Date·Lore

On This Day · The 48th day of the year

February 17

February 17 carries 10 recorded events spanning between 1621 and 2011. Myles Standish is appointed as first military commander of the English Plymouth Colony in North America.

♒ZodiacAquarius ◈BirthstoneAmethyst ❀Birth flowerViolet

Compiled & reviewed by · Last reviewed July 13, 2026

What happened on February 17?

February 17 is the 48th day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 1621 and 2011. Famous people born on February 17 include Mo Yan, Wu Zetian and François, Duke of Guise.

The shape of the day

February 17's record stretches 390 years, from 1621 to 2011. Its center of gravity is the 20th century, and conflict is a recurring thread.

Aquarius is the sign for February 17 — read more on the Aquarius page, or see February's birthstone & birth flower.

Released on February 17

Movies, games, albums & shows

2026

  • Game Under the Island
  • Game Aerial_Knight's DropShot

2023

  • Game Birth
  • Game The Last Haven
  • Game The Settlers: New Allies

2022

  • Game Total War: Warhammer III
  • Game Pokémon Trading Card Game Live
  • TV Severance

Release data from TMDB & IGDB.

Events

10 notable moments
  1. 1621

    Myles Standish

    Myles Standish is appointed as first military commander of the English Plymouth Colony in North America.

  2. 1859

    Cochinchina campaign

    Cochinchina Campaign: The French Navy captures the Citadel of Saigon, a fortress manned by 1,000 Nguyễn dynasty soldiers, en route to conquering Saigon and other regions of southern Viet Nam.

  3. 1863

    Geneva

    A group of citizens of Geneva found an International Committee for Relief to the Wounded, which later became known as the International Committee of the Red Cross.

  4. 1913

    Armory Show

    The Armory Show opens in New York City, displaying works of artists who subsequently become some of the most influential painters of the early 20th century.

  5. 1944

    World War II

    World War II: The Battle of Eniwetok begins. The battle ends in an American victory on February 22.

  6. 1978

    The Troubles

    The Troubles: The Provisional IRA detonates an incendiary bomb at the La Mon restaurant, near Belfast, killing 12 and seriously injuring 30 others, all Protestants.

  7. 1980

    Mount Everest

    First winter ascent of Mount Everest by Krzysztof Wielicki and Leszek Cichy.

  8. 1996

    1996 Biak earthquake

    The 8.2 Mw Biak earthquake shakes the Papua province of eastern Indonesia with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). A large tsunami followed, leaving 166 people dead or missing and 423 injured.

  9. 2011

    Arab Spring

    Arab Spring: Libyan protests against Muammar Gaddafi's regime begin.

  10. 2011

    Bahrain

    Arab Spring: In Bahrain, security forces launch a deadly pre-dawn raid on protesters in Pearl Roundabout in Manama; the day is locally known as Bloody Thursday.

Famous birthday twins

Born on February 17

Mo Yan

b. 1955

Chinese author and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

Wu Zetian

b. 624

Chinese empress consort

François, Duke of Guise

b. 1519

French Grand Chamberlain

Madison Keys

b. 1995

American tennis player

Marc Márquez

b. 1993

Spanish motorcycle racer

Michael Jordan

b. 1963

American basketball player, executive, and businessman

Ed Sheeran

b. 1991

English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer

Paris Hilton

b. 1981

American model, media personality, actress, singer, DJ, author and businesswoman

Deaths

  • 1909Geronimo
  • 1874Adolphe Quetelet
  • 1856Heinrich Heine
  • 1673Molière
  • 1600Giordano Bruno
  • 364Jovian (emperor)

Holidays & observances

  • —Christian feast day: Seven Founders of the Servite Order Alexis Falconieri
  • —Christian feast day: Constabilis
  • —Christian feast day: Donatus, Romulus, Secundian, and Companions
  • —Christian feast day: Evermode of Ratzeburg
  • —Christian feast day: Fintan of Clonenagh
  • —Christian feast day: Janani Luwum (Anglican Communion)
  • —Christian feast day: Lommán of Trim
  • —Christian feast day: Mesrop Mashtots

Historical facts, event summaries, and biographical lines above are adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. DateLore adds curation, structure, and original editorial commentary. DateLore is not affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation.

About the author

Roman Tailor compiles and reviews every date on DateLore. He's the writer and editor behind the site's editorial essays and the day-by-day almanac. Corrections and questions are welcome — read more about DateLore or get in touch.

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