June 23
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Christianfeast day:
Æthelthryth, Marie of Oignies, Joseph Cafasso, June 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Feast days commemorating saints Æthelthryth, Marie of Oignies, and Joseph Cafasso observed in Eastern Orthodox tradition.
Father's Day(Nicaragua,Poland)
Annual celebration honoring fathers and paternal bonds celebrated on June 23 in Nicaragua and Poland.
Grand Duke's Official Birthday(Luxembourg)
Public holiday in Luxembourg marking the official birthday of the Grand Duke.
International Women in Engineering Day
Annual international day recognizing and celebrating the achievements of women in engineering.
International Widows Day(international)
International day dedicated to raising awareness of the challenges faced by widows.
National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism(Canada)
Canadian day to honor the victims and survivors of terrorism.
Okinawa Memorial Day(Okinawa Prefecture)
Okinawa Memorial Day is a prefectural holiday in Okinawa to honor those who died in the Battle of Okinawa.
Saint John's Eveand the first day of theMidsummer celebrations(although this is not the realsummer solstice; seeJune 20) (Roman Catholic Church,Europe):
Bonfires of Saint John(Spain), First night ofFesta de São João do Porto(Porto), First day ofGolowan Festival(Cornwall), Jaaniõhtu(Estonia), Jāņi(Latvia), Kupala Night(Belarus,Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Ukraine), Last day ofDrăgaica fair(Buzău, Romania)
Saint John's Eve and Midsummer celebrations marking the feast of Saint John the Baptist with bonfires and traditional festivals across Europe.
United Nations Public Service Day(International)
UN day recognizing the importance of public service to promote peace and development.
Events
Sun Quan proclaims himself emperor of Eastern Wu.
Sun Quan declares himself emperor of Eastern Wu, marking the birth of one of the Three Kingdoms.
War of Saint Sabas: In the Battle of Trapani, the Venetians defeat a larger Genoese fleet, capturing all its ships.
Venetian forces defeat and capture a larger Genoese fleet at the naval Battle of Trapani.
The Spanish Reconquista: In the Battle of Moclín the Emirate of Granada ambush a superior pursuing force, killing most of them in a military disaster for the Kingdom of Castile.
Emirate of Granada forces ambush and rout the Kingdom of Castile at the Battle of Moclín.
A peace treaty between the Flemish and the French is signed at Athis-sur-Orge.
A treaty at Athis-sur-Orge brings peace between the Flemish and the French crown.
First War of Scottish Independence: The Battle of Bannockburn (south of Stirling) begins.
The Battle of Bannockburn begins, leading to a landmark Scottish victory in their war of independence.
Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France sign the "Treaty of Closer Amity With France" (also known as the Pommeraye treaty), pledging mutual aid against Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.
Henry VIII and Francis I sign the Treaty of Closer Amity, allying against Charles V.
Dragut, commander of the Ottoman navy, dies during the Great Siege of Malta.
Ottoman admiral Dragut is killed by artillery during the Great Siege of Malta.
The Action of Faial, Azores. The Portuguese carrack Cinco Chagas, loaded with slaves and treasure, is attacked and sunk by English ships with only 13 survivors out of over 700 on board.
English privateers sink the Portuguese carrack Cinco Chagas near Faial, with heavy loss of life.
The mutinous crew of Henry Hudson's fourth voyage sets Henry, his son and seven loyal crew members adrift in an open boat in what is now Hudson Bay; they are never heard from again.
Henry Hudson and his loyal crew are set adrift in Hudson Bay following a mutiny.
Births
Caesarion
Last Pharaoh of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt, and son of Cleopatra VII and Julius Caesar.
Stephen
German prince and nobleman who served as Count Palatine of Simmern-Zweibrücken in the 15th century.
Francis II
Last independent Duke of Brittany who sought to preserve his duchy's autonomy against French dominance.
Margaret of Denmark
Queen consort of Scotland, known for her marriage to King James III and her patronage of the arts.
Charles II
Italian duke of the House of Savoy who ruled briefly during the Renaissance era.
Oda Nobunaga
Powerful Japanese daimyo who initiated the unification of Japan during the Sengoku period.
Johan Banér
Swedish Field Marshal celebrated for his leadership during the Thirty Years' War.
Shah Shuja
Mughal prince who vied for the imperial throne during the 17th-century succession struggles.
John Fell
English bishop and academic who reformed the University of Oxford in the 17th century.
Deaths
Vespasian
Roman emperor from AD 69 to 79 and founder of the Flavian dynasty.
Æthelthryth
Anglo-Saxon princess who became a saint and founded Ely Abbey.
Li Congyi
Prince of the Later Tang dynasty who briefly held nominal power during a time of dynastic upheaval.
Wang
Imperial consort of the Later Tang dynasty, noted for her influence in courtly affairs.
Feng Yanji
Chancellor and poet of the Southern Tang kingdom known for his literary talent and political reforms.
Lothair Udo I
Medieval German noble who served as Count of Stade and regional military leader.
Henry I
Also known as Henry the Strong, the first Margrave of Austria and founder of the Babenberg dynasty.
Adalbert of Mainz
Archbishop of Mainz and influential church leader in 12th-century Germany.
Constance of Aragon
Aragonese princess who became Queen consort of Hungary and patron of religious institutions.