On This Day — 17 April

2000s

2021

The funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, takes place at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Death and funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

2014

NASA's Kepler space telescope confirms the discovery of the first Earth-size planet in the habitable zone of another star.

NASA

2013

An explosion at a fertilizer plant in the city of West, Texas, kills 15 people and injures 160 others.

West Fertilizer Company explosion

2006

A Palestinian suicide bomber detonates an explosive device in a Tel Aviv restaurant, killing 11 people and injuring 70.

Palestinians

2003

Anneli Jäätteenmäki takes office as the first female prime minister of Finland.

Anneli Jäätteenmäki

1900s

1998

Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on STS-90, the final Spacelab mission.

Space Shuttle Columbia

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1992

The Katina P is deliberately run aground off Maputo, Mozambique, and 60,000 tons of crude oil spill into the ocean.

Katina P

1986

An alleged state of war lasting 335 years between the Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly is declared over.

Three Hundred and Thirty Five Years' War

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1982

Constitution Act, 1982 Patriation of the Canadian constitution in Ottawa by Proclamation of Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada.

Constitution Act, 1982

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1978

Mir Akbar Khyber is assassinated, provoking the Saur Revolution in Afghanistan.

Mir Akbar Khyber

1975

The Cambodian Civil War ends and the Cambodian Genocide begins. The Khmer Rouge captures the capital Phnom Penh and Cambodian government forces surrender.

Cambodian Civil War

1971

The Provisional Government of Bangladesh is formed.

Provisional Government of Bangladesh

1970

Apollo program: The damaged Apollo 13 spacecraft returns to Earth safely.

Apollo program

1969

Sirhan Sirhan is convicted of assassinating Robert F. Kennedy.

Sirhan Sirhan

1969

Communist Party of Czechoslovakia chairman Alexander Dubček is deposed.

Communist Party of Czechoslovakia

1964

Jerrie Mock completes the first around-the-world airplane flight by a woman. Her solo flight in the Spirit of Columbus, which took 29+1⁄2 days, took off and landed at the Port Columbus International Airport in Ohio.

Jerrie Mock

1961

Bay of Pigs Invasion: A group of Cuban exiles financed and trained by the CIA lands at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba with the aim of ousting Fidel Castro.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

1951

The Peak District becomes the United Kingdom's first National Park.

Peak District

1946

The last French troops are withdrawn from Syria.

Independence Day (Syria)

1945

World War II: Montese, Italy, is liberated from Nazi forces.

Montese

1945

Historian Tran Trong Kim is appointed the Prime Minister of the Empire of Vietnam.

Trần Trọng Kim

1944

Forces of the Communist-controlled Greek People's Liberation Army attack the smaller National and Social Liberation resistance group, which surrenders. Its leader Dimitrios Psarros is murdered.

ELAS

1942

World War II: French prisoner of war General Henri Giraud escapes from his castle prison in Königstein Fortress.

Prisoner of war

1941

World War II: The Axis powers invasion of Yugoslavia is completed when it signs an armistice with Germany and Italy.

World War II

1931

After negotiations between Catalan and Spanish provisional governments, the Catalan Republic proclaimed in April 14 becomes the Generalitat de Catalunya, the autonomous government of Catalonia within the Spanish Republic.

Catalan Republic (1931)

1925

The Communist Party of Korea (CPK) was founded in Japanese-ruled Korea (Chōsen) in Keijō (now Seoul) by Kim Yong-bom and Pak Hon-yong.

Communist Party of Korea

1912

Russian troops open fire on striking goldfield workers in northeast Siberia, killing at least 150.

Russian Empire

1907

The Ellis Island immigration center processes 11,747 people, more than on any other day.

Ellis Island

1905

The Supreme Court of the United States decides Lochner v. New York, which holds that the "right to free contract" is implicit in the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Supreme Court of the United States

1800s

1895

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 Fengtian province, Taiwan and the Penghu to Japan.

Treaty of Shimonoseki

1876

Catalpa rescue: The rescue of six Fenian prisoners from Fremantle Prison in Western Australia.

Catalpa rescue

1869

Morelos is admitted as the 27th state of Mexico.

Morelos

1864

American Civil War: The Battle of Plymouth begins: Confederate forces attack Plymouth, North Carolina.

Battle of Plymouth (1864)

1863

American Civil War: Grierson's Raid begins: Troops under Union Army Colonel Benjamin Grierson attack central Mississippi.

American Civil War

1861

The state of Virginia's secession convention votes to secede from the United States; Virginia later becomes the eighth state to join the Confederate States of America.

Virginia

Before 1800

1797

Sir Ralph Abercromby attacks San Juan, Puerto Rico, in what would be one of the largest invasions of the Spanish territories in the Americas.

Ralph Abercromby

1797

Citizens of Verona begin an unsuccessful eight-day rebellion against the French occupying forces.

Verona

1783

American Revolutionary War: Colbert's Raid: A Spanish garrison under Captain Jacobo du Breuil defeat British irregulars at Arkansas Post.

American Revolutionary War

1524

Giovanni da Verrazzano reaches New York harbor.

Giovanni da Verrazzano

1521

Trial of Martin Luther over his teachings begins during the assembly of the Diet of Worms. Initially intimidated, he asks for time to reflect before answering and is given a stay of one day.

Martin Luther