July 23 in history — What Happened Today in History

China Northwest Airlines Flight 2119 crashes during takeoff from Yinchuan Xihuayuan Airport in Yinchuan, Ningxia, China, killing 55 people.

A Vatican commission, led by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, establishes that limiting certain rights of homosexual people and non-married couples is not equivalent to discrimination on grounds of race or gender.

Abkhazia declares independence from Georgia.

General Ne Win, effective ruler of Burma since 1962, resigns after pro-democracy protests.

Thirteen Sri Lanka Army soldiers are killed after a deadly ambush by the militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Gimli Glider: Air Canada Flight 143 runs out of fuel and makes a deadstick landing at Gimli, Manitoba.

Outside Santa Clarita, California, actor Vic Morrow and two children are killed when a helicopter crashes onto them while shooting a scene from Twilight Zone: The Movie.

Phạm Tuân becomes the first Vietnamese citizen and the first Asian in space when he flies aboard the Soyuz 37 mission as an Intercosmos Research Cosmonaut.

The Greek military junta collapses, and former Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis is invited to lead the new government, beginning Greece's metapolitefsi era.

The United States launches Landsat 1, the first Earth-resources satellite.

Qaboos bin Said al Said becomes Sultan of Oman after overthrowing his father, Said bin Taimur initiating massive reforms, modernization programs and end to a decade long civil war.

Glenville shootout: In Cleveland, Ohio, a violent shootout between a Black Militant organization and the Cleveland Police Department occurs. During the shootout, a riot begins and lasts for five days.

The only successful hijacking of an El Al aircraft takes place when a Boeing 707 carrying ten crew and 38 passengers is taken over by three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The aircraft was en route from Rome, Italy to Lod, Israel.

Detroit Riots: In Detroit, one of the worst riots in United States history begins on 12th Street in the predominantly African American inner city. It ultimately kills 43 people, injures 342 and burns about 1,400 buildings.

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

The International Agreement on the Neutrality of Laos is signed.

Jackie Robinson becomes the first African American to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Sandinista National Liberation Front is founded in Nicaragua.

General Muhammad Naguib leads the Free Officers Movement (formed by Gamal Abdel Nasser, the real power behind the coup) in overthrowing King Farouk of Egypt.

The post-war legal processes against Philippe Pétain, the former president of Vichy France begin.

The Rayleigh bath chair murder occurs in Rayleigh, Essex, England.

World War II: The British destroyers HMS Eclipse and HMS Laforey sink the Italian submarine Ascianghi in the Mediterranean after she torpedoes the cruiser HMS Newfoundland.

World War II: The German offensives Operation Edelweiss and Operation Braunschweig begin on the Eastern Front.

Bulgarian poet and communist activist Nikola Vaptsarov is executed by firing squad.

The United States' Under Secretary of State Sumner Welles issues a declaration on the U.S. non-recognition policy of the Soviet annexation and incorporation of three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

In Catalonia, Spain, the Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia is founded through the merger of Socialist and Communist parties.

The first station of the Indian Broadcasting Company goes on the air in Bombay.

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

Dmitry Orlov, Russian ice hockey player

Kevin Reynolds, Canadian figure skater

Daniel Radcliffe, English actor

Donald Young, American tennis player

Harris English, American professional golfer

Alessio Cerci, Italian footballer

Felipe Dylon, Brazilian singer

Serdar Kurtuluş, Turkish footballer

Julien Ribaudo, Belgian politician

Aya Uchida, Japanese voice actress and singer

Nelson Philippe, French race car driver

Yelena Sokolova, Russian long jumper

Tessa Bonhomme, Canadian ice hockey player and sports broadcaster

Pauline Clarke, English author (born 1921)

Arthur J. Collingsworth, American diplomat (born 1944)

Dominguinhos, Brazilian singer-songwriter and accordion player (born 1941)

Emile Griffith, American boxer and trainer (born 1938)

Kim Jong-hak, South Korean director and producer (born 1951)

Djalma Santos, Brazilian footballer (born 1929)

Margaret Mahy, New Zealand author (born 1936)

Sally Ride, American physicist and astronaut (born 1951)

Lakshmi Sahgal, Indian soldier and politician (born 1914)

Esther Tusquets, Spanish publisher and author (born 1936)

José Luis Uribarri, Spanish television host and director (born 1936)

Amy Winehouse, English singer-songwriter (born 1983)

Daniel Schorr, American journalist and author (born 1916)