lively rhythms, brilliant orchestration, and an unabashed tunefulness. He wrote extensively for the theatre, with five ballets specially commissioned by the Royal Ballet, as well as two operas and a musical. He also produced scores for more than a hundred films, among these The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), for which he won an Oscar. Read more
23 Sep 2006: Etta Baker, American singer and guitarist (born 1913) Etta Baker was an American Piedmont blues guitarist and singer from North Carolina. Read more
23 Sep 2005: Filiberto Ojeda Ríos, Puerto Rican activist (born 1933) Filiberto Ojeda Ríos was a Puerto Rican secessionist who cofounded the Boricua Popular Army, also known as Los Macheteros, and its predecessor, the Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional Puertorriqueña (FALN). In 1990, Ojeda Ríos became a fugitive of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), wanted for his role in the 1983 Águila Blanca heist, which netted more than US$7 million, as well as a bail bond default on September 23 of that year. On September 23, 2005, he was killed during an exchange of gunfire with FBI agents after they surrounded the house in Hormigueros, Puerto Rico. Read more
23 Sep 2004: Billy Reay, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (born 1918) William Tulip Reay was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Reay played ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1943 to 1953, winning two Stanley Cups. He then coached from 1957 to 1959 in the NHL and again from 1963 to 1977, primarily with the Chicago Black Hawks, who he coached to the Stanley Cup Final three times. While he did not win a Cup as a coach, Reay won over 500 games as a head coach, and he was the second coach to win 500 games with one team. When he retired, he was second in NHL history in wins, and he currently is one of thirty coaches to have won 500 games. Read more
23 Sep 2003: Yuri Senkevich, Russian physician and journalist (born 1937) Yuri Aleksandrovich Senkevich was a Soviet physician, voyager, scientist, and Candidate of Sciences. Read more
23 Sep 2001: Ron Hewitt, Welsh footballer (born 1928) Ronald Hewitt was a Wales international footballer. Read more
23 Sep 2000: Aurelio Rodríguez, Mexican baseball player and manager (born 1947) Aurelio Rodríguez Ituarte, Jr., sometimes known by the nickname "Chi Chi", was a Mexican professional baseball player, who spent the bulk of his Major League career with the Detroit Tigers. Known for his powerful throwing arm, he was one of the great defensive third basemen of his generation. His career range factor of 3.215 per nine innings at third base ranks second in major league history, and his 4,150 assists at the position ranked fifth in major league history at the time of his retirement. Read more
23 Sep 2000: Carl Rowan, American journalist and author (born 1925) Carl Thomas Rowan was an American journalist, author and government official whose columns were syndicated across the U.S. At one point, he was the highest ranking African American in the United States government. Read more
23 Sep 2000: Raoul Berger, American attorney and law professor (born 1901) Raoul Berger was an American legal scholar at the University of California at Berkeley and Harvard Law School. While at Harvard, he was the Charles Warren Senior Fellow in American Legal History. He is known for his role in the development of originalism. Read more
23 Sep 1999: Ivan Goff, Australian-American screenwriter and producer (born 1910) Ivan Goff was an Australian screenwriter, best known for his collaborations with Ben Roberts including White Heat (1949), Man of a Thousand Faces (1957), Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981), and the pilot for Charlie's Angels (1976). Read more
23 Sep 1998: Ray Bowden, English footballer (born 1909) Edwin Raymond Bowden was an English footballer who played as an inside forward. He scored 130 goals from 316 appearances in the Football League, playing for Plymouth Argyle, Arsenal and Newcastle United. He was capped six times and scored once for England. Read more
23 Sep 1998: Mary Frann, American actress (born 1943) Mary Frann was an American stage, film, and television actress. Read more
23 Sep 1997: Natalie Savage Carlson, American author (born 1906) Natalie Savage Carlson was an American writer of children's books. For her lifetime contribution as a children's writer, she was United States nominee for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1966. Read more
23 Sep 1994: Jerry Barber, American golfer (born 1916) Carl Jerome Barber was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour. He had seven wins on tour, including a major title, the PGA Championship in 1961. Read more
