What Happened Today in History on January 23

Holy Roman Empire Emperor, Otto III dies at the age of 21 on January 23, 1002 , without having a direct heir, leaving a power vacuum in Europe which lasted until his cousin, Henry of Bavaria, successfully claimed the throne and was elected as the new emperor.

The Ming Dynasty officially begins in China with the ascension of Zhu Yuanzhang as the Hongwu Emperor. marking the end of the Yuan dynasty and the beginning of a new era of Chinese rule.

King Richard III convenes the only Parliament of his reign from January 23 to February 20, 1484. The session, held at Westminster, was dominated by two main issues: legally affirming Richard's claim to the throne and punishing rebels from the recent uprising. The Parliament also enacted some measures to combat corruption and protect the common people. Expand +

The Habsburg Charles I of Spain becomes the ruler of the Spanish Empire after the death of Ferdinand II of Aragon.

The Diet of Worms, called by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V to address Luther's religious views, begins in Germany on January 23, 1521.  Expand +

The Royal Exchange in London is officially opened by Queen Elizabeth on January 23. 1571. It was designed by Sir Thomas Gresham as a center for commerce and trading stocks.

The Treaty of Bärwalde is signed between Sweden and France whereby France provided Sweden with substantial financial support to maintain an army for intervention in the Thirty Years' War. This treaty aimed to prevent Habsburg dominance and advance French policy. 

The Dutch surrender Recife, Brazil, to the Portuguese after an unsuccessful attempt to regain control.

The South Sea Bubble bursts, leading to a financial crisis in England and affecting the stock market.

1743, January 23 - The French defeat the Austrians at the Battle of Campo Santo during the War of the Austrian Succession.

Louis XVI, the last King of France is executed by guillotine on January 23, 1793, during the French Revolution, he was 38.  The execution of his wife Marie Antoinette, the former Queen of France, also by guillotine, took place on October 16, 1793.

Elizabeth Blackwell becomes the first woman in the United States to earn a medical degree.

The San Francisco steamer sinks in the Pacific Ocean, resulting in a significant loss of life.

The first bridge over the Mississippi River opens in what is now Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The Bear River Massacre (also known as the Marias Massacre or the Baker Massacre) was the largest massacre of Indigenous people in present-day Montana. Over 150 Blackfeet—most of whom were women, children, the elderly, and those suffering from disease—were massacred by U.S. Second Cavalry soldiers under the command of Major Eugene Baker near the Marias River. More

The first electric dental drill is patented by George F. Green in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Franklin D. Roosevelt institutes the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to aid the struggling U.S. economy during the Great Depression.

Alger Hiss, a former State Department official, is convicted of perjury for lying about being a Soviet spy.

North Korea, using three torpedo boats, two sub chasers and a couple of MiG fighters opens fire on the USS Pueblo (AGER-2) —and captures the virtually unarmed U.S. Ship outfitted as an electronic surveillance platform, in international waters off North Korea’s east coast in the Sea of Japan. More

The Chinese city of Wuhan is placed under lockdown due to the spread of COVID-19.

Anti-government protests erupt in Russia, demanding the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.