Date·Lore

On This Day · The 17th day of the year

January 17

January 17 carries 10 recorded events spanning between 1377 and 2010. Pope Gregory XI reaches Rome, after deciding to move the Papacy back to Rome from Avignon.

♑ZodiacCapricorn ◈BirthstoneGarnet ❀Birth flowerCarnation

Compiled & reviewed by · Last reviewed July 13, 2026

What happened on January 17?

January 17 is the 17th day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 1377 and 2010. Famous people born on January 17 include Tabaré Vázquez, Anita Borg and Michelle Obama.

The shape of the day

January 17's record stretches 633 years, from 1377 to 2010. Its center of gravity is the 20th century, and conflict is a recurring thread.

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

Released on January 17

Movies, games, albums & shows

2025

  • Game Dynasty Warriors: Origins

Release data from TMDB & IGDB.

Events

10 notable moments
  1. 1377

    Pope Gregory XI

    Pope Gregory XI reaches Rome, after deciding to move the Papacy back to Rome from Avignon.

  2. 1773

    James Cook

    Captain James Cook leads the first expedition to sail south of the Antarctic Circle.

  3. 1893

    Lorrin A. Thurston

    Lorrin A. Thurston, along with the Citizens' Committee of Public Safety, led the Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the government of Queen Liliʻuokalani.

  4. 1912

    Robert Falcon Scott

    British polar explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott reaches the South Pole, one month after Roald Amundsen.

  5. 1943

    World War II

    World War II: Greek submarine Papanikolis captures the 200-ton sailing vessel Agios Stefanos and mans her with part of her crew.

  6. 1945

    Raoul Wallenberg

    Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg is taken into Soviet custody while in Hungary; he is never publicly seen again.

  7. 1961

    Dwight D. Eisenhower

    U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivers a televised farewell address to the nation three days before leaving office, in which he warns against the accumulation of power by the "military–industrial complex" as well as the dangers of massive spending, especially deficit spending.

  8. 1989

    Stockton schoolyard shooting

    Patrick Purdy opens fire at an elementary school in Stockton, California, killing five and wounding 31 others.

  9. 2002

    Mount Nyiragongo

    Mount Nyiragongo erupts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, displacing an estimated 400,000 people.

  10. 2010

    2010 Jos riots

    Rioting begins between Muslim and Christian groups in Jos, Nigeria, results in at least 200 deaths.

Famous birthday twins

Born on January 17

Tabaré Vázquez

b. 1940

Uruguayan physician and politician, 39th President of Uruguay

Anita Borg

b. 1949

American computer scientist and academic

Michelle Obama

b. 1964

American lawyer and activist, 44th First Lady of the United States

Kipchoge Keino

b. 1940

Kenyan athlete

Dwyane Wade

b. 1982

American basketball player

Benjamin Franklin

b. 1706

American publisher, inventor, and politician, 6th President of Pennsylvania

Muhammad Ali

b. 1942

American boxer and activist

Jim Carrey

b. 1962

Canadian-American actor, comedian, and producer

Deaths

  • 2008Bobby Fischer
  • 1947Pyotr Krasnov
  • 1942Walter von Reichenau
  • 1893Rutherford B. Hayes
  • 1884Hermann Schlegel
  • 395Theodosius I

Holidays & observances

  • —Christian feast day: Anthony the Great
  • —Christian feast day: Blessed Angelo Paoli
  • —Christian feast day: Blessed Gamelbert of Michaelsbuch
  • —Christian feast day: Charles Gore (Church of England)
  • —Christian feast day: Jenaro Sánchez Delgadillo (one of Saints of the Cristero War)
  • —Christian feast day: Mildgyth
  • —Christian feast day: Our Lady of Pontmain
  • —Christian feast day: Sulpitius the Pious

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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