So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.

October 23rd


- Christian Feast Day:
- Chulalongkorn Day (Thailand)
- Day of the Macedonian Revolutionary Struggle (Republic of Macedonia)
- Mole Day (Chemists)
- National Day (Hungary)

October 23rd


- 2007 - A powerful cold front in the Bay of Campeche causes the Usumacinta Jackup rig to collide with Kab 101, leading to the death and drowning of 22 people during rescue operations after evacuation of the rig.
- 2004 - A powerful earthquake and its aftershocks hit Niigata prefecture, northern Japan, killing 35 people, injuring 2,200, and leaving 85,000 homeless or evacuated.
- 2002 - Moscow Theatre Siege begins: Chechen terrorists seize the House of Culture theater in Moscow and take approximately 700 theater-goers hostage.
- 2001 - Apple releases the iPod.
- 1998 - Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat reach a "land for peace" agreement.
- 1993 - Shankill Road bombing: A Provisional IRA bomb prematurely detonates in the Shankill area of Belfast, killing the bomber and nine civilians.
- 1992 - Emperor Akihito becomes the first Emperor of Japan to stand on Chinese soil.
- 1989 - The Hungarian Republic is officially declared by president Mátyás Sz?rös, replacing the communist Hungarian People's Republic.
- 1989 - Phillips Disaster in Pasadena, Texas kills 23 and injures 314.
- 1983 - Lebanon Civil War: The U.S. Marines barracks in Beirut is hit by a truck bomb, killing 241 U.S. Marines. A French army barracks in Lebanon is also hit that same morning, killing 58 troops.
- 1973 - The Watergate Scandal: US President Richard M. Nixon agrees to turn over subpoenaed audio tapes of his Oval Office conversations.
- 1973 - A United Nations sanctioned cease-fire officially ends the Yom Kippur War between Israel and Syria.
- 1972 - Operation Linebacker, a US bombing campaign against North Vietnam in response to its Easter Offensive, ends after five months.
- 1970 - Gary Gabelich sets a land speed record in a rocket-powered automobile called the Blue Flame, fueled with natural gas.
- 1965 - Vietnam War: The 1st Cavalry Division (United States) (Airmobile), in conjunction with South Vietnamese forces, launches a new operation seeking to destroy North Vietnamese forces in Pleiku in the II Corps Tactical Zone (the Central Highlands).
- 1958 - The Springhill Mine Bump – An underground earthquake traps 174 miners in the No. 2 colliery at Springhill, Nova Scotia, the deepest coal mine in North America at the time. By November 1, rescuers from around the world had dug out 100 of the victims, marking the death toll at 74.
- 1958 - The Smurfs, a fictional race of blue dwarves, later popularized in a Hanna-Barbera animated cartoon series, appear for the first time in the story La flute à six schtroumpfs, a Johan and Peewit adventure by Peyo which is serialized in the weekly comics magazine Spirou.
- 1956 - Thousands of Hungarians protest against the government and Soviet occupation. (The Hungarian Revolution is crushed on November 4).
- 1946 - The United Nations General Assembly convenes for the first time, at an auditorium in Flushing, Queens, New York City.
- 1944 - World War II: Battle of Leyte Gulf – The largest naval battle in history begins in the Philippines.
- 1944 - World War II: The Soviet Red Army enters Hungary.
- 1942 - World War II: Second Battle of El Alamein: – At El Alamein in northern Egypt, the British Eighth Army under Field Marshal Montgomery begins a critical offensive to expel the Axis armies from Egypt.
- 1942 - All 12 passengers and crewmen aboard an American Airlines DC-3 airliner are killed when it is struck by a U.S. Army Air Forces bomber near Palm Springs, California. Amongst the victims is award-winning composer and songwriter Ralph Rainger ("Thanks for the Memory", "Love in Bloom", "Blue Hawaii").
