February 23
February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 312 days remain until the year's end. It falls in winter (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Pisces.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On February 23 the Sun's declination is approximately -10.5°. At this latitude the Sun is south of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere shorter days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a February 23.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
No widely-observed holidays catalogued for this day in our base set. See the external almanacs above for region-specific observances.
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
- 1455 — Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible. ↗(571 years ago)
- 1836 — The Battle of the Alamo began in San Antonio. ↗(190 years ago)
- 1898 — Émile Zola was imprisoned for libel after writing J'Accuse…! ↗(128 years ago)
- 1945 — World War II: U.S. Marines raised the U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima. ↗(81 years ago)
- 1954 — The first mass inoculation against polio with Jonas Salk's vaccine began at a Pittsburgh elementary school. ↗(72 years ago)
Notable births
Notable deaths
- 1821 — John Keats, English Romantic poet. ↗(205 years ago)
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (54) | 2 × 3^3 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (312) | 2^3 × 3 × 13 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 23022026 · next palindrome year: 2032 |
| Sun declination | -10.51° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 65 days |