Today October 17th 2009 this day in history Read more below to view events, deaths, births, Holidays observances and video clips. Last database updated: Jan 17th, 2009
Events
539 BC – King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost 70 years of exile and making the first Human Rights Declaration.
1091 – T8/F4 tornado strikes the heart of London.
1346 – Battle of Neville s Cross: King David II of Scotland is captured by Edward III of England at Calais, and imprisoned in the Tower of London for eleven years.
1448 – Second Battle of Kosovo, where the mainly Hungarian army led by John Hunyadi were defeated by an Ottoman army led by Sultan Murad II.
1456 – The University of Greifswald is established, making it the second oldest university in northern Europe (also for a period the oldest in Sweden, and Prussia)
1604 – Kepler s Star: German astronomer Johannes Kepler observes that an exceptionally bright star had suddenly appeared in the constellation. Ophiuchus, which turned out to be the last supernova to have been observed in our own galaxy, the Milky Way.
1610 – French king Louis XIII is crowned in Rheims.
1660 – Nine Regicides, the men who signed the death warrant of Charles I, are hanged, drawn and quartered, another is hanged.
1662 – Charles II of England sells Dunkirk to France for 40,000 pounds.
1777 – American troops defeat the British in the Battle of Saratoga.
1781 – General Charles Cornwallis offers his surrender to the American revolutionists at Yorktown, Virginia.
1797 – Treaty of Campo Formio is signed between France and Austria
1800 – England takes control of the Dutch colony of Curaçao.
1806 – Former leader of the Haitian Revolution, Emperor Jacques I of Haiti was assassinated after an oppressive rule.
1814 – London Beer Flood occurs in London killing nine.
1860 – First The Open Championship (referred to in North America as the British Open).
1888 – Thomas Edison files a patent for the Optical Phonograph (the first movie).
1907 – Guglielmo Marconi s company begins the first commercial transatlantic wireless service between Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada and Clifden, Ireland.
1912 – Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia declare war on the Ottoman Empire, joining Montenegro in the First Balkan War.
1917 – First British bombing of Germany in World War I.
1931 – Al Capone convicted of income tax evasion.
1933 – Albert Einstein, fleeing Nazi Germany, moves to the U.S..
1941 – For the first time in World War II, a German submarine attacks an American ship.
1945 – A massive number of people, headed by CGT and Evita, gather in the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina to demand Juan Peron s release. This is known to the Peronists as the Día de la lealtad (day of loyalty). It s considered the birthday of Peronism.
1956 – The first commercial nuclear power station was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in Sellafield,in Cumbria, England.
1961 – Scores of Algerian protesters (some claim up to 400) are massacred by the Paris police at the instigation of Nazi collaborator Maurice Papon, then chief of the Prefecture of Police.
1965 – The 1964-1965 New York World s Fair closes after a two year run. More than 51 million people had attended the two-year event.
1966 – A fire at a building in New York, New York kills 12 firefighters, the New York City Fire Department s deadliest day until the September 11, 2001 attacks.
1970 – Montreal, Quebec: Quebec Vice-Premier and Minister of Labour Pierre Laporte murdered by members of the FLQ terrorist group.
1973 – OPEC starts an oil embargo against a number of western countries, considered to have helped Israel in its war against Syria.
1977 – German Autumn: Four days after it was hijacked, Lufthansa Flight 181 lands in Mogadishu, Somalia, where a team of German GSG 9 commandos later rescues all remaining hostages on board.
1979 – Mother Teresa awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
1979 – The Department of Education Organization Act is signed into law creating the US Department of Education and US Department of Health and Human Services. Both replace the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.
1983 – Grateful Dead played for their one and only appearance in Lake Placid, NY
1989 – Loma Prieta earthquake (7.1 on the Richter scale) hits the San Francisco Bay Area and causes 57 deaths directly (and 6 indirectly).
1998 – At Jesse, in the Niger Delta, Nigeria, a petroleum pipeline explodes killing about 1200 villagers, some of whom are scavenging gasoline.
2000 – Train crash at Hatfield, north of London, leading to collapse of Railtrack.
