Sun · 27 SepMoon 99%Field Kp 4 · active Quote · Marcus Aurelius Riddle of the day Card of the dayHow today feels →

This day in history

This day in history: 17 May

Events, births and deaths on this date, ordered by how many people look them up.

Share

← Previous day16 May

Events60

Born on this day · Died on this day229 · 107

Next day →18 May

Key facts

396 historical events, births and deaths are listed for 17 May.
Entries come from Wikipedia’s day pages and are ordered by page views.
2014: A military plane crash in northern Laos kills 17 people.

Holidays and observances

Birthday of the Raja (Perlis)

Children's Day (Norway)

Christian feast day: Blessed Ivan Ziatyk

Christian feast day: Giulia Salzano

Christian feast day: May 17 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

Christian feast day: Paschal Baylon

Christian feast day: Peter Lieou

Christian feast day: Restituta

Christian feast day: William Hobart Hare (Episcopal Church (USA))

Constitution Day (Nauru)

Constitution Day (Norway)

Feast of ‘Aẓamat (Baháʼí Faith, day shifts with March Equinox, see List of observances set by the Baháʼí calendar)

Events

2014A military plane crash in northern Laos kills 17 people.

2010Pamir Airways Flight 112 crashes in Afghanistan's Shakardara District, killing 44.

2007Trains from North and South Korea cross the 38th Parallel in a test-run agreed by both governments. This is the first time that trains have crossed the Demilitarized Zone since 1953.

2006The aircraft carrier USS Oriskany is sunk in the Gulf of Mexico as an artificial reef.

2004The first legal same-sex marriages in the U.S. are performed in the state of Massachusetts.

2000Arsenal and Galatasaray fans clash in the 2000 UEFA Cup Final riots in Copenhagen.

1997Troops of Laurent-Désiré Kabila march into Kinshasa. Zaire is officially renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo.

1995Shawn Nelson steals an M60 tank from the California Army National Guard Armory in San Diego and proceeds to go on a rampage.

1994Malawi holds its first multi-party elections.

1992Three days of popular protests against the government of Prime Minister of Thailand Suchinda Kraprayoon begin in Bangkok, leading to a military crackdown that results in 52 officially confirmed deaths, hundreds of injuries, many disappearan

1990The General Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) eliminates homosexuality from the list of psychiatric diseases.

1987Iran–Iraq War: An Iraqi Dassault Mirage F1 fighter jet fires two missiles into the U.S. Navy warship USS Stark, killing 37 and injuring 21 of her crew.

1984Prince Charles calls a proposed addition to the National Gallery, London, a "monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant friend", sparking controversies on the proper role of the Royal Family and the course of modern archite

1983Lebanon, Israel, and the United States sign an agreement on Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.

1983The U.S. Department of Energy declassifies documents showing world's largest mercury pollution event in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (ultimately found to be 4.2 million pounds [1.9 kt]), in response to the Appalachian Observer's Freedom of Informat

1980General Chun Doo-hwan of South Korea seizes control of the government and declares martial law in order to suppress student demonstrations.

1980On the eve of presidential elections, Maoist guerrilla group Shining Path attacks a polling location in Chuschi (a town in Ayacucho), starting the Internal conflict in Peru.

1980Rioting breaks out in downtown Miami, following the acquittal of four white police officers in the killing of Arthur McDuffie, a black insurance salesman.

1977Nolan Bushnell opens the first Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre (later renamed Chuck E. Cheese) in San Jose, California.

1974Police in Los Angeles raid the Symbionese Liberation Army's headquarters, killing six members, including Camilla Hall.

1974The Troubles: Thirty-three civilians are killed and 300 injured when the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) detonates four car bombs in Dublin and Monaghan, Ireland.

1973Watergate scandal: Televised hearings begin in the United States Senate.

1969Venera program: Soviet Venera 6 begins its descent into the atmosphere of Venus, sending back atmospheric data before being crushed by pressure.

1967Six-Day War: President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt demands dismantling of the peace-keeping UN Emergency Force in Egypt.

1959In Cuba, the First Agrarian Reform Law – a cornerstone of the Cuban Revolution – is signed by Fidel Castro, aiming to eliminate large foreign-owned estates and redistribute land to over 100,000 peasants.

1954The United States Supreme Court hands down a unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, outlawing racial segregation in public schools.

1953Delta Air Lines Flight 318 crashes near Marshall, Texas, killing 19.

1943World War II: Dambuster Raids commence by No. 617 Squadron RAF.

1940World War II: Germany occupies Brussels, Belgium.

1939The Columbia Lions and the Princeton Tigers play in the United States' first televised sporting event, a collegiate baseball game in New York City.

1937Spanish Civil War: The Largo Caballero government resigns in the wake of the Barcelona May Days, leading Juan Negrín to form a government, without the anarcho-syndicalist CNT, in its stead.

1933Vidkun Quisling and Johan Bernhard Hjort form Nasjonal Samling — the national-socialist party of Norway.

1915The last British Liberal Party government (led by H. H. Asquith) falls.

1914The Protocol of Corfu is signed, recognising full autonomy to Northern Epirus under nominal Albanian sovereignty.

