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On This Day in History — December 17

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Highlights of December 17

2016 — The first victims of a mass methanol poisoning which eventually killed over 70 inhabitants of Irkutsk, Russia, began arriving at hospitals. Read more
2010 — Arab Spring: Mohamed Bouazizi, a street vendor in Sidi Bouzid, set himself on fire in protest against police harassment, triggering the Tunisian revolution. Read more
1990 — American gay rights activist William E. Woods brought three same-sex couples to fill out marriage licenses in Honolulu. Read more
1983 — The Troubles: The Provisional Irish Republican Army detonated a car bomb outside Harrods in London, killing six people and injuring about 90 others. Read more
1970 — Polish soldiers fired at workers (memorial pictured) emerging from trains in Gdynia, beginning the government's crackdown on mass anti-communist protests across the country. Read more
1967 — Harold Holt, the prime minister of Australia, disappeared while swimming near Portsea, Victoria; his body was never recovered. Read more
1951 — The Civil Rights Congress presented a document to the United Nations Genocide Convention charging the United States government with genocide against African Americans. Read more
1948 — The Finnish Security Police was established to remove communist leadership from its predecessor, the State Police. Read more
1945 — The modern flag of Kurdistan was raised for the first time in Mahabad, Iran. Read more
1944 — Nazi troops under Joachim Peiper killed unarmed prisoners of war, captured during the Battle of the Bulge, with machine guns near Malmedy, Belgium. Read more
1939 — World War II: After sustaining moderate damage in the Battle of the River Plate two days earlier, the German cruiser Graf Spee was scuttled by its commander, Hans Langsdorff, to avoid its internment by Uruguay. Read more
1926 — A coup d'état by the Lithuanian military replaced the democratically elected President Kazys Grinius with Antanas Smetona. Read more
1918 — About 1,000 demonstrators marched (pictured) on Government House in Darwin, Australia, where they burned an effigy of Administrator John Gilruth and demanded his resignation. Read more
1862 — American Civil War: Union General Ulysses S. Grant issued General Order No. 11, expelling Jews from Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky. Read more
1790 — The Aztec sun stone (pictured), now a modern symbol of Mexican culture, was excavated in the Zócalo, the main square of Mexico City. Read more
1583 — Cologne War: Forces under Ernest of Bavaria defeated Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg's troops at the siege of Godesberg. Read more
942 — William Longsword of Normandy was ambushed and assassinated by supporters of Arnulf I, Count of Flanders, while both were at a peace conference to settle their differences. Read more
546 — Rome was sacked by the Ostrogoths led by Totila after a year-long siege. Read more

