May 23 in History: Significant Events and Celebrity Birthdays
Today is May 23, 2026, marking the 143rd day of the year with 222 days remaining. On this day in history, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were fatally shot during a police ambush in Louisiana in 1934. Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary in 1915, aligning with the Triple Entente. The USS Squalus submarine sank in 1939, resulting in the loss of 22 crew members. Heinrich Himmler, a Nazi official, committed suicide in British custody in 1945. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop linked cigarette smoke to lung disease in non-smokers in 1984. The Boy Scouts of America removed membership restrictions based on sexual orientation in 2013. Marriage equality was celebrated in Ireland in 2015. NFL owners approved a policy allowing players to protest during the national anthem in 2018. A tragic cable car accident in Italy claimed 14 lives in 2021.
Celebrity birthdays today include Joan Collins (93), John Newcombe (82), Anatoly Karpov (75), Drew Carey (68), Lea DeLaria (68), Mitch Albom (68), Melissa McBride (61), Maxwell (53), Ken Jennings (52), Jewel (52), Ryan Coogler (40), and Sarah Jarosz (35).