On This Day for October 23 - U.S. and French troops attacked in Beirut, Pelé is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. October 23 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Pelé READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1983 U.S. and French troops attacked in Beirut READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2003: Soong Mei-ling, the second wife of the Nationalist Chinese president Chiang Kai-shek and a powerful political figure in her own right, died at age 106. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about China.] 2001: Apple introduced the iPod , a portable media player that became one of the most successful and revolutionary products of the early 2000s. [Sort fact from fiction in our gadgets and technology quiz.] 1998: American singer Britney Spears released the single …Baby One More Time, which, accompanied by a Lolita-like music video, became a huge hit and helped make her a pop star. [Test your knowledge of pop music .] 1944: During World War II, U.S. forces under the leadership of Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr., commenced a decisive air and sea battle against the Japanese on the central Philippine island of Leyte. [How much do you know about World War II?] 1941: The Disney animated classic Dumbo had its world premiere. [ Take our Disney quiz.] 1925: American comedian Johnny Carson —who, as host of The Tonight Show (1962–92), established the standard format for television chat shows—was born. [Test your knowledge of pop culture.] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1940 Pelé Brazilian athlete 1925 Johnny Carson American entertainer 1942 Michael Crichton American author 1954 Ang Lee Taiwan-born film director 1959 Nancy Grace American legal commentator 1962 Doug Flutie American football player SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY   Advertisement   FOLLOW: To unsubscribe from Britannica e-mails, click here. Encyclopædia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 United States © 2020 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Privacy Policy • Help