Did you know
The Luna programme was a series of robotic spacecraft missions sent to the Moon by the Soviet Union between 1959 and 1976.
November 17 in History
1970 — Luna programme: The Soviet Union lands Lunokhod 1 on Mare Imbrium (Sea of Rains) on the Moon
This is the first roving remote-controlled robot to land on another world and is released by the orbiting Luna 17 spacecraft.
November 17 spans 58 recorded events across recorded history, from 887 to 2019. Below is a curated digest of the most significant moments tied to this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
Historical Events
58 events
887 – 2019
Today in history
More major events on November 17
The featured story and these ranked highlights form a quick summary. Every recorded event remains available in the chronology below.
- 1811 José Miguel Carrera, Chilean founding father, is sworn in as President of the executive Junta of the government of Chile. Source
- 1878 First assassination attempt against Umberto I of Italy by anarchist Giovanni Passannante, who was armed with a dagger. The King survived with a slight wound in an arm. Prime Minister Benedetto Cairoli blocked the aggressor, receiving an injury in a leg. Source
- 1967 Vietnam War: Acting on optimistic reports that he had been given on November 13, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson tells the nation that, while much remained to be done, "We are inflicting greater losses than we're taking...We are making progress." Source
Did you know
The programme accomplished many firsts in space exploration, including the first flyby of the Moon and the first impact of the Moon.
Did you know
The Luna programme also included the first photos of the far side of the Moon, a significant achievement in space exploration.
Did you know
Each mission in the Luna programme was designed as either an orbiter or lander, with the ability to perform various experiments.
Did you know
The Soviet Union's Luna programme ended in 1976, after successfully completing numerous missions to the Moon and expanding humanity's knowledge of space.
887
Emperor Charles the Fat is deposed by the Frankish magnates in an assembly at Frankfurt, leading his nephew, Arnulf of Carinthia, to declare himself king of the East Frankish Kingdom in late November.
Carolingian emperor from 881 to 887
1183
Genpei War: The Battle of Mizushima takes place off the Japanese coast, where Minamoto no Yoshinaka's invasion force is intercepted and defeated by the Taira clan.
1183 naval battle of the Genpei War
1405
Sharif ul-Hāshim establishes the Sultanate of Sulu.
1st Sultan of the Sulu Sultanate from 1405 to 1480
1494
French King Charles VIII occupies Florence, Italy.
King of France from 1483 to 1498
1511
Henry VIII of England concludes the Treaty of Westminster, a pledge of mutual aid against the French, with Ferdinand II of Aragon.
King of England from 1509 to 1547
1558
Elizabethan era begins: Queen Mary I of England dies and is succeeded by her half-sister Elizabeth I.
Epoch in English history (1558–1603)
1603
English explorer, writer and courtier Sir Walter Raleigh goes on trial for treason.
Person in attendance of a royal court
1775
The city of Kuopio, Finland (belonging to Sweden at this time) is founded by King Gustav III of Sweden.
City in North Savo, Finland
1777
Articles of Confederation (United States) are submitted to the states for ratification.
First constitution of the United States from 1781 to 1789
1796
French Revolutionary Wars: Battle of the Bridge of Arcole: French forces defeat the Austrians in Italy.
1792–1802 wars
1800
The United States Congress holds its first session in Washington, D.C.
Bicameral legislature of the United States
1810
Sweden declares war on its ally the United Kingdom to begin the Anglo-Swedish War, although no fighting ever takes place.
Theoretical state of war between Sweden and UK in Napoleonic times
1811
José Miguel Carrera, Chilean founding father, is sworn in as President of the executive Junta of the government of Chile.
Chilean military officer; independence leader (1785–1821)
1820
Captain Nathaniel Palmer becomes the first American to see Antarctica.
(The Palmer Peninsula is later named after him.)
1831
1837
An earthquake in Valdivia, south-central Chile, causes a tsunami that leads to significant destruction along Japan's coast.
Earthquake and tsunami in Chile
1856
American Old West: On the Sonoita River in present-day southern Arizona, the United States Army establishes Fort Buchanan in order to help control new land acquired in the Gadsden Purchase.
Historical region of Western United States, c. 1607–1912
1858
1863
American Civil War: Siege of Knoxville begins: During the Knoxville campaign, Confederate forces under General James Longstreet besiege the city of Knoxville, Tennessee and its Union defenders led by General Ambrose Burnside.
1861–1865 conflict in the United States
1869
In Egypt, the Suez Canal, linking the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea, is inaugurated.
Country in North Africa
1878
First assassination attempt against Umberto I of Italy by anarchist Giovanni Passannante, who was armed with a dagger.
The King survived with a slight wound in an arm. Prime Minister Benedetto Cairoli blocked the aggressor, receiving an injury in a leg.
1885
Serbo-Bulgarian War: The decisive Battle of Slivnitsa begins.
1885 war between Serbia and Bulgaria
1894
H.
