What happened on April 23 ?

303 - Saint George, Roman soldier and Christian martyr

725 - Wihtred, King of Kent

871 - Ethelred of Wessex

997 - Adalbert of Prague, bishop, patron saint of Bohemia, Poland, Hungary, and Prussia (b. ca. 956

1014 - Brian Boru, High King of Ireland (killed in battle)

1016 - Ethelred II of England

1124 - King Alexander I of Scotland (b. 1078)

1151 - Queen Adeliza of England (b. 1103)

1217 - King Inge II of Norway (b. 1185)

1407 - Olivier de Clisson, French soldier (b. 1326)

1616 - Miguel Cervantes, Spanish author (b. 1547)

1616 - William Shakespeare, English writer and actor (b. 1564)

1616 - El Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Peruvian writer (b. 1539)

1625 - Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange (b. 1567)

1702 - Margaret Fell, English Quaker leader (b. 1614)

1740 - Thomas Tickell, English writer (b. 1685)

1781 - James Abercrombie, British general (b. 1706)

1792 - Karl Friedrich Bahrdt, German theologian and adventurer (b. 1741)

1794 - Guillaume-Chrétien de Lamoignon de Malesherbes, French statesman (executed) (b. 1721)

1850 - William Wordsworth, English poet (b. 1770)

1889 - Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly, French writer (b. 1808)

1895 - Carl Ludwig, German physician (b. 1815)

1936 - Teresa de la Parra, Venezuelan writer (b. 1889)

1951 - Charles G. Dawes, Vice President of the United States, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1865)

1952 - Julius Freed, American inventor and banker (b. 1887)

1975 - William Hartnell, English actor (b. 1908)

1979 - Blair Peach, New Zealand-born anti-fascist (b. 1946)

1983 - Buster Crabbe, American swimmer and actor (b. 1908)

1984 - Red Garland, American jazz pianist (b. 1923)

1985 - Sam Ervin, American politician (b. 1896)

1986 - Harold Arlen, American composer (b. 1905)

1986 - Jim Laker, English cricketer (b. 1922)

1986 - Otto Preminger, Austrian-born film director (b. 1906)

1990 - Paulette Goddard, American actress (b. 1911)

1991 - Johnny Thunders, American musician (b. 1952)

1992 - Satyajit Ray, Indian filmmaker (b. 1921)

1993 - César Chávez, American labor activist (b. 1927)

1995 - Howard Cosell, American sports journalist (b. 1918)

1995 - John C. Stennis, U.S. Senator from Mississippi (b. 1904)

1996 - P. L. Travers, Australian author (b. 1899)

1997 - Denis Compton, English cricketer (b. 1918)

1998 - James Earl Ray, American assassin (b. 1928)

2003 - James H. Critchfield, American Central Intelligence agent (b. 1917)

2003 - Fernand Fonssagrives, French photographer (b. 1910)

2005 - Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Premier of Queensland (b. 1911)

2005 - Al Grassby, Australian immigration minister (b. 1928)

2005 - Sir John Mills, English actor (b. 1908)

2005 - Romano Scarpa, Italian-born comic artist (b. 1927)

2005 - Earl Wilson, baseball player (b. 1934)

2006 - Johnnie Checketts, New Zealand fighter ace and war hero (b. 1912)