October, 17th in History

[Spiritus Temporis]

Events

Friday 17, 2003:
The pinnacle was fitted on the roof of Taipei 101, a 106-floor skyscraper in Taipei, allowing it to surpass the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur by 50 meters (165 feet) and become the World's tallest highrise.

Monday 17, 1994:
Peace treaty between the government of Angola and UNITA rebels.

Saturday 17, 1992:
The United Nations General Assembly declares October 17 as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, to be observed beginning in 1993. Resolution 47/196 of 22 December 1992.

Tuesday 17, 1989:
Loma Prieta earthquake (7.1 on the Richter scale) hits the San Francisco Bay Area.

Wednesday 17, 1984:
The New York Times runs an article titled "CIA primer tells nicaraguan rebels how to kill", which describes a secret "Psychological Operations in Guerilla Warfare" manual that the CIA supplied to the Contras and that gives instructions on how to kidnap and assassinate civil officials such as judges and policemen.

Wednesday 17, 1979:
The Department of Education Organization Act is signed into law creating the United States Department of Education and United States Department of Health and Human Services. Both replace the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

Wednesday 17, 1973:
OPEC starts an oil embargo against a number of western countries, considered to have helped Israel in its war against Syria

Saturday 17, 1970:
Montreal, Quebec: Quebec Vice-Premier and Minister of Labour Pierre Laporte murdered by members of the FLQ terrorist group.

Tuesday 17, 1967:
The musical Hair opens at the Anspacher Theater on Broadway.

Monday 17, 1966:
A fire at a building in New York, New York kills 12 firefighters.

Tuesday 17, 1961:
Approximately 200 Algerian protesters (some claim up to 400) are massacred by the Paris police

Sunday 17, 1965:
The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair closes after a two year run. More than 51 million people had attended the two-year event.

Wednesday 17, 1945:
A massive number of people gather in the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina to demand Juan Peron's release. This is known to the Peronists as the Día de la lealtad (day of loyalty) or San Perón (Saint Perón). It's considered the birthday of Peronism.

Friday 17, 1941:
For the first time in World War II, a German submarine attacks an American ship

Sunday 17, 1937:
Huey, Dewey and Louie, Donald Duck's three almost identical nephews, first appear in a newspaper comic strip.

Tuesday 17, 1933:
Albert Einstein, fleeing Nazi Germany, moves to the US

Saturday 17, 1931:
Al Capone convicted of income tax evasion

Wednesday 17, 1917:
First British bombing of Germany in World War I

Thursday 17, 1912:
Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia declare war on the Ottoman Empire, joining Montenegro in the First Balkan War

Wednesday 17, 1888:
Thomas Edison files a patent for the Optical Phonograph (the first movie).

Wednesday 17, 1860:
First British golf open

Friday 17, 1806:
Former leader of the Great Slave Rebellion of 1791, Emperor Jacques I of Haiti was assassinated after an oppressive rule

Friday 17, 1800:
England takes control of the Dutch colony of Curaçao

Wednesday 17, 1781:
General Charles Cornwallis offers his surrender to the American revolutionaries at Yorktown, Virginia

Friday 17, 1777:
American troops defeat the British in the Battle of Saratoga

Tuesday 17, 1662:
Charles II of England sells Dunkerque to France for 40 000 pounds

Sunday 17, 1604:
Kepler's Star: German astronomer Johannes Kepler observes that an exceptionally bright star had suddenly appeared in the constellation Ophiuchus, which turned out to be the last supernova to have been observed in our own galaxy, the Milky Way.

Sunday 17, 1469:
Ferdinand II of Aragon marries Isabella of Castile. Their marriage leads to the unification of Aragon and Castile in a single country, Spain

Monday 17, 1346:
Battle of Neville's Cross: King David II of Scotland is captured by Edward III of England at Calais, and imprisoned in the Tower of London for eleven years

Monday 17, 1244:
Battle of La Forbie: Crusaders are defeated by Khwarezmians & Egyptians

Friday 17, 538:
King Cyrus of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost 70 years of exile and making the first Human Rights Declaration

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


People born on October 17

1989:
Andy Kag., The illest Killa eva (b: October 17, 1989) (Biography of Andy Kag.)
Bianca A., pimpette extrodinare (b: October 17, 1989) (Biography of Bianca A.)

