History for February 23

History for February 23 - On-This-Day.com
Samuel Pepys 1633 - English naval administrator and Member of Parliament, known for his diary of events and quotes, George Frederic Handel 1685 - Composer, Mayer Amschel Rothschild 1734 
   

W.E.B. DuBois 1868, William Shirer 1904 - Journalist, author ("The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich", "Gandhi: A Memoir"), Peter Fonda 1940 - Director, actor ("Easy Rider"), Jane Fonda's brother, Henry Fonda's son, Bridget Fonda's dad 


1836 - In San Antonio, TX, the siege of the Alamo began.


1847 - Santa Anna was defeated at the Battle of Buena Vista in Mexico by U.S. troops under Gen. Zachary.


1896 - The Tootsie Roll was introduced by Leo Hirshfield.


1898 - In France, Emile Zola was imprisoned for his letter, "J'accuse," which accused the government of anti-Semitism and wrongly jailing Alfred Dreyfus.


1904 - The U.S. acquired control of the Panama Canal Zone for $10 million.


1919 - The Fascist Party was formed in Italy by Benito Mussolini.


1945 - The 28th Regiment of the Fifth Marine Division of the U.S. Marines reached the top of Mount Surabachi. A photograph of these Marines raising the American flag was taken.


1997 - Ali Hassan Abu Kamal, a Palestinian teacher, opened fire on the 86th-floor observation deck of New York City's Empire State Building. He killed one person and wounded six more before killing himself.