In History, Today on July 23

The 2020 Summer Olympics officially opened in Tokyo, Japan, after being postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was held with strict health protocols and without spectators in most venues.

A series of wildfires broke out in the Attica region of Greece, resulting in the deaths of 102 people and injuring more than 200. The fires were among the deadliest in Greece's history and led to widespread criticism of the government's response.

NASA's Kepler mission announced the discovery of Kepler-452b, an exoplanet considered to be the most Earth-like planet found in the habitable zone of a star similar to the Sun.

Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space, passed away at the age of 61. Ride made history in 1983 when she flew aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. She was a physicist and a strong advocate for science education.

The world mourned the death of British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, who passed away at the age of 27 from alcohol poisoning. Winehouse was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues, and jazz.

Three coordinated bomb attacks occurred in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El Sheikh, killing 88 people and injuring over 200. The attacks were the deadliest in Egypt's history at the time and were attributed to a group linked to al-Qaeda.

Comet Hale-Bopp is discovered independently by Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp.

International Whaling Commission decides to end commercial whaling by 1985-86.

The 12th Street Riot begins in Detroit, Michigan, leading to 43 deaths and over 1,000 injuries.

Telstar relays the first publicly transmitted, live trans-Atlantic television program.

The Free Officers Movement headed by Mohammed Naguib and Gamal Abdel Nasser stages a military coup in Egypt, overthrowing King Farouk and marking the beginning of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952.

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Arthur Travers Harris is appointed as the Chief of the Air Staff of the RAF.

The Treblinka extermination camp opens in Poland as part of the Nazi regime's 'Operation Reinhard', initiating mass killings of Jews.

Fox Film buys the patents of the Movietone sound system for recording sound onto film.

The Communist Party of China is founded at the first National Congress, marking a pivotal event in Chinese political history.

Austria-Hungary issues an ultimatum to Serbia following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, marking a significant prelude to World War I.

New York became the first state in the United States to enact a law establishing a secret ballot for elections. This reform aimed at reducing voter intimidation and ensuring fairer elections by allowing voters to make their choices confidentially.

Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States, dies.

The United Kingdom formally introduces the first postage stamps for registered mail service.

The Province of Canada was established as a result of the Act of Union 1840 passed by the British Parliament.

William Austin Burt patents the typographer, a precursor to the typewriter.

A riot occurs in the English colony of Maryland known as the Battle of the Severn. This was the last armed conflict of England’s colonial era in North America, involving Puritans and Royalists.

Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe, in what is now France, heading for Canada. This expedition was part of an ongoing effort by France to establish a solid footing in the New World.

Caravaggio was contracted to paint a series of important religious works, beginning with the 'Contarelli Chapel' in the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome.

The Battle of Myton, also known as the 'White Battle' of Myton, took place during the First War of Scottish Independence between Scottish forces under Sir James Douglas and Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray, against English forces led by the Archbishop of York, William Melton. The Scottish forces secured a victory.

The Battle of Nechtansmere took place, where the Picts, led by King Bridei III, defeated the Northumbrians, led by King Ecgfrith. This battle marked a significant turning point in the power dynamics of the British Isles, as it halted Northumbrian expansion into Pictish territory.