This Day In History, November 23rd.
Five Historical Events That Happened on November 23rd
Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France, orders the arrest of the Spanish royal family in 1808.
The clipper Cutty Sark is launched in Dumbarton, Scotland, in 1869.
Life magazine publishes its inaugural issue in 1936, with a cover shot of a Fort Peck Dam construction worker.
During World War II, the United States Marine Corps launches a three-day assault on the Japanese-held Tarawa atoll in the Gilbert Islands.
The debut episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who airs on BBC One in 1963.
1808: French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte orders the arrest of the Spanish royal family.
The arrest of the Spanish royal family was ordered by French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte on November 23, 1808. This incident occurred during the Napoleonic Wars, a series of hostilities between France and numerous European nations, notably Spain. Napoleon conquered Spain in 1808 and installed his brother Joseph Bonaparte on the Spanish crown. However, many Spaniards resisted the French occupation, resulting in the Peninsular War, a long and bloody conflict. The arrest of the Spanish royal family was a significant event in this struggle, ushering in a violent time in Spanish history.
1869: The clipper Cutty Sark is launched in Dumbarton, Scotland.
The famed clipper ship Cutty Sark was launched on November 23, 1869, in Dumbarton, Scotland. The Cutty Sark is a well-known British sailing vessel designed for the tea trade between the United Kingdom and China. It is one of the few remaining clipper ships and is presently housed in Greenwich, London, as a museum ship. Robert Burns' poem "Tam o' Shanter" inspired the ship's name.
1936: The first issue of Life magazine is published, featuring a cover photo of a Fort Peck Dam construction worker.
The inaugural issue of Life magazine was released on November 23, 1936, with a cover photo of a Fort Peck Dam construction worker captured by photographer Margaret Bourke-White. Life magazine was a weekly news magazine known for its photojournalism that was widely read and influential in American society for several decades. Life's initial issue had a circulation of 380,000 and soon gained popularity because to its spectacular images and in-depth reporting. From 1936 through 1972, the journal was produced for over 40 years.
1943: During World War II, the U.S. Marines begin a 3-day battle to capture the Japanese-held Tarawa atoll in the Gilbert Islands.
During World War II, on November 23, 1943, the United States Marines launched a three-day campaign to conquer the Japanese-held Tarawa atoll in the Gilbert Islands. The engagement was crucial in World War II's Pacific theater because it was one of the first major offensives in which US forces confronted substantial Japanese opposition. The Japanese defenders had fortified the island severely with pillboxes, bunkers, and other fortifications, making the combat arduous and brutal for the American forces. Finally, US forces were able to capture the island, but at a high cost in terms of casualties.
1963: The first episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who is broadcast on BBC One.
The debut episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who aired on BBC One on November 23, 1963. The show chronicles the adventures of the Doctor, a time-traveling extraterrestrial who travels across time and space in his spaceship, the TARDIS, which was invented by Sydney Newman, Donald Wilson, and C. E. Webber. The program rapidly became a cultural sensation and has since become one of television's most adored and longest-running science fiction series. Several actors have played the Doctor over the years, each bringing their own unique interpretation to the role.