July 17 in recent years
2009 (Friday)
2008 (Thursday)
2007 (Tuesday)
2006 (Monday)
2005 (Sunday)
2004 (Saturday)
2003 (Thursday)
2002 (Wednesday)
2001 (Tuesday)
2000 (Monday)
July 17 leap years ) in the Gregorian calendar . There are 166 days remaining until the end of the year.
Events [ ] 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa executed for being Christians. This is the earliest record of Christianity in that part of the world.1048 - Damasus II appointed Pope .1203 - Fourth Crusade captures Constantinople by assault; the Byzantine emperor Alexius III Angelus flees from his capital into exile.1453 - Hundred Years' War : Battle of Castillon - The French under Jean Bureau utterly defeat the English under the Earl of Shrewsbury , who is killed in the battle in Gascony 1762 - Catherine II becomes tzar of Russia upon the accidental murder of Peter III of Russia .1771 - Bloody Falls Massacre : Chipewyan chief Matonabbee traveling as the guide to Samuel Hearne on his Arctic overland journey, massacre a group of unsuspecting Inuit .1791 - Massacre at the Champ de Mars , Paris, during the French Revolution . 1200-1500 people were killed, including women and children.1794 - The sixteen Carmelite Martyrs of Compiegne are executed 10 days prior to the end of the French Revolution's Reign of Terror .1815 - Napoleonic Wars : In France , Napoleon surrenders at Rochefort to British forces.1816 - The French passenger ship Medusa Senegal .1821 - Spain cedes Florida to the United States 1841 - The first issue of the magazine Punch London 1856 - The Great Train Wreck of 1856 , occurs in Fort Washington killing over 60 people.1858 - Salving of the Lutine bell . The bell is subsequently hung in Lloyd's of London .1897 - Klondike gold rush begins when first successful prospectors arrive in Seattle .1898 - Spanish-American War : Battle of Santiago Bay - Troops under United States General William R. Shafter take the city of Santiago de Cuba from the Spanish .1899 - NEC Corporation is organized as the first Japanese joint venture with foreign capital.1917 - King George V of the United Kingdom issues a Proclamation stating that the male line descendants of the British royal family will bear the surname Windsor .1918 - By order of the Bolshevik Party and carried out by Cheka , Emperor Nicholas II of Russia , his immediate family, and retainers were murdered at the Ipatiev House in Ekaterinburg, Russia .1933 - After successfully crossing the Atlantic ocean, the Lithuanian research aircraft Lituanica crashes in Europe under mysterious circumstances.1936 - Spanish Civil War : An Armed Forces rebellion against the recently-elected leftist Popular Front government of Spain starts the Spanish civil war .1941 - Joe DiMaggio 's baseball hitting streak ends at 56 games, by Cleveland Indian pitchers, Al Smith & Jim Bagby.1944 - Port Chicago disaster : Near the San Francisco Bay , two ships laden with ammunition for the war explode in Port Chicago , killing 320.1944 - World War II : The largest convoy of the war embarks from Halifax , Nova Scotia under Royal Canadian Navy protection.
1944 - Napalm incendiary bombs were dropped for the first time by American P-38 pilots on a fuel depot at Coutances, near St. Lô , France
1945 - World War II: Potsdam Conference - At Potsdam , President Harry S. Truman , Soviet leader Joseph Stalin , and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill , the three main Allied leaders, begin their final summit of the war. The meeting will end on August 2 .1951 - Western New England College in Springfield is chartered.1955 - Disneyland televises its grand opening in Anaheim 1962 - Nuclear testing : The "Small Boy" test shot Little Feller I becomes the last atmospheric test detonation at the Nevada Test Site .1964 - British speed pioneer Sir Donald Campbell sets a new land speed world record of 429mph in his car, Bluebird .1968 - The date of the July 17 Revolution in Iraq when Abdul Rahman Arif was overthrown and the Ba'ath Party installed as the governing power in Iraq with Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr as the new Iraqi President.1973 - King Mohammed Zahir Shah of Afghanistan is deposed by his cousin Mohammed Daoud Khan while in Italy undergoing eye surgery.1975 - Apollo-Soyuz Test Project : An American Apollo and a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft dock with each other in orbit marking the first such link-up between spacecraft from the two nations.1976 - History of East Timor : East Timor was annexed , and became the 27th province of Indonesia .1976 - The opening of the Summer Olympics is marred by 25 African teams boycotting the New Zealand team
1979 - Nicaraguan president General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami .1981 - Hyatt Regency walkway collapse : Two skywalks filled with people at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City collapse into a crowded atrium lobby during a "tea dance ," killing 114.1987 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above the 2,500 mark for the first time at 2510.04.1989 - First flight of the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber.1995 - The Midwestern heat wave in the United States reaches its peak. Chicago and Milwaukee , among other cities, set all-time high temperature records. The heat claims over 400 lives on this day alone.1995 - The Nasdaq stock index closes above the 1,000 mark for the first time.1996 - Off the coast of Long Island , a Paris -bound Boeing 747 carrying TWA flight 800 explodes, killing all 230 on board.1997 - The F.W. Woolworth Company closes after 117 years in business.1997 - Daniel Komen breaks the 2 mile world record in a time of 7:58.61.