2003 – The pinnacle was fitted on the roof of Taipei 101, a 101-floor skyscraper in Taipei, allowing it to surpass the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur by 50 meters (165 feet) and become the World s tallest highrise.
2003 – Eunuchs in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh float the political party Jiti Jitayi Politics.
2006 – The United States population reaches 300 million.
2007 – The Dalai Lama receives the United States Congressional Gold Medal.
Births
1253 – Ivo of Kermartin, Patron saint of lawyers (d. 1303)
1563 – Jodocus Hondius, Flemish cartographer (d. 1611)
1577 – Cristofano Allori, Italian painter (d. 1621)
1582 – Johann Gerhard, German Lutheran leader (d. 1637)
1623 – Francis Turretin, Swiss theologian (d. 1687)
1688 – Domenico Zipoli, Italian composer (d. 1726)
1711 – Jupiter Hammon, American writer (d. 1806)
1719 – Jacques Cazotte, French writer (d. 1792)
1811 – Albertus van Raalte, Dutch/American religious leader (d. 1876)
1813 – Georg Büchner, German playwright (d. 1837)
1817 – Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Indian intellectual (d. 1898)
1853 – Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia (d. 1920)
1864 – Elinor Glyn, British writer (d. 1943)
1865 – James Rudolph Garfield, American politician (d. 1950)
1886 – Spring Byington, American actress (d. 1971)
1890 – Roy Kilner, English cricketer (d. 1928)
1892 – Theodor Eicke, Nazi official (d. 1943)
1892 – Herbert Howells, English Composer (d. 1983)
1898 – Shinichi Suzuki, Japanese violin teacher (d. 1998)
1898 – Simon Vestdijk, Dutch writer (d. 1971)
1900 – Jean Arthur, American actress (d. 1991)
1902 – Irene Ryan, American actress (d. 1973)
1903 – Nathanael West, American writer (d. 1940)
1906 – Paul Derringer, American baseball player (d. 1987)
1908 – Red Rolfe, American baseball player (d. 1969)
1912 – Pope John Paul I (d. 1978)
1912 – Jack Owens, The Cruising Crooner, American singer/songwriter (d. 1982)
1914 – Jerry Siegel, American cartoonist (d. 1996)
1915 – Arthur Miller, American playwright (d. 2005)
1917 – Sumner Locke Elliott, Australian-born American novelist (d. 1991)
1918 – Rita Hayworth, American actress (d. 1987)
1918 – Ralph Wilson, owner of the Buffalo Bills
1919 – Isaak Markovich Khalatnikov, Russian physicist
1920 – Miguel Delibes, Spanish writer
1920 – Montgomery Clift, American actor (d. 1966)
1921 – Tom Poston, American actor and comedian (d. 2007)
1921 – Maria Gorokhovskaya, Soviet gymnast (d. 2001)
1922 – Pierre Juneau, Canadian film and broadcast executive
1922 – Luiz Bonfá, Brazilian composer (d. 2001)
1923 – Charles McClendon, American football coach (d. 2001)
1923 – Barney Kessel, American musician (d. 2004)
1925 – Harry Carpenter, English sports commentator
1926 – Julie Adams, American film actress
1926 – Beverly Garland, American actress
1930 – Robert Atkins, American nutritionist (d. 2003)
1930 – Jimmy Breslin, American newspaper columnist and author
1931 – Ernst Hinterberger, Austrian writer
1933 – Jeanine Deckers, Belgian nun (d. 1985)
1934 – Johnny Haynes, English footballer (d. 2005)
1936 – Hiroo Kanamori, Japanese seismologist
1937 – Paxton Whitehead, English actor
1938 – Evel Knievel, American motorcycle daredevil (d. 2007)
1940 – Peter Stringfellow, British nightclub owner
1940 – Jim Smith, English footballer and manager
1941 – Earl Thomas Conley, American singer
1941 – Jim Seals American singer (Seals and Crofts)
1942 – Gary Puckett, American musician
1946 – Sir Cameron Mackintosh, British stage producer
1946 – Adam Michnik, Polish activist