1902Greek archaeologist Valerios Stais discovers the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient mechanical analog computer.

1900The children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, is first published in the United States. The first copy is given to the author's sister.

1875Aristides wins the first Kentucky Derby with the jockey Oliver Lewis (2:37.75).

1865The International Telegraph Union (later the International Telecommunication Union) is established in Paris.

1863American Civil War: During the Vicksburg campaign, Union forces under John A. McClernand defeat a Confederate rearguard and capture around 1,700 men at the Battle of Big Black River Bridge.

1863Rosalía de Castro publishes Cantares Gallegos, the first book in the Galician language.

Born on this day

1994Julie Anne San Jose, Filipina singer-songwriter

1991Abigail Raye, Canadian field hockey player

1991Adil Omar, Pakistani rapper and music producer

1991Johanna Konta, Australian-English tennis player

1990Charlie Gubb, New Zealand rugby league player

1990Fabian Giefer, German footballer

1990Guido Pella, Argentine tennis player

1990Katrina Hart, English runner

1990Will Clyburn, American basketball player

1989Mose Masoe, New Zealand rugby league player

1989Rain Raadik, Estonian basketball player

1989Tessa Virtue, Canadian ice dancer

1988Nikki Reed, American actress, singer, and screenwriter

1987Aleandro Rosi, Italian footballer

1987Edvald Boasson Hagen, Norwegian cyclist

1986Jodie Taylor, English footballer

1986Marius Činikas, Lithuanian footballer

1986Timo Simonlatser, Estonian skier

1985Christine Nesbitt, Canadian speed skater

1985Derek Hough, American actor, singer, and dancer

1985Matt Ryan, American football player

1985Teófilo Gutiérrez, Colombian footballer

1985Todd Redmond, American baseball player

1984Christian Bolaños, Costa Rican footballer

1984Christine Ohuruogu, English runner

1984Christine Robinson, Canadian water polo player

1984Passenger, English singer-songwriter and musician

1983Channing Frye, American basketball player

1983Chris Henry, American football player (died 2009)

1983Danniel Librelon, Brazilian politician

1983Ifeanyi Chiejine, Nigerian footballer (died 2019)

1983Jeremy Sowers, American baseball player

1983Kevin Kingston, Australian rugby league player

1983Nicky Hofs, Dutch footballer

1982Chloe Smith, English politician

1982Dan Hardy, English mixed martial artist

1982Matt Cassel, American football player

1982Reiko Nakamura, Japanese swimmer

1982Tony Parker, French-American basketball player

1981Beñat Albizuri, Spanish cyclist

Died on this day

2026M. J. K. Smith, English cricketer and rugby union player (born 1933)

2024Bud Anderson, American World War II flying ace (born 1922)

2024Sid Going, New Zealand rugby union footballer (born 1943)

2022Vangelis, Greek musician, composer (born 1943)

2020Lucky Peterson, American blues singer, keyboardist and guitarist (born 1964)

2019Herman Wouk, American author (born 1915)

2017Todor Veselinović, Serbian football player and manager (born 1930)

2015Lionel Pickens, American rapper (born 1983)

2014C. P. Krishnan Nair, Indian businessman, founded The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts (born 1922)

2014Douangchay Phichit, Laotian politician (born 1944)

2014Gerald Edelman, American biologist and immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1929)

2014Thongbanh Sengaphone, Laotian politician (born 1953)

2013Jorge Rafael Videla, Argentine Commander in Chief and dictator (born 1925)

2013Ken Venturi, American golfer and sportscaster (born 1931)

2013Peter Schulz, German politician, Mayor of Hamburg (born 1930)

2013Philippe Gaumont, French cyclist (born 1973)

2012Donna Summer, American singer-songwriter (born 1948)

2012Gideon Ezra, Israeli geographer and politician, Israeli Minister in the Prime Minister's Office (born 1937)

2012Patrick Mafisango, Congolese-Rwandan footballer (born 1980)

2011Harmon Killebrew, American baseball player and sportscaster (born 1936)

2010Walasse Ting, Chinese-American painter and poet (born 1929)

2010Yvonne Loriod, French pianist, composer, and educator (born 1924)

2009Jung Seung-hye, South Korean journalist and producer (born 1965)

2009Mario Benedetti, Uruguayan journalist, author, and poet (born 1920)

2007Lloyd Alexander, American soldier and author (born 1924)

2007T. K. Doraiswamy, Indian poet and author (born 1921)

2006Cy Feuer, American director, producer, and composer (born 1911)

2005Frank Gorshin, American actor (born 1934)

2004Ezzedine Salim, Iraqi politician (born 1943)

2004Jørgen Nash, Danish poet and painter (born 1920)

Quote of the day

“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

attributed to the Buddha

Questions people ask

Where do the entries come from?

From Wikipedia’s on-this-day pages for this language, updated once a day and ordered by how often each article is read.

This day in history

Every question has its own page

Journal

What you should know, before others do

Weekly insights. One article. One practice. No noise.

Cookies

We use essential cookies to run the platform. Analytics and marketing cookies are only turned on once you consent — you can change your choice at any time.