Events

2014 — The United States and Cuba re-establish diplomatic relations after severing them in 1961. Read more
2010 — Mohamed Bouazizi sets himself on fire. This act became the catalyst for the Tunisian Revolution and the wider Arab Spring. Read more
2009 — MV Danny F II sinks off the coast of Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of 44 people and over 28,000 animals. Read more
2005 — Anti-World Trade Organization protesters riot in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. Read more
2005 — Jigme Singye Wangchuck abdicates the throne as King of Bhutan. Read more
2003 — The Soham murder trial ends at the Old Bailey in London, with Ian Huntley found guilty of two counts of murder. His girlfriend, Maxine Carr, is found guilty of perverting the course of justice. Read more
2003 — SpaceShipOne, piloted by Brian Binnie, makes its first powered and first supersonic flight. Read more
2003 — Sex work rights activists establish December 17 (or "D17") as International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers to memorialize victims of a serial killer who targeted prostitutes, and highlight State violence against sex workers by police and others. Read more
2002 — Second Congo War: The Congolese parties of the Inter Congolese Dialogue sign a peace accord which makes provision for transitional governance and legislative and presidential elections within two years. Read more
1997 — Peruvian internal conflict: Fourteen members of the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement provoke a hostage crisis by taking over the Japanese embassy in Lima. Read more
1997 — Aerosvit Flight 241: A Yakovlev Yak-42 crashes into the Pierian Mountains near Thessaloniki Airport in Thessaloniki, Greece, killing all 70 people on board. Read more
1989 — Romanian Revolution: Protests continue in Timișoara, Romania, with rioters breaking into the Romanian Communist Party's District Committee building and attempting to set it on fire. Read more
1989 — Fernando Collor de Mello defeats Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the second round of the Brazilian presidential election, becoming the first democratically elected President in almost 30 years. Read more
1989 — The Simpsons premieres on television with the episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". Read more
1983 — Provisional IRA members detonate a car bomb at Harrods Department Store in London. Three police officers and three civilians are killed. Read more
1981 — American Brigadier General James L. Dozier is abducted by the Red Brigades in Verona, Italy. Read more
1973 — Thirty passengers are killed in an attack by Palestinian terrorists on Rome's Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport. Read more
1970 — Polish protests: In Gdynia, soldiers fire at workers emerging from trains, killing dozens. Read more
1969 — Project Blue Book: The United States Air Force closes its study of UFOs. Read more
1967 — Harold Holt, Prime Minister of Australia, disappears while swimming near Portsea, Victoria, and is presumed drowned. Read more
1961 — Niterói circus fire: Fire breaks out during a performance by the Gran Circus Norte-Americano in the city of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, killing more than 500. Read more
1960 — Troops loyal to Emperor Haile Selassie in Ethiopia crush the coup that began December 13, returning power to their leader upon his return from Brazil. Haile Selassie absolves his son of any guilt. Read more
1960 — Munich C-131 crash: Twenty passengers and crew on board as well as 32 people on the ground are killed. Read more
1957 — The United States successfully launches the first Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Read more
1951 — The American Civil Rights Congress delivers "We Charge Genocide" to the United Nations. Read more
1950 — The F-86 Sabre's first mission over Korea. Read more
1948 — The Finnish Security Police is established to remove communist leadership from its predecessor, the State Police. Read more
1947 — First flight of the Boeing B-47 Stratojet strategic bomber. Read more
1945 — Kurdistan flag day, the flag of Kurdistan is raised for the first time in Mahabad in eastern Kurdistan. Read more
1944 — World War II: Battle of the Bulge: Malmedy massacre: American 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion POWs are shot by Waffen-SS Kampfgruppe Joachim Peiper. Read more
1943 — All Chinese are again permitted to become citizens of the United States upon the repeal of the Act of 1882 and the introduction of the Magnuson Act. Read more
1939 — World War II: Battle of the River Plate: The Admiral Graf Spee is scuttled by Captain Hans Langsdorff outside Montevideo. Read more
1938 — Otto Hahn discovers the nuclear fission of the heavy element uranium, the scientific and technological basis of nuclear energy. Read more
1935 — Douglas DC-3: The twin-engine airliner makes its maiden flight from Santa Monica. Read more
1933 — The first NFL Championship Game is played at Wrigley Field in Chicago between the New York Giants and Chicago Bears. The Bears win 23–21. Read more
1928 — Indian revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru assassinate British police officer James Saunders in Lahore, Punjab, to avenge the death of Lala Lajpat Rai at the hands of the police. The three were executed in 1931. Read more
1927 — Indian revolutionary Rajendra Lahiri is hanged in Gonda jail, Uttar Pradesh, India, two days before the scheduled date. Read more
1926 — Antanas Smetona assumes power in Lithuania as the 1926 coup d'état is successful. Read more
1918 — Darwin Rebellion: Up to 1,000 demonstrators march on Government House in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Read more
1907 — Ugyen Wangchuck is crowned first King of Bhutan. Read more
1903 — The Wright brothers make the first controlled powered, heavier-than-air flight in the Wright Flyer at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Read more
1896 — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Schenley Park Casino, which was the first multi-purpose arena with the technology to create an artificial ice surface in North America, is destroyed in a fire. Read more
1892 — First issue of Vogue is published. Read more
1865 — First performance of the Unfinished Symphony by Franz Schubert. Read more
1862 — American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant issues General Order No. 11, expelling Jews from parts of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky. Read more
1837 — A fire in the Winter Palace of Saint Petersburg kills 30 guards. Read more
1835 — The second Great Fire of New York destroys 53,000 square metres (13 acres) of New York City's Financial District. Read more
1819 — Simón Bolívar declares the independence of Gran Colombia in Angostura (now Ciudad Bolívar in Venezuela). Read more
1812 — War of 1812: U.S. forces attack a Lenape village in the Battle of the Mississinewa. Read more
1807 — Napoleonic Wars: France issues the Milan Decree, which confirms the Continental System. Read more
1790 — The Aztec calendar stone is discovered at El Zócalo, Mexico City. Read more
1777 — American Revolution: France formally recognizes the United States. Read more
1718 — War of the Quadruple Alliance: Great Britain declares war on Spain. Read more
1665 — The first account of a blood transfusion is published, in the form of a letter from physician Richard Lower to chemist Robert Boyle, in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Read more
1586 — Go-Yōzei becomes Emperor of Japan. Read more
1583 — Cologne War: Forces under Ernest of Bavaria defeat troops under Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg at the Siege of Godesberg. Read more
1538 — Pope Paul III excommunicates Henry VIII of England. Read more
1398 — Sultan Nasir-u Din Mehmud's armies in Delhi are defeated by Timur. Read more
1354 — Margaret II, Countess of Hainaut and Holy Roman Empress and her son William I, Duke of Bavaria, sign a peace treaty ending the Hook and Cod wars. Read more
1297 — King Kyawswa of Pagan is overthrown by the three Myinsaing brothers, marking the de facto end of the Pagan Kingdom. Read more

