On this day in history
January 17
American
1893The Hawaiian monarchy is overthrown when American businessmen and U.S. Marines force Queen Liliuokalani to yie…
The Hawaiian monarchy is overthrown when American businessmen and U.S. Marines force Queen Liliuokalani to yield power.
Source: HistorIQly
1899Al Capone is born in Brooklyn, New York; he goes on to dominate organized crime in Chicago during Prohibition.
Al Capone is born in Brooklyn, New York; he goes on to dominate organized crime in Chicago during Prohibition.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
1991Operation Desert Storm begins as a U.S. led coalition launches air strikes against Iraq; it starts in the earl…
Operation Desert Storm begins as a U.S. led coalition launches air strikes against Iraq; it starts in the early hours of January 17 in Iraq, the evening of January 16 in the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
1920Prohibition takes effect across the United States under the Volstead Act; the Federal Judicial Center dates en…
Prohibition takes effect across the United States under the Volstead Act; the Federal Judicial Center dates enforcement to January 17, though many on this day lists give January 16.
Source: Federal Judicial Center
1961President Dwight Eisenhower delivers his farewell address, warning the nation about the military industrial co…
President Dwight Eisenhower delivers his farewell address, warning the nation about the military industrial complex.
Source: National Archives
1977Gary Gilmore is executed by firing squad in Utah, the first execution in the United States in nearly ten years…
Gary Gilmore is executed by firing squad in Utah, the first execution in the United States in nearly ten years after the Supreme Court restored the death penalty.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
1994The Northridge earthquake strikes the Los Angeles area, killing 57 people and causing tens of billions of doll…
The Northridge earthquake strikes the Los Angeles area, killing 57 people and causing tens of billions of dollars in damage.
Source: HistorIQly
1873The First Battle of the Stronghold is fought in the Modoc War, as U.S. Army troops attack Modoc defenders in t…
The First Battle of the Stronghold is fought in the Modoc War, as U.S. Army troops attack Modoc defenders in the lava beds of northern California.
Source: On This Day
1929Popeye the Sailor makes his first appearance in E.C. Segar's Thimble Theatre comic strip, debuting as a minor …
Popeye the Sailor makes his first appearance in E.C. Segar's Thimble Theatre comic strip, debuting as a minor character.
Source: Library of Congress
1984The Supreme Court rules 5 to 4 that home recording of TV shows on VCRs does not violate copyright law.
The Supreme Court rules 5 to 4 that home recording of TV shows on VCRs does not violate copyright law.
Source: On This Day
World
1912Robert Falcon Scott reaches the South Pole, discovering that Roald Amundsen's Norwegian team had arrived a mon…
Robert Falcon Scott reaches the South Pole, discovering that Roald Amundsen's Norwegian team had arrived a month earlier.
Source: Wikipedia
1945Soviet forces liberate Warsaw from German occupation during World War II.
Soviet forces liberate Warsaw from German occupation during World War II.
Source: Wikipedia
1377Pope Gregory XI returns the papacy to Rome from Avignon, ending the Avignon Papacy after nearly 70 years in Fr…
Pope Gregory XI returns the papacy to Rome from Avignon, ending the Avignon Papacy after nearly 70 years in France.
Source: HistorIQly
1562The Edict of Saint Germain grants limited religious tolerance to French Protestants, a brief concession before…
The Edict of Saint Germain grants limited religious tolerance to French Protestants, a brief concession before the Wars of Religion resume.
Source: HistorIQly
1773Captain James Cook crosses the Antarctic Circle during his second voyage, the first recorded crossing of the c…
Captain James Cook crosses the Antarctic Circle during his second voyage, the first recorded crossing of the circle.
Source: On This Day
1946The United Nations Security Council holds its first meeting in London.
The United Nations Security Council holds its first meeting in London.
Source: On This Day