May 23rd, 1491

Born on May 23rd, 1491

Age in days, weeks and months
Wow, over 194,000 days old!

Why not celebrate an alternative birthday? In 353 days, exactly on April 13th, 2025, people who were born on May 23rd, 1491 will be 195,000 days old!

... in seconds, minutes and hours

What happened on May 23rd?

May 23rd, 2008

The International Court of Justice awarded the Middle Rocks to Malaysia and Pedra Branca to Singapore, resolving a 29-year-old territorial dispute in the Singapore Strait.

May 23rd, 1999

Professional wrestler Owen Hart died immediately before a match after dropping 70 feet (21 m) onto the ring during a botched entrance.

May 23rd, 1974

The Airbus A300, the first twin-engined wide-body airliner, went into service with Air France.

May 23rd, 1939

The U.S. Navy submarine Squalus sank off Portsmouth, New Hampshire, during tests, causing 26 men to drown.

May 23rd, 1895

Backed by Samuel J. Tilden, the Astor Library and the Lenox Library agreed to merge and form the New York Public Library.

May 23rd, 1873

The North-West Mounted Police, the forerunner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, was established to bring law and order to and assert Canadian sovereignty over the Northwest Territories.

May 23rd, 1862

American Civil War: Confederate troops under Stonewall Jackson defeated a Union force at the Battle of Front Royal in Virginia, taking around 700 prisoners.

May 23rd, 1706

War of the Spanish Succession: The Grand Alliance armies routed the Franco-Spanish-Bavarian army in Ramillies, present-day Belgium.

May 23rd, 1555

Gian Pietro Carafa became Pope Paul IV, beginning a tumultuous four-year papacy during which the Papal States suffered a serious military defeat.

May 23rd, 1533

Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, annulled Henry VIII's marriage to his first wife Catherine of Aragon (pictured), beginning events that would culminate in the English Reformation.

May 23rd, 1430

Hundred Years' War: Joan of Arc (pictured) was captured by Burgundian forces at the Siege of Compiègne.

May 23rd, 1949

Cold War: The Western occupying powers approve the Basic Law and establish a new German state, the Federal Republic of Germany.

May 23rd, 1948

Thomas C. Wasson, the US Consul-General, is assassinated in Jerusalem, Israel.

May 23rd, 1945

World War II: Germany's Flensburg Government under Karl Dönitz is dissolved when its members are arrested by British forces.

May 23rd, 1939

The U.S. Navy submarine USS Squalus sinks off the coast of New Hampshire during a test dive, causing the death of 24 sailors and two civilian technicians. The remaining 32 sailors and one civilian naval architect are rescued the following day.

Birthdays
... of famous people, actors, celebrities and stars on May 23rd

Same Day
Who's birthday is on May 23rd?

70

Carl Linnaeus

Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist (1707–1778)

*May 23rd, 1707, Råshult †January 10th, 1778, Linnaeus Hammarby

31

Jordan Rakei

New Zealander-Australian musician, singer, songwriter and record producer

*May 23rd, 1992, Hamilton

35

Sara Hjort Ditlevsen

Danish actress

*May 23rd, 1988, Copenhagen

66

Martin McGuinness

Sinn Féin politician and deputy First Minister (1950-2017)

*May 23rd, 1950, Derry †March 21st, 2017, Altnagelvin Area Hospital

32

Lena Meyer-Landrut

German singer

*May 23rd, 1991, Hanover

90

Gayatri Devi

Maharani of Jaipur and Indian politician (1919–2009)

*May 23rd, 1919, London †July 29th, 2009, Jaipur

90

Joan Collins

English actress, author and columnist

*May 23rd, 1933, London

56

Wotan Wilke Möhring

German actor

*May 23rd, 1967, Detmold

65

Lea DeLaria

American actor, comedian and singer

*May 23rd, 1958, Belleville

72

Anatoly Karpov

Russian chess player

*May 23rd, 1951, Zlatoust

65

Thomas Bestvater

Swiss actor

*May 23rd, 1958, Herrliberg

36

Bray Wyatt

American professional wrestler (1987–2023)

