1455 – The Gutenberg Bible was published on the 23rd February 1455, becoming the first Western book printed with movable type.

1685 – George Frideric Handel the German-English composer was born on the 23rd February 1685 (died 1759).

1739 – Richard Palmer was identified at York Castle, by his former schoolteacher, as the outlaw Dick Turpin on the 23rd February 1739.

1836 – The Battle of the Alamo began on the 23rd February 1836, in San Antonio, Texas.

1887 – The French Riviera was hit by a large earthquake on the 23rd February 1887, killing approximately 2,000 people.

1896 – The Tootsie Roll was invented on the 23rd February 1896.

1903 – Cuba leased Guantánamo Bay to the United States “in perpetuity” on the 23rd February 1903.

1934 – Leopold III became King of Belgium on the 23rd February 1934.

1940 – Peter Fonda the American actor was born on the 23rd February 1940.

1944 – Johnny Winter the American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer was born on the 23rd February 1944.

1948 – Steve Priest the English singer-songwriter and bass player from Sweet was born on the 23rd February 1948.

1952 – Brad Whitford the American guitarist from Aerosmith was born on the 23rd February 1952.

1954 – The 1st mass inoculation of children against polio with the Salk vaccine began on the 23rd February 1954, in Pittsburgh, USA.

1955 – Howard Jones the English singer-songwriter was born on the 23rd February 1955.

1955 – 1st meeting of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) was on the 23rd February 1955.

1958 – Cuban rebels kidnapped 5-time world F1 champion Juan Manuel Fangio on the 23rd February 1958.

1964 – John Norum the Norwegian guitarist and songwriter from the band Europe was born on the 23rd February 1964.

1965 – Michael Dell the American businessman and founder of Dell was born on the 23rd February 1965.

1987 – Supernova 1987a was seen in the Large Magellanic Cloud on the 23rd February 1987.

1994 – Dakota Fanning the American actress was born on the 23rd February 1994.

1997 – A small fire occurred in the Russian Space station, Mir on the 23rd February 1997.

1998 – Osama bin Laden published a fatwa declaring jihad against all Jews and Crusaders on the 23rd February 1998 (latter term commonly interpreted to refer to the people of Europe and the United States).

1999 – An avalanche destroyed the Austrian village of Galtür on the 23rd February 1999, killing 31 people.

2008 – A United States Air Force B-2 Spirit crashed in Guam on the 23rd February 2008. It was the 1st operational loss of a B-2.