- 1942 - World War II: The Battle for Henderson Field begins during the Guadalcanal Campaign and ends on October 26.
- 1941 - World War II: Field Marshal Georgy Zhukov takes command of Red Army operations to prevent the further advance into Russia of German forces and to prevent the Wehrmacht from capturing Moscow.
- 1935 - Dutch Schultz, Abe Landau, Otto Berman, and Bernard "Lulu" Rosencrantz are fatally shot at a saloon in Newark, New Jersey in what will become known as The Chophouse Massacre.
- 1929 - Great Depression: After a steady decline in stock market prices since a peak in September, the New York Stock Exchange begins to show signs of panic.
- 1929 - The first North American transcontinental air service begins between New York City and Los Angeles, California.
- 1917 - Lenin calls for the October Revolution.
- 1915 - Woman's suffrage: In New York City, 25,000-33,000 women march on Fifth Avenue to advocate their right to vote.
- 1912 - First Balkan War: The Battle of Kumanovo between the Serbian and Ottoman armies begins.
- 1911 - First use of aircraft in war: An Italian pilot takes off from Libya to observe Turkish army lines during the Turco-Italian War.
- 1906 - Alberto Santos-Dumont flies an airplane in the first heavier-than-air flight in Europe at Champs de Bagatelle, Paris, France.
- 1870 - Franco-Prussian War: the Siege of Metz concludes with a decisive Prussian victory.
- 1867 - 72 Senators are summoned by Royal Proclamation to serve as the first members of the Canadian Senate.
- 1864 - American Civil War: Battle of Westport – Union forces under General Samuel R. Curtis defeat Confederate troops led by General Sterling Price at Westport, near Kansas City.
- 1861 - U.S. President Abraham Lincoln suspends the writ of habeas corpus in Washington, D.C., for all military-related cases.
- 1850 - The first National Women's Rights Convention begins in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States.
- 1812 - Claude François de Malet, a French general, begins a conspiracy to overthrow Napoleon Bonaparte, claiming that the Emperor died in Russia and that he is now the commandant of Paris.
- 1739 - War of Jenkins' Ear starts: British Prime Minister, Robert Walpole, reluctantly declares war on Spain.
- 1707 - The first Parliament of Great Britain meets.
- 1694 - British/American colonial forces, led by Sir William Phipps, fail to seize Quebec from the French.
- 1642 - Battle of Edgehill: First major battle of the First English Civil War.
- 1641 - Outbreak of the Irish Rebellion of 1641.
- 1295 - The first treaty forming the Auld Alliance between Scotland and France against England is signed in Paris.
- 1157 - The Battle of Grathe Heath ends the civil war in Denmark. King Sweyn III is killed and Valdemar I restores the country.
- 1086 - At the Battle of az-Zallaqah, the army of Yusuf ibn Tashfin defeats the forces of Castilian King Alfonso VI.
- 502 - The Synodus Palmaris, called by Gothic king Theodoric the Great, discharges Pope Symmachus of all charges, thus ending the schism of Antipope Laurentius.
- 425 - Valentinian III is elevated as Roman Emperor, at the age of 6.
- -42 - Roman Republican civil wars: Second Battle of Philippi – Mark Antony and Octavian decisively defeat Brutus's army. Brutus commits suicide.

