23 February in Indian and World History is celebrated, observed, and remembered for various reasons. 23 February is the birth anniversary of Kaliprasanna Sinha, Gadge Maharaj, Hem Singh Pruthi, Abhilasha Kumari, and Sabyasachi Mukherjee.
23 February is also observed as the death anniversary of Madhubala, Raman Lamba, Sikander Bakht, Nirmala Srivastava, and Lotika Sarkar.
Birth Anniversary on 23 February
23 February in Indian history is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the following personalities:
Kaliprasanna Sinha (23 February 1841 – 24 July 1870), a Bengali Author, and philanthropist. His remarkable work was the translation of the Hindu epic Mahabharata into Bengali. He is also remembered as a philanthropist who helped several people and movements in distress. Though his date of birth is debatable but presumed to be 23 February 1840.
Gadge Maharaj (23 February 1876 – 20 December 1956), was a saint and social reformer. He lived in voluntary poverty and wandered to different villages promoting social justice and initiating reforms, especially related to sanitation. He urged people to stop animal sacrifice as part of religious rituals and campaigned against vices such as alcohol abuse. He was born on 23 February 1876 in Amravati District of Maharashtra.
Hem Singh Pruthi (23 February 1897 – 23 December 1969), was an Indian entomologist who served as Imperial Entomologist. A species of Indian lizard, Lygosoma pruthi, is named after him. He was born on 23 February 1897.
Abhilasha Kumari, currently a Judicial Member of the Lokpal Committee of India since 23 March 2019. A former judge who served on the High Court of Gujarat from 2006 to 2018, and as the first female Chief Justice on the Manipur High Court in 2018. She was born on 23 February 1956.
Sabyasachi Mukherjee, is an Indian fashion designer, jewelry designer, and retailer from Kolkata, India. Mukherjee is one of the Associate Designer Members of the Fashion Design Council of India and the youngest board member of the National Museum of Indian Cinema. He has designed costumes for Bollywood films such as Guzaarish, Baabul, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Raavan, and English Vinglish. He was born on 23 February 1974 in Kolkatta, India.
Read More: 22 February in Indian and World History
Death Anniversary on 23 February
23 February in Indian history is observed as the death anniversary of the following personalities:
Madhubala (14 February 1933 – 23 February 1969), was an Indian actress, film producer, and playback singer who worked in Hindi films. Her childhood name was Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi. She was one of the highest-paid actresses in the 1950s. She worked in 73 films in a career of two decades. She married Kishore Kumar in 1960. Madhubala died of heart disease on 23 February 1969, at the age of 36.
Raman Lamba (2 January 1960 – 23 February 1998), an Indian Cricketer. He had played in four Tests and 32 One Day Internationals, mainly as a batsman. Lamba died on 23 February 1998 after slipping into a coma, because of an internal hemorrhage, three days after being hit on the temporal bone by a cricket ball while fielding in Bangladesh’s league cricket.
Sikander Bakht (24 August 1918 – 23 February 2004), was an Indian politician belonging to the INC. Later, he joined the Janta Party and finally settled in the BJP. He was elected as the Vice President of the BJP, served as its leader in the Rajya Sabha, and was a cabinet minister in the NDA government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In 2000, he was awarded Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian honor of the Government of India. He died on 23 February 2004, at the age of 85.
Nirmala Srivastava (21 March 1923 – 23 February 2011), the founder of Sahaja Yoga. She was also known as “Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi”. She believed that humans could not know the meaning of life until connected with the power that created mankind. She died on 23 February 2011, at the age of 87.
Lotika Sarkar (4 January 1923 – 23 February 2013) was a noted Indian feminist, social worker, educator, and lawyer. She died in New Delhi on 23 February 2013, at the age of 90.
Read More: 21 February in Indian and World History
Notable events on 23 February in Indian and World History
23 February 1855 – Johann Carl Friedrich Gauß – was a German mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to many fields in mathematics and science – died.
23 February 1884 – Casimir Funk – known as the father of vitamins– was born.
23 February 1907 – Hyo-seok Lee – a prominent Korean writer known for his poignant literary works that often explored themes of love – was born.
23 February 1924 – Allan McLeod Cormack a South African-born physicist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born
23 February 1945 – World War II Iwo Jima US Flag raised.
23 February 1945 -The capital of the Philippines, Manila, is liberated by combined Filipino and American forces.
23 February 1947– International Organization for Standardization (ISO) was established. The organization promotes worldwide proprietary, industrial, and commercial standards. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and works in 165 countries.
23 February 1973 – Dickinson W. Richards an American physician, and Nobel Prize Laureate, died.
23 February 2000 – Ofra Haza, an Israeli singer, songwriter, and actress, commonly known in the Western world as “the Madonna of the East“, or “the Israeli Madonna” – died.
23 February Historical Significance
February 23 has witnessed several significant events throughout history. On this day in 1455, the Gutenberg Bible, the first major book printed using movable type, was completed, marking a pivotal moment in the history of printing and the spread of knowledge. In 1836, the Battle of the Alamo began in San Antonio, Texas, a crucial event in the Texas Revolution. In 1945, during World War II, U.S. Marines famously raised the American flag on Iwo Jima’s Mount Suribachi, a moment captured in one of the most iconic photographs of the war. Additionally, February 23, 1954, saw the first mass inoculation of children with the polio vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, a major milestone in public health. Each of these events has had a lasting impact, shaping the cultural, technological, and political landscapes of their times.
Important Days of 23 February in History
International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day: This fun and lighthearted day is dedicated to appreciating the treats that make dogs happy. It’s a day for dog owners to treat their pets with their favorite biscuits.
Defender of the Fatherland Day (Russia): Celebrated in Russia and some former Soviet republics, this day honors military forces and veterans. It originated in 1918 and has since evolved into a day of celebrating all who defend the nation, including those serving in the military, veterans, and sometimes even men in general.
World Understanding and Peace Day: This day, established by Rotary International, aims to promote understanding and peace among people and nations. It commemorates the founding of Rotary International in 1905.
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