Famous Events For December 17 – Today In History

What Happened on December 17 in World History?

Early Centuries – December 17 Historic Events – Before 1700

1. December 17, 0283 – St Gaius starts his regime as Pope
2. December 17, 0546 – Ostrogothas, an eastern member gotchas, of King Totila captures Rome by enticing the Byzantine military base
3. December 17, 0920 – installation of Romanos I as co-king of the below-age King Constantine VII
4. December 17, 0942 – murder of William I Longword, 2nd Duke of Normandy
5. December 17, 1398 – Timur (Tamerlane) seizes Delhi conquering Sultan Nasir-u Din Mehmud’s army. He sets the camels burdened with burning hay against the armies of Sultans reinforced elephants

6. December 17, 1526 – nomination of Ferdinand of Austria as king of Bohemia
7. December 17, 1526 – publication of forms Inquisition, degree Cum ad zero by Pope Clemens VII
8. December 17, 1531 – founding of a similar organization to the Inquisition in Lisbon, Portugal by Pope Clement VII
9. December 17, 1538 – debarring of King Henry VIII of England by Pope Paul II
10. December 17, 1572 – attack by Spanish army in Haarlem Netherlands
11. December 17, 1586 – installation of Go-Yozei as the 107th Emperor of Japan
12. December 17, 1587 – Vacation of the army of The Earl of Leicester from the Netherlands
13. December 17, 1637 – demonstration by Japanese farmers, headed by Amakusa Shiro against feudal lord Masukura Shigeharu during Shimabara Rebellion
14. December 17, 1638 – the capture of Breisach of the Rhine by the combined armies of France and Sweden

18th Century – What Happened on December 17 – The 1700s

15. December 17, 1718 – declaration of war on Spain by France, Britain, and Austria: War of the Quadruple Alliance: (1718-1720)
16. December 17, 1728 – Worshippers of Shearith Israel in New York acquire a portion of Mill Street in lower Manhattan to construct the first house of worship
17. December 17, 1777 – France accepts the freedom of British groups in America

18. December 17, 1777 – The army of George Washington arrives in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
19. December 17, 1788 – the capture of Ocharov by the Russian army guided by Grigory Potemkin
20. December 17, 1790 – unearthing of Aztec calendar stone in Mexico City
21. December 17, 1791 – design of first one-way traffic by NYC traffic guideline
22. December 17, 1792 – inauguration of the 1st legislative assembly of Lower Canada in Quebec City
23. December 17, 1798 – the first case of the prosecution to dismiss a US senator William Blount, Tennessee, started

19th Century – December 17 This Day That Year – The 1800s

24. December 17, 1807 – Milan Ruling confirming the Continental System by France
25. December 17, 1819 – Columbia’s freedom from Spain was founded by the Congress of Angostura
26. December 17, 1821 – prison houses for those unable to pay their debts were eliminated in Kentucky
27. December 17, 1836 – identification of a place to resolve the Adelaide in South Australia by Colonel William Light
28. December 17, 1845 – To explore Australia’s Northern Territory, German explorer Ludwig Leichhardt reaches Port Essington after traveling 4800 km (3000 miles) on land
29. December 17, 1852 – founding of the 1st horse mounted regiment in Hawaii
30. December 17, 1860 – formation of Anaheim Township in Los Angeles County

31. December 17, 1862 – order No.11, banishing Jews from Tennessee, was issued by General Ulysses S. Grant
32. December 17, 1865 – musical consort No. 8 by Franz Schubert, “Unfinished Symphony” debuts in Vienna with Johann von Herbeck as conductor
33. December 17, 1875 – hungry citizens attacked bakeries or any place where bread was sold to protest against the steep rise in Bread – in Montreal
34. December 17, 1885 – Madagascar declared as a territory by France
35. December 17, 1887 – the first show of “Tailleur Pour Dames” by George Feydeau in Paris
36. December 17, 1892 – the first play of dance, “Casse-noisette” by Tchaikovski in St Petersburg
37. December 17, 1893 – Russia endorses Double Alliance with France
38. December 17, 1894 – In a 1st Test cricket match, Australia Vs England, on the 3rd day, England were all out for 325 and were trailing 261 runs on 1st innings
39. December 17, 1895 – founding of Anti-Saloon League of America in Washington DC
40. December 17, 1895 – copyrights granted to George Brownell for inventing a machine to make paper twine

