4 Ordibehesht 1456

Events

• 1918 (108 years ago) World War I: The British Royal Navy makes a raid in an attempt to neutralise the Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge.
• 1919 (107 years ago) The Estonian Constituent Assembly is held in Estonia, which marks the birth of the Estonian Parliament, the Riigikogu.
• 1941 (85 years ago) World War II: The Greek government and King George II evacuate Athens before the invading Wehrmacht.
• 1945 (81 years ago) World War II: Adolf Hitler's designated successor, Hermann Göring, sends him a telegram asking permission to take leadership of Nazi Germany. Martin Bormann and Joseph Goebbels advise Göring that the telegram is treasonous.
• 1971 (55 years ago) Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army and Razakars massacre approximately 3,000 Hindu emigrants in the Jathibhanga area of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
• 1990 (36 years ago) Namibia becomes the 160th member of the United Nations and the 50th member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
• 1993 (33 years ago) Eritreans vote overwhelmingly for independence from Ethiopia in a United Nations-monitored referendum.
• 1993 (33 years ago) Sri Lankan politician Lalith Athulathmudali is assassinated while addressing a gathering, approximately four weeks ahead of the Provincial Council elections for the Western Province.

Births

• 1564 (462 years ago) William Shakespeare, English playwright and poet (died 1616)
• 1791 (235 years ago) James Buchanan, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 15th President of the United States (died 1868)
• 1858 (168 years ago) Max Planck, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1947)
• 1897 (129 years ago) Lester B. Pearson, Canadian historian and politician, 14th Prime Minister of Canada, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (died 1972)
• 1902 (124 years ago) Halldór Laxness, Icelandic author and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1998)
• 1928 (98 years ago) Shirley Temple, American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat (died 2014)
• 1954 (72 years ago) Michael Moore, American director, producer, and activist
• 1977 (49 years ago) John Cena, American professional wrestler and actor

Deaths

• 303 (1723 years ago) Saint George, Roman soldier and martyr
• 1200 (826 years ago) Zhu Xi, Chinese philosopher (born 1130)
• 1605 (421 years ago) Boris Godunov, Russian ruler (born 1551)
• 1616 (410 years ago) William Shakespeare, English playwright and poet (born 1564)
• 1850 (176 years ago) William Wordsworth, English poet and author (born 1770)
• 1951 (75 years ago) Charles G. Dawes, American banker and politician, 30th Vice President of the United States, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (born 1865)
• 1992 (34 years ago) Satyajit Ray, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1921)
• 2007 (19 years ago) Boris Yeltsin, Russian politician, 1st President of Russia (born 1931)

All 404 events, births and deaths of April 23