Historical Events on May 17

  • 1875: The first Kentucky Derby is won by Aristides – an American thoroughbred that was trained by Ansel Williamson.
  • 1900: The city of Mafeking, South Africa is relieved by British troops after a 217-day siege during the Second Boer War.
  • 1902: The Antikythera mechanism – an ancient Greek analog computer – is discovered by archaeologist Valerios Stais.
  • 1940: The city of Brussels in Belgium is occupied by German forces during World War 2.
  • 1943: The attack on German dams known as the Dambuster Raids continues during World War II.
  • 1954: In the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, the U.S Supreme Court hands down a unanimous decision.
  • 1973: During the Watergate Scandal, televised hearings start in the U.S Senate.
  • 1974: 6 people are killed when L.A police officers raid the Symbionese Liberation Army’s HQ; Among those dead was Camilla Hall.
  • 1977: The first Chuck E. Cheese restaurant is opened by Nolan Bushnell in San Jose, California.
  • 1990: Homosexuality is removed from the list of psychiatric diseases by the General Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO).
  • 1995: An M60 tank is stolen from the California Army National Guard Armory is San Diego, California by Shawn Nelson. He would take the tank on a 23-minute rampage as police chased him. He was eventually shot and killed by officers after the tank became stuck on a median.
  • 2004: In the state of Massachusetts in the United States, the first U.S same-sex marriages are performed.
  • 2014: 17 people are killed during a plane crash in Laos.

Famous Birthdays on May 17

  • Norwegian chemist and Nobel Prize laureate, Odd Hassel is born in 1897.
  • French author Marie-Anne Desmarest is born in 1904.
  • American boxer Sugar Ray Leonard is born in 1956.
  • American comedian and actor, Bob Saget is born in 1956.
  • Scottish-American comedian, actor and talk show host, Craig Ferguson is born in 1962.
  • American singer-songwriter Trent Reznor is born in 1965.