Historical eventNovember 231963
An Unearthly Child
The first episode of Doctor Who, the world's longest-running science fiction television show, was broadcast on BBC television, starring William Hartnell as the first incarnation of the title role.
In context
- When
- Saturday, November 23 196363 years ago
- Category
- Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
- Era
- 20th century · 1960s
- Recorded from
- Wikipedia “On this day” feed
At a glance
Dates: From 1963.
What happened
The first episode of Doctor Who, the world's longest-running science fiction television show, was broadcast on BBC television, starring William Hartnell as the first incarnation of the title role.
November 23 through the years
Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.
- 1963An Unearthly Child
- 2005Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
- 200623 November 2006 Sadr City bombings
- 2007MV Explorer (1969)
- 2009Maguindanao massacre
- 2009Esmael Mangudadatu
- 20102010 Yeonpyeongdo bombardment
- 2011Arab Spring
- 2015Blue Origin
- 2018Dolce & Gabbana
- 2019Sumatran rhinoceros
Also in 1963
- May 11Birmingham riot of 1963African Americans rioted in Birmingham, Alabama, in response to two bombings, perceiving local police to be complicit with the perpetrators.
- September 1516th Street Baptist ChurchThe 16th Street Baptist Church, an African-American church in Birmingham, Alabama, was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan, killing four girls and…
- September 1516th Street Baptist Church bombingBaptist Church bombing: Four children are killed in the bombing of an African-American church in Birmingham, Alabama, United States.
- September 16MalaysiaMalaysia was formed as an independent nation from the Federation of Malaya, the State of Singapore, the Crown Colony of North Borneo, and…
- October 22BAC One-ElevenA BAC One-Eleven prototype airliner crashes in UK with the loss of all on board.
- November 27Lyndon B. JohnsonPresident Lyndon B. Johnson delivered the "Let Us Continue" speech, in which he advocated for civil-rights legislation and national cohes…
- June 17Ho Chi Minh CityRiots broke out in Saigon one day after the signing of the Joint Communiqué, an attempt to resolve the Buddhist crisis in South Vietnam.
- June 17Supreme Court of the United StatesThe United States Supreme Court rules 8–1 in Abington School District v. Schempp against requiring the reciting of Bible verses and the L…
Sources
- Wikipedia article (text, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 for adapted text · how we source this
Cite this page
“An Unearthly Child”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/an-unearthly-child-1963-november-23, accessed October 28, 2026.
Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.
Questions about this entry
When did An Unearthly Child happen?
November 23 1963 — 63 years ago, on a Saturday.
Where does this text come from?
Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.
How do I cite this page?
Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.
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