1998 - In St. Petersburg , Nicholas II of Russia and his family are buried in St. Catherine Chapel exactly 80 years after he and his family were killed by Bolsheviks .1998 - Papua New Guinea earthquake : A tsunami triggered by an undersea earthquake destroys 10 villages in Papua New Guinea killing an estimated 3,183, leaving 2,000 more unaccounted for and thousands more homeless.
1998 - Biologists report in the journal Science genome of the bacterium that causes syphilis , Treponema pallidum .
2007 - TAM Linhas Aéreas Flight 3054 crashed upon landing during rain in São Paulo. This is Brazil's worst aviation accident to date with an estimated 199 deaths. Births [ ] 1487 - Ismail I , Shah of Persia (d. 1524 )1674 - Isaac Watts , English hymnwriter (d. 1748 )1698 - Pierre Louis Maupertuis , French mathematician (d. 1759 )1744 - Elbridge Gerry , 5th Vice President of the United States (d. 1814 )1745 - Petr Alekseevich Pahlen , Russian general (d. 1826 )1797 - Hippolyte Delaroche , French painter (d. 1856 )1831 - Xianfeng , Emperor of China (d. 1861 )1839 - Ephraim Shay , American inventor (d. 1916 )1888 - Shmuel Yosef Agnon , Israeli writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1970 )1898 - George Robert Vincent , American sound recording pioneer (d. 1985 )1889 - Erle Stanley Gardner , American lawyer and author (Perry Mason ) (d. 1970 )1893 - Marvin Pierce , women's magazine publisher (d. 1969 )1898 - Osmond Borradaile , WW1 veteran and Canadian cinematographer (d. 1999 )1899 - James Cagney , American actor (d. 1986 )1900 - Marcel Dalio , French actor (d. 1983 )1901 - Bruno Jasieński , Polish poet (d. 1938 )1902 - Christina Stead , Australian novelist (d. 1983 )1911 - Ted Anderson , English footballer (d. 1979 )1913 - Bertrand Goldberg , American architect (d. 1997 )1912 - Art Linkletter , Canadian television host1917 - Phyllis Diller , American comedian1917 - Red Sovine , American country music singer (d. 1980 )
1917 - Lou Boudreau , Major League baseball player and manager (d. 2001 )
1918 - Carlos Manuel Arana Osorio , President of Guatemala (d. 2003 )1920 - Juan Antonio Samaranch , Spanish chairman of the International Olympic Committee1920 - Kenneth Wolstenholme , English sports commentator (d. 2002 )
1920 - Gordon Gould , inventor of the laser (d. 2005 )
1921 - František Zvarík , Slovakian actor1926 - Édouard Carpentier , French-born professional wrestler1928 - Vince Guaraldi , American musician and composer (d. 1976 )1929 - Sergei K. Godunov , Russian mathematician1935 - Diahann Carroll , American actor1935 - Peter Schickele , American composer, author, and radio host
1935 - Donald Sutherland , Canadian actor
1939 - Ali Khamenei , Supreme Leader of Iran 1939 - Andrée Champagne , French Canadian actress and politician
1940 - Tim Brooke-Taylor , English comedian1941 - Spencer Davis , British singer and guitarist (Spencer Davis Group )1941 - Jürgen Flimm , German theatre director and manager
1941 - Daryle Lamonica , American football player
1942 - Don Kessinger , baseball player1942 - Peter Sissons , British newsreader
1944 - Carlos Alberto , Brazilian football player1944 - Catherine Schell , Hungarian born British actress
1945 - Alexander 1946 - Alun Armstrong , English actor1947 - Camilla 1947 - Wolfgang Flür , German musician (Kraftwerk )
1948 - Ron Asheton , American musician and composer (Iggy Pop & The Stooges )1948 - Luc Bondy , Swiss theatre and opera director
1949 - Terence "Geezer" Butler , British musician and lyricist (Black Sabbath )1949 - John Wetton , British musician (King Crimson )
