This day in history: 23 march

America

1. Patrick Henry’s Famous Speech (1775)
   Patrick Henry delivered his iconic “Give me liberty, or give me death!” speech at the Virginia Convention in Richmond. This impassioned plea helped ignite revolutionary fervor and solidify support for independence from British rule.
2. Lewis and Clark Begin Their Return Journey (1806)
   The famed explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, having completed their expedition to the Pacific Coast, began their return journey to St. Louis, Missouri. Their expedition was pivotal in expanding knowledge of the western territories.
3. Oklahoma Opened for White Colonization (1889)
   U.S. President Benjamin Harrison officially opened Oklahoma for white settlement, marking a significant moment in westward expansion.
4. Gemini 3 Spaceflight (1965)
   America’s first two-person space mission was launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida. Astronauts Virgil I. Grissom and John W. Young piloted the Gemini 3 spacecraft, advancing the U.S. space program during the Cold War era.
5. Strategic Defense Initiative Proposal (1983)
   President Ronald Reagan announced the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), popularly known as “Star Wars.” This ambitious plan aimed to develop technology to defend against nuclear missile attacks, significantly influencing Cold War geopolitics.

Europa

World War II

• 1945: Allied forces under General Bernard Montgomery launched Operation Plunder, crossing the northern Rhine River with heavy air and artillery support.
• 1939: German troops crossed into Memel (Klaipėda Region) early in the morning, formally annexing the territory. Adolf Hitler signed the decree aboard the Deutschland.

Political Milestones

• 1933: The Enabling Act was passed by the Reichstag, granting Adolf Hitler dictatorial powers in Germany.

Other Notable Events

• 1919: Benito Mussolini founded his Fascist political movement in Milan, Italy.
• 1905: Eleftherios Venizelos initiated the Theriso revolt in Crete, advocating for union with Greece.

Asia

1. 1901: Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the Philippines, was captured by American forces during the Philippine-American War.
2. 1931: Indian revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar were executed by the British colonial government for their involvement in the assassination of a British police officer during India’s independence movement.
3. 1940: The Lahore Resolution was presented at the annual convention of the All-India Muslim League in Lahore, laying the foundation for the demand for Pakistan as a separate nation.
4. 1956: Pakistan became the world’s first Islamic republic. This day is commemorated as Republic Day in Pakistan.
5. 2008: The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, India, officially opened.