This Day In History, August 23rd.

Five Historical Events That Happened on August 23rd

• The English hanged Scottish knight and patriot Sir William Wallace in London in 1305, for his involvement in the Wars of Scottish Independence.

• The St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre began in France in 1572, when the French monarch, Charles IX, ordered a wave of targeted executions and mob violence against French Huguenots (Protestants).

• The American Revolutionary War began in 1775, when British King George III proclaimed the American colonies to be in open rebellion.

• After a contentious trial and a lengthy worldwide campaign for their release, Italian-born anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were hanged in the United States for murder in 1927.

• In 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a secret pact that involved the partition of Eastern Europe into spheres of influence and cleared the way for World War II to begin.

In 1305, Scottish knight and patriot Sir William Wallace was executed in London by the English for his role in the Wars of Scottish Independence.

Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and military leader who was a key figure in the late 13th and early 14th century Wars of Scottish Independence against England. He commanded Scottish soldiers against the English in multiple engagements, including the well-known Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, and became a symbol of Scottish opposition to English authority.

Wallace was arrested by the English in 1305, and carried to London, where he was convicted for treason and condemned to death. He was publicly hanged, drawn, and quartered, and his head was exhibited on London Bridge as a warning to future would-be insurgents. Despite his execution, Wallace remained a hero to many Scots and was glorified in literature and cinema, particularly the 1995 film "Braveheart," in which actor and director Mel Gibson played him.

In 1572, the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre began in France, a wave of targeted killings and mob violence against French Huguenots (Protestants) ordered by the French king, Charles IX.

The St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre occurred on August 23, 1572, in Paris, France, with a series of targeted assassinations and mob violence against French Huguenots (Protestants). The rioting swiftly extended to other regions of France and lasted many weeks, killing thousands of Huguenots.

King Charles IX of France ordered the slaughter in response to pressure from his mother, Catherine de' Medici, and other Catholic officials to eradicate the Huguenot challenge to Catholic authority in France. The murder attempt on Huguenot leader Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, who was shot by a Catholic zealot on August 22, 1572, sparked the massacres.

The St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre was a watershed moment in the decades-long French Wars of Religion, and it signified a substantial rise in bloodshed between Catholics and Protestants in France. Other European countries widely condemned the massacre, which had a long-lasting impact on French politics and society, leading to further religious conflict and political instability in the years that followed.

In 1775, British King George III declared the American colonies to be in a state of open rebellion, setting the stage for the American Revolutionary War.

British King George III issued a proclamation proclaiming the American colonies to be in open rebellion on August 23, 1775. This proclamation came after months of increasing tensions between Britain and her American colonies, culminating in the battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, which marked the start of the American Revolutionary War.

The king issued a proclamation declaring that the colonists were "engaged in a traitorous conspiracy" and urging loyal people to "bring these traitors to justice." The proclamation also promised a pardon to any colonist who laid down their arms and pledged allegiance to the British monarch.

The declaration, however, had no effect because the colonists were already dedicated to their cause of independence from Britain. Instead, it fueled support for the American Revolution and exacerbated the struggle between the colonies and Britain. The American Revolutionary War would go many years longer, culminating in 1783 with the Treaty of Paris and the United States' acknowledgment as an independent nation.

In 1927, Italian-born anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were executed in the United States for murder, after a controversial trial and a prolonged international campaign for their release.

In 1921, Italian-born anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were arrested and convicted of murder in the United States. Many believe that Sacco and Vanzetti were condemned not for their role in the murder, but for their anarchist ideas and immigrant status.

The case drew international attention, with many individuals and groups, including Albert Einstein and the American Civil Liberties Union, demanding for a fresh trial or the two men's release. However, their appeals were denied, and on August 23, 1927, Sacco and Vanzetti were executed by electric chair.

To this day, the execution of Sacco and Vanzetti is a contentious and hotly discussed issue, with many historians and researchers challenging the fairness of their trial and the legitimacy of their conviction. The case is frequently cited as an example of the tensions and injustices experienced by immigrants and political dissidents in the early twentieth century in the United States.

In 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a secret agreement that included the division of Eastern Europe into spheres of influence and paved the way for the outbreak of World War II.

On August 23, 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union signed the secret Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which featured the partition of Eastern Europe into spheres of influence and cleared the way for World War II to begin.

The agreement was named after Germany's and the Soviet Union's foreign ministers, Joachim von Ribbentrop and Vyacheslav Molotov, who signed it on their behalf. A secret document contained in the deal split Eastern Europe into spheres of influence, with Germany controlling most of Western Poland and the Soviet Union controlling Eastern Poland, the Baltic republics, and portions of Finland and Romania.

The signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was a watershed moment in the buildup to World War II, allowing Germany to conduct a surprise invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, without fear of Soviet involvement. The deal also provided the Soviet Union with time to prepare for its eventual involvement into the war, which came in 1941 after Germany attacked the Soviet Union.

The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact is still a contentious and hotly contested issue among historians and researchers, with many disputing the agreement's motivations and influence on the outcome of World War II.