1949 - Snyder Rini , Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands for eight days
1949 - Charlie Steiner , American sports broadcaster
1951 - Lucie Arnaz , American actress1950 - Derek de Lint , Dutch actor1950 - P.J. Soles , German-born American actress
1952 - David Hasselhoff , American actor and musician1952 - Phoebe Snow , singer and songwriter
1952 - Nicolette Larson , American singer (d. 1997 )
1954 - Angela Merkel , Chancellor of Germany 1954 - J. Michael Straczynski , American author
1955 - Paul Stamets , American mycologist and environmentalist1956 - Bryan Trottier , Canadian ice hockey player1957 - Fern Britton , British television presenter1958 - Wong Kar-wai , Chinese film director1960 - Mark Burnett , English-born television producer1960 - Robin Shou , Hong Kong actor
1960 - Jan Wouters , Dutch football player and manager
1963 - Matti Nykänen , Finnish ski jumper1963 - Letsie III , King of Lesotho
1965 - Craig Morgan , American singer1965 - Alex Winter , English film director
1965 - Santiago Segura , Spanish film director and actor
1966 - Sten Tolgfors , Swedish politician1968 - Bitty Schram , American actress1968 - John Ventimiglia , American actor
1971 - Jarrett Cordes , American hip-hip artist (P.M. Dawn )1971 - Cory Doctorow , Canadian author and activist
1972 - Jason Rullo , American drummer (Symphony X and formerly Redemption )1972 - Jaap Stam , Dutch footballer
1973 - Eric Moulds , American football player1973 - Tony Dovolani , Albanian ballroom dancer
1973 - Liam Kyle Sullivan , American comedian and actor
1974 - Laura Macdonald , Scottish jazz musician1975 - Konnie Huq , English television presenter1975 - Cécile de France , Belgian actress
1975 - Elena Anaya , Spanish actress
1975 - Terence Tao , Australian Chinese mathematician
1976 - Gino D'Acampo , Italian celebrity chef1976 - Dagmara Dominczyk , Polish actress
1977 - M.I.A. , British rapper1977 - Marc Savard , Canadian hockey player
1978 - Mike Hettinga , American professional wrestler1978 - Katharine Towne , American actress
1979 - Mike Vogel , American actor1980 - Ryan Miller , NHL hockey player1980 - Javier Camuñas , Spanish footballer
1980 - Craig Hughes , minor Welsh rugby player
1981 - Elpida Romantzi , Greek archer1982 - Natasha Hamilton , British singer (Atomic Kitten )1983 - Ryan Guettler , professional Australian BMX rider1983 - Adam Lind , American baseball player
1984 - Sotiris Leontiou , Greek footballer1985 - Neil McGregor , Scottish footballer1985 - Tom Fletcher , British singer (McFly )
1986 - Dana , Korean singer/dancer/actress (TSZX )1988 - Kat DeLuna , Latina-American singer1989 - Marko Todorović , Swiss swimmer1992 - Taavi Rand , Estonian ice skater1998 - Felipe Juan Froilán de Marichalar y de Borbón , Spanish royalDeaths [ ] 521 - Magnus Felix Ennodius , bishop and Latin poet (b. 474 )656 - Uthman ibn Affan , Third Caliph, assassinated.924 - King Edward the Elder of England1070 - Baldwin VI (b. 1030 )1105 - Rashi , French rabbi and commentator (b. 1040 )1453 - John Talbot , English military leader1531 - Hosokawa Takakuni , Japanese military commander (b. 1484 )1566 - Bartolomé de Las Casas , Spanish priest (b. 1484 )1571 - Georg Fabricius , German poet and historian (b. 1516 )1588 - Sinan , Ottoman architect (b. 1489 )1645 - Robert Carr , Scottish politician1704 - Pierre-Charles Le Sueur , French fur trader and explorer1709 - Robert Bolling , English settler in Virginia (b. 1646 )1790 - Adam Smith , Scottish