20th Century – Important Events On This Day December 17 – The 1900s

41. December 17, 1900 – The French Academy of Sciences has offered a prize money of 100,000 francs for first contact with aliens, excluding Martians
42. December 17, 1900 – An immigration station for $1.5 million was established in New Ellis Island

43. December 17, 1900 – closure of the “Holy Door” of St Peter in Rome, to coincide with the ending of Jubilee Year 1900, by Pope Leo XIII
44. December 17, 1902 – the first show of “Der Erdgeist” by Frank Wedekind in Berlin
45. December 17, 1903 – First flight of motor-powered aircraft from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina at 10.35 AM, piloted by Orville Wright
46. December 17, 1907 – crowning of Ugyen Wangchuck as the 1st traditional kind of Bhutan
47. December 17, 1908 – Crusader Young Turks gaining a majority, the Turkey parliament was summoned
48. December 17, 1909 – demise of Leopold II, king of Belgium, in Laeken after ruling for 44 years
49. December 17, 1912 – The London Conference of Ambassadors approved the freedom of Albania, from the Ottoman Empire
50. December 17, 1914 – Russians were defeated in Limanova Poland by the Australian army
51. December 17, 1914 – Great Britain proclaims Egypt a territory
52. December 17, 1914 – Banishment of Jews from Tel Aviv by the Turkish administration
53. December 17, 1918 – The German administration in Berlin was taken over by the workers’ and soldiers’ councils till January when the next elections would decide the new national legislature
54. December 17, 1919 – approval of an 8-hour working day in Austria
55. December 17, 1920 – continued use of spitball by pitchers approved by AL
56. December 17, 1920 – The League of Nations decrees British Empire over Nauru
57. December 17, 1920 – The League of Nations decrees Japan over Pacific islands
58. December 17, 1920 – The League of Nations decrees South Africa over SW Africa
59. December 17, 1922 – final withdrawal of the British army from the Irish Free State
60. December 17, 1923 – introduction of diesel-electric train for the first time, Bronx, NY
61. December 17, 1924 – Two teams, The Hamilton Tigers and Ottawa Senators fight till the conclusion of the play to achieve a no-score play in NHL history; the highest shutouts by Jake Forbes (Hamilton) and Alex Connell (Ottawa)

62. December 17, 1925 – punishment by a military court for Colonel William “Billy” Mitchell on charges of disobedience
63. December 17, 1925 – no-war agreement between Soviet Union & Turkey
64. December 17, 1925 – Sultan Abdulaziz Ibn Saud defeats Jeddah, the biggest and last deadlock between Hashemites and Saudis
65. December 17, 1926 – cooperation with the Red Army was the reason for the fall of the German Marx administration
66. December 17, 1926 – commencement of radio transmissions by KTA-AK in San Francisco, CA
67. December 17, 1926 – Gen Augustine Woldemaras takes control of the Lithuanian state
68. December 17, 1926 – The military rebellion of 1926 successfully paid way for Antanas Smetona to take control of Lithuania
69. December 17, 1927 – Bradman achieves 118 in his first 1-class cricket in 118 min; 8 fours
70. December 17, 1927 – The plummeting of US submarine S-4 after impact killing 34 on board
71. December 17, 1927 – Victoria achieved 793 against Queensland; Bull Ponsford scored 437
72. December 17, 1928 – The proposal by NL President John Heydler to have a designated hitter was supported by John McGraw
73. December 17, 1932 – Cards exchange Jim Bottomley from Reds for Estel Crabtree and Owine Carroll
74. December 17, 1933 – In the first Test cricket B.H. Valentine achieves 133 for Eng V India at Bombay
75. December 17, 1933 – In his first Test Cricket, Lala Amarnath achieved 100 runs and continued to score 118
76. December 17, 1933 – Lerroux was sworn in as Prime Minister in Spain for the 2nd term
77. December 17, 1933 – Chicago Bears defeat New York Giants, 23-21; a pass thrown behind the line of scrimmage to the opposite side was legal as per” Bronko Nagurski Rule
78. December 17, 1935 – The airplane Douglas DC-3 performs its maiden flight
79. December 17, 1936 – appearance of Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen & dummy Charlie McCarthy
80. December 17, 1938 – innovation of using uranium for nuclear fission by Otto Hahn and his associate Strassmann
81. December 17, 1938 – inferno destroys Central Station in Utrecht
82. December 17, 1939 – German warship, Graf Spee destroyed by its crew off Uruguay
83. December 17, 1940 – Sollum in Egypt occupied by British army
84. December 17, 1941 – The combined armies of Dutch and Australia seize Portuguese Timor
85. December 17, 1941 – sinking of U-31, a German submarine
86. December 17, 1941 – The German army commanded by Edwin Rommel commenced withdrawing from North Africa

