23 February

Samuel Pepys
23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703
English diarist whose work gave insight to life during the 17th. century. » more

George Handel
23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759
German born composer who also lived in England – wrote ‘Messiah’. He was a benefactor of the ‘Foundling Hospital’ for homeless children (see the Foundling Museum in London). » more

Mayer Rothschild
23 February 1744 – 19 September 1812
German who founded the Rothschild banking businesses in 1785. » more

Frederick Wicks
23 February 1840 – 30 March 1910
English proprietor of the Glasgow Daily News who invented a rotary typecasting machine in 1878. » more

César Ritz
23 February 1850 – 24 October 1918
Swiss Hoteliere who established the Ritz Hotel in Paris. » more

Kazimir Malevich
23 February 1879 – 15 May 1935
Ukrainian Cubist artist whose paintings can be seen in the Guggenheim Museum, New York; National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; Museum Ludwig, Cologne; Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art, Amsterdam; State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg; TATE Modern, London.

Doug Moench
23 February 1948
American comic book author who wrote the Batman comics. » more

Michael Dell
23 February 1965
American entrepreneur who established Dell computers. » more

Helena Suková
23 February 1965
Czech tennis champion. » more

Today’s National Day
23 February – Brunei Darussalam and Guyana

Today’s Quote
The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.
 … Lily Tomlin

Today’s No. 1 Hit
1980 – Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen.

Today’s events
23 February 1455 – The date recognised for the publication of the first printed book in Western culture – the Gutenberg Bible.
23 February 1886 – The Times (London) pioneers Classified Advertising.
23 February 1886 – Aluminium first economically produced by an electric process, by Charles Hall in Oberlin, Ohio.
23 February 1905 – The forerunner of Rotary International established in Chicago, America.
23 February 1909 – The first powered flight in the British Empire is made in Baddeck Bay, Canada.
23 February 1921 – Coast-to-Coast air mail service inaugurated with mail arriving in New York from San Francisco.