Historical Events on October 17
- 1662: Dunkirk is sold to France for forty thousand pounds by Charles II of England.
- 1777: During the American Revolutionary War, British General John Burgoyne surrenders at Saratoga, New York.
- 1781: British General Earl Cornwallis surrenders at the Siege of Yorktown during the American Revolutionary War.
- 1814: During the London Beer Flood, 8-people die.
- 1917: During WWI, the British do the first bombing of Germany.
- 1919: The Radio Corporation of America is incorporated on this day.
- 1931: The notorious gangster Al Capone is convicted of income tax evasion.
- 1933: Albert Einstein and his wife leave Nazi Germany to live in the United States.
- 1943: Nazi extermination camp Sobibor is closed on this day.
- 1966: A raging fire at a New York City building ends up killing 12 firefighters on this day. That would make this the single deadliest day for the NY Fire Department until the Sept 11. attacks.
- 1979: The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to Mother Teresa on this day.
Famous Birthdays on October 17
- American illustrator and author Jerry Siegel is born in 1914.
- American screenwriter and playwright Arthur Miller is born in 1915.
- American painter and sculptor Adele Stimmel Chase is born in 1917.
- American actress and singer Marsha Hunt is born in 1917.
- American actor Montgomery Clift is born in 1920.
- Scottish author, poet and playwright, George Mackay Brown is born in 1921.
- American motorcycle stuntman Evel Knievel is born in 1938.
- Australian poet and critic Les Murray is born in 1938.
- American pianist and conductor Stephen Kovacevich is born in 1940.
- American drummer Michael Hossack is born in 1946.
- American actor, director and comedian, Michael McKean is born in 1947.
- American singer-songwriter Chris Kirkpatrick is born in 1971.
- American rapper, actor and producer, Eminem is born in 1972.
- English actor Matthew Macfayden is born in 1974.
- American actor Alimi Ballard is born in 1977.