On this day: March 17th
There are many and several events on this day in history. Read and discover what happened on this day: On this day: March 17th
On this day: March 17th
Events On this day: March 17th
- 1756: St. Patrick’s Day is first celebrated in New York.
- 1776: Early in the American Revolutionary War, the British completed their evacuation of Boston following a successful siege conducted by Patriots. The event is still commemorated in Boston as Evacuation Day.
- 1845: The rubber band is invented.
- 1861: The Kingdom of Italy is proclaimed.
- 1941: The National Gallery of Art opens in Washington. D.C.. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt opened the gallery, which today houses one of the world’s finest art collections.
- 1959: The Dalai Lama flees Tibet for India. Followers and advisers of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, feared for his life after a revolt had erupted in Lhasa against the Chinese.
- 1969: Golda Meir becomes Prime Minister of Israel.
- 1973: The photograph known as Burst of Joy is taken. Photographer Slava Veder was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for the image depicting a former U.S. prisoner of war being reunited with his family.
- 1992: Apartheid in South Africa comes to an end. In a referendum, 68.7% of white South Africans voted for an abolishment of racial segregation in the country.
Birthdays on this day: March 17th
- 1777: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Roger B. Taney (1777-1864) was born in Calvert County, Maryland
- 1834: Gottlieb Daimler (German engineer, businessman, co-founded Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft)
- 1883: Urmuz (Romanian judge, author)
- 1902: Bobby Jones (Golfer)
- 1919: Nat King Cole (Singer)
- 1948: William Gibson (American/Canadian author)
- 1951: Kurt Russell (Actor)
- 1955: Gary Sinise (Actor)
- 1964: Rob Lowe (Actor)
- 1967: Billy Corgan (American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer)
- 1972: Mia Hamm (Soccer Player)
- 1997: Katie Ledecky (Olympic Swimmer)
Deaths on this day: March 17th
- 180: Marcus Aurelius (Roman emperor)
- 460: Saint Patrick (Irish missionary, bishop)
- 1956: Fred Allen (American comedian, actor, radio host)
- 2005: George F. Kennan (American historian, diplomat, and United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union)
- 2006: Oleg Cassini (French/American fashion designer)
Read also: On this day: March 16th