87. December 17, 1941 – Siege of Sebastopol commenced – WWII
88. December 17, 1942 – German war criminals punished in London by the Associates
89. December 17, 1943 – French Jews transported to nazi-Germany
90. December 17, 1944 – Green Bay Packers defeat New York Giants, 14-7 at the 6th and final league companionship by long-time guide Curly Lambeau at the National Football League Championship, Polo grounds, NYC
91. December 17, 1944 – The service streetcar, San Francisco M-Ocean View, restarts its service and it is run up to Market St
92. December 17, 1944 – The prohibition on excluding Japanese-Americans from the West Coast by the US Army was withdrawn, and hostages were set free
93. December 17, 1944 – 790 were killed when the US destroyers were submerged due to a hurricane off the Philippines
94. December 17, 1946 – During the 5th wicket stand, Bradman & Barnes score 405 runs, both scoring 234 each
95. December 17, 1946 – Rocket fired by US, V-2 reaches White Sands Proving 183 km away in New Mexico
96. December 17, 1947 – snowstorm strikes NY causing 27” snow
97. December 17, 1947 – TV Transmission channel 5 commences airing in Cleveland, Ohio on ABC
98. December 17, 1947 – copyright is given to the British industrial company, BTH for inventing holography by Dennis Gabor in their R&D section
99. December 17, 1949 – last show of “Regina” at 46th St Theater NYC after 86 shows
100. December 17, 1949 – Burma accepts People’s Republic of China
101. December 17, 1951 – ban on Dutch Communist Party members to become civil servants
102. December 17, 1953 – the debut of the 10th musical concert by Dmitri Shostakovich in Leningrad
103. December 17, 1953 –the RCA’s conditions for black and white Television approved by the US Federal Communications Commission
104. December 17, 1954 – The first fully computerized railyard was commissioned (Gary, Indiana)
105. December 17, 1954 – TV transmission channel 13 commenced in Eau Clari, WI on NBC
106. December 17, 1957 – successful testing by the US of Atlas intercontinental air-to-air rocket
107. December 17, 1957 – a closing show of the episode of The Nat King Cole, on NBC for want of sponsorship at the national level
108. December 17, 1957 – award of the best football player in Europe, to Alfredo Di Stefano, forward of Real Madrid ahead of Billy Wright and Duncan Edwards
109. December 17, 1957 – exchange of players between Chicago Back Hawks and Detroit Red Wings: Nick Mickoski, Jack McIntyre, Bob Bailey, and Hec Lalonde to Detroit Red Wings for Earl Reibel, Billy Dea. Bill Dineen and Lorne Ferguson
110. December 17, 1958 – Ted Lindsay was the highest scorer in NHL history exceeding the score of Joliat who scored 270; he scored more than 800 points in his hall-of-fame career; helped in Chicago Blank Hawks victory over the Boston Bruins, 5-2 at Chicago Stadium