1946 – Bob Seagren, American athlete
1946 – Michael Hossack, American musician (The Doobie Brothers)
1946 – Drusilla Modjeska, Australian writer and editor
1947 – Gene Green, American politician
1947 – Michael McKean, American actor
1948 – Margot Kidder, Canadian actress
1948 – George Wendt, American actor
1948 – Robert Jordan, American novelist (d. 2007)
1950 – Howard Rollins, American actor (d. 1996)
1954 – Carlos Buhler, American high altitude moutaineer
1955 – Georgios Alogoskoufis, Greek politician
1956 – Mae Jemison, American astronaut
1956 – Patrick McCrory, American politician
1957 – Lawrence Bender, American film producer
1957 – Steve McMichael, American football player
1958 – Alan Jackson, American singer and songwriter
1959 – Ron Drummond, American writer
1959 – Mark Peel, Australian historian and academic
1959 – Richard Roeper, American film critic
1959 – Russell Gilbert, Australian comedian
1960 – Rob Marshall, American director
1960 – Guy Henry, English actor
1962 – Mike Judge, American cartoonist, filmmaker and voice actor
1963 – Sergio Goycochea, Argentine footballer
1963 – Norm Macdonald, Canadian comedian
1965 – Aravinda de Silva, Sri Lankan cricketer
1966 – Mark Gatiss, English actor and writer
1966 – Tommy Kendall, American race car driver and television personality
1967 – René Dif, Danish musician (Aqua)
1968 – Ziggy Marley, Jamaican musician
1969 – Wood Harris, American actor
1969 – Ernie Els, South African golfer
1969 – Rick Mercer, Canadian comedian
1970 – Anil Kumble, Indian cricketer
1970 – John Mabry, American baseball player
1971 – Chris Kirkpatrick, American singer ( N Sync)
1970 – Blues Saraceno, American guitarist
1972 – Sharon Leal, American actress
1972 – Eminem, American rapper
1972 – Tarkan, Turkish singer
1972 – Wyclef Jean, Haitian-born singer
1972 – Joe McEwing, American baseball player
1974 – Matthew Macfadyen, British actor
1974 – Ariel Levy, American feminist writer
1974 – Janne Puurtinen, Finnish keyboardist (HIM)
1974 – John Rocker, American baseball player
1975 – Francis Bouillon, American hockey player
1976 – Sebastián Abreu, Uruguayan footballer
1977 – Dudu Aouate, Israeli footballer
1977 – Bryan Bertino, American film director and screenwriter
1979 – Marcela Bovio, Mexican singer and violinist (Stream of Passion)
1979 – Kimi Räikkönen, Finnish race car driver
1979 – Kostas Tsartsaris, Greek basketball player
1980 – Ekaterina Gamova, Russian volleyball player
1980 – Alessandro Piccolo, Italian racing driver
1982 – Nick Riewoldt, Australian football player
1983 – Daniel Booko, American actor
1983 – Ivan Saenko, Russian football player
1984 – Jelle Klaasen, Dutch darts player
1984 – Chris Lowell, American actor
1984 – Randall Munroe, American cartoonist
1987 – Bea Alonzo, Filipina actress
1987 – Jaroslaw Fojut, Polish footballer
1992 – Sam Concepcion, Filipino performer and actor
Deaths
532 – Pope Boniface II
1174 – Queen Petronila of Aragon (b. 1135)
1586 – Philip Sidney, English courtier, soldier, and writer (killed in battle) (b. 1554)
1616 – John Pitts, Catholic scholar and writer. (b. 1560)
1660 – Adrian Scrope, English regicide (b. 1601)
1673 – Thomas Clifford, 1st Baron Clifford of Chudleigh, English statesman (b. 1630)
1757 – René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur, French scientist (b. 1683)
1776 – Pierre François le Courayer, French theologian (b. 1681)
1780 – William Cookworthy, English chemist (b. 1705)
1786 – Johann Ludwig Aberli, Swiss artist (b. 1723)
1806 – Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Haitian independence leader (b. 1758)
