main Page History/2017 May 23

Coin depicting Zenobia as empress

240 – c. 274) was a third-century queen of the Syrian-based Palmyrene Empire. Her husband Odaenathus became king in 260, and elevated Palmyra to supreme power in the Near East by defeating the Sassanians and stabilizing the Roman East. After his assassination, she became the regent of her son Vaballathus and held de facto power throughout his reign. In 270, Zenobia launched an invasion which brought most of the Roman East under her sway, culminating with the annexation of Egypt. In reaction to Roman emperor Aurelian's campaign in 272, Zenobia declared Palmyra's secession from Rome, naming her son emperor and assuming the title of empress. The Romans were victorious after heavy fighting; the queen was besieged in her capital and captured by Aurelian. He exiled her to Rome, where she spent the remainder of her life. Zenobia fostered a multicultural and intellectual environment in her court, which was open to scholars and philosophers. Many tales have been recorded about her fate. Her rise and fall have inspired historians, artists and novelists, and she is a national hero in Syria. (Full article...)

Corrour Bothy

• ... that you can stay overnight free of charge in any of over ninety bothies (Corrour Bothy pictured), but you must bring your own fuel if you want to watch "bothy TV"?
• ... that Quintus Publilius Philo, Rome's first proconsul, was described as a "popular dictator"?
• ... that the tenth chapter of the Quran is named after Jonah, even though only 1 of its 109 verses mentions him?
• ... that Emma Ahuena Taylor, a supporter of women's suffrage, organized knitting units on behalf of Native Hawaiian soldiers fighting in World War I?
• ... that six government reviews have recommended Australia adopt "Fair Use" into its copyright law?
• ... that Jeanette Antolin won three NCAA titles with the UCLA Bruins women's gymnastics team?
• ... that the manga My Brother's Husband by Gengoroh Tagame tackles issues of homophobia in Japanese society?
• ... that the May 1605 papal conclave was the only known papal election to result in broken bones?

Hassan Rouhani

• A bombing after an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena, England, kills 22 people and injures more than 50 others.
• In cricket, the Mumbai Indians win the Indian Premier League, defeating the Rising Pune Supergiant in the final.
• Hassan Rouhani (pictured) is re-elected President of Iran.
• Salvador Sobral, representing Portugal, wins the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Amar pelos dois".
• A large-scale cyber attack involving ransomware causes severe disruption around the world.
• At least 28 people are killed in Mastung, Pakistan, in a suicide attack targeting Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, the Senate Deputy Chairman.

May 23

Joan of Arc

• 1430 – Hundred Years' War: Joan of Arc (pictured) was captured at the Siege of Compiègne.
• 1844 – Siyyid `Alí-Muhammad Shírází proclaimed that he was "the Báb", after a Shia religious concept, marking the beginning of the Bábí movement, the forerunner of the Bahá'í Faith.
• 1934 – During a strike against the Electric Auto-Lite company in Toledo, Ohio, a mob of nearly 10,000 began a riot and a five-day running battle with the Ohio National Guard.
• 1951 – Delegates of the 14th Dalai Lama and the government of the newly established People's Republic of China signed the Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet, affirming Chinese sovereignty over Tibet.
• 2008 – To resolve a 29-year-old territorial dispute, the International Court of Justice awarded Middle Rocks to Malaysia and Pedra Branca to Singapore.

Ruth Fernández (b. 1919) · Heinrich Himmler (d. 1945) · Florence Violet McKenzie (d. 1982)