17 April is the 107th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (108th in Leap Year s). There are 258 days remaining.
- 69 - After the First Battle Of Bedriacum , Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor .
- 1397 - Geoffrey Chaucer tells the Canterbury Tales for the first time at the court of Richard II . Chaucer scholars have also identified this date (in 1387 ) as when the book's Pilgrimage to Canterbury starts.
- 1492 - Spain and Christopher Columbus sign a contract for him to sail to Asia to get Spice s.
- 1521 - Martin Luther speaks to the assembly at the Diet Of Worms , refusing to recant his Teachings .
- 1524 - Giovanni Da Verrazano reaches New York harbor.
- secedes from the Union .
- begins – Confederate forces attack Plymouth, North Carolina .
- 1865 - Mary Surratt is arrested as a conspirator in the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln .
- 1895 - The Treaty Of Maguan (also known as the " Treaty Of Shimonoseki ") between China and Japan is signed. This marks the end of the first Sino-Japanese War , and the defeated Qing Empire is forced to renounce its claims on Korea and to concede the southern portion of the Fengtien Province , Taiwan and the Pescadores Islands to Japan .
- 1924 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios is formed from a merger of Metro Pictures , Goldwyn Pictures , and the Louis B. Mayer Company .
- 1935 - Sun Myung Moon claims to have a revelation from Jesus telling him to complete his mission from almost 2000 years ago.
- 1937 - Daffy Duck debuts in Warner Bros ' short '' Porky's Duck Hunt ''.
- surrenders to Germany .
- 1942 - POW French General Henri Giraud escapes from his castle prison in Festung Königstein .
- 1945 - In Strassfurt , Germany , U.S. Lieutenant Colonel Boris T. Pash seizes half a ton of Uranium , in an attempt to foil Soviet Union plans to build an Atomic Bomb .
- -financed and -trained Cuba n refugees lands at the Bay Of Pigs in Cuba with the aim of ousting Fidel Castro .
- 1964 - The Ford Motor Company unveils the Ford Mustang at the New York World's Fair .
- 1964 - Jerrie Mock becomes the first woman to circumnavigate the world by air.
- 1969 - Sirhan Sirhan is convicted of assassinating Robert F. Kennedy .
- 1969 - Czechoslovak Communist Party chairman Alexander Dubček is deposed.
- spacecraft returns to Earth safely.
- captures the capital Phnom Penh and Cambodia n government forces surrender.
- 1976 - During his unsuccessful re-election bid, U.S. President Gerald Ford appears as himself on '' Saturday Night Live ''.
- 1982 - Patriation of the Canadian Constitution in Ottawa by Proclamation of Queen Elizabeth II , Queen Of Canada .
- 1984 - Police Constable Yvonne Fletcher is killed by automatic gunfire coming from the Libyan People's Bureau in central London . She had been policing a small demonstration outside the embassy. Ten other people are wounded. The events lead to an 11-day Siege of the building.
- 1986 - Treaty signed, ending Three Hundred And Thirty Five Years' War between the Netherlands and the Isles Of Scilly .
- 1991 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 3,000 for the First Time Ever gaining 17.58 to 3,004.46.
- 2002 - Four Canadian Forces soldiers are killed in Afghanistan by Friendly Fire from two U.S. Air Force F-16 s, the first deaths in a combat zone for Canada since the Korean War .
- 1278 - Michael IX Palaeologus , co-ruling Eastern Roman Emperor (d. 1320 )
- 1573 - Maximilian I, Elector Of Bavaria (d. 1651 )
- 1586 - John Ford , English dramatist
- 1598 - Giovanni Riccioli , Italian astronomer (d. 1671 )
- 1710 - Henry Erskine, 10th Earl Of Buchan , British Freemason (d. 1767 )
- 1734 - Taksin , King of Thailand (d. 1782 )
- 1794 - Carl Friedrich Philipp Von Martius , German botanist (d. 1868 )
- 1837 - J.P. Morgan , American financier, art collector, and philanthropist (d. 1913 )
- 1842 - Maurice Rouvier , French statesman (d. 1911 )
- 1863 - Augustus Edward Hough Love , English mathematician (d. 1940 )
- 1866 - Ernest Starling , British physiologist (d. 1927 )
- 1882 - Artur Schnabel , Polish pianist (d. 1951 )
- 1885 - Isak Dinesen , Danish author (d. 1962 )
- 1890 - Art Acord , American actor and rodeo rider (d. 1931 )
- 1894 - Nikita Khrushchev , Premier Of The Soviet Union (d. 1971 )
- 1897 - Thornton Wilder , American dramatist (d. 1975 )
- 1902 - Jaime Torres Bodet , Mexican writer, politician, and diplomat (d. 1974 )
- 1903 - Gregor Piatigorsky , Russian cellist (d. 1976 )
