May 23rd, 1808

Born on May 23rd, 1808

Age in days, weeks and months
Wow, over 78,000 days old!

Why not celebrate an alternative birthday? In 132 days, exactly on September 7th, 2024, people who were born on May 23rd, 1808 will be 79,000 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

40

Margaret Fuller

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

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

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

90

Gayatri Devi

Maharani of Jaipur and Indian politician (1919–2009)

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

32

Lena Meyer-Landrut

German singer

*May 23rd, 1991, Hanover

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

77

John Payne

American actor 1912-1989

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

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

78

Hugo von Kirchbach

German general

*May 23rd, 1809, Środa Śląska †October 26th, 1887, Niesky

75

Ignaz Moscheles

Bohemian conductor, music educator, composer and pianist (1794-1870)

*May 23rd, 1794, Prague †March 10th, 1870, Leipzig

81

William Collis Meredith

Canadian judge

*May 23rd, 1812, Fitzwilliam Square †February 26th, 1894, Quebec City

82

John Bardeen

American physicist and engineer

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

48

Otto Lilienthal

German aviation pioneer (1848-1896)

*May 23rd, 1848, Anklam †August 10th, 1896, Berlin

77

Rómulo Díaz de la Vega

President of Mexico

*May 23rd, 1800, Mexico City †October 3rd, 1877, Puebla City

Same year
Born in 1808

66

Andrew Johnson

President of the United States from 1865 to 1869

*December 29th, 1808, Raleigh †July 31st, 1875, Elizabethton

64

Napoleon III

President and Emperor of the French (1808–1873)

*April 20th, 1808, Paris †January 9th, 1873, Chislehurst

62

Michael William Balfe

Irish composer

*May 15th, 1808, Dublin †October 20th, 1870, Hertfordshire

79

Alexander William Doniphan

American politician and soldier (1808-1887)

*July 9th, 1808, Mason County †August 8th, 1887

46

Gérard de Nerval

French writer, poet, essayist and translator (1808–1855)

*May 22nd, 1808, Paris †January 26th, 1855, Paris

37

Henrik Wergeland

Norwegian writer (1808–1845)

*June 17th, 1808, Kristiansand Municipality †July 12th, 1845, Christiania

81

Jefferson Davis

President of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865

*June 3rd, 1808, Fairview †December 6th, 1889, New Orleans

74

Abdelkader El Djezairi

Algerian religious and military leader (1808–1883)

*September 6th, 1808, Guittena †May 26th, 1883, Damascus

68

Antoine Elwart

French composer (1808-1877)

*November 19th, 1808, Paris †October 14th, 1877, 18th arrondissement of Paris

85

Charles Merivale

English historian and churchman (1808-1893)

*March 8th, 1808, London †December 27th, 1893, Ely

57

Claude Paris

French composer

*September 19th, 1808, Lyon †July 25th, 1866, Paris

56

Hugh Falconer

Scottish scientist (1808–1865)

*February 29th, 1808, Forres †January 31st, 1865, London

85

Patrice de Mac-Mahon, Duke of Magenta

Third President of the French Republic (1808–1893)

*May 13th, 1808, Sully †October 16th, 1893, Montcresson

70

Honoré Daumier

French artist (1808–1879)

*February 26th, 1808, Marseille †February 10th, 1879, Valmondois

74

Philipp Christoph Zeller

German entomologist (1808–1883)

*April 8th, 1808, Steinheim an der Murr †March 27th, 1883, Szczecin

83

Thomas Cook

English founder of the travel agency Thomas Cook & Son

*November 22nd, 1808, Derbyshire †July 18th, 1892, Leicester

65

Salmon P. Chase

American politician and lawyer (1808–1873)

*January 13th, 1808, Cornish †May 7th, 1873, New York City

34

José de Esproncedo

Spanish poet (1808-1842)

*March 25th, 1808, Almendralejo †May 23rd, 1842, Madrid

63

Cristina Trivulzio Belgiojoso

Italian noblewoman, patriot, editor and philantropist

*June 28th, 1808, Milan †July 5th, 1871, Milan

28

Maria Malibran

Spanish opera singer (1808–1836)

*March 24th, 1808, Paris †September 23rd, 1836, Manchester

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

Yes: 1808 is a leap year, therefore has a 29th of February with an additional leap day and a total of 366 days (instead of the usual 365 days in a normal year).

Calendar
May 1808