January 23
January 23 is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 343 days remain until the year's end. It falls in winter (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Aquarius.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On January 23 the Sun's declination is approximately -19.7°. 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 January 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.
- 1556 — The deadliest earthquake in recorded history, the Shaanxi earthquake, struck China, killing an estimated 830,000 people. ↗(470 years ago)
- 1789 — Georgetown University, the first Catholic university in the United States, was founded. ↗(237 years ago)
- 1849 — Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States. ↗(177 years ago)
- 1957 — American inventor Walter Frederick Morrison sold the rights to his flying disc — the Frisbee. ↗(69 years ago)
Notable births
Notable deaths
- 1989 — Salvador Dalí, Spanish surrealist painter. ↗(37 years ago)
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (23) | 23 · prime |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (343) | 7^3 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 23012026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | -19.70° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 34 days |