23 Sep 1994: Robert Bloch, American author and screenwriter (born 1917) Robert Albert Bloch was an American fiction writer, primarily of crime, psychological horror, and fantasy, much of which has been dramatized for radio, cinema and television. He also wrote a relatively small amount of science fiction. His writing career lasted 60 years, including more than 30 years in television and film. He began his professional writing career immediately after graduation from high school, aged 17. He is best known as the writer of the novel Psycho (1959), the basis for the 1960 film Psycho directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Bloch wrote hundreds of short stories and over 30 novels. He was a protégé of H. P. Lovecraft, who was the first to seriously encourage his talent. However, while he started emulating Lovecraft and his brand of cosmic horror, he later specialized in crime and horror stories, often emphasizing psychological aspects of the characters within. Read more
23 Sep 1994: Madeleine Renaud, French actress (born 1900) Lucie Madeleine Renaud was a French actress best remembered for her work in the theatre. She did though appear in several films directed by Jean Grémillon including Remorques and Lumière d'été. Read more
23 Sep 1992: Ivar Ivask, Estonian poet and scholar (born 1927) Ivar Vidrik Ivask was an Estonian poet and literary scholar. Read more
23 Sep 1992: Glendon Swarthout, American author and academic (born 1918) Glendon Fred Swarthout was an American writer and novelist. Read more
23 Sep 1992: James Van Fleet, American general (born 1892) General James Alward Van Fleet was a United States Army officer who served during World War I, World War II and the Korean War. Van Fleet was a native of New Jersey, who was raised in Florida and graduated from the United States Military Academy. He served as a regimental, divisional and corps commander during World War II and as the commanding general of United States Army and other United Nations forces during the Korean War. Read more
23 Sep 1988: Tibor Sekelj, Hungarian-Serbian explorer and author (born 1912) Tibor Sekelj, also known as Székely Tibor according to Hungarian orthography, was a Hungarian born polyglot, explorer, author, and 'citizen of the world.' In 1986 he was elected a member of the Academy of Esperanto and an honorary member of the World Esperanto Association. Among his novels, travel books and essays, his novella Kumeŭaŭa, la filo de la ĝangalo, a children's book about the life of Brazilian Indians, was translated into seventeen languages, and in 1987 it was voted best Children's book in Japan. In 2011 the European Esperanto Union declared 2012 "The Year of Tibor Sekelj" to honor the 100th anniversary of his birth. Read more
23 Sep 1987: Bob Fosse, American actor, dancer, choreographer, and director (born 1927) Robert Louis Fosse was an American choreographer, dancer, actor, filmmaker, and stage director. He is known for his work on stage and screen, and was arguably the most influential figure in the field of jazz dance in the twentieth century. He received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, nine Tony Awards, and the Palme d'Or. Read more
23 Sep 1981: Chief Dan George, Canadian actor, author, and poet (born 1899) Chief Dan George was a chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, a Coast Salish band whose Indian reserve is located on Burrard Inlet in the southeast area of the District of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He also was an actor, musician, poet and author. The Chief's best-known written work is My Heart Soars. As an actor, he is best remembered for portraying Old Lodge Skins opposite Dustin Hoffman in Little Big Man (1970), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and for his role in The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), as Lone Watie, opposite Clint Eastwood. Read more
23 Sep 1980: Jim Fouché, State President of South Africa (born 1898) Jacobus Johannes Fouché, also known as J. J. Fouché, was a South African politician who served as the second state president of South Africa from 1968 to 1975. Read more
23 Sep 1979: Catherine Lacey, English actress (born 1904) Catherine Lacey was an English actress of stage and screen. Read more
23 Sep 1978: Lyman Bostock, American baseball player (born 1950) Lyman Wesley Bostock Jr. was an American professional baseball player. He played Major League Baseball for four seasons, as an outfielder for the Minnesota Twins (1975–77) and California Angels (1978), with a lifetime average of .311. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Read more
23 Sep 1974: Cliff Arquette, American actor and comedian (born 1905) Clifford Charles Arquette was an American actor and comedian. He was best known for performing comedic routines as his alter-ego Charley Weaver on numerous television and radio shows. Read more
23 Sep 1974: Robbie McIntosh, Scottish drummer (born 1950) Robert Broderick James McIntosh was a Scottish drummer from Dundee who was a founder-member of the Average White Band (AWB). Read more
23 Sep 1973: Pablo Neruda, Chilean poet and diplomat, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1904) Pablo Neruda was a Chilean poet-diplomat and politician who won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature. Neruda became known as a poet when he was 13 years old and wrote in a variety of styles, including surrealist poems, historical epics, political manifestos, a prose autobiography, and passionate love poems such as the ones in his collection Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair (1924). Read more