111. December 17, 1959 – the first show of the movie “On The Beach” on the Soviets and its allies on one side and the US and its allies on the other (both sides of the curtain)
112. December 17, 1960 – last performance of “La Plume de Ma Tante” after 835 shows at Royale Theater NYC
113. December 17, 1960 – last show of “Take Me Along” after 448 shows at Shubert Theater NYC
114. December 17, 1960 – debut show of “El Pesebrio” by Pablo Casals
115. December 17, 1961 – Goa and 2 other colonies belonging to Portuguese were taken over by India
116. December 17, 1961 – An inferno caused by a dissatisfied employee burning the tent of the Niteroi Circus in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 323 people lost their lives
117. December 17, 1962 – premiere of Beatles on British Television (People and Places)
118. December 17, 1962 – proclamation of the present constitution of Monaco
119. December 17, 1963 – Nomination of Tsjoi Doo Sun as Prime Minister of South Korea
120. December 17, 1963 – Travel arrangements between West and East Berlin agreed upon
121. December 17, 1963 – Dynamo Moscow goalkeeper Lev Yashin was adjudged as the best football player in Europe; and the first Russian national to win the Ballon d’Or award
122. December 17, 1964 – the first show of the 3rd James Bond movie, “Goldfinger” featuring Sean Connery and Honor Blackman in London
123. December 17, 1965 – the inauguration of the world’s first multi-purpose sports stadium with the first performance of the musical Judy Garland and Supremes
124. December 17, 1965 – The ban on oil supply to Rhodesia was terminated by the British administration through an announcement
125. December 17, 1965 – commencement for the discovery of new comets by David Levy
126. December 17, 1965 – closure of Limburg coal fields by the Dutch administration
127. December 17, 1965 –Sunday New York Times with its 946 pages printed as the largest paper for 50 cents
128. December 17, 1967 – commencement of airing of TV transmission channel 49 in Bridgeport, Connecticut on PBS
129. December 17, 1967 – strange disappearance of Harold Holt, Prime Minister of Australia while swimming near Melbourne
130. December 17, 1969 – closure of the report on Project Blue Book by the United States Air Force that could not find any concrete truth about the extra-terrestrial spacecraft behind many hundred UFOs observed
131. December 17, 1970 – Atomic test by the US at Nevada Test Site
132. December 17, 1970 – Atomic test by USSR at test site Eastern Kazakh/semioalitinsk USSR
133. December 17, 1970 – the army in Gdynia shot at shipyard workers in Gdansk striking their work and killing many in Poland
134. December 17, 1971 – show of the 7th James Bond movie, “Diamonds Are Forever” Sean Conner’s last featuring in the film, featuring Jill St John is released for the first shown in West Germany
135. December 17, 1971 – India and Pakistan agree to stop war in Kashmir
136. December 17, 1971 – commencement of airing of programs by Radio Bangladesh
137. December 17, 1972 – agreement on the new line of control between India and Pakistan
138. December 17, 1972 – TV transmission channel 35 commenced in Grand Rapids, MI on PBS
139. December 17, 1973 – Arab radicals fire at air travelers on Boeing 737 traveling to Kuwait
140. December 17, 1975 – NY Islanders shut out NY Rangers for the first time, 3-0; 5th in Billy Smith’s career
141. December 17, 1975 – appointment of John Paul Stevens to the US Supreme Court
142. December 17, 1975 – life imprisonment for Lynette Fromme for his attempt to assassinate US President Ford

143. December 17, 1976 – nationwide transmission of a sophisticated radio station in Atlanta
144. December 17, 1977 – In a cricket match between Australia and India at the WACA, Bobby Simpson, at 41, achieves 176 runs
145. December 17, 1977 – premiere US TV appearance of Elvis Costello & The Attractions
146. December 17, 1977 – Atomic test by France at Mururoa islands
147. December 17, 1977 – Defenseman Barry Beck of Rookie achieves his first professional hat trick and adds an extra in achieving victory for Colorado Rockies, 5-1 Vs Minnesota North Stars. Also, the highest in NHL history for a rookie
148. December 17, 1978 – the new constitution of Rwanda approved by public plebiscite
149. December 17, 1978 – Trevor Munroe created the Workers’ Party of Jamaica
150. December 17, 1978 – upward revision of oil prices by OPEC by 18% and 14.5% for petroleum for 1979 every quarter
151. December 17, 1979 – a speed of 1190 kph was achieved in Budweiser rocket car

