# What happened on May 17 in history?

**Date:** May 17  
**Events recorded:** 60  
**Years spanned:** 352 – 2014  
**Full page:** https://thisday.info/events/may/17/

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## Featured Event

**2000** — Arsenal and Galatasaray fans clash in the 2000 UEFA Cup Final riots in Copenhagen.

[Read more on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenal_F.C.)

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## Events on this date

- **352** — Election of Pope Liberius following the death of Pope Julius I in the previous month. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Liberius))
- **884** — Election of Pope Hadrian III following the death of Pope Marinus I earlier that month. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Adrian_III))
- **1395** — Battle of Rovine: The Wallachians defeat an invading Ottoman army. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rovine))
- **1521** — Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for treason. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Stafford%2C_3rd_Duke_of_Buckingham))
- **1527** — Pánfilo de Narváez departs Spain to explore Florida with 600 men – by 1536 only four survive. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A1nfilo_de_Narv%C3%A1ez))
- **1536** — George Boleyn, 2nd Viscount Rochford and four other men are executed for treason. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Boleyn%2C_Viscount_Rochford))
- **1536** — Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn's marriage is annulled. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VIII))
- **1590** — Anne of Denmark is crowned Queen of Scotland. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_of_Denmark))
- **1639** — The treaty of Zuhab ends the fifteen-year-long war between the Ottomans and the Safavids. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Zuhab))
- **1642** — Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve founds the Ville Marie de Montréal. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_de_Chomedey%2C_Sieur_de_Maisonneuve))
- **1648** — An allied French and Swedish army defeats Imperial and Bavarian forces in the Battle of Zusmarshausen. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Zusmarshausen))
- **1673** — Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette begin exploring the Mississippi River. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Jolliet))
- **1756** — Seven Years' War formally begins when Great Britain declares war on France. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Years'_War))
- **1760** — French forces besieging Quebec retreat after the Royal Navy arrives to relieve the British garrison. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Quebec_(1760)))
- **1792** — The New York Stock Exchange is formed under the Buttonwood Agreement. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Stock_Exchange))
- **1805** — Muhammad Ali becomes Wāli of Egypt. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali_of_Egypt))
- **1809** — Emperor Napoleon I orders the annexation of the Papal States to the French Empire. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon))
- **1814** — Occupation of Monaco changes from French to Austrian. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_occupation))
- **1814** — The Constitution of Norway is signed and Crown Prince Christian Frederick of Denmark is elected King of Norway by the Norwegian Constituent Assembly. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Norway))
- **1859** — Members of the Melbourne Football Club codify the first rules of Australian rules football. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne_Football_Club))
- **1863** — Rosalía de Castro publishes Cantares Gallegos, the first book in the Galician language. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosal%C3%ADa_de_Castro))
- **1863** — American Civil War: During the Vicksburg campaign, Union forces under John A. McClernand defeat a Confederate rearguard and capture around 1,700 men at the Battle of Big Black River Bridge. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War))
- **1865** — The International Telegraph Union (later the International Telecommunication Union) is established in Paris. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Telecommunication_Union))
- **1875** — Aristides wins the first Kentucky Derby with the jockey Oliver Lewis (2:37.75). ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristides_(horse)))
- **1900** — The children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, is first published in the United States. The first copy is given to the author's sister. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wonderful_Wizard_of_Oz))
- **1902** — Greek archaeologist Valerios Stais discovers the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient mechanical analog computer. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerios_Stais))
- **1914** — The Protocol of Corfu is signed, recognising full autonomy to Northern Epirus under nominal Albanian sovereignty. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protocol_of_Corfu))
- **1915** — The last British Liberal Party government (led by H. H. Asquith) falls. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Party_(UK)))
- **1933** — Vidkun Quisling and Johan Bernhard Hjort form Nasjonal Samling — the national-socialist party of Norway. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vidkun_Quisling))
- **1937** — Spanish Civil War: The Largo Caballero government resigns in the wake of the Barcelona May Days, leading Juan Negrín to form a government, without the anarcho-syndicalist CNT, in its stead. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Civil_War))
- **1939** — The Columbia Lions and the Princeton Tigers play in the United States' first televised sporting event, a collegiate baseball game in New York City. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Lions))
- **1940** — World War II: Germany occupies Brussels, Belgium. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II))
- **1943** — World War II: Dambuster Raids commence by No. 617 Squadron RAF. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Chastise))
- **1953** — Delta Air Lines Flight 318 crashes near Marshall, Texas, killing 19. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Air_Lines_Flight_318))
- **1954** — The United States Supreme Court hands down a unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, outlawing racial segregation in public schools. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States))
- **1959** — In Cuba, the First Agrarian Reform Law – a cornerstone of the Cuban Revolution – is signed by Fidel Castro, aiming to eliminate large foreign-owned estates and redistribute land to over 100,000 peasants. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrarian_reforms_in_Cuba))
- **1967** — Six-Day War: President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt demands dismantling of the peace-keeping UN Emergency Force in Egypt. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-Day_War))
- **1969** — Venera program: Soviet Venera 6 begins its descent into the atmosphere of Venus, sending back atmospheric data before being crushed by pressure. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venera_program))
- **1973** — Watergate scandal: Televised hearings begin in the United States Senate. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_scandal))
- **1974** — The Troubles: Thirty-three civilians are killed and 300 injured when the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) detonates four car bombs in Dublin and Monaghan, Ireland. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Troubles))
- **1974** — Police in Los Angeles raid the Symbionese Liberation Army's headquarters, killing six members, including Camilla Hall. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Police_Department))
- **1977** — Nolan Bushnell opens the first Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre (later renamed Chuck E. Cheese) in San Jose, California. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nolan_Bushnell))
- **1980** — General Chun Doo-hwan of South Korea seizes control of the government and declares martial law in order to suppress student demonstrations. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chun_Doo-hwan))
- **1980** — On the eve of presidential elections, Maoist guerrilla group Shining Path attacks a polling location in Chuschi (a town in Ayacucho), starting the Internal conflict in Peru. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maoism))
- **1980** — Rioting breaks out in downtown Miami, following the acquittal of four white police officers in the killing of Arthur McDuffie, a black insurance salesman. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_Miami_riots))
- **1983** — The U.S. Department of Energy declassifies documents showing world's largest mercury pollution event in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (ultimately found to be 4.2 million pounds [1.9 kt]), in response to the Appalachian Observer's Freedom of Information Act request. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Energy))
- **1983** — Lebanon, Israel, and the United States sign an agreement on Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanon))
- **1984** — Prince Charles calls a proposed addition to the National Gallery, London, a "monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant friend", sparking controversies on the proper role of the Royal Family and the course of modern architecture. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_III))
- **1987** — Iran–Iraq War: An Iraqi Dassault Mirage F1 fighter jet fires two missiles into the U.S. Navy warship USS Stark, killing 37 and injuring 21 of her crew. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War))
- **1990** — The General Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) eliminates homosexuality from the list of psychiatric diseases. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Health_Organization))
- **1992** — Three days of popular protests against the government of Prime Minister of Thailand Suchinda Kraprayoon begin in Bangkok, leading to a military crackdown that results in 52 officially confirmed deaths, hundreds of injuries, many disappearances, and more than 3,500 arrests. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_May_(Thailand)))
- **1994** — Malawi holds its first multi-party elections. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malawi))
- **1995** — Shawn Nelson steals an M60 tank from the California Army National Guard Armory in San Diego and proceeds to go on a rampage. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_San_Diego_tank_rampage))
- **1997** — Troops of Laurent-Désiré Kabila march into Kinshasa. Zaire is officially renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurent-D%C3%A9sir%C3%A9_Kabila))
- **2000** — Arsenal and Galatasaray fans clash in the 2000 UEFA Cup Final riots in Copenhagen. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenal_F.C.))
- **2004** — The first legal same-sex marriages in the U.S. are performed in the state of Massachusetts. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage))
- **2006** — The aircraft carrier USS Oriskany is sunk in the Gulf of Mexico as an artificial reef. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Oriskany))
- **2007** — Trains from North and South Korea cross the 38th Parallel in a test-run agreed by both governments. This is the first time that trains have crossed the Demilitarized Zone since 1953. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korea))
- **2010** — Pamir Airways Flight 112 crashes in Afghanistan's Shakardara District, killing 44. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamir_Airways_Flight_112))
- **2014** — A military plane crash in northern Laos kills 17 people. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Lao_People's_Liberation_Army_Air_Force_An-74_crash))

