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December 17 Events in History - December 17 Birthdays - December 17 Deaths
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December 17, 2004 President Bush signs the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Act of 2004 which reorganizes intelligence agencies and creates position of national security director December 17, 1995 "School after Scandal" closes at Lyceum Theater New York City after 23 performances December 17, 1994 KLM's last DC-10 goes out of service December 17, 1993 Bangladesh moslem call for murder of feminist Taslima Nasrin December 17, 1993 Kevin Scott skates world record 1000 m (1:12.54) December 17, 1993 Northern Exposure star Barry Corbin falls off his horse December 17, 1993 Tennis star Boris Becker (26) weds Barbara Feltus (27) December 17, 1992 "Christmas Carol" opens at Broadhurst Theater New York City for 22 performances December 17, 1992 Gen Suwa finds tooth of 4.4 million year old Australopithecus ramidus December 17, 1991 Cleveland Cavaliers beat Miami Heat 148-80, by record 68 pts December 17, 1991 NBA's most lopsided game Cleveland beats Miami 148-80 December 17, 1991 Patrick Manning becomes premier of Trinidad and Tobago December 17, 1991 Soap opera "One Life To Live" airs its 6,000th episode December 17, 1990 KTBN, Salt Lake City Utah, begins shortwave radio transmissions December 17, 1989 78th Davis Cup: Germany beats Sweden in Stuttgart (3-2) December 17, 1989 Brazil elects conservative Fernando Collor de Mello pres December 17, 1989 Michael Bevan scores cricket century on 1st-class debut (114 SA vs. WA) December 17, 1989 Patti Rizzo/Mike Hill wins LPGA Mazda Golf Championship December 17, 1988 77th Davis Cup: Germany beats Sweden in Gothenburg (4-1) December 17, 1988 Bryan Murray becomes 17th NHL coach to win 300 games (Washington Caps) December 17, 1988 New York Islanders break 12 game losing streak, beat Devils 5-2 December 17, 1988 USS Tennessee, 1st sub to carry Trident 2 missiles, commissioned December 17, 1988 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk U.S.S.R. December 17, 1987 Czechoslovak party leader Gustav Husak resigns December 17, 1986 U.S. Congress forms Irangate committee December 17, 1986 Mrs Davina Thompson makse medical history by having the 1st heart, lung and liver transplant (Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, England) December 17, 1984 New Jersey Devils 1st penalty shot-Rocky Trottier scores against Edmonton December 17, 1984 New Jersey Devils 1st shutout, Glenn Resch makes 42 saves beat Minn, 2-0 December 17, 1983 "Peg" closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater New York City after 5 performances December 17, 1983 Bomb attack on Harrod's war house in London, 5 killed, 94 injured December 17, 1983 Disco in Madrid catches fire; 83 die December 17, 1981 Members of Red Brigades kidnap Brig Gen James L Dozier December 17, 1980 Great Britain performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site December 17, 1980 Mauritania provisional constitution published December 17, 1979 Budweiser rocket car reaches 1190 kph December 17, 1978 OPEC raises oil prices 18% December 17, 1978 Referendum approves new constitution of Rwanda December 17, 1977 Bobby Simpson scores 176 Australia vs. India at the WACA, aged 41 December 17, 1977 Elvis Costello and The Attractions 1st U.S. TV appearance (SNL) December 17, 1977 France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island December 17, 1976 Superstation WTBS in Atlanta went national December 17, 1975 1st time New York Islanders shut-out New York Rangers, 3-0-Billy Smith's 5th December 17, 1975 John Paul Stevens appointed to Supreme Court December 17, 1975 Lynette Fromme sentenced to life for attempt on President Ford's life December 17, 1973 Arabs terrorists shoot passengers on Boeing 737 to Kuwait December 17, 1972 New line of control agreed to in Kashmir between India and Pakistan December 17, 1972 WGVC (now WUCX) TV channel 35 in Grand Rapids, MI (PBS) 1st broadcast December 17, 1971 "Diamonds are Forever" premieres in US December 17, 1971 Cease fire between India and Pakistan in Kashmir December 17, 1971 Radio Bangladesh begins transmitting December 17, 1970 Gdansk, Poland