152. December 17, 1980 – Atomic test by Great Britain at Nevada Test Site
153. December 17, 1980 – publication of the temporary constitution of Mauritania
154. December 17, 1981 -the hijacking of Brigadier General James L Dozier by members of Red Brigades
155. December 17, 1983 – last show of “Peg” after 5 shows at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC
156. December 17, 1983 – inferno in Dance club in Madrid takes the life of 83
157. December 17, 1983 – six people lost their lives, and 90 were wounded when The Provisional IRA attacked bombs Harrods departmental store in London
158. December 17, 1983 – Wayne Gretzky, achieves a goal and 5 assists in his 352nd NHL play to defeat Quebec Nordiques to top his 800th point and 500th assist to take his average to 2.27 points,142 assists, 0.85 goals per play
159. December 17, 1986 – authorization to constitute a committee, “Irangate” to deal with the scandal
160. December 17, 1986 – first heart-lung-liver transplant on Mrs. Davina Thompson at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, England
161. December 17, 1986 – American contract killer Richard Kuklinski detained at an obstruction to the road
162. December 17, 1986 – achievement of Wayne Gretzky of Edmonton: achieves 4 goals with a hat trick in the first half; achieves an assist to take Oilers to defeat the visiting team Quebec Nordiques, 5-3 in his 41st NHL hat trick in his profession
163. December 17, 1987 – stepping down of Gustav Husak, Czechoslovak party chief
164. December 17, 1988 – Germany defeats Sweden, 4-1, in the 77th Davis Cup in Gothenburg
165. December 17, 1988 – Bryan Murry was the 17th NHL guide to achieve 300 games (Wash Caps)
166. December 17, 1988 – NY Islanders beat Devils, 5-2 by breaking their 12-play losing line
167. December 17, 1988 – The submarine USS Tennessee with 2 Trident weaponry was put into service
168. December 17, 1988 – Atomic test by USSR at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk, USSR
169. December 17, 1989 – The debut performance of “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire”, a simulated event of “The Simpsons” created by Matt Groening
170. December 17, 1989 – Germany defeats Sweden in Stuttgart (3-2) at the 78th Davis Cup
171. December 17, 1989 – nomination of Fernando Collor de Mello from the conservative party as president of Brazil
172. December 17, 1989 – in a debut cricket test match, Michael Bevan achieves a century (224 SA Vs WA)
173. December 17, 1990 – commencement of radio transmission station by KTBN, Salt Lake City Utah
174. December 17, 1991 – Cleveland Cavaliers defeat Miami Heat, 148-80, a maximum difference of 68 points
175. December 17, 1991 – In the NBA’s one-sided play, Cleveland defeats Miami, 148-80
176. December 17, 1991 – nomination of Patrick Manning as prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago

177. December 17, 1991 – in a television series dealing with domestic events, the 6000th event of “One Life to Live” was broadcast
178. December 17, 1991 – Pittsburgh Penguins defeated NHL expansion San Jose Sharks, 10-2, Pittsburgh Penguins scoring a maximum of 8 goals in one period in the second session
179. December 17, 1992 – premiere of “Christmas Carol” at Broadhurst Theater NYC to give 22 presentations
180. December 17, 1992 – discovery of a tooth of 4.4-million-year-old Australopithecus ramidus by Gen Suwa
181. December 17, 1993 – killing of campaigner for women, Taslima Nasrin was advocated by Muslims in Bangladesh
182. December 17, 1993 – skating record by Kevin Scott, 1000m in 1:12.54
183. December 17, 1993 – Barry Corbin, the actor in the Northern Exposure TV series, fell off his horse
184. December 17, 1994 -the KLM withdraws the services of DC-10 aircraft
185. December 17, 1995 – last show of “School after Scandal” at Lyceum Theater NYC after 23 presentations
186. December 17, 1995 – nomination of Rene Prevl of Fanmi Lavalas party as president of Haiti
187. December 17, 1996 – musical, single, “In My Bed” announced by Dru Hill (Billboard Song of the Year 1997)
188. December 17, 1999 – November 25 declared as “International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women” by the United Nations General Assembly by its resolution 54/134
189. December 17, 1999 – The third player in NHL history to achieve 1,100 assists was Ray Bourque; goaltender Byron Dafoe achieves his 100th NHL win to achieve Boston Bruin victory over Thrashers, 3-1 in Thrashers in Atlanta