*May 23rd, 1987, Brooksville †August 24th, 2023, Clermont

77

John Payne

American actor 1912-1989

*May 23rd, 1912, Roanoke †December 6th, 1989, Malibu

26

Cassandre Beaugrand

French triathlete

*May 23rd, 1997, Livry-Gargan

82

John Bardeen

American physicist and engineer

*May 23rd, 1908, Madison †January 30th, 1991, Boston

51

Rubens Barrichello

Brazilian racing driver

*May 23rd, 1972, São Paulo

69

Alan García

President of Peru (1985–1990 and 2006–2011)

*May 23rd, 1949, Lima †April 17th, 2019, Lima

88

Susan Cooper

English-American fantasy writer

*May 23rd, 1935, Burnham

40

Margaret Fuller

American writer and women's activist (1810–1850)

*May 23rd, 1810, Cambridge †July 19th, 1850, Fire Island

46

Hans Frank

German lawyer, Nazi politician, General Governor of Nazi occupied Poland and convicted war criminal (1900-1946)

*May 23rd, 1900, Karlsruhe †October 16th, 1946, Nuremberg

Same year
Born in 1491

65

Jacques Cartier

Breton maritime explorer of North America (1491–1557)

*December 31st, 1491, Saint-Malo †September 1st, 1557, Saint-Malo

55

Henry VIII of England

King of England from 1509 until 1547

*June 28th, 1491, Palace of Placentia †January 28th, 1547, Palace of Whitehall

64

Ignatius of Loyola

Spanish Catholic priest and theologian (1491–1556)

*October 23rd, 1491, Holy House †July 31st, 1556, Rome

29

Zhengde Emperor

Emperor of the Ming Dynasty

*October 26th, 1491, Beijing †April 20th, 1521, Beijing

66

Francisco de Sá de Miranda

Portuguese poet (1481–1558)

*August 28th, 1491, Coimbra †November 30th, 1557, Amares

58

Innocenzo Cybo

Italian Catholic cardinal and archbishop

*August 25th, 1491, Genoa †April 13th, 1550, Rome

59

Martin Bucer

Protestant reformer

*November 11th, 1491, Sélestat †February 28th, 1551, Cambridge

94

Nicolò da Ponte

Diplomat (1491-1585)

*January 15th, 1491, Venice †July 30th, 1585, Venice

58

Marie d'Albret, Countess of Rethel

French nobility (1491-1549)

*March 25th, 1491, Cuffy †October 27th, 1549, Paris

75

Johannes Lening

German theologian

*February 14th, 1491, Butzbach †May 3rd, 1566, Melsungen

60

Martin Cleß

German theologian

*November 25th, 1491, Uhingen †August 13th, 1552, Stuttgart

53

Francis de Bourbon, Count of Saint-Pol

French noble

*October 6th, 1491, Ham †September 1st, 1545, Reims

53

Teofilo Folengo

Italian poet and writer

*November 8th, 1491, Mantua †December 9th, 1544, Campese

87

Andreas Imhoff

German merchant

*November 29th, 1491, Nuremberg †October 24th, 1579, Nuremberg

52

Maria of Jülich-Berg

Spouse of John III, Duke of Cleves

*August 3rd, 1491, Jülich †August 29th, 1543

43

Richard Reynolds

English Brigittine monk and Roman Catholic Martyr

*November 30th, 1491, Devon †May 4th, 1535, Tyburn

Birthdays of famous people

Public holidays on May 23rd

Fixed holidays (Christian feast day) which are celebrated on May 23rd.

Date as a Roman numeral / digit

Leap year

No: With 365 days 1491 is a normal year and no leap year.

Calendar
May 1491