Born on December 17

2002 — Castello Lukeba, French footballer Read more
2000 — Wesley Fofana, French footballer Read more
1999 — Holly Humberstone, English singer-songwriter Read more
1999 — Mirei Sasaki, Japanese singer, model, and actress Read more
1998 — Jasmine Armfield, English actress Read more
1998 — Martin Ødegaard, Norwegian footballer Read more
1997 — Naiktha Bains, British-Australian tennis player Read more
1997 — Shoma Uno, Japanese figure skater Read more
1996 — Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Russian figure skater Read more
1995 — Guerschon Yabusele, French basketball player Read more
1994 — Lloyd Perrett, New Zealand rugby league player Read more
1994 — Nat Wolff, American singer-songwriter, keyboard player and actor Read more
1993 — Kiersey Clemons, American actress Read more
1993 — Patricia Kú Flores, Peruvian tennis player Read more
1992 — Quinton de Kock, South African cricketer Read more
1992 — Buddy Hield, Bahamian basketball player Read more
1992 — Joshua Ingram, Canadian drummer and percussionist Read more
1991 — Jordan Rankin, Australian rugby league player Read more
1991 — Atsedu Tsegay, Ethiopian runner Read more
1990 — Graham Rogers, American actor Read more
1989 — André Ayew, Ghanaian footballer Read more
1989 — Taylor York, American musician Read more
1988 — Liisa Ehrberg, Estonian cyclist Read more
1988 — Grethe Grünberg, Estonian ice dancer Read more
1988 — Kris Joseph, Canadian basketball player Read more
1988 — David Rudisha, Kenyan runner Read more
1988 — Yann Sommer, Swiss footballer Read more
1988 — Craig Sutherland, Scottish footballer Read more
1987 — Maryna Arzamasova, Belarusian middle-distance runner Read more
1987 — Bo Guagua, Chinese businessman Read more
1987 — Chelsea Manning, American soldier and intelligence analyst Read more
1987 — Donovan Solano, Colombian baseball player Read more
1986 — Emma Bell, American actress Read more
1986 — Frei Gilson, Brazilian Catholic priest and singer Read more
1986 — Frank Winterstein, Australian-Samoan rugby league player Read more
1986 — Vanessa Zima, American actress Read more
1985 — Fernando Abad, Dominican baseball player Read more
1985 — Łukasz Broź, Polish footballer Read more
1985 — Craig Reid, English footballer Read more
1984 — Luis Alfageme, Argentinian footballer Read more

