1. On March 23, 1775, the Second Provincial Congress of New York met in New York City to pass a resolution supporting the patriot cause of American independence from Great Britain.

2. On March 23, 1836, the New York State Prison for Women in Sing Sing (now Ossining), New York, opened. It was the first of its kind in the United States and housed female prisoners in a separate facility from male prisoners for the first time.

3. On March 23, 1840, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle was first published. It became one of the most influential newspapers in the country and won numerous Pulitzer Prizes before ceasing publication in 1955.

4. On March 23, 1905, the first automobile race was held at the newly-built Brooklyn Automobile Raceway, located in what is now Crown Heights. The race was won by a driver named Louis Chevrolet, who later went on to establish the Chevrolet automobile company.

5. On March 23, 2020, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a statewide order for all non-essential businesses to close in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The order was aimed at reducing the spread of the virus and protecting the health of New Yorkers.