What happened this day in history: May 23

1701 - After being convicted of piracy and of murdering William Moore, Captain William Kidd was hanged in London.

1931 - Whipsnade Zoo opened.

1934 - Infamous American crime duo Bonnie and Clyde were killed in a police ambush after four years on the run.

1947 - The British Cabinet decided to partition India into the Hindu state of India and the Muslim state of Pakistan.

1956 - Shoppers were warned against over-spending in the new supermarkets.

1958 - Christopher Cockerell unveiled his new concept in travel, the hovercraft.

1966 - The government declared a State of Emergency in the wake of a seamen’s strike.

1984 - A total of 16 people, including two children, died following an explosion at a water treatment plant in Abbeystead, Lancaster.

1998 - The Good Friday Agreement is accepted in a referendum in Northern Ireland with roughly 75% voting yes.