23 Sep 1971: James Waddell Alexander II, American mathematician and topologist (born 1888) James Waddell Alexander II was a mathematician of the pre-World War II era. He was part of an influential school of topology at Princeton University, along with Oswald Veblen, Solomon Lefschetz, and others. He was a professor at Princeton (1920–1951) and one of the first members of the Institute for Advanced Study (1933–1951). Read more
23 Sep 1968: Pio of Pietrelcina, Italian priest and saint (born 1887) Pio of Pietrelcina, widely known as Padre Pio was an Italian friar of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, priest, stigmatist and mystic. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, and his feast day is celebrated on 23 September. Read more
23 Sep 1967: Stanislaus Zbyszko, Polish wrestler and strongman (born 1879) Stanisław Jan Cyganiewicz, better known by his ring name Stanislaus Zbyszko, was a Polish strongman, catch wrestler, and professional wrestler. He was a three-time World Heavyweight Champion in the United States during the 1920s. Read more
23 Sep 1958: Jacob Nicol, Canadian publisher, lawyer, and politician (born 1876) Jacob Nicol, was a Canadian lawyer, newspaper publisher, and politician. He became Senator under Prime Minister of Canada, William Lyon Mackenzie King. Read more
23 Sep 1951: Siegfried Bettmann, German engineer (born 1863) Siegfried Bettmann was a bicycle, motorcycle and car manufacturer and founder of the Triumph Motorcycle Company. In 1914 he established the Annie Bettmann Foundation to help young people start businesses. Triumph became one of the most famous motorcycle trade-names in the world. Bettmann was also Mayor of Coventry from 1913 to 1914. Read more
23 Sep 1950: Sam Barry, American basketball player and coach (born 1892) Justin McCarthy "Sam" Barry was an American collegiate coach who achieved significant accomplishments in three major sports – football, baseball, and basketball. He remains one of only three coaches to lead teams to both the Final Four and the College World Series. Barry, and four of his USC players, have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as coaches; Sharman was also inducted as a player. Read more
23 Sep 1944: Jakob Schaffner, Swiss author and critic (born 1875) Jakob Schaffner was a leading Swiss novelist who became a supporter of Nazism. Read more
23 Sep 1943: Elinor Glyn, English author, screenwriter, and producer (born 1864) Elinor Glyn was a British novelist and scriptwriter who specialised in romantic fiction, which was considered scandalous for its time, although her works are relatively tame by modern standards. She popularized the concept of the "it girl", and had tremendous influence on early 20th-century popular culture and, possibly, on the careers of notable Hollywood stars such as Rudolph Valentino, Gloria Swanson and, especially, Clara Bow. Read more
23 Sep 1940: Hale Holden, American businessman (born 1869) Hale Holden was president of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) from 1914 to 1918 and 1920 to 1929, and chairman of the board of directors for Southern Pacific Railroad from 1932 to 1939. He was one of the lawyers working for James J. Hill's defense team in the Minnesota Rate Cases. In later years he served as a director for a number of large companies including American Telephone & Telegraph, New York Life Insurance Company and the Chemical Bank & Trust. Read more
23 Sep 1939: Sigmund Freud, Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist (born 1856) Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies arising from conflicts in the psyche through dialogue between patient and psychoanalyst, and the distinctive theory of mind and human agency derived from it. Read more
23 Sep 1939: Francisco León de la Barra, Mexican politician and diplomat, interim president, 1911 (born 1863) Francisco León de la Barra y Quijano was a Mexican political figure, diplomat, lawyer and politician who served as the 36th President of Mexico from May 25 to November 6, 1911 during the Mexican Revolution, following the resignations of President Porfirio Díaz and Vice President Ramón Corral. He previously served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs for one month during the Díaz administration and again from 1913 to 1914 under President Victoriano Huerta. He was known to conservatives as "The White President" or the "Pure President". Read more
23 Sep 1929: Richard Adolf Zsigmondy, Austrian-German chemist, physicist, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1865) Richard Adolf Zsigmondy was an Austrian-born chemist. He was known for his research in colloids, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1925, as well as for co-inventing the slit-ultramicroscope, and different membrane filters. The crater Zsigmondy on the Moon is named in his honour. Read more
23 Sep 1917: Werner Voss, German lieutenant and pilot (born 1897) Werner Voss was a World War I German flying ace credited with 48 aerial victories. A dyer's son from Krefeld, he was a patriotic young man while still in school. He began his military career in November 1914 as a 17‑year‑old Hussar. After turning to aviation, he proved to be a natural pilot. After flight school and six months in a bomber unit, he joined a newly formed fighter squadron, Jagdstaffel 2 on 21 November 1916. There he befriended Manfred von Richthofen. Read more
