What happened on September 23 ?

79 - Pope Linus

1241 - Snorri Sturluson, Icelandic historian, poet, and politician (b. 1178)

1390 - John I, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1346)

1535 - Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg, queen of Gustav I of Sweden (b. 1513)

1571 - John Jewel, English bishop (b. 1522)

1573 - Azai Hisamasa, Japanese warlord (b. 1524)

1605 - Pontus de Tyard, French poet

1675 - Valentin Conrart, founder of the Académie Française (b. 1603)

1728 - Christian Thomasius, German jurist (b. 1655)

1738 - Herman Boerhaave, Dutch humanist and physician (b. 1668)

1764 - Robert Dodsley, English writer (b. 1703)

1773 - Johann Ernst Gunnerus, Norwegian bishop and botanist (b. 1718)

1789 - John Rogers, American Continental Congressman (b. 1723)

1835 - Vincenzo Bellini, Italian composer (b. 1801)

1844 - Alexander von Benckendorff, Russian general and statesman (b. 1783)

1846 - John Ainsworth Horrocks, English-born explorer of South Australia (b. 1818)

1850 - José Gervasio Artigas, Uruguayan hero (b. 1764)

1870 - Prosper Mérimée, French author (b. 1803)

1873 - Jean Chacornac, French astronomer (b. 1823)

1889 - Wilkie Collins, British author (b. 1824)

1900 - William Marsh Rice, American philanthropist and university founder (b. 1816)

1917 - Werner Voss German World War I pilot (b. 1897)

1929 - Richard Adolf Zsigmondy, Austrian-born chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1865)

1939 - Sigmund Freud, Austrian psychiatrist (b. 1856)

1943 - Elinor Glyn, English author (b. 1864)

1950 - Sam Barry, American basketball player and coach (b. 1892)

1968 - Francesco Forgione, "Padre Pio", Catholic saint (b. 1887)

1971 - Billy Gilbert, American actor (b. 1894)

1973 - Pablo Neruda, Chilean poet, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)

1974 - Cliff Arquette, American comedian and actor (b. 1905)

1978 - Lyman Bostock, American baseball player (murdered) (b. 1950)

1981 - Chief Dan George, Canadian actor (b. 1899)

1987 - Bob Fosse, American dancer, choreographer, and actor (b. 1927)

1988 - Tibor Sekelj, Croatian explorer (b. 1912)

1992 - James Van Fleet, U.S. Army general (b. 1892)

1994 - Robert Bloch, American author (b. 1917)

1998 - Mary Frann, American actress (b. 1943)

2000 - Aurelio Rodríguez, Mexican Major League Baseball player (b. 1947)

2000 - Carl Rowan, American journalist (b. 1925)

2002 - Vernon Corea, Sri Lankan broadcaster (b. 1927)

2003 - Yuri Senkevich, Russian cosmonaut (b. 1937)

2004 - André Hazes, Dutch singer (b. 1951)

2005 - Filiberto Ojeda, Puerto Rican revolutionary (b. 1933)