From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
June 17 is the 168th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (169th in leap years), with 197 days remaining.
[edit] Events
- 1462 - Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II in the Night Attack, and the latter is forced to retreat from Wallachia.
- 1497 - Battle of Deptford Bridge - Forces under King Henry VII soundly defeat troops led by Michael An Gof.
- 1565 - Matsunaga Hisahide assassinates the 13th Ashikaga shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiteru.
- 1579 - Sir Francis Drake claims a land he calls Nova Albion (modern California) for England.
- 1631 - Mumtaz Mahal died during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, then spent more than 20 years to build her tomb, the Taj Mahal.
- 1773 - Cúcuta, Colombia is founded by Juana Rangel de Cuéllar
- 1775 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Bunker Hill - The battle actually takes place on Breed's hill by mistake. British forces take Breed's Hill outside of Boston with heavy casualties.
- 1789 - In France, the Third Estate declares itself the national assembly.
- 1839 - In the Kingdom of Hawaii, Kamehameha III issues the Edict of Toleration which gives Roman Catholics the freedom to worship in the Hawaiian Islands. The Hawaii Catholic Church and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace is later established as a result.
- 1863 - Battle of Aldie in the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War.
- 1876 - Indian Wars: Battle of the Rosebud - 1,500 Sioux and Cheyenne led by Crazy Horse beat back General George Crook forces at Rosebud Creek in Montana Territory.
- 1877 - Indian Wars: Battle of White Bird Canyon - The Nez Perce defeat the US Cavalry at White Bird Canyon in the Idaho Territory.
- 1885 - The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York Harbor.
- 1898 - The United States Navy Hospital Corps is established.
- 1930 - U.S. President Herbert Hoover signs the Smoot-Hawley Tariff into law.
- 1930 - Bonus Army: Around a thousand World War I veterans amass at the United States Capitol as the U.S. Senate considers a bill that would give them certain benefits.
- 1933 - Union Station Massacre: In Kansas City, Missouri, four FBI agents and captured fugitive Frank Nash were gunned down by gangsters attempting to free Nash.
- 1939 - Last public guillotining in France. Eugen Weidmann, a convicted murderer, is guillotined in Versailles outside the prison Saint-Pierre.
- 1940 - World War II: Operation Ariel begins - Allied troops start to evacuate France, following Germany's takeover of Paris and most of the nation.
- 1940 - World War II: Sinking of the RMS Lancastria by the Luftwaffe near Saint-Nazaire, France.
- 1940 - The three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania fall under the occupation of the Soviet Union.
- 1944 - Iceland becomes independent from Denmark and forms a republic.
- 1948 - A Douglas DC-6 carrying United Airlines Flight 624 crashes near Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, killing all 43 people on board.
- 1953 - Workers Uprising: In East Germany, the Soviet Union orders a division of troops into East Berlin to quell a rebellion.
- 1960 - Ted Williams becomes the fourth member of the 500 home run club with a home run at Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.
- 1961 - The New Democratic Party of Canada is founded with the merger of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and the Canadian Labour Congress.
- 1963 - The United States Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 in Abington School District v. Schempp against allowing the reciting of Bible verses and the Lord's Prayer in public schools.
- 1971 - Representatives of Japan and the United States sign the Okinawa Reversion Agreement, setting out a plan where the U.S. would return control of Okinawa.
- 1972 - Watergate scandal: Five White House operatives are arrested for burglarizing the offices of the Democratic National Committee, in an attempt by some members of the Republican party to illegally wiretap the opposition.
- 1982 - The body of "God's Banker", Roberto Calvi is found hanging beneath Blackfriars Bridge in London.
- 1987 - With the death of the last individual, the Dusky Seaside Sparrow becomes extinct.
- 1991 - Apartheid: The South African Parliament repeals the Population Registration Act, which had required all racial classification of all South Africans at birth.
- 1992 - A 'Joint Understanding' agreement on arms reduction is signed by U.S. President George H. W. Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin (this would be later codified in START II).
- 1994 - Following a televised low-speed highway chase and a failed attempt at suicide, O.J. Simpson is arrested for the murders of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.
- 1994 - The FIFA World Cup begins in the USA.
