Important Events From This day in History – 23 May

Today in History

• 1992 The Italian mafia murder Giovanni Falcone

  Falcone, a judge, was the mafia’s most visible foe. Falcone became a folk hero in Italy after a car bomb killed him, his wife, and three bodyguards.

• 1969 The Who release Tommy

  The British rock band’s fourth album is considered the first musical work of the rock opera genre.

• 1951 Delegates of the Dalai Lama sign the Seventeen Point Agreement

  The contract affirmed Chinese sovereignty over Tibet. According to Tibetan officials, the document was signed under duress and is, therefore, invalid.

• 1949 The Federal Republic of Germany is established

  The adoption of the Grundgesetz, Germany’s current constitution, signaled the beginning of the republic. West Germany was established four years after the Nazi regime fell and World War II ended.

• 1844 Siyyid `Alí Muḥammad Shírází founds Bábism

  The Báb, as he called himself, created the religion which was a forerunner of the Bahá’í Faith. His teachings were seen as a threat by the Islamic clergy, and the Persian government brutally persecuted his followers.