23 April

Across recorded history, 1,581 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 23 April. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

← April 22 April 24 →

Boris Yeltsin

1931–2007

Soviet and Russian politician, 1st President of Russia

Boris Yeltsin was a politician who served as the first President of Russia.

Satyajit Ray

1921–1992

Indian filmmaker and writer

Satyajit Ray was an Indian filmmaker and writer who directed numerous acclaimed films and authored various literary works.

William Wordsworth

1770–1850

English Romantic poet

William Wordsworth was an English Romantic poet who helped launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the publication of Lyrical Ballads.

Max von Laue

1879–1960

German physicist, Nobel laureate and anti-Nazi

Physicist Max von Laue was a Nobel laureate and an opponent of the Nazi regime.

Charles G. Dawes

1865–1951

vice president of the United States from 1925 to 1929

Charles G. Dawes served as the vice president of the United States.

Paulette Goddard

1910–1990

American actress

Paulette Goddard was an American actress who appeared in numerous film and television productions throughout her career.

P. L. Travers

1899–1996

Australian-British novelist, actress and journalist

P. L. Travers was a novelist who authored the Mary Poppins series of children's books.

Konstantinos Karamanlis

1907–1998

Greek politician and lawyer (1907–1998), Prime Minister of Greece intermittently between 1955–80, President from 1980–85, 1990–95

Konstantinos Karamanlis was a Greek politician who served as Prime Minister and President of Greece.

Jules Amédée Barbey d'Aurevilly

1808–1889

French writer

Jules Amédée Barbey d'Aurevilly was a French writer known for his work as a novelist, essayist, and literary critic.

Otto Preminger

1905–1986

Austrian-American director, producer, and actor

Otto Preminger was an Austrian-American film director who produced and directed numerous motion pictures throughout his career.

George Balanchine

1904–1983

American choreographer, dancer and ballet master

George Balanchine was a choreographer who co-founded the New York City Ballet and developed a distinct neoclassical style of dance.

Josep Pla

1897–1981

Spanish journalist

Josep Pla was a Spanish journalist who authored numerous works documenting the culture and landscape of Catalonia.

Park Jung-yang

1872–1959

Korean Joseon dynasty and Japanese-ruled Korean bureaucrat, politician, liberalism and social activists

Park Jung-yang was a Korean politician and bureaucrat who served during the Joseon dynasty and the period of Japanese rule.

Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

1921–2019

Monarch of Luxembourg

Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, served as the monarch of Luxembourg.

Fouad Mebazaa

1933–2025

Tunisian politician

Fouad Mebazaa was a Tunisian politician who served as the interim president of Tunisia.

Mikhail Lazarev

1788–1851

Russian fleet commander and explorer

Mikhail Lazarev was a Russian explorer and fleet commander who participated in the expedition that discovered the continent of Antarctica.

Rupert Brooke

1887–1915

English poet

Rupert Brooke was an English poet known for his sonnets written during the First World War.

Karl Polanyi

1886–1964

Hungarian economist, philosopher and historian

Karl Polanyi was an economic historian who analyzed the relationship between markets and social structures.

Cesar Chavez

1927–1993

Mexican-American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist

Cesar Chavez was a labor leader who organized farm workers to advocate for improved working conditions and civil rights.

John Mills

1908–2005

British actor

John Mills was a British actor who appeared in numerous stage, film, and television productions throughout his career.

Orrin Hatch

1934–2022

American politician (1934–2022) – Former United States Senator and Former President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate

Orrin Hatch was an American politician who served as a United States Senator and President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate.

William Hartnell

1908–1975

English actor

William Hartnell was an English actor who performed in film, television, and stage productions.

James Earl Ray

1928–1998

American criminal, convicted for the murder of civil rights activist and Nobel peace prize laureate Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968

James Earl Ray was a criminal convicted for the murder of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.

Harold Arlen

1905–1986

American composer of popular music

Harold Arlen was an American composer who wrote popular music.

Source: Wikidata, released into the public domain under CC0. Snapshot: 2026-07. Names, dates and roles come from Wikidata; summaries are condensed from it. Nothing here is generated to fill a gap.