October 23

Ussher's Creation Date

A bishop calculates the birthday of everything

According to the meticulous biblical chronology of Archbishop James Ussher, this was the very day God created the world, at approximately six o'clock in the evening. Ussher's calculation, published in his Annals of the World, became one of the most famous dates in theological history, shaping how generations of Christians understood the age of the universe.

Douglas Jardine Born

The captain who unleashed Bodyline

In Bombay, British India, Douglas Jardine was born with the steely temperament that would make him cricket's most controversial captain. Leading England's 1932-33 Ashes tour, he deployed the infamous Bodyline tactics against Australia's Donald Bradman, ordering bowlers to pitch at batsmen's bodies. The strategy won the series but nearly shattered Anglo-Australian relations.

Belgium

Belgian artist Peyo's comic characters, the Smurfs, make their debut in Spirou magazine.