What Happened on March 23?

On March 23, Patrick Henry shouted 'Give me liberty or give me death!' — and years later, the world's first safe passenger elevator started carrying riders up a New York building!

• 1775 — Patrick Henry delivers his 'Give me liberty or give me death!' speech

  At a Richmond church, Henry urged Virginia to arm its militia with words so powerful they still echo in every civics class. Read the full story →

• 1857 — Elisha Otis's first passenger elevator installed in New York

  A hoist with a safety brake began carrying paying passengers up E.V. Haughwout & Co.'s five-story store — making tall buildings practical for everyone. Read the full story →

• 1965 — Gemini 3 launches: America's first two-person spaceflight

  Gus Grissom and John Young rode 'the Molly Brown' into orbit, testing maneuvers that would later carry astronauts to the Moon. Read the full story →

• 2001 — Russia deorbits the Mir space station

  After 15 years circling Earth, the legendary Mir station broke apart over the Pacific Ocean, closing history's longest-running human outpost at the time. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Roger Bannister (1929–2018) · Akira Kurosawa (1910–1998) · Wernher von Braun (1912–1977) · Chaka Khan (1953)

Days & observances

World Meteorological Day