May 23
May 23 is the 144th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 222 days remain until the year's end. It falls in spring (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Gemini.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On May 23 the Sun's declination is approximately +20.7°. At this latitude the Sun is north of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere longer days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a May 23.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
No widely-observed holidays catalogued for this day in our base set. See the external almanacs above for region-specific observances.
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
- 1430 — Joan of Arc was captured by the Burgundians at Compiègne and later sold to the English. ↗(596 years ago)
- 1707 — Carl Linnaeus, the Swedish botanist who created modern biological taxonomy, was born. ↗(319 years ago)
- 1934 — American outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were ambushed and killed in Louisiana. ↗(92 years ago)
- 1949 — The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) was established. ↗(77 years ago)
Notable births
Notable deaths
- 1934 — Bonnie and Clyde. ↗(92 years ago)
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (144) | 2^4 × 3^2 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (222) | 2 × 3 × 37 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 23052026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +20.72° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 28 days |