What are the important events that happened on February 23? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

February 23: Facts & Myths About This Day

February 23 is the 54^th day of the year 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 311 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Sunday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is February 10, 2025 – a Sunday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

When this day started, 483,408 hours has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.

Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘pentacontatetragon’ day.

Pisces is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Amethyst is the modern birthstone for this month. Bloodstone is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.

According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 359 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.

The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,447 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.

February 23 Historical Events

• 1870 –
  In the United States, post-Civil War military control of Mississippi ends and it is readmitted to the Union.
• 1887 –
  The French Riviera is hit by a large earthquake, killing around 2,000.
• 1900 –
  In South Africa, Boers and British troops fight in the Battle of Hart’s Hill.
• 1943 –
  A fire breaks out at St. Joseph’s Orphanage, County Cavan, Ireland, killing 36 people (35 of whom are children).
• 1945 –
  World War II: During the Battle of Iwo Jima, a group of United States Marines and a commonly forgotten U.S. Navy Corpsman, reach the top of Mount Suribachi on the island and are photographed raising the American flag.
• 1947 –
  The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is founded.
• 1974 –
  The Symbionese Liberation Army demands $4 million more to release kidnap victim Patty Hearst.
• 1983 –
  The United States Environmental Protection Agency announces its intent to buy out and evacuate the dioxin-contaminated community of Times Beach, Missouri.
• 1991 –
  In Thailand, General Sunthorn Kongsompong leads a bloodless coup d'état, deposing Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan.
• 2007 –
  A train derails on an evening express service near Grayrigg, Cumbria, England, killing one person and injuring 22. This results in hundreds of points being checked over the UK after a few similar accidents.

Who were born on February 23?

• 1646 –
  Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, Japanese shogun (d. 1709)
• 1908 –
  William McMahon, twentieth Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1988)
• 1924 –
  Claude Sautet, French film director (d. 2000)
• 1933 –
  Donna J. Stone, American poet (d. 1994)
• 1955 –
  Flip Saunders, American basketball coach
• 1961 –
  Kelly Hansen, American drummer (Summer Lights)
• 1963 –
  Bobby Bonilla, American baseball player
• 1965 –
  John Norum, Norwegian guitarist (Europe)
• 1968 –
  Justin Bell, British racing driver
• 1970 –
  Marie-Josée Croze, Canadian actress

Who died on February 23?

• 1447 –
  Pope Eugene IV (b. 1383)
• 1766 –
  Stanisław I Leszczyński, King of Poland (b. 1677)
• 1800 –
  Joseph Warton, English literary critic (b. 1722)
• 1944 –
  Leo Hendrik Baekeland, Flemish-American chemist and inventor of the first synthetic plastic, Bakelite (b. 1863)
• 1965 –
  Stan Laurel, British actor and comedian (b. 1890)
• 2003 –
  Robert K. Merton, American sociologist (b. 1910)
• 2006 –
  Telmo Zarraonaindía, Spanish footballer (b. 1921)
• 2007 –
  Donnie Brooks, American singer (b. 1936)
• 2008 –
  Janez Drnovšek, Slovenian prime minister and president (b. 1950)
• 2008 –
  Paul Frère, Belgian race car driver and motorsport journalist (b. 1917)