May 23rd, 1642

Born on May 23rd, 1642

Age in days, weeks and months
Wow, over 139,000 days old!

Why not celebrate an alternative birthday? In 435 days, exactly on September 12th, 2025, people who were born on May 23rd, 1642 will be 140,000 days old!

... in seconds, minutes and hours

What happened on May 23rd?

May 23rd, 1568

The Dutch Revolt broke out when rebels led by Louis of Nassau (pictured) invaded Friesland at the Battle of Heiligerlee.

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 World Wrestling Federation 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.

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

32

Jordan Rakei

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

*May 23rd, 1992, Hamilton

36

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

33

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

91

Joan Collins

English actress, author and columnist

*May 23rd, 1933, London

56

Beat Fischer

Politician (1641-1698)

*May 23rd, 1641, Bern †March 23rd, 1698, Bern

57

Wotan Wilke Möhring

German actor

*May 23rd, 1967, Detmold

66

Lea DeLaria

American actor, comedian and singer

*May 23rd, 1958, Belleville

73

Anatoly Karpov

Russian chess player

*May 23rd, 1951, Zlatoust

66

Thomas Bestvater

Swiss actor

*May 23rd, 1958, Herrliberg

63

Philippe Cochet

French politician

*May 23rd, 1961, 6th arrondissement of Lyon

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

82

John Bardeen

American physicist and engineer

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

27

Cassandre Beaugrand

French triathlete

*May 23rd, 1997, Livry-Gargan

89

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

52

Rubens Barrichello

Brazilian racing driver

*May 23rd, 1972, São Paulo

Same year
Born in 1642

84

Isaac Newton

English mathematician and physicist (1642–1727)

*December 25th, 1642, Woolsthorpe Manor †March 31st, 1727, Kensington

51

Mehmed IV

19th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1648 to 1687

*January 2nd, 1642, Constantinople †January 6th, 1693, Edirne

49

Suleiman II

Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1687 to 1691

*April 15th, 1642, Constantinople †June 22nd, 1691, Edirne

51

Claudio Coello

Spanish artist (1642-1693)

*March 2nd, 1642, Madrid †April 20th, 1693, Madrid

56

Marie Champmeslé

French actress

*February 18th, 1642, Rouen †May 15th, 1698, Paris

62

Philipp Jeningen

German Roman Catholic priest

*January 5th, 1642, Eichstätt †February 8th, 1704, Ellwangen

62

Johann Winckler

German theologian (1642-1705)

*July 13th, 1642, Golzern †April 5th, 1705, Hamburg

80

Johann Balthasar Burckhardt

Swiss politician (1642-1722)

*April 3rd, 1642, Basel †May 4th, 1722, Basel

73

Francis de Geronimo

Jesuit priest and missionary

*December 17th, 1642, Grottaglie †May 11th, 1716, Naples

60

Johann Christoph Bach I

German composer and organist

*December 6th, 1642, Arnstadt †March 31st, 1703, Eisenach

84

Giuseppe Sacripante

Italian cardinal

*March 19th, 1642, Narni †January 4th, 1727, Rome

64

Vincenzo da Filicaja

Poet from Italy (1642-1707)

*December 30th, 1642, Florence †September 24th, 1707, Florence

73

Franz Ferdinand von Rummel

German priest (1642-1716)

*October 28th, 1642, Weiden in der Oberpfalz †March 15th, 1716, Vienna

66

Andrea Pozzo

Painter of the Late Baroque (1642-1709)

*November 30th, 1642, Trento †August 31st, 1709, Vienna

65

Carolus Carlsson

(1642-1708)

*November 24th, 1642, Kalmar domkyrkoförsamling †April 14th, 1708, Dingtuna parish

86

Simon de la Loubère

French diplomat

*April 21st, 1642, Toulouse †March 26th, 1729, Montesquieu-Volvestre

64

Cornelis Evertsen the Youngest

Dutch admiral

*November 16th, 1642, Vlissingen †November 16th, 1706, Middelburg

58

Louis I, Prince of Monaco

Monegasque prince (1642-1701)

*July 25th, 1642, Prince's Palace of Monaco †January 3rd, 1701, Rome

88

Diego Morcillo Rubio de Auñón

Catholic bishop (1642-1730)

*January 3rd, 1642, Villarrobledo †March 12th, 1730, Lima

51

Johann Friedrich von Waldstein

Czech nobleman

*August 18th, 1642, Vienna †June 3rd, 1694, Duchcov

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 1642 is a normal year and no leap year.

Calendar
May 1642