- 1903 - Morgan Taylor , American athlete (d. 1975 )
- 1915 - Joe Foss , American soldier and politician (d. 2003 )
- 1916 - Helenio Herrera , French footballer player and manager (d. 1997 )
- 1917 - Bill Clements , Governor of Texas
- 1918 - William Holden , American actor (d. 1981 )
- 1923 - Lindsay Anderson , English film director (d. 1994 )
- 1923 - Harry Reasoner , American journalist (d. 1991 )
- 1926 - Gerry McNeil , Canadian hockey player (d. 2004 )
- 1929 - James Last , German band leader
- 1934 - Don Kirshner , American television producer and composer
- 1938 - Ben Barnes , Lieutenant Governor of Texas
- 1940 - Anja Silja , German soprano
- 1946 - Georges J.F. Kohler , German biologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize In Physiology Or Medicine (d. 1995 )
- 1947 - Linda Martin , Irish singer and Eurovision Song Contest winner
- 1948 - Jan Hammer , Czech composer
- 1950 - Bruce McNall , American former NHL team owner
- 1951 - Olivia Hussey , Argentine-born actress
- 1952 - Zeljko Raznatovic , Serbian Warlord
- 1954 - Riccardo Patrese , Italian race car driver
- 1954 - "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (Roderick Toombs) , Canadian professional wrestler and actor
- 1954 - Michael Sembello , American musician
- 1957 - Nick Hornby , English author
- 1959 - Sean Bean , English actor
- 1961 - Boomer Esiason , American football player
- 1963 - Joel Murray , American actor
- 1964 - Maynard James Keenan , American singer ( Tool and A Perfect Circle )
- 1967 - Marquis Grissom , American baseball player
- 1967 - Liz Phair , American musician/songwriter
- 1969 - Henry Ian Cusick , Peruvian-born actor
- 1972 - Muttiah Muralitharan , Sri Lankan Cricket player
- 1972 - Tony Boselli , American football player
- 1972 - Jennifer Garner , American actress
- 1974 - Victoria Beckham , English singer
- 1974 - Mikael Åkerfeldt , Swedish singer and guitarist ( Opeth )
- 1977 - Sizzla , Jamaican dancehall artist
- 1977 - Chad Hedrick , American speed skater
- 1978 - Jordan Hill , American singer
- 326 - Alexander , Patriarch Of Alexandria
- 487 - Proclus , Greek philosopher (b. 412 )
- 1080 - King Harald III Of Denmark (b. 1041 )
- 1427 - John IV, Duke Of Brabant (b. 1403 )
- 1539 - George, Duke Of Saxony (b. 1471 )
- 1574 - Joachim Camerarius , German classical scholar (b. 1500 )
- 1695 - Sor Juana , Mexican writer
- 1696 - Marie De Rabutin-Chantal, Marquise De Sévigné , French writer (b. 1626 )
- 1711 - Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1678 )
- 1742 - Arvid Horn , Swedish statesman (b. 1664 )
- 1761 - Thomas Bayes , English mathematician
- 1764 - Johann Mattheson , German composer (b. 1681 )
- 1790 - Benjamin Franklin , American politician, inventor, diplomat, and printer (b. 1706 )
- 1799 - Richard Jupp , English architect (b. 1728 )
- 1843 - Samuel Morey , American inventor (b. 1762 )
- 1891 - Alexander Mackenzie , second Prime Minister Of Canada (b. 1822 )
- 1936 - Charles Ruijs De Beerenbrouck , Dutch prime minister (b. 1873 )
- 1941 - Al Bowlly , British dance band vocalist (b. 1899 )
- 1942 - Jean Perrin , French physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1870 )
- 1944 - J.T. Hearne English cricketer (b. 1867 )
- 1960 - Eddie Cochran , American musician (b. 1938 )
- 1967 - Red Allen , American jazz trumpeter (b. 1908 )
- 1975 - Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan , Indian philosopher (b. 1888 )
- 1976 - Henrik Dam , Dutch biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize In Physiology Or Medicine (b. 1895 )
- 1977 - William Cardinal Conway , Northern Irish clergyman (b. 1913 )
- 1988 - Louise Nevelson , American sculptor (b. 1900 )
- 1990 - Reverend Ralph Abernathy , American civil rights activist (b. 1936 )
- 1994 - Roger Wolcott Sperry , American neurobiologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize In Physiology Or Medicine (b. 1913 )
- 1997 - Allan Francovich , American documentary-film makers ('' The Maltese Double Cross – Lockerbie '' and '' Gladio '')
- 1998 - Linda McCartney , American photographer, activist, and musician (b. 1941 )
- 2003 - Dr. Robert Atkins , American diet doctor (b. 1930 )
- 2003 - Paul Getty , American-born philanthropist (b. 1932 )
- 2003 - Earl King , American musician and songwriter (b. 1934 )
- 2004 - Edmond Pidoux , Swiss writer (b. 1908 )
- 2004 - Soundarya , Indian actress (b. 1971 )
April 16 - April 18 - March 17 - May 17 -- Listing Of All Days
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