Today in History: October 23, Beirut barracks bombings

Today is Friday, Oct. 23, the 296th day of 2026. There are 69 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Oct. 23, 1983, 241 U.S. service members, most of them Marines, were killed in a suicide truck-bombing at the U.S. Marine Corps barracks at Beirut International Airport in Lebanon, while a near-simultaneous attack on French barracks in Beirut killed 58 paratroopers.

Also on this date:

In 1864, Northern forces won the three-day Battle of Westport on the border between Missouri and Kansas, the largest Civil War engagement fought west of the Mississippi River, smashing Confederate hopes of fomenting a popular rebellion and snatching Missouri from Union control.

In 1915, an estimated 25,000 women marched on Fifth Avenue in New York City in support of women’s suffrage.

In 1942, during World War II, Britain launched a major offensive against Axis forces at El Alamein (el ah-lah-MAYN’) in Egypt, resulting in an Allied forces victory.

In 1944, the Battle of Leyte (LAY’-tee) Gulf began; the largest naval battle of World War II resulted in a major Allied victory against Japanese forces, paving the way for the retaking of the Philippines.

In 1956, a student-sparked revolt against Hungary’s Communist rule began; as the revolution spread, Soviet forces entered the country, ending the uprising on Nov. 4.

In 1987, the U.S. Senate rejected the Supreme Court nomination of Robert H. Bork, 58-42.

In 1989, 23 people were killed in an explosion at a Phillips Petroleum chemical complex in Pasadena, Texas.

In 1995, a Houston jury convicted Yolanda Saldivar of murdering Tejano singing star Selena; Saldivar was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole and remains in prison.

In 2001, Apple released the iPod. An estimated 450 million iPod devices were sold before the line was discontinued in 2022.

In 2002, Chechen rebels stormed a Moscow theater and took about 800 hostages, demanding that Russian forces withdraw from Chechnya. Russian special forces raided the theater on Oct. 26; most of the rebels and 120 hostages were killed.

In 2004, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake rocked central Japan, killing at least 68 people and injuring thousands amid massive power outages, scattered fires and damage to buildings, bridges and highways.

In 2011, Libya's transitional council declared the North African country officially “liberated” from the four-decade dictatorship of Moammar Gadhafi, days after the ousted leader died at the hands of opposition fighters in his hometown of Sirte.

In 2020, the rival factions in Libya’s civil war signed a permanent ceasefire after years of fighting that had split the North African country in two. While the truce ended large-scale warfare, the country remained divided between east and west.

Today’s Birthdays: Film director Philip Kaufman is 90. Advocate and humanitarian Graça Machel is 81. Film director Ang Lee is 72. Jazz singer Dianne Reeves is 70. Country singer Dwight Yoakam is 70. Activist and philanthropist Martin Luther King III is 69. Film director Sam Raimi is 67. Comedic musician “Weird Al” Yankovic is 67. Rock musician Robert Trujillo (Metallica) is 62. Actor Ryan Reynolds is 50. R&B singer Miguel is 41. Actor Emilia Clarke is 40. Actor Margaret Qualley is 32. NFL defensive end Nick Bosa is 29. Actor Amandla Stenberg is 28.