May 23rd, 1617

Born on May 23rd, 1617

Age in days, weeks and months
Wow, over 148,000 days old!

Why not celebrate an alternative birthday? In 371 days, exactly on May 4th, 2025, people who were born on May 23rd, 1617 will be 149,000 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

Born on May 23rd, 1617

74

Elias Ashmole

English antiquarian, politician, officer of arms, astrologer and alchemist (1617-1692)

*May 23rd, 1617, Lichfield †May 18th, 1692, Lambeth

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

76

Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz

Spanish mathematician and theologian

*May 23rd, 1606, Madrid †September 7th, 1682, Milan

61

Bertholet Flemalle

Painter (1614-1675)

*May 23rd, 1614, Liège †July 10th, 1675, Liège

82

John Bardeen

American physicist and engineer

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

26

Cassandre Beaugrand

French triathlete

*May 23rd, 1997, Livry-Gargan

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

40

Margaret Fuller

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

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

Same year
Born in 1617

40

Richard Lovelace

English writer and poet (1617-1658)

*December 9th, 1617, Woolwich †April 1st, 1658, City of London

64

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo

Spanish painter (1617 — 1682)

*December 1st, 1617, Seville †April 1st, 1682, Seville

74

Antimo Liberati

Italian composer

*April 3rd, 1617, Foligno †February 24th, 1692, Rome

46

Carlo Garavaglia

Italian sculptor (1617-1663)

*April 16th, 1617, Cuggiono †September 17th, 1663, Milan

62

Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine

Elector palatine of the Rhine (1617–1680)

*December 22nd, 1617, Heidelberg †August 28th, 1680, Edingen-Neckarhausen

55

Anna Maria von Baden-Durlach

German poet and painter

*May 29th, 1617, Strasbourg †October 17th, 1672, Basel

80

Lucas Faydherbe

Flemish sculptor and architect

*January 19th, 1617, Mechelen †December 31st, 1697, Mechelen

62

Raban Canstein

German politician (1617-1680)

*August 19th, 1617, Schloss Canstein †March 22nd, 1680, Kostrzyn nad Odrą

66

Nicolás Antonio

Spanish bibliographer (1617-1684)

*July 28th, 1617, Seville †April 13th, 1684, Madrid

59

Evaristo Baschenis

Italian painter (1617-1677)

*December 7th, 1617, Bergamo †March 16th, 1677, Bergamo

59

Frederick VI, Margrave of Baden-Durlach

Margrave of Baden-Durlach

*November 16th, 1617, Karlsburg Castle †January 10th, 1677, Karlsburg Castle

74

Heinrich Johann Dünewald

Austrian military personnel

*February 21st, 1617, Koblenz †August 31st, 1691, Osijek

58

Margravine Louise Charlotte of Brandenburg

Duchess of Courland by marriage

*September 13th, 1617, Berlin †August 29th, 1676, Jelgava

73

Tosa Mitsuoki

Japanese painter, 1617-1691

*October 23rd, 1617, Sakai †September 25th, 1691, Kyoto

71

Johann Christfried Sagittarius

Lutheran theologian

*September 26th, 1617, Wrocław †February 19th, 1689, Altenburg

58

Leopoldo de' Medici

Italian cardinal, scholar, patron of the arts and Governor of Siena (1617-1675)

*November 6th, 1617, Palazzo Pitti †November 10th, 1675, Florence

58

Lothar Friedrich von Metternich-Burscheid

Prince-Bishop of Speyer

*January 1st, 1617, Bourscheid Castle †June 3rd, 1675, Mainz

23

Pellegrino Piola

Italian painter (1617-1640)

*May 9th, 1617, Genoa †November 25th, 1640, Genoa

95

Isaac de Porthau

French musketeer

*January 30th, 1617, Béarn †July 13th, 1712, Pau

70

Johannes Andreas Quenstedt

German theologian

*August 13th, 1617, Quedlinburg †May 22nd, 1688, Lutherstadt Wittenberg

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 1617 is a normal year and no leap year.

Calendar
May 1617