23 August

Across recorded history, 1,365 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 23 August. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

← August 22 August 24 →

Charles-Augustin de Coulomb

1736–1806

French physicist

Charles-Augustin de Coulomb was a French physicist known for his research on electricity and magnetism.

Rudolph Valentino

1895–1926

Italian actor

Rudolph Valentino was an Italian actor who achieved international fame as a leading man in silent films.

John Kendrew

1917–1997

English biochemist and crystallographer

John Kendrew was a biochemist who determined the three-dimensional structure of the protein myoglobin.

Deodoro da Fonseca

1827–1892

President of Brazil

Deodoro da Fonseca was a Brazilian politician and military officer who served as the first president of Brazil.

Abdülmecid II

1868–1944

last caliph of the Ottoman Dynasty

Abdülmecid II was the final caliph of the Ottoman Dynasty and a painter.

Reinhard Selten

1930–2016

German economist

Reinhard Selten was an economist who contributed to the development of game theory.

R. D. Laing

1927–1989

unorthodox Scottish psychiatrist

R. D. Laing was a Scottish psychiatrist known for his unorthodox approach to mental health and the study of human experience.

Stanford Moore

1913–1982

American biochemist

Stanford Moore was an American biochemist who conducted research on the structure of enzymes.

Thomas Huckle Weller

1915–2008

American virologist

Thomas Huckle Weller was an American virologist who contributed to the development of techniques for cultivating viruses in laboratory cultures.

Hertha Ayrton

1854–1923

English electrical engineer

Hertha Ayrton was an electrical engineer who conducted significant research on the physics of electric arcs.

Kuroda Kiyotaka

1840–1900

Japanese general

Kuroda Kiyotaka was a Japanese politician who served as a samurai and a member of the Staatsrat.

David Koch

1940–2019

American billionaire heir and businessman

David Koch was an American businessman who served as a prominent philanthropist and political activist.

Dmitry Utkin

1970–2023

Russian military officer, founder of Wagner Group

Dmitry Utkin was a Russian military officer who founded the Wagner Group.

Saad Zaghloul

1859–1927

Prime Minister of Egypt

Saad Zaghloul was a politician who served as the Prime Minister of Egypt.

Princess Stéphanie of Belgium

1864–1945

Archduchess of Austria

Princess Stéphanie of Belgium was an Archduchess of Austria who worked as a diarist and writer.

Sarah Yorke Jackson

1803–1887

First Lady of the United States

Sarah Yorke Jackson served as a First Lady of the United States.

Albert Roussel

1869–1937

French composer

Albert Roussel was a French composer who created numerous works for the classical repertoire.

Henryk Siemiradzki

1843–1902

Polish painter

Henryk Siemiradzki was a Polish painter known for his academic art.

Juliette Adam

1836–1936

French writer and salonnière

Juliette Adam was a French writer and salonnière who hosted influential literary gatherings in Paris.

Oscar Hammerstein II

1895–1960

American librettist, lyricist, theatrical producer, and director of musicals

Oscar Hammerstein II was an American librettist and lyricist who wrote the scripts and songs for numerous influential musical theater productions.

Naum Gabo

1890–1977

Russian-American sculptor

Naum Gabo was a sculptor who pioneered the Constructivist movement in modern art.

Didier Pironi

1952–1987

French racing driver

Didier Pironi was a French racing driver who competed in Formula One.

Alfred Eisenstaedt

1898–1995

German American photographer

Alfred Eisenstaedt was a photographer known for his work as a photojournalist.

August Neidhardt von Gneisenau

1760–1831

Prussian field marshal

August Neidhardt von Gneisenau was a Prussian field marshal who served as a military officer.

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.