Reuters historical calendar - July 23

London, July 22 (Reuters) Following are some of the major events to have occurred on July 23 since 1900: 1916 - William Ramsay, Scottish chemist, Nobel Prize winner and discoverer of helium, argon and other inert gases, died.

1948 - D. W. Griffith, American director of the silent film epics ''Birth of a Nation'', and ''Intolerance'', died.

1951 - Marshal Philippe Petain died in prison. French hero for his commanding role in World War One, he headed the Vichy government that collaborated with the German occupiers in World War Two and was sentenced to life in prison.

1952 - A military coup led by General Neguib overthrew and banished King Farouk in Egypt.

1955 - Cordell Hull, U.S. secretary of state 1933-44, died.

He was awarded the 1945 Nobel Peace Prize for his work in establishing the United Nations.

1974 - Greek military chiefs invited Constantine Karamanlis to return from exile in Paris to form a civilian government.

1982 - The International Whaling Commission voted for a total ban on commercial whaling to take effect in 1985.

1997 - Slobodan Milosevic stepped down as Serbia's president and was sworn in as Yugoslavia's federal head of state.

1999 - Morocco's King Hassan died of a heart attack after 38 years in power and was succeeded by his son Mohammed.

1999 - ''Tarzan'', an animated film by the Walt Disney studios, was shown in the United States by filmless projection systems and thus became the first ever film to be produced and shown entirely using digital technology.

2001 - Sri Lanka's only international airport, north of Colombo, was forced to close by a Tamil Tiger attack in which 18 people were killed and 13 aircraft destroyed or damaged.

2001 - Pulitzer Prize-winning U.S. novelist Eudora Welty, author of ''The Optimist's Daughter'' and other stories set mainly in Mississippi, died aged 92.

2003 - A report by Rome prosecutors said banker Roberto Calvi, found hanging from a London bridge in 1982, did not commit suicide but was murdered by the Mafia. Calvi was dubbed ''God's Banker'' because of his close links to the Vatican.

2004 - The United States froze the assets of former Liberian President Charles Taylor, his family and top aides, and accused them of undermining the country's transition to democracy.

2004 - Bollywood comedian Mehmood, who regaled millions of Indians with his unique style of whacky humour, died aged 71.

Mehmood acted in more than 300 films in a career spanning two decades.

2005 - Bombs killed at least 64 people in the popular Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. The Tawhid and Jihad Group claimed responsibility.

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