August 23rd is known as Sponge Cake Day and Ride The Wind Day.
We made it to day 236 of the year and there’s only 130 days remaining in 2024.
If today is a special day for you, or you just want to know more about it then you’re going to love our selection of historical events that all happened on this day.
Did you know that on this day in 1541, French explorer Jacques Cartier arrived in the city of Quebec? He is credited with naming Canada by referring to Quebec using the native’s word for village, “kanata.”
Keep reading for more fun & interesting facts about August 23rd in history!
Events
What memorable events happened on August 23 in history? Keep reading to find out!
2023
India became the fourth nation to successfully land a spacecraft on the Moon.
India followed in the footsteps of Russia, China, and the US with the touchdown of its Chandrayaan-3 Moon Lander. India’s Moon landing is quite different from all other landings, though, as it was the first to land on the Moon’s unexplored south pole.
2007
Chris Messina Tweeted #barcamp, which became the first use of a hashtag on Twitter.
Messina co-founded BarCamp, a technology and web event that’s been held in more than 350 cities.
1970
The largest farm worker strike in US history began.
The Salad Bowl Strike, led by the United Farm Workers union, was a series of general strikes, boycotts, and mass pickets to fight for the collective bargaining rights of agricultural workers. The strikes lasted just over seven months. The farm workers got their demands met four years later when the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act was passed into law.
Famous Births
Is today your birthday? If so, you share this special day with Kobe Bryant! Check out more famous people born on this day below.
1978
Kobe Bryant
American
Basketball Player
Died On:
Jan 26, 2020 (Age 41)
Born In:
Pennsylvania, USA
1970
River Phoenix
American
Actor
Died On:
Oct 31, 1993 (Age 23)
Born In:
Oregon, USA
1994
Francesca Reale
American
Actress
Age:
30 years old
Born In:
California, USA
1978
Julian Casablancas
American
Singer
Age:
46 years old
Born In:
New York, USA
Special Holidays
If you can spare some time today, here are some unique holidays you could get involved with.
National Sponge Cake Day
It’s hard to believe, but the simple sponge cake has only been around since the 18th century. This culinary masterpiece is seen in so many different forms of desserts you’d think it’s been around forever! Celebrate Sponge Cake Day today by eating, you guessed it, sponge cake!
National Ride The Wind Day
On August 23, 1977, the Gossamer Condor 2 became the world’s first successful human-powered aircraft. Celebrate National Ride The Wind Day by reading up on this momentous occasion, or try to ride the wind yourself by paragliding or windsurfing!
THe Fact Site’s
Fun Fact Of The Day
Joe Arridy had an IQ of 46 and is known as the “happiest prisoner on death row.” He went into the gas chamber with a smile. It turned out he was innocent.
Birthday & Zodiac
Everyone who was born on August 23rd shares the star sign of Virgo.
Virgo is represented by the Virgin and is the sixth sign in the zodiac. Anyone who was born between August 23 and September 22 falls into this astrological sign.
If you were born in August, Peridot is your assigned birthstone. The largest peridot stone discovered was found on Zagbargad Island, Egypt. It weighs an incredible 311.8 carats and is now located at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.
For those of you who were born on Aug 23, you were likely conceived the previous year on November 30.
A baby that is conceived on August 23, 2024, will likely be born around May 16, 2025.