shipworkers strike December 17, 1970 U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site December 17, 1970 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk U.S.S.R. December 17, 1969 50m TV viewers saw singer Tiny Tim marry Miss Vicky, on Tonight Show December 17, 1969 USAF closes Project Blue Book, concluding no evidence of extraterrestrial spaceships behind thousands of UFO sightings December 17, 1967 WEDW TV channel 49 in Bridgeport, CT (PBS) begins broadcasting December 17, 1965 Astrodome opens, 1st event is Judy Garland and Supremes concert December 17, 1965 British government proclaims ends oil-embargo against Rhodesia December 17, 1965 David Levy begins his search for comets December 17, 1965 Dutch government shuts Limburgs coal mine December 17, 1965 Largest newspaper-Sunday New York Times at 946 pages (50 cents ) December 17, 1963 Tsjoi Doo Sun forms government in South Korea December 17, 1963 West and East Berlin sign accord about travel rules December 17, 1962 Beatles 1st British TV appearance (People and Places) December 17, 1962 Current constitution of Monaco promulgated December 17, 1961 Disgruntled employee set fire to a circus tent in Niteroi Brazil December 17, 1961 India seizes Goa and 2 other Portuguese colonies December 17, 1961 Niteroi Circus of Rio de Janeiro catches fire; 323 die December 17, 1960 "La Plume de Ma Tante" closes at Royale Theater New York City after 835 performances December 17, 1960 "Take Me Along" closes at Shubert Theater New York City after 448 performances December 17, 1960 Pablo Casals' oratorio "El Pesebrio," premieres December 17, 1959 "On The Beach," is 1st film to premiere on both sides of Iron Curtain December 17, 1959 1st movie opening simultaneously in major cities (On The Beach) December 17, 1957 US successfully test-fires Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile December 17, 1954 1st fully automated railroad freight yard (Gary, Indiana) December 17, 1954 WEAU TV channel 13 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin (NBC) begins broadcasting December 17, 1953 Dmitri Shostakovitch' 10th Symphony, premieres in Leningrad December 17, 1953 FCC approves RCA's black and white - compatible color TV specifications December 17, 1951 Dutch Communist Party members forbidden to be civil servants December 17, 1949 "Regina" closes at 46th St. Theater New York City after 86 performances December 17, 1949 Burma recognizes People's Republic of China December 17, 1947 NY struck by a blizzard, resulting with 27" of snow December 17, 1947 WEWS TV channel 5 in Cleveland, OH (ABC) begins broadcasting December 17, 1946 Bradman and Barnes complete 405 run 5th wkt stand, score 234 ea December 17, 1946 U.S. V-2 rocket reaches 183 km, White Sands Proving Grounds, NM December 17, 1944 Green Bay Packers win NFL championship December 17, 1944 Japanese-Americans released from detention camps December 17, 1944 M-Ocean View streetcar resumes service and is extended to Market St December 17, 1944 U.S. Army announces end of excluding Jap-Americans from West Coast December 17, 1944 US destroyers sink in storm off Philippines, 790 killed December 17, 1943 Transport 63 departs with French Jews to nazi-Germany December 17, 1942 Allies in London sentence German war criminals December 17, 1941 Dutch and Australian troops lands on Portuguese-Timor December 17, 1941 German submarine U-31 sunk December 17, 1941 German troops led by Rommel begin retreating in North Africa December 17, 1940 British troops occupies Sollum December 17, 1939 German pocket battleship Graf Spee scuttled by its crew off Uruguay December 17, 1938 Utrecht Central Station destroyed by fire December 17, 1936 Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and dummy Charlie McCarthy, appear on TV December 17, 1933 B H Valentine scores 133 on Test Cricket debut, Eng vs. India at Bombay December 17, 1933 Lala Amarnath scores century on Test Cricket debut (went on to 118) December 17, 1933 Spain's 2nd Government of Lerroux forms December 17, 1933 NFL starts official stats as Bears beat Giants 23-21 in champ game December 17, 1932 Cards trade Jim Bottomley to Reds for Estel Crabtree and Ownie Carroll December 17, 1928 John McGraw backs NL President John Heydler's designated