✦ DateLore

On This Day · The 229th day of the year

August 17

A look at August 17 through the almanac — historic events, famous birthdays including William Gallas and Margaret Hamilton (software engineer), and the day's notable deaths and observances.

♌ZodiacLeo ◈BirthstonePeridot ❀Birth flowerGladiolus
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Events

10 notable moments
  1. 2008

    Michael Phelps

    American swimmer Michael Phelps becomes the first person to win eight gold medals at one Olympic Games.

    American swimmer (born 1985)
  2. 1950

    Korean War

    Korean War: Forty-two American prisoners of war were massacred by the Korean People's Army on a hill above Waegwan, South Korea.

    1950–1953 conflict in Korean
  3. 1945

    Animal Farm

    The novella Animal Farm by George Orwell is first published.

    1945 political allegorical novella
  4. 1942

    World War II

    World War II: U.S. Marines raid the Japanese-held Pacific island of Makin.

    1939–1945 global conflict
  5. 1915

    1915 Galveston hurricane

    A Category 4 hurricane hits Galveston, Texas with winds at 135 miles per hour (217 km/h).

    Category 4 Atlantic hurricane
  6. 1914

    World War I

    World War I: Battle of Stallupönen: The German army of General Hermann von François defeats the Russian force commanded by Paul von Rennenkampf near modern-day Nesterov, Russia.

    1914–1918 global conflict
  7. 1907

    Pike Place Market

    Pike Place Market, one of the oldest continuously operated public farmers' markets in the U.S. and a popular tourist attraction, opens in Seattle, Washington.

    Public market in Seattle,
  8. 1883

    Dominican Republic

    The first public performance of the Dominican Republic's national anthem, Himno Nacional.

    Country in the Caribbean
  9. 1668

    1668 North Anatolia earthquake

    The magnitude 8.0 North Anatolia earthquake causes 8,000 deaths in northern Anatolia, Ottoman Empire.

    Most powerful earthquake in
  10. 986

    Byzantine–Bulgarian wars

    Byzantine–Bulgarian wars: Battle of the Gates of Trajan: The Bulgarians under the Comitopuli Samuel and Aron defeat the Byzantine forces at the Gate of Trajan, with Byzantine Emperor Basil II barely escaping.

    Conflicts in the Balkans
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Famous birthday twins

Born on August 17

William Gallas

b. 1977

French footballer

Margaret Hamilton (software engineer)

b. 1936

American computer scientist, systems engineer, and business owner

Willem Duys

b. 1928

Dutch tennis player, sportscaster, and producer

Jiang Zemin

b. 1926

Chinese engineer and politician, former General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (paramount leader) and President of China

Dani Güiza

b. 1980

Spanish footballer

Robert De Niro

b. 1943

American actor, entrepreneur, director, and producer

Herta Müller

b. 1953

Romanian-German poet and author, Nobel Prize laureate

Sean Penn

b. 1960

American actor, director, and political activist

Deaths

  • 2012Patrick Ricard (entrepreneur), French businessman
  • 2010Francesco Cossiga, Italian lawyer and politician, 8th President of Italy
  • 1971Wilhelm List, German field marshal
  • 1969Otto Stern, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1786Frederick the Great, Prussian king
  • 1676Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen, German author

Holidays & observances

  • —Christian feast day: Saint Beatrice of Silva
  • —Christian feast day: Saint Clare of Montefalco
  • —Christian feast day: Saint Hyacinth of Poland
  • —Christian feast day: Saint Jeanne Delanoue
  • —Christian feast day: Saint Mammes of Caesarea
  • —Christian feast day: Samuel Johnson, Timothy Cutler, and Thomas Bradbury Chandler (Episcopal Church)
  • —Christian feast day: August 17 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • —Engineer's Day (Colombia)

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