1979:
Kimi Räikkönen, Finnish race car driver (b: October 17, 1979) (Biography of Kimi Räikkönen)

1974:
John Rocker, baseball player (b: October 17, 1974) (Biography of John Rocker)

1972:
Eminem, American rapper (b: October 17, 1972) (Biography of Eminem)
Wyclef Jean, Haitian-born singer (b: October 17, 1972) (Biography of Wyclef Jean)

1971:
Chris Kirkpatrick, American singer (b: October 17, 1971) (Biography of Chris Kirkpatrick)

1970:
Anil Kumble, Indian cricketer (b: October 17, 1970) (Biography of Anil Kumble)

1969:
Ernie Els, South African golfer (b: October 17, 1969) (Biography of Ernie Els)

1968:
Ziggy Marley, Jamaican musician (b: October 17, 1968) (Biography of Ziggy Marley)

1963:
Norm Macdonald, Canadian comedian and actor (b: October 17, 1963) (Biography of Norm Macdonald)

1962:
Mike Judge, Ecuadoran-born cartoonist and writer (b: October 17, 1962) (Biography of Mike Judge)

1958:
Alan Jackson, American singer and songwriter (b: October 17, 1958) (Biography of Alan Jackson)

1957:
Steve McMichael, American football player and professional wrestler (b: October 17, 1957) (Biography of Steve McMichael)

1956:
Mae Jemison, astronaut (b: October 17, 1956) (Biography of Mae Jemison)

1950:
Howard Rollins, American actor (b: October 17, 1950) (Biography of Howard Rollins)

1948:
Margot Kidder, Canadian actress (b: October 17, 1948) (Biography of Margot Kidder)
George Wendt, American actor (b: October 17, 1948) (Biography of George Wendt)

1947:
Gene Green, American politician (b: October 17, 1947) (Biography of Gene Green)
Michael McKean, American actor and comedian (b: October 17, 1947) (Biography of Michael McKean)

1946:
Sir Cameron Mackintosh, British stage producer and director (b: October 17, 1946) (Biography of Cameron Mackintosh)
Bob Seagren, American athlete and actor (b: October 17, 1946) (Biography of Bob Seagren)
Adam Michnik, Polish activist (b: October 17, 1946) (Biography of Adam Michnik)

1942:
Gary Puckett, American musician (b: October 17, 1942) (Biography of Gary Puckett)

1940:
Peter Stringfellow, British nightclub owner (b: October 17, 1940) (Biography of Peter Stringfellow)

1938:
Evel Knievel, American daredevil (b: October 17, 1938) (Biography of Evel Knievel)

1936:
Hiroo Kanamori, Japanese seismologist (b: October 17, 1936) (Biography of Hiroo Kanamori)

1930:
Robert Atkins, American nutritionist (b: October 17, 1930) (Biography of Robert Atkins (nutritionist))
Jimmy Breslin, American writer (b: October 17, 1930) (Biography of Jimmy Breslin)

1921:
Tom Poston, American actor and comedian (b: October 17, 1921) (Biography of Tom Poston)

1920:
Montgomery Clift, American actor (b: October 17, 1920 ; d: July 23, 1966) (Biography of Montgomery Clift)

1918:
Rita Hayworth, American actress (b: October 17, 1918 ; d: May 14, 1987) (Biography of Rita Hayworth)

1915:
Arthur Miller, American playwright (b: October 17, 1915 ; d: February 11, 2005) (Biography of Arthur Miller)

1914:
Jerry Siegel, American cartoonist (b: October 17, 1914 ; d: January 28, 1996) (Biography of Jerry Siegel)

1912:
Pope John Paul I (b: October 17, 1912 ; d: September 28, 1978) (Biography of Pope John Paul I)

1903:
Nathanael West, American writer (b: October 17, 1903 ; d: December 22, 1940) (Biography of Nathanael West)

1902:
Irene Ryan, American actress (b: October 17, 1902 ; d: April 26, 1973) (Biography of Irene Ryan)

1900:
Jean Arthur, American actress (b: October 17, 1900) (Biography of Jean Arthur)

1898:
Simon Vestdijk, Dutch writer (b: October 17, 1898) (Biography of Simon Vestdijk)

1890:
Roy Kilner, English cricketer (b: October 17, 1890 ; d: April 5, 1928) (Biography of Roy Kilner)

1865:
James Rudolph Garfield, American politician (b: October 17, 1865 ; d: March 24, 1950) (Biography of James Rudolph Garfield)

1864:
Elinor Glyn, British writer (b: October 17, 1864 ; d: September 23, 1943) (Biography of Elinor Glyn)

1813:
Georg Büchner, German playwright (b: October 17, 1813 ; d: February 19, 1837) (Biography of Georg Büchner)

1688:
Domenico Zipoli, Italian composer (b: October 17, 1688 ; d: January 2, 1726) (Biography of Domenico Zipoli)

1623:
Francis Turretin, Swiss theologian (b: October 17, 1623 ; d: September 28, 1687) (Biography of Francis Turretin)

1582:
Johann Gerhard, German Lutheran leader (b: October 17, 1582 ; d: August 10, 1637) (Biography of Johann Gerhard)

1577:
Cristofano Allori, Italian painter (b: October 17, 1577 ; d: April 1, 1621) (Biography of Cristofano Allori)

1563:
Jodocus Hondius, Flemish cartographer (b: October 17, 1563) (Biography of Jodocus Hondius)

1253:
Ivo of Kermartin, French saint (b: October 17, 1253) (Biography of Ivo of Kermartin)

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