Died on December 17

2025 — William Rush, English actor (born 1994) Read more
2024 — Igor Kirillov, Russian general (born 1970) Read more
2024 — Marisa Paredes, Spanish film actress (born 1946) Read more
2023 — Ronaldo Valdez, Filipino actor (born 1947) Read more
2023 — James McCaffrey, American actor (born 1958) Read more
2020 — Jeremy Bulloch, English actor (born 1945) Read more
2020 — Allen Dines, American politician (born 1921) Read more
2016 — Benjamin A. Gilman, American soldier and politician (born 1922) Read more
2016 — Henry Heimlich, American doctor (born 1920) Read more
2016 — Gordon Hunt, American voice director (born 1929) Read more
2015 — Hal Brown, American baseball player and manager (born 1924) Read more
2015 — Osamu Hayaishi, American-Japanese biochemist and academic (born 1920) Read more
2015 — Michael Wyschogrod, German-American philosopher and theologian (born 1928) Read more
2014 — Dieter Grau, German-American scientist and engineer (born 1913) Read more
2014 — Richard C. Hottelet, American journalist (born 1917) Read more
2014 — Oleh Lysheha, Ukrainian poet and playwright (born 1949) Read more
2014 — Lowell Steward, American captain (born 1919) Read more
2014 — Ivan Vekić, Croatian colonel, lawyer, and politician, Croatian Minister of the Interior (born 1938) Read more
2013 — Fred Bruemmer, Latvian-Canadian photographer (born 1929) Read more
2013 — Ricardo María Carles Gordó, Spanish cardinal (born 1926) Read more
2013 — Richard Heffner, American historian and television host (born 1925) Read more
2013 — Tetsurō Kashibuchi, Japanese drummer, songwriter, and producer (born 1950) Read more
2013 — Janet Rowley, American geneticist and biologist (born 1925) Read more
2013 — Conny van Rietschoten, Dutch sailor (born 1926) Read more
2012 — Richard Adams, Filipino-American activist (born 1947) Read more
2012 — James Gower, American priest and activist, co-founded the College of the Atlantic (born 1922) Read more
2012 — Daniel Inouye, American captain and politician (born 1924) Read more
2012 — Laurier LaPierre, Canadian historian, journalist, and politician (born 1929) Read more
2012 — Frank Pastore, American baseball player and radio host (born 1957) Read more
2011 — Eva Ekvall, Venezuelan journalist and author, Miss Venezuela 2000 (born 1983) Read more
2011 — Kim Jong-il, North Korean commander and politician, second Supreme Leader of North Korea (born 1941) Read more
2010 — Captain Beefheart, American singer-songwriter (born 1941) Read more
2010 — Walt Dropo, American basketball and baseball player (born 1923) Read more
2010 — Ralph Coates, English footballer (born 1946) Read more
2009 — Chris Henry, American football player (born 1983) Read more
2009 — Jennifer Jones, American actress (born 1919) Read more
2009 — Alaina Reed Hall, American actress (born 1946) Read more
2008 — Sammy Baugh, American football player and coach (born 1914) Read more
2008 — Freddy Breck, German singer-songwriter, producer, and journalist (born 1942) Read more
2008 — Dave Smith, American baseball player and coach (born 1955) Read more

Holidays & observances

Christian feast day: Daniel the Prophet; Christian feast day: Josep Manyanet i Vives; Christian feast day: Lazarus of Bethany (local commemoration in Cuba); Christian feast day: O Sapientia; Christian feast day: Olympias the Deaconess; Christian feast day: Wivina; Christian feast day: Sturm; Christian feast day: December 17 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Accession Day (Bahrain); International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers; Kurdish Flag Day (Global Kurdish population); National Day (Bhutan); Pan American Aviation Day (United States); Wright Brothers Day, a United States federal observance by Presidential proclamation

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Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “December 17”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.