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Explore the historical events that shaped our world on May 23rd. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Germany, dies in Utrecht on May 23, 1125 without an heir, marking the end of the Salian dynasty. He was succeeded by Lothair of Supplinburg, Duke of Saxony.
He was the son of Henry IV and married Matilda, daughter of Henry I of England, but left no direct heirs. Henry V is known for settling the Investiture Controversy with the Concordat of Worms in 1122.
Pope Alexander III issues a papal bull recognizing Portugal as an independent kingdom. While Afonso Henriques had been using the title of king since 1139 and Portugal's independence had been recognized by León in the 1143 Treaty of Zamora, the papal bull was vital in medieval Europe, for a new kingdom to be fully accepted as a sovereign entity. The bull also gave papal blessing to Portugal's conquests of land from the Moors during the Reconquista.
Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians and sold to the English, leading to her trial and execution.
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The Eighty Years' War, also known as the Dutch Revolt, officially begins with the Battle of Heiligerlee where Dutch rebels, led by Louis of Nassau, defeat the Spanish forces .It was the first Dutch victory in the conflict. The Dutch rebellion against Spanish rule ended in 1648 with the Treaty of Münster ending the war and formalizing the independence of the Dutch Republic. More
Battle of Heiligerlee - Ferdinand Ernst Lintz (1863). Museum Slag bij Heiligerlee
The Thirty Years' War is ignited in Prague when a confrontation between Bohemian Protestant Nobels and representatives of the Catholic Holy Roman Emperor resulted in the representatives being thrown out a castle window (The Defenestration of Prague) on ay 23, 1618.
The event was a result of escalating religious and political tensions between Protestant and Catholic factions, triggering a rebellion and a devastating 30 year European war which ended with the treaty of Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. The war is considered one of the most destructive conflicts in history before the 20th century, causing a major change of the political map of Europe.
The Battle of Ramillies is fought on May 23, 1706 It was a battle of the War of the Spanish Succession ending in victory for the Allied forces (Anglo-Dutch), led by the Duke of Marlborough against the French.
The battle significantly impacted the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), a major European conflict stemming from the death of the Spanish King Charles II, the last Spanish Habsburg without an heir. It went on to impact the balance of power in Europe and led to the rise of England as a major global power. More
Yale Center for British Art. By anonymous
Ben Franklin reveals his invention of bifocal eyeglasses in a letter, now in the Library of Congress, to his friend George Whatley. Franklin was having problems seeing both up-close and at greater distances and in the prior year, he created a method for placing differently-calibrated lenses into the same frame rather than constantly changing glasses. His new "double spectacles" had pairs of half-lenses arranged in a top-bottom configuration. Franklin commented that all he had to do was but move his eyes up or down, and the proper glass was always ready! Franklin never patented any of his inventions, and wanted to share them freely. More
Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary. When World War I began in July 1914, Italy was a partner in the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary, but decided to remain neutral. However, a strong sentiment existed within the general population and political factions to go to war against Austria-Hungary, Italy’s historical enemy.
The Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is established with the consolidation of the western sectors, controlled by France, the United Kingdom and the United States. On 7 October 1949, the Soviet Zone became the German Democratic Republic (GDR) When West and East Germany were reunited in 1990, West Germany’s constitution and official name (Federal Republic of Germany) were adopted by the former East German state.
Tibet is formally annexed by China as an autonomous region. The annexation gave rise rise to a Tibetan independence movement—led by the Dalai Lama, that continued into the early 21st century. The Dalai Lama was awarded the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize
Image by Royonx - Own work, CC0,
A tsunami resulting from the massive 9.5-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Chile which killed thousands the prior day ,travels across the Pacific Ocean and kills 61 people in Hilo, Hawaii, and 122 in Japan and causing much other property and structural damage.
