July, 17th in History

[Spiritus Temporis]

Events

Friday 17, 1998:
Biologists report in the journal Science how they sequenced the genome of the bacterium that causes syphilis, Treponema pallidum.

Thursday 17, 1997:
The F.W. Woolworth Company closes after 117 years in business.

Wednesday 17, 1996:
Off the coast of Long Island, New York, a Paris-bound Boeing 747 carrying TWA flight 800 explodes, killing all 230 on board.

Monday 17, 1995:
1995 - The Nasdaq stock index closes above the 1,000 mark for the first time.

Tuesday 17, 1984:
Laurent Fabius becomes Prime Minister of France

Friday 17, 1981:
Hyatt Regency walkway collapse: Two skywalks filled with people at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri collapse into a crowded atrium lobby killing 114.

Tuesday 17, 1979:
Nicaraguan president General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami.

Thursday 17, 1975:
History of East Timor: East Timor was annexed, and became the 27th province of Indonesia.

Tuesday 17, 1962:
Nuclear testing: The "Small Boy" test shot Little Feller I becomes the last atmospheric test detonation at the Nevada Test Site.

Sunday 17, 1955:
Disneyland opens in Anaheim, California.

Tuesday 17, 1945:
At Potsdam, the three main Allied leaders begin their final summit of the war. The meeting will end on August 2.

Monday 17, 1944:
World War II: The largest convoy of the war embarks from Halifax, Nova Scotia under Royal Canadian Navy protection.

Friday 17, 1936:
Spanish Civil War: An Armed Forces rebellion against the recently-elected leftist Popular Front government of Spain starts the Spanish civil war.

Tuesday 17, 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.

Monday 17, 1899:
NEC Corporation is organized as the first Japanese joint venture with foreign capital.

Sunday 17, 1898:
Troops under United States General William R. Shafter take the city of Santiago de Cuba from the Spanish.

Saturday 17, 1897:
Klondike gold rush begins when first successful prospectors arrive in Seattle, Washington, USA.

Wednesday 17, 1816:
The French passenger ship Medusa runs aground off the coast of Senegal, with 140 lives lost in the botched rescue that takes weeks, leading to a scandal in the French government.

Monday 17, 1815:
Napoleonic Wars: In France, Napoleon surrenders at Rochefort, Charente-Maritime to British forces.

Sunday 17, 1791:
Massacre at the Champ de Mars, Paris, during the French Revolution. 1200-1500 people were killed, including women and children.

Wednesday 17, 1771:
Massacre at Bloody Falls: Chipewyan chief Matonabbee traveling as the guide to Samuel Hearne on his arctic overland journey, massacre a group of unsuspecting Inuit.

Saturday 17, 1762:
Catherine II becomes tzar of Russia upon the murder of Peter III of Russia.

Sunday 17, 1453:
Hundred Years' War: The French under Jean Bureau utterly defeat the English under the Earl of Shrewsbury, who is killed in the Battle of Castillon at Gascony

Thursday 17, 1203:
Fourth Crusade captures Constantinople by assault; the Byzantine emperor Alexius III Angelus flees from his capital into exile.

Monday 17, 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.

Source: http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/17-july/on-this-day.html


People born on July 17

1975:
Konnie Huq, English television presenter (b: July 17, 1975) (Biography of Konnie Huq)

1973:
Eric Moulds, American football player (b: July 17, 1973) (Biography of Eric Moulds)

1971:
Cory Doctorow, Canadian author and activist (b: July 17, 1971) (Biography of Cory Doctorow)

1965:
Craig Morgan, American singer (b: July 17, 1965) (Biography of Craig Morgan)

1963:
Matti Nykänen, Finnish ski jumper (b: July 17, 1963) (Biography of Matti Nykänen)

1960:
Mark Burnett, English-born television producer (b: July 17, 1960) (Biography of Mark Burnett)
Jan Wouters, Dutch football player and manager (b: July 17, 1960) (Biography of Jan Wouters)

1954:
Angela Merkel, German politician (b: July 17, 1954) (Biography of Angela Merkel)
J. Michael Straczynski, American author (b: July 17, 1954) (Biography of J. Michael Straczynski)

1952:
David Hasselhoff, American actor and musician (b: July 17, 1952) (Biography of David Hasselhoff)

1949:
Charlie Steiner, American sports broadcaster (b: July 17, 1949) (Biography of Charlie Steiner)

1947:
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (b: July 17, 1947) (Biography of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall)

1942:
Tim Brooke-Taylor, English comedian (b: July 17, 1942) (Biography of Tim Brooke-Taylor)

1941:
Spencer Davis, British singer and guitarist (Spencer Davis Group) (b: July 17, 1941) (Biography of Spencer Davis)
Jürgen Flimm, German theatre director and manager (b: July 17, 1941) (Biography of Jurgen Flimm)

1938:
Franz Alt, Austrian-born journalist (b: July 17, 1938) (Biography of Franz Alt)

1935:
Donald Sutherland, Canadian actor (b: July 17, 1935) (Biography of Donald Sutherland)

1928:
Vince Guaraldi, American musician and composer (b: July 17, 1928 ; d: February 6, 1976) (Biography of Vince Guaraldi)

1920:
Kenneth Wolstenholme, English sports commentator (b: July 17, 1920 ; d: March 25, 2002) (Biography of Kenneth Wolstenholme)
Juan Antonio Samaranch, Spanish chairman of the International Olympic Committee (b: July 17, 1920) (Biography of Juan Antonio Samaranch)

1918:
Carlos Manuel Arana Osorio, President of Guatemala (b: July 17, 1918 ; d: December 6, 2003) (Biography of Carlos Manuel Arana Osorio)

1917:
Phyllis Diller, American comedienne (b: July 17, 1917) (Biography of Phyllis Diller)

1912:
Art Linkletter, Canadian television host (b: July 17, 1912) (Biography of Art Linkletter)

1901:
Bruno Jasieński, Polish poet (b: July 17, 1901 ; d: September 17, 1938) (Biography of Bruno Jasienski)

1899:
Erle Stanley Gardner, American author (b: July 17, 1899 ; d: March 11, 1970) (Biography of Erle Stanley Gardner)
James Cagney, American actor (b: July 17, 1899 ; d: March 30, 1986) (Biography of James Cagney)

1888:
Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Israeli writer (b: July 17, 1888 ; d: February 17, 1970) (Biography of Shmuel Yosef Agnon)

1839:
Ephraim Shay, American inventor (b: July 17, 1839 ; d: April 19, 1916) (Biography of Ephraim Shay)

1831:
Xianfeng, Emperor of China (b: July 17, 1831 ; d: August 22, 1861) (Biography of Xianfeng)

1698:
Pierre Louis Maupertuis, French mathematician (b: July 17, 1698 ; d: July 27, 1759) (Biography of Pierre Louis Maupertuis)

1674:
Isaac Watts, English hymnwriter (b: July 17, 1674 ; d: November 25, 1748) (Biography of Isaac Watts)

1591:
Anne Hutchinson, English Puritan preacher (b: July 17, 1591 ; d: August 20, 1643) (Biography of Anne Hutchinson)

1487:
Ismail I, Shah of Persia (b: July 17, 1487 ; d: May 23, 1524) (Biography of Ismail I)

Source: http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/17-july/births.html