1836 – Orest Kiprensky, Russian painter (b. 1782)
1837 – Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Austrian virtuoso pianist and composer (b. 1778)
1849 – Frédéric Chopin, Polish-French musician and composer (b. 1810)
1868 – Laura Secord, Canadian heroine of the war of 1812 (b. 1775)
1887 – Gustav Kirchhoff, German physicist (b. 1824)
1889 – Nikolai Chernyshevsky, Russian philosopher (b. 1828)
1910 – Julia Ward Howe, American composer and abolitionist (b. 1819)
1931 – Alfons Maria Jakob, German neurologist (b. 1884)
1934 – Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Spanish histologist and neuroscientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1852)
1938 – Karl Kautsky, Marxist theoretician (b. 1854)
1943 – Stefan Starzynski, Polish politician (b. 1893)
1956 – Anne Crawford, British film actor (b. 1920)
1958 – Charlie Townsend, English cricketer (b. 1876)
1958 – Paul Outerbridge, American photographer (b. 1896)
1962 – Natalia Goncharova, Russian painter (b. 1882)
1963 – Jacques Hadamard, French mathematician (b. 1865)
1965 – John Barton King, Philadelphian cricketer (b. 1873)
1966 – Wieland Wagner, German stage director (b. 1917)
1967 – Henry Pu Yi, last Emperor of China (b. 1906)
1970 – Pierre Laporte, Vice-Premier of Quebec (assassinated) (b. 1921)
1970 – Vola Vale, American actress (b. 1897)
1972 – Turk Broda, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1914)
1972 – Prince George of Yugoslavia (b. 1887)
1972 – Billy Williams, American singer (b. 1910)
1973 – Ingeborg Bachmann, Austrian writer (b. 1926)
1979 – S. J. Perelman, American writer (b. 1904)
1979 – John Stuart, Scottish actor (b. 1898)
1981 – Albert Cohen, Swiss author (b. 1895)
1983 – Raymond Aron, French philosopher (b. 1905)
1987 – Abdul Malek Ukil,Bangladeshi politician (b. 1925)
1991 – Tennessee Ernie Ford, American singer and television performer (b. 1919)
1992 – Herman Johannes, Indonesian professor, scientist and politician (b. 1912)
1992 – Orestis Laskos, Greek film director, screenwriter and actor (b. 1908)
1993 – Criss Oliva, American musician (Savatage) (b. 1963)
1996 – Chris Acland, English drummer (Lush) (b. 1966)
1998 – Joan Hickson, British actress (b. 1906)
1998 – Hakim Mohammed Said, Pakistani scholar and philanthropist (b. 1920)
1999 – Nicholas Metropolis, Greek-American mathematician, physicist and computer scientist (b. 1915)
2000 – Leo Nomellini, wrestler (b. 1924)
2001 – Jay Livingston, American songwriter (b. 1915)
2001 – Rehavam Zeevi, Israeli politician (b. 1926)
2002 – Derek Bell, Irish harpist (The Chieftans) (b. 1935)
2002 – Aileen Riggin, American swimmer (b. 1906)
2004 – Uzi Hitman, Israeli singer (b. 1952)
2005 – Ba Jin, Chinese writer (b. 1904)
2005 – Franky Gee, European techno artist (b. 1962)
2006 – Daniel Emilfork, French actor (b. 1924)
2006 – Christopher Glenn, American newscaster (b. 1938)
2007 – Joey Bishop, American entertainer, member of the Rat Pack (b. 1918)
2007 – Teresa Brewer, American pop and jazz singer (b. 1931)
2008 – Levi Stubbs, American baritone singer (Four Tops) (b. 1936)
Holidays and observances
R.C. Saints – Saint Ignatius of Antioch; translation of Saint Audrey (Æthelthryth); Saint Richard Gwyn; Saint Catervus; Saint Marguerite Marie Alacoque
Haiti – Death of Jean-Jacques Dessalines (1806), State holiday
French Republican Calendar – Aubergine (Eggplant) Day, twenty-sixth day in the Month of Vendémiaire
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
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