21st Century – December 17 This Day In History – The 2000s

190. December 17, 2002 – agreement signed among The Congolese parties of the Inter Congolese Dialogue providing for temporary administration and legislature as also a provision for election of president in two years
191. December 17, 2003 – conclusion of legal proceedings in the Soham killing case at l Bailey in London. Ian Huntley was sentenced on two counts of murder on the one hand and his girlfriend Maxine Carr was sentenced on one count of misrepresenting the course of justice on the other
192. December 17, 2003 – first supersonic flight of aircraft Spaceship One Flight 11P piloted by Brian Binnie
193. December 17, 2003 – premiere of “The Return of the King” by 3rd Lord of the Ring films. A collection of USD 72 million was earned during the weekend of the inaugural week, and 2nd movie earned 1 billion worldwide
194. December 17, 2005 – demonstrators protest against WTO in Wan Chai, Hong Kong
195. December 17, 2007 – freedom from the United States for the Lakotah Republic
196. December 17, 2012 – Jiroemon Kimura of Japan attains 116 years, the world’s oldest man, and verified with documentary evidence
197. December 17, 2012 – In an explosion in a market in the Khyber Agency in Pakistan, 17 people lost their life and 70 wounded
198. December 17, 2012 – in an explosion in a coal mine in Afghanistan, 10 girls gathering wood pieces were killed
199. December 17, 2012 – in a boat tragedy, 18 people lost their life by drowning in Cotonou, Benin

200. December 17, 2012 – successful recording of the Moon’s gravity field by NASA
201. December 17, 2013 – Australia was victorious in the 3rd test 2013-14 to achieve the Ashes Test cricket series
202. December 17, 2013 – nomination of Angela Merkel as Chancellor of Germany for a third period
203. December 17, 2013 – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame awards for Cat Stevens, Hall & Oates, Kiss, Linda Ronstadt and Nirvana
204. December 17, 2014 – A computer-generated attack on the studio causes the cancellation by Sony Pictures the announcement of the movie “The Interview” featuring Seth Rogen, Lizzy Caplan, and James Franco
205. December 17, 2014 – the oldest golfer to achieve a hole-in-one was the 103-year-old Gus Andreone. It was his 8th world-class achievement of his career on the 113-yard, 14th hole of the Lakes Course, Palm Aire, Sarasota, FL
206. December 17, 2015 – termination of the services of Jose Mourinho as manager of British Premier football club, Chelsea
207. December 17, 2015 – The FBI detains Martin Shkreli, CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals on corruption charges in New York
208. December 17, 2015 – The different political groups fighting against each other on political differences agree to sign a UN-supported resolution to create an amalgamated government in Libya
209. December 17, 2017 – French navigator Francois Gabart goes solo around the world and creates the fastest sailing in 42 days and 16 hours
210. December 17, 2017 – nine people lost their lives in a radical suicide attack on a Methodist church in Quetta, Pakistan
211. December 17, 2017 – a collection of USD 450 m worldwide during the weekend of the inaugural week, of “Star War: The Last Jedi”
212. December 17, 2017 – Nomination of Sebastian Pinera as the president of Chile after a gap of 4 years
213. December 17, 2017 – stepping down of Kaka, a Brazilian football player and earlier player of AC Milan and Real Madrid
214. December 17, 2017 – sale of a set of ink-brush canvases by Qi Baishi for 931.5 m yuan in Bejing – highest bid for Chinese paintings
215. December 17, 2018 – The severance package of $120 million was denied by CBS to ex-Chief Executive Les Moonves
216. December 17, 2018 – The killing of 62 fighters by Islamist radicals al-Shabab during air attacks in Somalia was confirmed by US military
217. December 17, 2018 – The US animal killer, was awarded the punishment of witnessing the movie, “Bambi” frequently for a year in jail for killing many dears in Missouri
218. December 17, 2018 – A criminal case was initiated by Malaysia against US bank Goldman Sachs for its involvement in the Malaysia Development Bhd scandal
219. December 17, 2018 – The word “justice” was declared the word of the year by Merriam-Webster, publisher of the Dictionary
220. December 17, 2018 – the discovery of the farthest body in the solar system by Astronomers as 2018 VG 18 (nicknamed Farout) 120 times farther from the sun than Earth
221. December 17, 2018 – The US Senate received news reports to indicate Russian publicity hard work on social newspapers was more exhaustive than imagined, including pointing African Americans

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