hitter idea December 17, 1927 Bradman scores 118 on 1st-class cricket debut, 188 mins 8 fours December 17, 1927 U.S. submarine 'S-4' sinks after collision kills all 34 aboard December 17, 1927 Victoria score 793 against Queensland, Bill Ponsford 437 December 17, 1926 German Marx government falls due to cooperation with red army December 17, 1926 KYA-AM in San Francisco, California begins radio transmissions December 17, 1926 Lithuanian military state under gen Augustine Woldemaras December 17, 1925 Col William "Billy" Mitchell court-martial for insubordination December 17, 1925 Russia and Turkey sign non-aggresion pact December 17, 1924 1st U.S. diesel electric locomotive enters service, Bronx, New York December 17, 1923 Greek king George II overthrown by army/republic December 17, 1922 Last British troops leave Ireland Freestate December 17, 1920 AL votes to let spitball pitchers to continue using it December 17, 1920 British Empire receives League of Nations mandate to Nauru December 17, 1920 Japan receives League of Nations mandate over Pacific islands December 17, 1920 South Africa receives League of Nations mandate over SW Africa December 17, 1919 Austria parliament approves 8-hour day December 17, 1914 Austrian troops beat Russians in Limanova Poland December 17, 1914 Great Britain declares Egypt a protectorate December 17, 1914 Jews are expelled from Tel Aviv by Turkish authorities December 17, 1909 Leopold II, king of Belgium, buried in Brussels December 17, 1907 Ugyen Wangchuck became 1st hereditary king of Bhutan December 17, 1903 At 10:35 AM, 1st sustained motorized aircraft flight (Orville Wright) December 17, 1902 Frank Wedekind's "Der Erdgeist," premieres in Berlin December 17, 1900 1st prize of 100,00 francs offered for communications with extraterrestrials. Martians excluded-considered too easy December 17, 1900 New Ellis Island Immigration station completed costing $1.5 million December 17, 1895 Anti-Saloon League of America formed, Washington, D.C. December 17, 1895 George Brownell patents a machine to make paper twine (Mass) December 17, 1894 Cricket day 3 1T Aus vs. Eng Eng 325 all out, 261 behind on 1st inn December 17, 1893 Russia ratifies Duple Alliance with France December 17, 1892 Tsjaikovski's ballet "Casse-noisette," premieres in St. Petersburg December 17, 1887 Georges Feydeaus' "Tailleur Pour Dames" premieres in Paris December 17, 1885 France declares Madagascar a protectorate December 17, 1875 Violent bread riots in Montreal December 17, 1865 Franz Schubert's "Unvolendete" Symphony," premieres December 17, 1864 Battle of Franklin, TN December 17, 1862 Gen U.S. Grant issues order #11, expelling Jews from Tennessee December 17, 1860 Anaheim Township created in Los Angeles County December 17, 1852 1st Hawaiian cavalry organized December 17, 1832 HMS Beagle/Charles Darwin sails in Strait Le Maire December 17, 1821 Kentucky abolishes debtors prisons December 17, 1819 Congress of Angostura establishes Colombia's independence from Spain December 17, 1798 1st impeachment trial against a U.S. senator (Wm Blount, TN) begins December 17, 1792 Opening of 1st legislative assembly of Lower Canada in Quebec city December 17, 1791 New York City traffic regulation creates 1st 1-way street December 17, 1790 Aztec calendar stone discovered in Mexico City December 17, 1788 Russian army of Grigorij Potemkin occupies Ocharov December 17, 1777 France recognizes independence of English colonies in America December 17, 1777 George Washingtons army returns to Valley Forge Pa December 17, 1745 Bonnie Prince Charles army retreats to Scotland December 17, 1728 Congregation Shearith Israel of New York purchases a lot on Mill Street in lower Manhattan, to build New York's 1st synagogue December 17, 1718 England declares war on Spain December 17, 1638 French/Swedish troops occupy Breisach on the Rhine December 17, 1587 Earl Leicesters army leaves Netherlands December 17, 1572 Spanish army begins fires in Haarlem Netherlands December 17, 1538 Pope Paul III excommunicated England's King Henry VIII December 17, 1526 Ferdinand of Austria chosen as King of Bohemia December 17, 1526 Pope Clemens VII publishes degree Cum ad zero - forms Inquisition December 17, 283 St. Gaius begins his reign as Catholic Pope |