Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/March 23
This is a list of selected March 23 anniversaries that appear in the "On this day" section of the Main Page. To suggest a new item, in most cases, you can be bold and edit this page. Please read the selected anniversaries guidelines before making your edit. However, if your addition might be controversial or on a day that is or will soon be on the Main Page, please post your suggestion on the talk page instead.
Please note that the events listed on the Main Page are chosen based more on relative article quality and to maintain a mix of topics, not based solely on how important or significant their subjects are. Only four to five events are posted at a time and thus not everything that is "most important and significant" can be listed. In addition, an event is generally not posted this year if it is also the subject of the scheduled featured article or picture of the day.
To report an error when this appears on the Main Page, see Main Page errors. Please remember that this list defers to the supporting articles, so it is best to achieve consensus and make any necessary changes there first.
March 23: Republic Day in Pakistan (1956); Day of Hungarian–Polish Friendship in Hungary and Poland; Akira Kurosawa's 100th birthday.
- 1775 – American Revolution: Patrick Henry (pictured) made his "Give me liberty or give me death" speech to the Virginia House of Burgesses, urging the legislature to take military action against the British Empire.
- 1868 – Governor of California Henry Huntly Haight signed a law establishing the University of California, today a public university system that is considered a model for public institutions across the United States.
- 1933 – The German Reichstag passed the Enabling Act, essentially giving German Chancellor Adolf Hitler dictatorial powers by granting him and the Cabinet the authority to enact laws without the participation of the Reichstag.
- 1940 – Pakistan Movement: During its three-day general session, the Muslim League drafted the Lahore Resolution, calling for greater autonomy in British India.
- 1996 – Lee Teng-hui was elected President of the Republic of China in the first direct presidential election in Taiwan.
- 2007 – Iranian military personnel seized 15 British Royal Navy personnel from HMS Cornwall, claiming that the British ship sailed into Iran's territorial waters.