On this day: March 23

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1896 • neutral • 4 views

First Public Demonstration of X‑Ray Technology, March 23, 1896

Late 19th‑century laboratory or hospital room with an early X‑ray apparatus, a patient’s hand positioned between a Crookes tube and a photographic plate, onlookers in period clothing observing a glowing fluorescent screen.

On 23 March 1896, shortly after Wilhelm Röntgen’s discovery, the first widely publicized public demonstration of X‑rays was held, showcasing the new rays’ ability to reveal bones and hidden objects and triggering rapid public and scientific interest.

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1840 • neutral • 4 views

Earliest Surviving Moon Photograph Made in 1840

$19th-century observatory interior showing a brass refracting telescope aimed through a roof aperture, a wooden table with daguerreotype plates and a small chemical tray, gas lamps, and an observer in period dress partially turned away.$

In March 1840, French daguerreotypist and astronomer Louis Daguerre’s process was applied to lunar imaging, producing what is often cited as the earliest surviving photograph of the Moon—an important step in applying photography to scientific observation.

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1933 • neutral • 5 views

Reichstag Approves Enabling Act, Granting Hitler Powers to Govern by Decree

Interior of the Kroll Opera House in March 1933: deputies seated in a parliamentary chamber under heavy guard, with uniformed SA/SS visible at the periphery; packed benches, arched ceilings, and period signage indicating a 1930s official assembly.

On 23 March 1933 the Reichstag passed the Enabling Act, giving the cabinet—effectively Adolf Hitler—authority to enact laws without parliamentary consent and marking a decisive step toward Nazi dictatorship.

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