October 23rd


- 1991 - Princess Mako of Akishino of Japan
- 1990 - Stevie Brock, American singer
- 1987 - Faye Hamlin, Swedish singer (Play)
- 1986 - Jake Robinson, English footballer
- 1986 - Jessica Stroup, American actress
- 1986 - Briana Evigan, American actress
- 1985 - Masiela Lusha, Albanian-American writer and actress
- 1985 - Luca Spinetti, Italian footballer
- 1984 - Izabel Goulart, Brazilian model
- 1984 - Meghan McCain, American author and daughter of John McCain
- 1983 - Filipos Darlas, Greek footballer
- 1983 - Josh Strickland, American entertainer
- 1982 - Valentin Badea, Romanian footballer
- 1981 - Jeroen Bleekemolen, Dutch racing driver
- 1981 - Ben Francisco, American baseball player
- 1981 - Shoo, South Korean singer and actress
- 1980 - Pedro Liriano, Dominican baseball player
- 1979 - Simon Davies, Welsh footballer
- 1979 - Jorge Solís, Mexican professional boxer
- 1979 - Ramón Castro, Venezuelan baseball player
- 1978 - Jimmy Bullard, English footballer
- 1978 - Steve Harmison, English cricketer
- 1978 - Archie Thompson, Australian footballer
- 1977 - Brad Haddin, Australian cricket player
- 1976 - Cat Deeley, English model and television personality
- 1976 - Ryan Reynolds, Canadian actor
- 1975 - Michelle Beadle, American television personality
- 1975 - Odalys García, Cuban actress
- 1975 - Jessicka, American artist
- 1975 - Keith Van Horn, American basketball player
- 1974 - Sander Westerveld, Dutch footballer
- 1973 - Christian Dailly, Scottish footballer
- 1972 - Bryan Pratt, Missouri Politician
- 1972 - Jasmin St. Claire, Former pornographic actress
- 1971 - Carlo Forlivesi, Italian composer
- 1971 - Christopher Horner, American cyclist
- 1970 - Zoe Wiseman, American Model and Photographer
- 1970 - Grant Imahara, American TV Mythbuster
- 1969 - Trudi Canavan, Australian writer
- 1969 - Brooke Theiss, American actress
- 1967 - Dale Crover, American musician (Melvins, The Men of Porn, Altamont)
- 1966 - Alex Zanardi, Italian race car driver
- 1965 - Augusten Burroughs, American writer
- 1965 - Al Leiter, American baseball player
- 1964 - Robert Trujillo, American bassist (Metallica)
- 1963 - Gordon Korman, Canadian-American Author
- 1962 - Doug Flutie, American football player
- 1961 - Laurie Halse Anderson, American writer
- 1961 - Andoni Zubizarreta, Spanish footballer
- 1960 - Randy Pausch, American computer science professor, author (d. 2008)
- 1960 - Wayne Rainey, American motorcyclist
- 1959 - Nancy Grace, American former prosecutor
- 1959 - Sam Raimi, American film director
- 1959 - "Weird Al" Yankovic, American musical parodist
- 1958 - Michael Eric Dyson, American activist, professor, author
- 1958 - Rose Nabinger, German singer
- 1957 - Martin Luther King III, American human rights advocate
- 1956 - Dwight Yoakam, American singer
- 1954 - Ang Lee, Taiwanese-born director
- 1952 - Pierre Moerlen, French drummer and percussionist (d. 2005)
- 1951 - Charly García, Argentine singer
- 1951 - Fatmir Sejdiu, former (2nd) President of Kosovo
- 1949 - Michael 'Wurzel' Burston, British musician (Motörhead)
- 1949 - Nick Tosches, American writer
- 1948 - Hermann Hauser, Austrian-born entrepreneur
- 1948 - Brian Ross, American journalist
- 1946 - Mel Martinez, American politician
- 1945 - Maggi Hambling, English sculptor and painter
- 1945 - Kim Larsen, Danish singer
- 1944 - Mike Harding, English singer and comedian
- 1942 - Michael Crichton, American writer (d. 2008)
- 1942 - Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop (d. 2007)
- 1941 - Igor Smirnov, Moldovan politician
