February 23rd
1821
John Keats, English Romantic poet, died.
1822
Boston was granted a charter to incorporate as a city.
1836
Mexican general Santa Anna began the siege of the Alamo.
1848
John Quincy Adams, the sixth president of the United States, died at age 80 in Washington, D.C., two days after suffering a stroke on the floor of the House of Representatives.
1870
Mississippi was readmitted to the Union.
1896
The Tootsie Roll was introduced by Leo Hirshfield.
1942
The first shelling of the U.S. mainland during World War II occurred as a Japanese submarine fired on an oil refinery in Ellwood, Calif.
1945
U.S. Marines raised the American flag on Iwo Jima.
1965
Stan Laurel of the comedy team Laurel and Hardy died at age 74.
1997
Scottish scientists announced the successful cloning of a sheep, Dolly.
Birthdays
69 Peter Fonda Actor, director
66 Fred Biletnikoff Football Hall of Famer
58 Patricia Richardson Actress ("Home Improvement")
57 Brad Whitford Rock musician (Aerosmith)
47 Michael Wilton Rock musician (Queensryche)
15 Dakota Fanning Actress
51 Elston Howard 2/23/1929 - 12/14/1980 The first African American player for the New York Yankees, MVP in 1963.