23 Sep 1913: Donato Álvarez, Argentinian general (born 1825) Donato Álvarez was an Argentine general. He fought in the battle of Vuelta de Obligado under the command of Lucio Mansilla. He joined Justo José de Urquiza in his conflict against Juan Manuel de Rosas, and fought in the battle of Caseros. He also fought in the Paraguayan War and the Conquest of the Desert. He died in Buenos Aires on September 23, 1913. Read more
23 Sep 1900: William Marsh Rice, American businessman, founded Rice University (born 1816) William Marsh Rice was an American businessman and entrepreneur who made his fortune in Texas. He is best known for leaving his fortune to fund the establishment of Rice University in Houston, Texas. Read more
23 Sep 1896: Emmanuel Benner, French artist (born 1836) Emmanuel Benner was a French Academic painter and draughtsman. The son of the painter Jean Benner-Fries, he was twin to fellow artist, Jean Benner, and the uncle of the painter Emmanuel Michel Benner, Jean's son. Like his twin brother, he was portrayed by fellow Alsatian, Jean-Jacques Henner. Read more
23 Sep 1889: Wilkie Collins, English novelist, short story writer, and playwright (born 1824) William Wilkie Collins was an English novelist and playwright known especially for The Woman in White (1860), a mystery novel and early sensation novel, and for The Moonstone (1868), which established many of the ground rules of the modern detective novel and is also perhaps the earliest clear example of the police procedural genre. Read more
23 Sep 1877: Urbain Le Verrier, French mathematician and astronomer (born 1811) Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier was a French astronomer and mathematician who specialized in celestial mechanics and is best known for predicting the existence and position of Neptune using only mathematics. Read more
23 Sep 1873: Jean Chacornac, French astronomer (born 1823) Jean Chacornac was a French astronomer and discoverer of a comet and several asteroids. Read more
23 Sep 1871: Louis-Joseph Papineau, Canadian lawyer and politician (born 1786) Louis-Joseph Papineau, born in Montreal, Quebec, was a politician, lawyer, and the landlord of the seigneurie de la Petite-Nation. He led the reformist Patriote movement, organized boycotts against British imports, and then led the unsuccessful Lower Canada Rebellion of 1837–1838. He later served two terms as member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada. His father was Joseph Papineau, also a Quebec politician. Papineau was the grandfather of the journalist Henri Bourassa, founder of the newspaper Le Devoir. Read more
23 Sep 1870: Prosper Mérimée, French archaeologist and historian (born 1803) Prosper Mérimée was a French writer in the movement of Romanticism, one of the pioneers of the novella, a short novel or long short story. He was also a noted archaeologist and historian, an important figure in the history of architectural preservation. He is best known for his novella Carmen, which became the basis of Bizet's opera of the same name. He learned Russian, a language for which he had great affection, before translating the work of several notable Russian writers, including Pushkin and Gogol, into French. From 1830 until 1860 he was the inspector of French historical monuments, responsible for the protection of many historic sites, including the medieval citadel of Carcassonne and the restoration of the façade of the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris. Along with the writer George Sand, he discovered the series of tapestries called The Lady and the Unicorn, arranging for their preservation. He was instrumental in the creation of Musée national du Moyen Âge in Paris, where the tapestries now are displayed. The official database of French monuments, the Base Mérimée, bears his name. Read more
23 Sep 1851: Émilie Gamelin, Canadian nun, founded the Sisters of Providence (born 1800) Émilie Tavernier Gamelin was a Canadian Catholic social worker and religious sister best known as the founder of the Sisters of Providence of Montreal. In 2001, she was beatified by Pope John Paul II. Read more
23 Sep 1850: José Gervasio Artigas, Uruguayan general and politician (born 1764) José Gervasio Artigas Arnal was a soldier and statesman who is regarded as a national hero in Uruguay and the Father of the Nation. Read more
23 Sep 1846: John Ainsworth Horrocks, English-Australian explorer (born 1818) John Ainsworth Horrocks was an English pastoralist and explorer who was one of the first European settlers in the Clare Valley of South Australia where, in 1840, he established the village of Penwortham. Read more
23 Sep 1835: Vincenzo Bellini, Italian composer (born 1801) Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini was an Italian opera composer of the early Romantic era famed for his long, graceful melodies and evocative musical settings. A central figure of the bel canto era, he was admired not only by the public but also by many composers who were influenced by his work. His songs balanced florid embellishment with a deceptively simple approach to lyric setting. Read more

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