Iconic World War II Photos

U.S. flag raised on Iwo Jima

Born on This Day

Writer and Civil Rights Leader W.E.B. Du Bois

W.E.B. Du Bois

1868 - 1963

Sociologist and author activist who co-founded the NAACP and wrote the civil rights classic "The Souls of Black Folk."

Peter Fonda

Peter Fonda

1940 - 2019

Actor and member of the Fonda acting dynasty best known for his role in 1960s counterculture classic "Easy Rider."

"The Watched" - Photocall

Dakota Fanning

1994 -

Actress who gained fame as child in "I Am Sam" and later starred in "War of the Worlds" and "The Twilight Saga."

W.E.B. Du BoisCorbis/VCG via Getty Images

Peter FondaCorbis via Getty Images

Dakota FanningGetty Images

1974

FEB23

Sister Janet Mead's musical recording of The Lord's Prayer makes it onto the Billboard Top 100. It charts for 13 weeks, eventually reaching #4 and going gold. Nominated for a 1975 Grammy for best inspirational performance, she lost to Elvis Presley.

Timeline

Also on This Day in History

Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on February 23rd

Friedrich von Steuben arrives at Valley Forge

Friedrich Wilhelm Rudolf Gerhard August, Freiherr von Steuben, a Prussian military officer, arrives at General George Washington’s encampment at Valley Forge on February 23, 1778 and commences training soldiers in close-order drill, instilling new confidence and discipline in the demoralized Continental Army. Baron von Steuben, as he is better known, was the son of a […]

Abraham Lincoln arrives in Washington, D.C.

On February 23, 1861, President-elect Abraham Lincoln arrives in Washington, D.C., amid secrecy and tight security. With seven states having already seceded from the Union since Lincoln’s election, the threat of civil war hung in the air. Allen Pinkerton, head of a private detective agency, had uncovered a plot to assassinate Lincoln when he passed […]

2:08m read read

W.E.B. Du Bois is born

On February 23, 1868, William Edward Burghardt (W.E.B.) Du Bois is born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Du Bois would become a brilliant scholar, an influential proponent of civil rights and a co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Du Bois’ childhood was happy, but during adolescence he became aware of a […]

W.E.B. Du Bois

Convicted murderer gets spared from death when gallows malfunction

On February 23, 1885, a 19-year-old man named John Lee is sent to the gallows in Exeter, England, for the murder of Emma Keyse, a rich older woman for whom he had worked. Although he insisted he was innocent, Lee had been convicted and sentenced to death by hanging. However, after the noose was put […]

1:12m read read

Woody Guthrie writes “This Land Is Your Land”

Folk singer Woody Guthrie writes one of his best-known songs, “This Land is Your Land.” It would become one of America’s most famous folk songs. Born in Okemah, Oklahoma, in 1912, Guthrie lived and wrote of the American West, a place of hard-working people and harsh environments rather than romantic cowboys and explorers. While Woody […]

2:12m read read

Children receive first polio vaccine

On February 23, 1954, a group of children from Arsenal Elementary School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, receive the first injections of the new polio vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk. Thanks to the vaccine, by the 21st century polio cases were reduced by 99 percent worldwide. Though not as devastating as the plague or influenza, poliomyelitis […]

2:06m read read

Formula One champ kidnapped

On February 23, 1958, five-time Formula One champion Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina is kidnapped in Cuba by a group of Fidel Castro’s rebels. Fangio was taken from his Havana hotel the day before the Cuba Grand Prix, an event intended to showcase the island nation. He was released unharmed several hours after the race. […]

1:48m read read

It’s a tie for Song of the Year at the 20th annual Grammy Awards

On February 23, 1978, Grammy voters make history by failing to settle on a winner for the year’s Best Song. Instead, Barbra Streisand’s “Love Theme from A Star Is Born (Evergreen)” and Debby Boone’s “You Light Up My Life” were both awarded the Best Song Grammy—the first tie in that category in Grammy history. Other […]

1:48m read read

Eric Heiden speed skates into Olympic history

On February 23, 1980, speed skater Eric Heiden wins the 10,000-meter race at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, setting a world record with his time and winning an unprecedented fifth gold medal at the games. Heiden had been training as a speed skater since the age of 14. At the 1976 Winter […]

1:46m read read

Jason Collins, first openly gay athlete to play in NBA, makes U.S. sports history

On February 23, 2014, Brooklyn Nets center Jason Collins becomes the first openly gay athlete to play in a game in the United States’ four major professional leagues. The 35-year-old journeyman plays 10 scoreless minutes, recording two rebounds and five fouls in the Nets’ 108-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. In May 2013, Collins […]

1:36m read read

Ahmaud Arbery is shot dead while out jogging

Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, is shot dead by a white father and son while out for a jog in a suburb of Brunswick, Georgia on February 23, 2020. On May 7, following the release of a video of the killing that spurred national attention from the media, civil rights groups, lawmakers, celebrities and, […]

2:24m read read

History Every Day

Sign Up for This Day in History

Uncover fascinating moments from the past every day! Learn something new with key events in history, from the American Revolution to pop culture, crime and more.

By submitting your information, you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Global Media. You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States.More details: Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Contact Us