[edit] Births
- 1239 - King Edward I of England (d. 1307)
- 1603 - Joseph of Cupertino, Italian saint (d. 1663)
- 1682 - King Charles XII of Sweden (d. 1718)
- 1691 - Giovanni Paolo Pannini, Italian painter and architect (d. 1765)
- 1693 - Johann Georg Walch, German theologian (d. 1775)
- 1703 - John Wesley, English founder of Methodism (d. 1791)
- 1704 - John Kay, English inventor (d. 1780)
- 1714 - Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten, German philosopher (d. 1762)
- 1714 - César-François Cassini de Thury, French astronomer (d. 1784)
- 1718 - George Howard, British field marshal (d. 1796)
- 1742 - William Hooper, American signer of the Declaration of Independence (d. 1790)
- 1808 - Henrik Wergeland, Norwegian author (d. 1845)
- 1810 - Ferdinand Freiligrath, German writer (d. 1876)
- 1811 - Jón Sigurðsson, Icelandic independence fighter (d. 1879)
- 1818 - Charles Gounod, French composer (d. 1893)
- 1832 - Sir William Crookes, English physicist and chemist (d. 1919)
- 1839 - Fr. Arthur Tooth SSC, Anglican Clergyman prosecuted for ritualist activities (d. 1931)
- 1861 - Pete Browning, American baseball player (d. 1905)
- 1867 - John Robert Gregg, inventor of shorthand system (d. 1948)
- 1867 - Henry Lawson, Australian poet (d. 1922)
- 1880 - Carl Van Vechten, American writer and photographer (d. 1964)
- 1881 - Tommy Burns, Canadian boxer (d. 1955)
- 1882 - Igor Stravinsky, Russian composer (d. 1971)
- 1888 - Heinz Guderian, German General (d. 1954)
- 1898 - M.C. Escher, Dutch artist (d. 1972)
- 1898 - Carl Hermann, German physicist (d. 1961)
- 1900 - Martin Bormann, Nazi official (d. 1945)
- 1902 - Sammy Fain, American popular music composer (d. 1989)
- 1902 - Alec Hurwood, Australian cricketer (d. 1982)
- 1903 - Ruth Wakefield, inventor of the Toll House Cookie, the first chocolate chip cookie (d. 1977)
- 1904 - Ralph Bellamy, American actor (d. 1991)
- 1907 - Charles Eames, American designer and architect (d. 1978)
- 1909 - Elmer Lee Andersen, Governor of Minnesota (d. 2004)
- 1909 - Ralph E. Winters, Canadian film editor (d. 2004)
- 1910 - Red Foley, American musician (d. 1968)
- 1910 - George Hees, Canadian politician (d. 1996)
- 1914 - John Hersey, American author (d. 1993)
- 1915 - Karl Targownik, Hungarian psychiatrist (d. 1996)
- 1915 - David "Stringbean" Akeman, American banjo player and actor (d. 1973)
- 1917 - Atle Selberg, Norwegian mathematician
- 1918 - Ajahn Chah, Buddhist meditation master
- 1920 - François Jacob, French biologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- 1923 - Elroy 'Crazylegs' Hirsch, American football player (d. 2004)
- 1927 - Martin Böttcher, German conductor
- 1929 - Tigran Petrosian, Georgian chess player (d. 1984)
- 1930 - Brian Statham, English cricketer (d. 2000)
- 1933 - Christian Ferras, French violinist (d. 1982)
- 1933 - Harry Browne, American free-market libertarian writer, politician, and investment analyst (d. 2006)
- 1936 - Ken Loach, British director
- 1940 - George Akerlof, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1942 - Mohamed ElBaradei, Egyptian International Atomic Energy Agency director, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
- 1943 - Newt Gingrich, American politician
- 1943 - Barry Manilow, American musician
- 1945 - Tommy Franks, American General
- 1945 - Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London
- 1945 - Eddy Merckx, Belgian cyclist
- 1945 - Frank Ashmore, American actor
- 1946 - Peter Rosei, Austrian writer
- 1948 - Aurelio López, baseball player (d. 1992)
- 1951 - Joe Piscopo, American actor
- 1952 - Mike Milbury, American ice hockey player, coach and executive
- 1957 - Jon Gries, American actor
- 1957 - Martin Dillon, American opera singer (d. 2005)
- 1957 - Jack Wouterse, Dutch actor
- 1958 - Jello Biafra, American musician and activist
- 1958 - Bobby Farrelly, American film director
- 1960 - Thomas Haden Church, American actor
- 1962 - Michael Monroe, Finnish singer (Hanoi Rocks)
- 1963 - Greg Kinnear, American actor
- 1964 - Michael Groß, German swimmer
- 1964 - Rinaldo Capello, Italian racing driver
- 1964 - Erin Murphy, American actress
- 1965 - Dermontti Dawson, American football, center
- 1966 - Jason Patric, American actor
- 1967 - Eric Stefani, American musician
- 1968 - Minoru Suzuki, Japanese professional wrestler
