Summary of the Day ✨ 17 April (17/04)
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was laid to rest at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle as NASA announced the discovery of the first Earth-size planet in another star’s habitable zone, while tragedy struck both West, Texas with a fertilizer plant explosion that killed 15 and Tel Aviv with a suicide bombing that claimed 11 lives, and Finland made history with Anneli Jäätteenmäki becoming the country’s first female prime minister.
Historical Events 📜
- 2021: The funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, takes place at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
- 2014: NASA’s Kepler space telescope confirms the discovery of the first Earth-size planet in the habitable zone of another star.
- 2013: An explosion at a fertilizer plant in the city of West, Texas, kills 15 people and injures 160 others.
- 2006: A Palestinian suicide bomber detonates an explosive device in a Tel Aviv restaurant, killing 11 people and injuring 70.
- 2003: Anneli Jäätteenmäki takes office as the first female prime minister of Finland.
- 1998: Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on STS-90, the final Spacelab mission.
- 1992: The Katina P is deliberately run aground off Maputo, Mozambique, and 60,000 tons of crude oil spill into the ocean.
- 1986: An alleged state of war lasting 335 years between the Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly is declared over.
- 1982: Constitution Act, 1982 Patriation of the Canadian constitution in Ottawa by Proclamation of Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada.
- 1978: Mir Akbar Khyber is assassinated, provoking the Saur Revolution in Afghanistan.
- 1975: The Cambodian Civil War ends and the Cambodian Genocide begins. The Khmer Rouge captures the capital Phnom Penh and Cambodian government forces surrender.
- 1971: The Provisional Government of Bangladesh is formed.
- 1970: Apollo program: The damaged Apollo 13 spacecraft returns to Earth safely.
- 1969: Sirhan Sirhan is convicted of assassinating Robert F. Kennedy.
- 1969: Communist Party of Czechoslovakia chairman Alexander Dubček is deposed.
Famous Births 👶
- 2005: Antonio Nusa, Norwegian footballer
- 2001: Shin Ryujin, South Korean rapper, singer and dancer
- 2001: Violette Dorange, French Professional Round the World Sailor
- 1998: Anna Odine Strøm, Norwegian ski jumper and two-time Olympic champion
- 1998: Suppapong Udomkaewkanjana (Saint), Thai actor and singer
- 1996: Lorna Fitzgerald, British actress
- 1996: Caitlin Parker, Australian boxer
- 1996: Helene Spilling, Norwegian dancer
- 1995: Jung Wheein, South Korean singer
- 1994: Alanna Goldie, Canadian fencer
- 1994: Yang Hongseok, South Korean singer and actor
- 1992: Lachlan Maranta, Australian rugby league footballer
- 1992: Jo Jinho, South Korean singer
- 1990: Jonathan Brown, Welsh footballer
- 1989: Paraskevi Papachristou, Greek triple jumper
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2022: Radu Lupu, Romanian pianist (born 1945)
- 2019: Alan García, Peruvian lawyer and politician, twice President of Peru (born 1949)
- 2019: Gwen Marston, American quilter and writer (born 1936)
- 2018: Barbara Bush, American political matriarch and literacy advocate, First Lady of the United States (1989–1993), and Second Lady of the United States (1981–1989) (born 1925)
- 2018: Carl Kasell, American radio personality (born 1934)
- 2016: Chyna, American wrestler (born 1969)
- 2016: Doris Roberts, American actress (born 1925)
- 2015: Robert P. Griffin, American soldier, lawyer, and politician (born 1923)
- 2015: Scotty Probasco, American businessman and philanthropist (born 1928)
- 2015: Jeremiah J. Rodell, American general (born 1921)
- 2015: A. Alfred Taubman, American businessman and philanthropist (born 1924)
- 2014: Gabriel García Márquez, Colombian journalist and author, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1927)
- 2014: Bernat Klein, Serbian-Scottish fashion designer and painter (born 1922)
- 2014: Wojciech Leśnikowski, Polish–American architect and academic (born 1938)
- 2014: Karpal Singh, Malaysian lawyer and politician (born 1940)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Christian feast day:
Donnán of Eigg - Christian feast day:
Henry Heath - Christian feast day:
Kateri Tekakwitha (Canada) - Christian feast day:
Robert of Molesme - Christian feast day:
Shemon bar Sabbae - Christian feast day:
April 17 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - Evacuation Day (Syria), celebrates the recognition of the independence of Syria from France in 1946.
- FAO Day (Iraq)
- Flag Day (American Samoa)
- Malbec World Day
- Women’s Day (Gabon)
- World Hemophilia Day