- 1940 - Ellie Greenwich, American singer (d. 2009)
- 1940 - Baby Jane Holzer, American art collector, film producer and Andy Warhol "superstar"
- 1940 - Pelé, Brazilian footballer
- 1937 - Carlos Lamarca, Brazilian military turned guerrilla leader (d. 1971)
- 1936 - Philip Kaufman, American film director
- 1935 - Juan "Chi-Chi" Rodríguez, Puerto Rican golfer
- 1931 - Jim Bunning, American baseball player and politician
- 1931 - William P. Clark, American jurist, and 44th United States Secretary of the Interior
- 1931 - Diana Dors, British actress (d. 1984)
- 1928 - Bella Darvi, Polish-born French actress (d. 1971)
- 1928 - Harold P. Warren, American movie director (d. 1985)
- 1927 - Leszek Ko?akowski, Polish philosopher (d. 2009)
- 1925 - Johnny Carson, American television host (d. 2005)
- 1925 - Manos Hadjidakis, Greek composer (d. 1994)
- 1925 - Fred Shero, Canadian hockey player and coach (d. 1990)
- 1923 - Aslam Farrukhi, Pakistani scholar and poet
- 1923 - Ned Rorem, American composer
- 1923 - Frank Sutton, American actor (d. 1974)
- 1922 - Coleen Gray, American actress
- 1920 - Ted Fujita, Japanese meteorologist (d. 1998)
- 1919 - Manolis Andronikos, Greek archaeologist, professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (d. 1992)
- 1918 - James Daly, American actor (d. 1978)
- 1910 - Richard Mortensen, Danish painter (d. 1993)
- 1909 - Zellig Harris, American linguist (d. 1992)
- 1908 - Ilya Frank, Russian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1990)
- 1905 - Felix Bloch, Swiss physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1983)
- 1905 - Gertrude Ederle, American swimmer (d. 2003)
- 1904 - Harvey Penick, American golfer (d. 1995)
- 1900 - Douglas Jardine, English cricketer (d. 1958)
- 1896 - André Lévêque, French engineer (d. 1930)
- 1894 - Rube Bressler, baseball player (d. 1966)
- 1893 - Gummo Marx, American actor (d. 1977)
- 1888 - Onésime Gagnon, Canadian politician (d. 1961)
- 1885 - Lawren Harris, Canadian painter (d. 1970)
- 1880 - Una O'Connor, Irish actress (d. 1959)
- 1876 - Franz Schlegelberger, German judge and politician (d. 1970)
- 1875 - Gilbert N. Lewis, American chemist (d. 1946)
- 1873 - William D. Coolidge, American physicist and inventor (d. 1975)
- 1870 - Francis Kelley, Catholic Bishop of Oklahoma (d. 1948)
- 1869 - John Heisman, American football player and coach (d. 1936)
- 1865 - Neltje Blanchan, American writer (d. 1918)
- 1844 - Robert Bridges, English poet (d. 1930)
- 1835 - Adlai Stevenson I, American politician, and 23rd Vice President of the United States (d. 1914)
- 1817 - Pierre Athanase Larousse, French lexicographer (d. 1875)
- 1815 - João Maurício Wanderley, Brazilian magistrate and politician (d. 1889)
- 1813 - Ludwig Leichhardt, German explorer (d. 1848)
- 1805 - John Russell Bartlett, American linguist (d. 1886)
- 1801 - Albert Lortzing, German composer (d. 1851)
- 1796 - Stefano Franscini, Swiss Federal Councilor (d. 1857)
- 1790 - Chauncey Allen Goodrich, American clergyman (d. 1860)
- 1771 - Jean-Andoche Junot, French general (d. 1813)
- 1766 - Emmanuel, marquis de Grouchy, French marshal (d. 1847)
- 1762 - Samuel Morey, American inventor (d. 1843)
- 1715 - Peter II of Russia (d. 1730)
- 1705 - Maximilian Ulysses Count Browne, Austrian field marshal (d. 1757)
- 1698 - Ange-Jacques Gabriel, French architect (d. 1782)
- 1634 - Hedvig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden (d. 1715)
- 1516 - Charlotte de Valois, princess of France (d. 1524)
- 1503 - Isabella of Portugal, queen of Spain and empress of Germany (d. 1539)