- 1969 - Paul Tergat, Kenyan athlete
- 1970 - Jason Hanson, American football player
- 1970 - Sasha Sokol, Mexican singer and actress
- 1970 - Will Forte, American writer, actor and comedian
- 1971 - Paulina Rubio, Mexican singer
- 1973 - Krayzie Bone, American rapper (Bone Thugs-N-Harmony)
- 1973 - Leander Paes, Indian tennis player
- 1974 - Evangelia Psarra, Greek archer
- 1975 - Joshua Leonard, American actor
- 1975 - Chloe Jones, American actor (d. 2005)
- 1977 - Mark Tauscher, American football player
- 1977 - Branko Tomovic, Serbian actor
- 1978 - Kumiko Aso, Japanese actress
- 1979 - Nick Rimando, American soccer player
- 1980 - Kimeru, Japanese singer
- 1980 - Venus Williams, American tennis player
- 1981 - Amrita Rao, Indian model and actress
- 1981 - Kyle Boller, American football quarterback
- 1982 - Will Allen, American football player
- 1983 - Lee Ryan, British singer, formerly of Blue
- 1983 - Kazunari Ninomiya, Japanese singer and actor
- 1985 - Marcos Baghdatis, Cypriot professional tennis player
- 1985 - Rafael Sóbis, Brazilian footballer
- 1987 - Nozomi Tsuji, Japanese singer (W (Double You), Morning Musume, and MiniMoni)
- 1987 - Anžej Dežan, Slovenian singer
- 1991 - Brandon Davis, High School Athlete
[edit] Deaths
- 1025 - Bolesław I the Brave, first king of Poland
- 1091 - Dirk V, Count of Holland (b. 1052)
- 1285 - Yekuno Amlak, Emperor of Ethiopia and restorer of the Solomonic dynasty[1]
- 1463 - Princess Catherine of Portugal, writer (b. 1436)
- 1565 - Ashikaga Yoshiteru, Japanese shogun (b. 1536)
- 1694 - Philip Cardinal Howard, English Catholic Cardinal (b. 1629)
- 1696 - John III Sobieski, King of Poland (b. 1629)
- 1719 - Joseph Addison, English politician and writer (b. 1672)
- 1734 - Claude-Louis-Hector de Villars, Marshal of France (b. 1653)
- 1740 - William Wyndham, English politician (b. 1687)
- 1762 - Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon, French writer (b. 1674)
- 1775 - Major John Pitcairn, British marine (killed in battle) (b. 1722)
- 1797 - Agha Muhammad Khan, Shah of Persia (b. 1742)
- 1813 - Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham, English sailor and politician (b. 1726)
- 1821 - Martín Miguel de Güemes Argentine military leader (b. 1785)
- 1898 - Edward Burne-Jones, English artist (b. 1833)
- 1904 - Nikolai Ivanovich Bobrikov, Russian politician, Governor-General of Finland (assassinated) (b. 1839)
- 1939 - Allen Sothoron, American baseball player (b. 1893)
- 1940 - Arthur Harden, English chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1865)
- 1942 - Charles Fitzpatrick, Canadian politician (b. 1853)
- 1952 - Jack Parsons, American rocket-fuel pioneer and renegade occultist (b. 1914)
- 1956 - Paul Rostock, German doctor (b. 1892)
- 1956 - Bob Sweikert, American racing driver (b. 1926)
- 1957 - Dorothy Richardson, English writer (b. 1873)
- 1961 - Jeff Chandler, American actor (b. 1918)
- 1974 - Pamela Britton, American actress (b. 1923)
- 1979 - Duffy Lewis, baseball player (b. 1888)
- 1981 - Richard O'Connor, British general (b. 1889)
- 1981 - Zerna Sharp, American writer and educator (Dick and Jane) (b. 1889)
- 1982 - Roberto Calvi, Italian banker (b. 1920)
- 1986 - Kate Smith, American singer (God Bless America) (b. 1907)
- 1987 - Dick Howser, baseball player and manager (b. 1936)
- 1996 - Thomas Kuhn, American philosopher of science (b. 1922)
- 2001 - Donald J. Cram, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1919)
- 2002 - Willie Davenport, American athlete (b. 1943)
- 2002 - Fritz Walter, German footballer (b. 1920)
- 2004 - Gerry McNeil, Canadian hockey player (b. 1926)
- 2005 - Karl Mueller, American bassist (Soul Asylum) (b. 1962)
- 2005 - Sam Loeb, comic book writer (b. 1988)
- 2006 - Cláudio Besserman Vianna, aka "Bussunda", Brazilian comedian (b. 1962)
[edit] Holidays and observances
[edit] Liturgical feasts
17th of June marks the anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in 1992, based on a recommendation of the Rio Earth Summit.
[1]
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ A. K. Irvine, "Review: The Different Collections of Nägś Hymns in Ethiopic Literature and Their Contributions." Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. School of Oriental and African Studies, 1985.
