Vilna Gaon, Lithuanian rabbi and author (died 1797)

Name: Vilna Gaon, Lithuanian rabbi and author (died 1797)
Start: 1720

On April 23, in the year 1720, Vilna Gaon, Lithuanian rabbi and author (died 1797). This event is recorded as a Notable Births event in the history of April 23, one of 445 recorded events on this date across all of history.

1 notable person is associated with this event, including Vilna Gaon. Learn more below.

Elijah ben Solomon Zalman,, also known as the Vilna Gaon, was a Lithuanian Jewish talmudist, halakhist, kabbalist, and the foremost leader of misnagdic (non-hasidic) Jewry of the past few centuries.

Key Facts

This event took place on April 23, 1720 (AD era).
It is categorised as a Notable Births event in recorded history.
Referenced in 1 Wikipedia article.
1 notable person is recorded as involved in or associated with this event.
Wikipedia source last updated on 9 April 2026.

On This Date in History 445

Type	Year	Date	Event
Historical Events	2024	Apr 23	The 2024 Lumut mid-air collision in Malaysia kills 10 people while rehearsing for the 90th anniversary of the Royal Mala
Notable Deaths	2024	Apr 23	Frank Field, British politician (born 1942)
Notable Deaths	2024	Apr 23	Helen Vendler, American Literary Critic (born 1933)
Notable Deaths	2022	Apr 23	Orrin Hatch, American politician, President pro tempore of the United States Senate (born 1934)
Notable Deaths	2021	Apr 23	Dan Kaminsky, American internet security researcher (born 1979)
Historical Events	2019	Apr 23	The April 2019 Hpakant jade mine collapse in Myanmar kills four miners and two rescuers, with at least 50 others missing
Notable Deaths	2019	Apr 23	Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick, American soprano singer and presenter (born 1983)
Notable Deaths	2019	Apr 23	Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (born 1921)
Historical Events	2018	Apr 23	A vehicle-ramming attack kills 11 people and injures 15 in Toronto
Notable Births	2018	Apr 23	Prince Louis of Wales, British royal
Selected Events	2018	Apr 23	A man intentionally struck pedestrians with a van on Yonge Street in Toronto, Canada, leading to 11 deaths
Notable Deaths	2016	Apr 23	Inge King, German-born Australian sculptor (born 1915)
Notable Deaths	2016	Apr 23	Banharn Silpa-archa, Thai politician, Prime Minister from 1995 to 1996 (born 1932)
Notable Deaths	2015	Apr 23	Richard Corliss, American journalist and critic (born 1944)
Notable Deaths	2015	Apr 23	Ray Jackson, Australian activist (born 1941)
Notable Deaths	2015	Apr 23	Pierre Claude Nolin, Canadian lawyer and politician, Speaker of the Canadian Senate (born 1950)
Notable Deaths	2015	Apr 23	Jim Steffen, American football player (born 1936)
Notable Deaths	2015	Apr 23	Francis Tsai, American author and illustrator (born 1967)
Notable Deaths	2014	Apr 23	Benjamín Brea, Spanish-Venezuelan saxophonist, clarinet player, and conductor (born 1946)
Notable Deaths	2014	Apr 23	Michael Glawogger, Austrian director, screenwriter, and cinematographer (born 1959)
Notable Deaths	2014	Apr 23	Jaap Havekotte, Dutch speed skater and producer of ice skates (born 1912)
Notable Deaths	2014	Apr 23	Connie Marrero, Cuban baseball player and coach (born 1911)
Notable Deaths	2014	Apr 23	F
Notable Deaths	2014	Apr 23	Mark Shand, English conservationist and author (born 1951)
Notable Deaths	2014	Apr 23	Patric Standford, English composer and educator (born 1939)
Historical Events	2013	Apr 23	At least 111 people are killed and 233 injured as violence breaks out in Hawija, Iraq
Notable Deaths	2013	Apr 23	Bob Brozman, American guitarist (born 1954)
Notable Deaths	2013	Apr 23	Robert W
Notable Deaths	2013	Apr 23	Tony Grealish, English footballer (born 1956)
Notable Deaths	2013	Apr 23	Antonio Maccanico, Italian banker and politician (born 1924)
Notable Deaths	2013	Apr 23	Frank W
Notable Deaths	2013	Apr 23	Kathryn Wasserman Davis, American philanthropist and scholar (born 1907)
Notable Deaths	2012	Apr 23	Lillemor Arvidsson, Swedish trade union leader and politician, 34th Governor of Gotland (born 1943)
Notable Deaths	2012	Apr 23	Billy Bryans, Canadian drummer, songwriter and producer (born 1947)
Notable Deaths	2012	Apr 23	Chris Ethridge, American bass player and songwriter (born 1947)
Notable Deaths	2012	Apr 23	Raymond Thorsteinsson, Canadian geologist and paleontologist (born 1921)
Notable Deaths	2012	Apr 23	LeRoy T
Notable Deaths	2011	Apr 23	James Casey, English comedian, radio scriptwriter and producer (born 1922)
Notable Deaths	2011	Apr 23	Tom King, American guitarist and songwriter (born 1943)
Notable Deaths	2011	Apr 23	Geoffrey Russell, 4th Baron Ampthill, English businessman and politician (born 1921)
Notable Deaths	2011	Apr 23	Max van der Stoel, Dutch politician and Minister of State (born 1924)
Notable Deaths	2011	Apr 23	John Sullivan, English screenwriter and producer (born 1946)
Notable Deaths	2010	Apr 23	Peter Porter, Australian-born British poet (born 1929)
Selected Events	2010	Apr 23	Arizona governor Jan Brewer signed into law the controversial anti–illegal immigration bill SB 1070, much of which was l
Selected Events	2009	Apr 23	The gamma-ray burst GRB 090423 was detected coming from the most distant astronomical object of any kind known at the ti
Notable Deaths	2007	Apr 23	Paul Erdman, Canadian-American economist and author (born 1932)
Notable Deaths	2007	Apr 23	David Halberstam, American journalist, historian and author (born 1934)
Notable Deaths	2007	Apr 23	Peter Randall, English sergeant (born 1930)
Notable Deaths	2007	Apr 23	Boris Yeltsin, Russian politician, 1st President of Russia (born 1931)
Notable Deaths	2006	Apr 23	Phil Walden, American record producer and manager, co-founder of Capricorn Records (born 1940)