This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.

On this day April 17

2014


NASA's Kepler space observatory confirms the discovery of the first Earth-size planet in the habitable zone of another star.

2013


An explosion at a fertilizer plant in the city of West, Texas, kills 15 people and injures 160 others.

2006


A Palestinian suicide bomber detonates an explosive device in a Tel Aviv restaurant, killing 11 people and injuring 70.

1982


Patriation of the Canadian constitution in Ottawa by Proclamation of Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada.

1978


Mir Akbar Khyber is assassinated, provoking a communist coup d'état in Afghanistan.

1975


The Cambodian Civil War ends. The Khmer Rouge captures the capital Phnom Penh and Cambodian government forces surrender.

1971


The People's Republic of Bangladesh is formed.

1970


Apollo program: The ill-fated Apollo 13 spacecraft returns to Earth safely.

1969


Communist Party of Czechoslovakia chairman Alexander Dubček is deposed.

1969


Sirhan Sirhan is convicted of assassinating Robert F. Kennedy.

1961


Bay of Pigs Invasion: A group of Cuban exiles financed and trained by the CIA lands at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba with the aim of ousting Fidel Castro.

1951


The Peak District becomes the United Kingdom's first National Park.

1949


At midnight 26 Irish counties officially leave the British Commonwealth. A 21-gun salute on O'Connell Bridge, Dublin, ushers in the Republic of Ireland.

1946


The last French troops are withdrawn from Syria.

1945


World War II: Montese, Italy, is liberated from Nazi forces.

1944


Forces of the Communist-controlled Greek People's Liberation Army attack the smaller National and Social Liberation resistance group, which surrenders. Its leader Dimitrios Psarros is murdered.

1942


French prisoner of war General Henri Giraud escapes from his castle prison in Königstein Fortress.

1941


World War II: The Kingdom of Yugoslavia surrenders to Germany.

1912


Russian troops open fire on striking goldfield workers in northeast Siberia, killing at least 150.

1907


The Ellis Island immigration center processes 11,747 people, more than on any other day.

1905


The Supreme Court of the United States decides Lochner v. New York, which holds that the "right to free contract" is implicit in the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

1895


The Treaty of Shimonoseki between China and Japan is signed. This marks the end of the First Sino-Japanese War, and the defeated Qing Empire is forced to renounce its claims on Korea and to concede the southern portion of the Fengtien province, Taiwan and the Pescadores Islands to Japan.

1864


American Civil War: The Battle of Plymouth begins: Confederate forces attack Plymouth, North Carolina.

1863


American Civil War: Grierson's Raid begins: Troops under Union Army Colonel Benjamin Grierson attack central Mississippi.

1861


The state of Virginia's secession convention votes to secede from the United States, becoming the 8th state to join the Confederate States of America.

1797


Citizens of Verona begin an unsuccessful eight-day rebellion against the French occupying forces.

1797


Sir Ralph Abercromby attacks San Juan, Puerto Rico, in what would be one of the largest invasions of the Spanish territories in the Americas.

1524


Giovanni da Verrazzano reaches New York harbor.

1521


Trial of Martin Luther over his teachings begins during the assembly of the Diet of Worms. Initially intimidated, he asks for time to reflect before answering and is given a stay of one day.

1492


Spain and Christopher Columbus sign the Capitulations of Santa Fe for his voyage to Asia to acquire spices.

1397


Geoffrey Chaucer tells The Canterbury Tales for the first time at the court of Richard II. Chaucer scholars have also identified this date (in 1387) as the start of the book's pilgrimage to Canterbury.

1362


Kaunas Castle falls to the Teutonic Order after a month-long siege.

1349


The rule of the Bavand dynasty in Mazandaran is brought to an end by the murder of Hasan II.

1080


Harald III of Denmark dies and is succeeded by Canute IV, who would later be the first Dane to be canonized.

Wikipedia
Calender On this day Time around the world All cities All timezones
This page is available in : English Española Français Deutsch Italiano Português Русский العربية 中文 हिन्दी বাংলা Indonesia