May 23

This Day in History

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Lead Story
Police kill famous outlaws Bonnie and Clyde, 1934
American Revolution
Meigs Expedition claims sole Patriot victory on Long Island, 1777
Automotive
Outlaws Bonnie and Clyde shot to death in stolen Ford, 1934
Civil War
Fighting begins on the North Anna River, Virginia, 1864
Cold War
Federal Republic of Germany is established, 1949
Crime
Bonnie and Clyde are killed by police, 1934
Disaster
Tsunami hits Hawaii, 1960
General Interest
Captain Kidd walks the plank, 1701
Forgotten Civil War hero honored, 1900
New York Public Library dedicated, 1911
Eichmann captured, 1960
Hollywood
Joan Collins is born, 1933
Literary
Margaret Fuller is born, 1810
Music
Tom Petty defies his record label and files for bankruptcy, 1979
Old West
Curley is buried at Little Big Horn, 1923
Presidential
George W. Bush recovers from bicycle accident, 2004
Sports
Joe Louis beats Buddy Baer to retain heavyweight title, 1941
Vietnam War
Congressman claims M-16 is defective, 1967
North Vietnamese infiltrators attack U.S. base, 1971
United States widens aerial campaign, 1972
World War I
Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary, 1915
World War II
Lord Mountbatten, cousin to a king, sunk by German dive-bombers, 1941
Himmler commits suicide, 1945

Vietnam War

May 23, 1972:

United States widens aerial campaign

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Heavy U.S. air attacks that began with an order by President Richard Nixon on May 8 are widened to include more industrial and non-military sites. In 190 strikes, the United States lost one plane but shot down four. The new strikes were part of the ongoing Operation Linebacker, an effort launched in response to the massive North Vietnamese invasion of South Vietnam on March 30. The purpose of the raids were to interdict supplies from outside sources and the movement of equipment and supplies to the North Vietnamese troops in South Vietnam. The strikes concentrated on rail lines around Hanoi and Haiphong, bridges, pipelines, power plants, troops and troop training facilities, and rail lines to China.

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This Week in History, May 23 - May 29

May 23, 1967
Congressman claims M-16 is defective
May 23, 1971
North Vietnamese infiltrators attack U.S. base
May 23, 1972
United States widens aerial campaign
May 24, 1964
Goldwater suggests using atomic weapons
May 24, 1971
Soldiers place controversial ad in antiwar newspaper
May 25, 1968
Communist launch new offensive
May 25, 1969
National Democratic Front formed in Saigon
May 26, 1965
Australian troops depart for Vietnam
May 26, 1971
North Vietnamese seize Snoul, Cambodia
May 27, 1965
U.S. warships begin bombardment of Viet Cong targets
May 27, 1971
Sweden announces support to Viet Cong
May 28, 1969
U.S. troops abandon "Hamburger Hill"
May 29, 1972
United States and USSR issue a joint communique

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