economist and philosopher (b. 1723 )1791 - Martin Dobrizhoffer , Austrian Jesuit missionary (b. 1717 )1793 - Charlotte Corday , French aristocrat and murderer (b. 1768 )1794 - John Roebuck , British inventor (b. 1718 )1845 - Charles Grey , Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1764 )1878 - Aleardo Aleardi , Italian poet (b. 1812 )1881 - Jim Bridger , American mountain man, Indian fighter, and explorer (b. 1804 )1885 - Jean-Charles Chapais , Canadian politician (b. 1811 )1887 - Dorothea Dix , American social activist (b. 1802 )1893 - Frederick A. Johnson , American politician (b. 1833 )1894 - Josef Hyrtl , Austrian anatomist (b. 1810 )1894 - Charles-Marie-René Leconte de Lisle , French poet (b. 1818 )
1912 - Henri Poincaré , French mathematician (b. 1854 )1917 - Hector Malot , French writer (b. 1830 )1918 (N.S.) - Family of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia (b. 1868 )
1928 - Giovanni Giolitti , Italian statesman (b. 1842 )1935 - George William Russell , Irish nationalist, poet and artist (b. 1867 )1944 - William James Sidis , gifted mathematician and child prodigy (b. 1898 )1945 - Ernst Busch , German field marshal (b. 1885 )1946 - General Dragoljub Mihailović , commandant of the Yugoslav Royal Army in the Fatherland (b. 1893 )1950 - Evangeline Booth , the 4th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1865 )1959 - Billie Holiday , American singer (b. 1915 )1959 - Eugene Meyer , American businessman and newspaper publisher (b. 1875 )
1961 - Ty Cobb , baseball player (b. 1886 )1967 - John Coltrane , American musician (b. 1926 )1974 - Dizzy Dean , Major League baseball pitcher (b. 1910 )1975 - Konstantine Gamsakhurdia , Georgian writer and public benefactor (b. 1893 )1980 - Boris Delaunay , Russian mathematician (b. 1890 )1987 - Yujiro Ishihara , Japanese actor (b. 1934 )1988 - Bruiser Brody , professional wrestler (b. 1946 )1995 - Juan Manuel Fangio , Argentinian race car driver (b. 1911 )1996 - Chas Chandler , bass guitarist (The Animals ), record producer and manager (b. 1938 )2001 - Katharine Graham , American publisher (b. 1917 )2003 - David Kelly , Welsh UN weapons inspector (b. 1944 )2003 - Rosalyn Tureck , American pianist and harpsichordist (b. 1914 )
2004 - Pat Roach , British professional wrestler and actor (b. 1937 )2005 - Laurel Aitken , Jamaican singer (b. 1927 )2005 - Geraldine Fitzgerald , Irish-born actress (b. 1913 )
2005 - Edward Heath , Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1916 )
2005 - Gavin Lambert , British-born screenwriter (b. 1924 )
2005 - Joe Vialls , Australian writer (b. 1944 )
2006 - Sam Myers , American musician and songwriter (b. 1936 )2006 - Mickey Spillane , American author (b. 1918 )
2007 - Júlio Redecker , Brazilian Politician (b. 1956 )Holidays and observances [ ] Liturgical feasts [ ] Saint Alexius , confessorSaints Andrew and Benedict , martyrs Hungary Holy Carmelite Nuns of Compiegne , martyrs
Saint Cynllo Saint Ennodius , bishop of Pavia Saint Fredegaudus , bishop, confessor Liège Saint Kenelmus , king, martyr England Saint Marcellina , virginTranslation of Saint Marina virgin, martyr Venice
Saints Quiricus and Julitta , martyrs Augsburg Saint Piatus , bishop of Tournai Paris The Russian Royal Family
Saint Speratus and companions 'the Sicilian Martyrs'Paderborn, Verdun, France Saint Theodosius , bishop of Auxerre Auxerre External links [ ]
134 Familypedia people were born on July 17
162 Familypedia people died on July 17
58 Familypedia people were first married on July 17