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## Notable births on May 17

- **1994** — **Julie Anne San Jose** — Filipina singer-songwriter ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Anne_San_Jose))
- **1991** — **Johanna Konta** — Australian-English tennis player ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johanna_Konta))
- **1991** — **Adil Omar** — Pakistani rapper and music producer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adil_Omar))
- **1991** — **Abigail Raye** — Canadian field hockey player ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abigail_Raye))
- **1990** — **Will Clyburn** — American basketball player ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Clyburn))
- **1990** — **Fabian Giefer** — German footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabian_Giefer))
- **1990** — **Charlie Gubb** — New Zealand rugby league player ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Gubb))
- **1990** — **Katrina Hart** — English runner ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katrina_Hart))
- **1990** — **Guido Pella** — Argentine tennis player ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guido_Pella))
- **1989** — **Mose Masoe** — New Zealand rugby league player ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mose_Masoe))

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## Notable deaths on May 17

- **2024** — **Bud Anderson** — American World War II flying ace (born 1922) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_Anderson))
- **2024** — **Sid Going** — New Zealand rugby union footballer (born 1943) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sid_Going))
- **2022** — **Vangelis** — Greek musician, composer (born 1943) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vangelis))
- **2020** — **Lucky Peterson** — American blues singer, keyboardist and guitarist (born 1964) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucky_Peterson))
- **2019** — **Herman Wouk** — American author (born 1915) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Wouk))
- **2017** — **Todor Veselinović** — Serbian football player and manager (born 1930) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todor_Veselinovi%C4%87))
- **2015** — **Lionel Pickens** — American rapper (born 1983) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinx))
- **2014** — **Gerald Edelman** — American biologist and immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1929) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Edelman))
- **2014** — **C. P. Krishnan Nair** — Indian businessman, founded The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts (born 1922) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._P._Krishnan_Nair))
- **2014** — **Douangchay Phichit** — Laotian politician (born 1944) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douangchay_Phichit))

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## About this page

This is a machine-readable Markdown summary of [thisday.info/events/may/17/](https://thisday.info/events/may/17/).  
Historical data is sourced from [Wikipedia/Wikimedia](https://www.wikipedia.org) under [CC BY-SA](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).  
Editorial framing and site content © thisday.info.