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August 23
5 moments across history
Chandrayaan-3 Lands Near Moon’s South Pole
On August 23, 2023, India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission achieved a soft landing near the Moon’s south pole. The success made India the first country to land in that region and the fourth to complete a lunar soft landing. It followed the Soviet Union, the United States, and China in achieving this milestone and marked a major advance in India’s space program.
Chandrayaan-3 Lands Near Moon’s South Pole
The Baltic Way
The Baltic Way
Year: 1989
On August 23, 1989, about two million people joined hands across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, forming the peaceful Baltic Way human chain. The demonstration showed mass support for restoring the Baltic states’ independence from the Soviet Union and drew international attention to their cause. It marked the 50th anniversary of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, whose secret protocols placed the Baltic states in the Soviet sphere before their 1940 occupation and annexation.
First View of Earth from Lunar Orbit
First View of Earth from Lunar Orbit
Year: 1966
On August 23, 1966, NASA’s Lunar Orbiter 1 took the first photograph of Earth from the vicinity of the Moon. The image offered a historic new perspective on Earth while the spacecraft photographed potential landing sites on the lunar surface. It came during the Space Race, as NASA’s Lunar Orbiter program helped prepare for the Apollo crewed Moon landings.
King Michael’s Coup
King Michael’s Coup
Year: 1944
On August 23, 1944, King Michael I had Romania’s pro-Axis leader, Marshal Ion Antonescu, arrested and announced an end to the alliance with Nazi Germany. Romania then joined the Allies, opening its territory to Soviet forces and depriving Germany of a key military partner and access to vital Romanian oil. The coup occurred as the Red Army advanced into Romania and accelerated the collapse of Axis power in southeastern Europe during the final year of World War II.
Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact Signed
Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact Signed
Year: 1939
On August 23, 1939, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, publicly pledging nonaggression while secretly dividing parts of Eastern Europe into spheres of influence. The agreement enabled Germany to invade Poland without fearing immediate Soviet opposition, while the Soviet Union later occupied eastern Poland and expanded into other territories assigned to its sphere. Signed amid mounting European tensions, the pact helped clear the way for World War II to begin and lasted until Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941.