August 23

1305:

William Wallace (Braveheart) is executed.

1798:

Napoleon leaves Egypt for France en route to seize power as Emperor of France.

1813:

The Prussian army under Von Bulow repulses French attack at the Battle of Grossbeeren.

1833:

Slavery abolished throughout the British Empire.

1839:

The UK captures Hong Kong.

1864:

The Union Navy captures Fort Morgan, Alabama, thus breaking Confederate dominance of all ports on the Gulf of Mexico.

1866:

The Austro-Prussian War ends with the Treaty of Prague.

1889:

The first ship to the shore wireless message is received.

1914:

Japan declares war on Germany and bombs Qingdao (Tsingtao), China.

1914:

The Battle of Mons

1939:

The Soviet-German agreement signed

1939:

World War II: Germany and the Soviet Union sign a non-aggression treaty, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. In a secret addition to the pact, Baltic states, Finland and Poland are divided between the two nations.

1940:

World War II: The German Luftwaffe begins aerial bombardment of London.

1942:

Beginning of the Battle of Stalingrad.

1943:

Kharkov is liberated by the Soviet Army.

1944:

World War II: King Michael of Romania dismisses the pro-Nazi government of General Antonescu. Romania switches sides from the Axis to the Allies.

1958:

Chinese Civil War: The Second Taiwan Strait crisis begins with the People's Liberation Army's bombardment of Quemoy.

1990:

Armenia declares its independence from the Soviet Union.

1990:

Saddam Hussein appears on Iraqi state television with a number of Western "guests" (actually hostages to try to prevent the Gulf War).