H. Holmes, one of the first modern serial killers, is arrested in Boston, Massachusetts.
1896
The Western Pennsylvania Hockey League, which later became the first ice hockey league to openly trade and hire players, began play at Pittsburgh's Schenley Park Casino.
Semi-professional ice hockey league based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA (1896–1909)
1903
The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party splits into two groups: The Bolsheviks (Russian for "majority") and Mensheviks (Russian for "minority").
1898–1912 political party in the Russian Empire
1939
Nine Czech students are executed as a response to anti-Nazi demonstrations prompted by the death of Jan Opletal.
All Czech universities are shut down and more than 1,200 students sent to concentration camps. Since this event, International Students' Day is celebrated in many countries, especially in the Czech Republic.
1940
1947
The Screen Actors Guild implements an anti-Communist loyalty oath.
American labor union (1933–2012)
1947
American scientists John Bardeen and Walter Houser Brattain observe the basic principles of the transistor, a key element for the electronics revolution of the 20th century.
American physicist (1908–1991)
1950
Lhamo Dondrub is officially named the 14th Dalai Lama.
Spiritual leader of Tibet since 1940
1950
United Nations Security Council Resolution 89 relating to the Palestine Question is adopted.
United Nations resolution adopted in 1950
1953
The remaining human inhabitants of the Blasket Islands, County Kerry, Ireland, are evacuated to the mainland.
Uninhabited islands off the west coast of County Kerry, Ireland
1957
Vickers Viscount G-AOHP of British European Airways crashes at Ballerup after the failure of three engines on approach to Copenhagen Airport.
The cause is a malfunction of the anti-icing system on the aircraft. There are no fatalities.
1962
President John F.
Kennedy dedicates Washington Dulles International Airport, serving the Washington, D.C., region.
1967
Vietnam War: Acting on optimistic reports that he had been given on November 13, U.S.
President Lyndon B. Johnson tells the nation that, while much remained to be done, "We are inflicting greater losses than we're taking...We are making progress."
1968
British European Airways introduces the BAC One-Eleven into commercial service.
British short-range jet airliner (1963–2019)
1968
Viewers of the Raiders–Jets football game in the eastern United States are denied the opportunity to watch its exciting finish when NBC broadcasts Heidi instead, prompting changes to sports broadcasting in the U.S.
1968 American Football League game
1969
Cold War: Negotiators from the Soviet Union and the United States meet in Helsinki, Finland to begin SALT I negotiations aimed at limiting the number of strategic weapons on both sides.
1947–1991 geopolitical rivalry between US and USSR
1970
Vietnam War: Lieutenant William Calley goes on trial for the My Lai Massacre.
1955–1975 war in Southeast Asia
1973
Watergate scandal: In Orlando, Florida, U.S.
President Richard Nixon tells 400 Associated Press managing editors "I am not a crook."
1973
The Athens Polytechnic uprising against the military regime ends in a bloodshed in the Greek capital.
1973 student uprising against the Greek junta
1983
The Zapatista Army of National Liberation is founded in Mexico.
Far-left political and militant group in southern Mexico
1986
The flight crew of Japan Airlines Flight 1628 are involved in a UFO sighting incident while flying over Alaska.
Alleged UFO encounter in 1986
1989
Cold War: Velvet Revolution begins: In Czechoslovakia, a student demonstration in Prague is quelled by riot police.
This sparks an uprising aimed at overthrowing the communist government (it succeeds on December 29).
1990
Fugendake, part of the Mount Unzen volcanic complex, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, becomes active again and erupts.
Group of volcanoes in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan
1993
United States House of Representatives passes a resolution to establish the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Lower house of the U.S. Congress
1993
In Nigeria, General Sani Abacha ousts the government of Ernest Shonekan in a military coup.
Military head of state of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998
1997
In Luxor, Egypt, 62 people are killed by six Islamic militants outside the Temple of Hatshepsut, known as Luxor massacre.
City in southern Egypt
2000
A catastrophic landslide in Log pod Mangartom, Slovenia, kills seven, and causes millions of SIT of damage.
It is one of the worst catastrophes in Slovenia in the past 100 years.
2000
Alberto Fujimori is removed from office as president of Peru.
President of Peru from 1990 to 2000
2003
Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger's tenure as the governor of California begins.
Austrian and American bodybuilder, actor and politician (born 1947)
2012
At least 50 schoolchildren are killed in an accident at a railway crossing near Manfalut, Egypt.
2012 rail disaster in Manfalut, Egypt
2013
Fifty people are killed when Tatarstan Airlines Flight 363 crashes at Kazan Airport, Russia.
2013 aircraft accident in Russia
2013
A rare late-season tornado outbreak strikes the Midwest.
Illinois and Indiana are most affected with tornado reports as far north as lower Michigan. In all around six dozen tornadoes touch down in approximately an 11-hour time period, including seven EF3 and two EF4 tornadoes.
2019
The first known case of COVID-19 is traced to a 55-year-old man who had visited a market in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
Contagious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2