April
23
World
Book and Copyright Day
23 April is a symbolic date for world literature
for on this date in 1616, Cervantes, Shakespeare
and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. It is also
the date of birth or death of other prominent authors
such as Maurice Druon, Haldor K.Laxness, Vladimir
Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo.
It
was a natural choice for UNESCO's General Conference,
held in Paris in 1995, to pay a world-wide tribute
to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone,
and in particular young people, to discover the
pleasure of reading and gain a renewed respect for
the irreplaceable contributions of those who have
furthered the social and cultural progress of humanity.
In this respect, UNESCO created both the World Book
and Copyright Day and the UNESCO Prize for Children's
and Young People's Literature in the Service of
Tolerance.
The
World Book and Copyright Day, on 23 April, is the
occasion to highlight the importance of the fight
against piracy to preserve creativity.
The
World Anti-Piracy Observatory (WAPO), launched in
January 2010, is an innovative web-based reference
tool that provides detailed information on national
anti-piracy measures and policies.
In
addition, WAPO contains useful information on best
practices, capacity-building, awareness-raising,
and news pertaining to anti-piracy activities worldwide.
Go
to The World Anti-Piracy Observatory Website
April
23
Aragon, Spain
St George's Day, patron saint
English Language Day
Events
215
BC – A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated
to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat
at Lake Trasimene.
1014 – Battle of Clontarf: Brian Boru defeats Viking
invaders, but is killed in battle.
1016 – Edmund Ironside succeeds his father Æthelred
the Unready as king of England,
1343 – Estonia: St. George's Night Uprising.
1348 – The founding of the Order of the Garter by
King Edward III is announced on St George's Day.
1521 – Battle of Villalar: King Charles I of Spain
defeats the Comuneros.
1635 – The first public school in the United States,
Boston Latin School, is founded in Boston, Massachusetts.
1660 – Treaty of Oliwa is established between Sweden
and Poland.
1661 – King Charles II of England, Scotland and
Ireland is crowned in Westminster Abbey.
1815 – The Second Serbian Uprising – a second phase
of the national revolution of the Serbs against
the Ottoman Empire, erupts shortly after the annexation
of the country to the Ottoman Empire.
1910 – Theodore Roosevelt made his The Man in the
Arena speech.
1918 – World War I: The British Royal Navy makes
a raid in an attempt to neutralise the Belgian port
of Bruges-Zeebrugge.
1920 – The national council in Turkey denounces
the government of Sultan Mehmed VI and announces
a temporary constitution.
1920 – The Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM)
is founded in Ankara.
1927 – Turkey becomes the first country to celebrate
Children's Day as a national holiday.
1932 – The 153-year old De Adriaan Windmill in Haarlem,
Netherlands burns down. It is rebuilt and reopens
exactly 70 years later.
1935 – The Polish Constitution of 1935 is adopted.
1940 – The Rhythm Night Club fire at a dance hall
in Natchez, Mississippi, kills 198 people.
1941 – World War II: The Greek government and King
George II evacuate Athens before the invading Wehrmacht.
1942 – World War II: Baedeker Blitz – German bombers
hit Exeter, Bath and York in retaliation for the
British raid on Lübeck.
1945 – Adolf Hitler's designated successor Hermann
Göring sends him a telegram asking permission to
take leadership of the Third Reich, which causes
Hitler to replace him with Joseph Goebbels and Karl
Dönitz.
1946 – Manuel Roxas is elected the last President
of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.
1949 – Chinese Civil War: Establishment of the People's
Liberation Army Navy.
1951 – American journalist William N. Oatis is arrested
for espionage by the Communist government of Czechoslovakia.
1955 – The Canadian Labour Congress is formed by
the merger of the Trades and Labour Congress of
Canada and the Canadian Congress of Labour.
1961 – Algiers putsch by French generals.
1967 – Soviet space program: Soyuz 1 (Russian: Союз
1, Union 1) is a manned spaceflight, Launched into
orbit carrying cosmonaut Colonel Vladimir Komarov.
1968 – Vietnam War: Student protesters at Columbia
University in New York City take over administration
buildings and shut down the university.
1971 – Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army
and Razakars massacred approximately 3,000 Hindu
emigrants in the Jathibhanga area of East Pakistan
(now Bangladesh).
1985 – Coca-Cola changes its formula and releases
New Coke. The response is overwhelmingly negative,
and the original formula is back on the market in
less than 3 months.
1990 – Namibia becomes the 160th member of the United
Nations and the 50th member of the Commonwealth
of Nations.
1993 – Eritreans vote overwhelmingly for independence
from Ethiopia in a United Nations-monitored referendum.
1993 – Sri Lankan politician Lalith Athulathmudali
is assassinated while addressing a gathering, approximately
4 weeks ahead of the Provincial Council elections
for the Western Province.
1997 – Omaria massacre in Algeria: 42 villagers
are killed.
Holidays
and observances
Christian
Feast Day:
Adalbert of Prague
George
Gerard of Toul
April 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Independence Day (Conch Republic, Key West, Florida)
National Sovereignty and Children's Day (Turkey
and Northern Cyprus)
St George's Day and its related observances:
La Diada de Sant Jordi (Catalonia, Spain)
Canada Book Day (Canada)
International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day
Vinalia urbana, (Roman Empire)
For details, contact Datacentre
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