A Day in the Past

On this day: 23 March

132 things happened on 23 March, from AD 59 to 2022. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.

Printable worksheet Take the quiz

In the UK 5

UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Around the world 34

1901 125 years ago

Emilio Aguinaldo, only President of the First Philippine Republic, is captured at Palanan, Isabela by the forces of American General Frederick Funston.

Find out more: Emilio Aguinaldo (Wikipedia)
1909 117 years ago

Theodore Roosevelt leaves New York for a post-presidency safari in Africa. The trip is sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution and National Geographic Society.

Find out more: Theodore Roosevelt (Wikipedia)
2019 7 years ago

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces capture the town of Baghuz in Eastern Syria, declaring military victory over the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant after four years of fighting, although the group maintains a scattered presence and sleeper cells across Syria and Iraq.

War & peace Find out more: Battle of Baghuz Fawqani (Wikipedia)

Quick quiz

Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!

  1. In which year did this happen: “Mirza Ghulam Ahmad founded the Ahmadiyya Islamic religious movement in British”?

    1. 1996
    2. 1889
    3. 1430
    Show the answer

    B: 1889. 1889 — that’s 137 years ago. Find it on the page

  2. In which year did this happen: “Chaired by William McGregor, a meeting of ten English football clubs was held”?

    1. 1540
    2. 1888
    3. 2020
    Show the answer

    B: 1888. 1888 — that’s 138 years ago. Find it on the page

  3. Which of these happened first?

    1. Prime Minister Boris Johnson puts the United Kingdom into its first national
    2. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad founded the Ahmadiyya Islamic religious movement in British
    3. Chaired by William McGregor, a meeting of ten English football clubs was held
    Show the answer

    C: Chaired by William McGregor, a meeting of ten English football clubs was held. 2020: Prime Minister Boris Johnson puts the United Kingdom into its first national · 1889: Mirza Ghulam Ahmad founded the Ahmadiyya Islamic religious movement in British · 1888: Chaired by William McGregor, a meeting of ten English football clubs was held Find it on the page

  4. “Waltham Abbey in England is surrendered to King Henry VIII, the last religious” happened in 1540. How many years ago was that?

    1. 476 years
    2. 486 years
    3. 496 years
    Show the answer

    B: 486 years. 2026 − 1540 = 486. Find it on the page

Born on this day 40

Famous people whose birthday is 23 March.

Remembering 18

Well-known people who died on 23 March.

Special days 13

Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 23 March somewhere in the world.

For older readers 22 Show stories about war, disasters, crime and other difficult history

Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.

Where these facts come from

Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “March 23” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.