On This Day — 17 May

2014

A military plane crash in northern Laos kills 17 people.

2014 Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force An-74 crash

2010

Pamir Airways Flight 112 crashes in Afghanistan's Shakardara District, killing 44.

Pamir Airways Flight 112

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.

North Korea

2006

The aircraft carrier USS Oriskany is sunk in the Gulf of Mexico as an artificial reef.

USS Oriskany

2004

The first legal same-sex marriages in the U.S. are performed in the state of Massachusetts.

Same-sex marriage

2000

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

Arsenal F.C.

1997

Troops of Laurent-Désiré Kabila march into Kinshasa. Zaire is officially renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Laurent-Désiré Kabila

1995

Shawn Nelson steals an M60 tank from the California Army National Guard Armory in San Diego and proceeds to go on a rampage.

1995 San Diego tank rampage

1994

Malawi holds its first multi-party elections.

Malawi

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.

Black May (Thailand)

1990

The General Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) eliminates homosexuality from the list of psychiatric diseases.

World Health Organization

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.

Iran–Iraq War

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.

Charles III

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.

United States Department of Energy

1983

Lebanon, Israel, and the United States sign an agreement on Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.

Lebanon

1980

General Chun Doo-hwan of South Korea seizes control of the government and declares martial law in order to suppress student demonstrations.

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.

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.

1980 Miami riots

1977

Nolan Bushnell opens the first Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre (later renamed Chuck E. Cheese) in San Jose, California.

Nolan Bushnell

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.

The Troubles

1974

Police in Los Angeles raid the Symbionese Liberation Army's headquarters, killing six members, including Camilla Hall.

Los Angeles Police Department

1969

Venera program: Soviet Venera 6 begins its descent into the atmosphere of Venus, sending back atmospheric data before being crushed by pressure.

Venera program

1967

Six-Day War: President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt demands dismantling of the peace-keeping UN Emergency Force in Egypt.

Six-Day War

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.

Agrarian reforms in Cuba

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.

Supreme Court of the United States

1953

Delta Air Lines Flight 318 crashes near Marshall, Texas, killing 19.

Delta Air Lines Flight 318

1943

World War II: Dambuster Raids commence by No. 617 Squadron RAF.

Operation Chastise

1940

World War II: Germany occupies Brussels, Belgium.

World War II

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.

Columbia Lions

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.

Spanish Civil War

1933

Vidkun Quisling and Johan Bernhard Hjort form Nasjonal Samling — the national-socialist party of Norway.

Vidkun Quisling

1915

The last British Liberal Party government (led by H. H. Asquith) falls.

Liberal Party (UK)

1914

The Protocol of Corfu is signed, recognising full autonomy to Northern Epirus under nominal Albanian sovereignty.

Protocol of Corfu

1902

Greek archaeologist Valerios Stais discovers the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient mechanical analog computer.

Valerios Stais

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.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

1875

Aristides wins the first Kentucky Derby with the jockey Oliver Lewis (2:37.75).

Aristides (horse)

1865

The International Telegraph Union (later the International Telecommunication Union) is established in Paris.

International Telecommunication Union

1863

Rosalía de Castro publishes Cantares Gallegos, the first book in the Galician language.

Rosalía 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.

American Civil War

1859

Members of the Melbourne Football Club codify the first rules of Australian rules football.

Melbourne Football Club

1814

Occupation of Monaco changes from French to Austrian.

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.

Constitution of Norway

1809

Emperor Napoleon I orders the annexation of the Papal States to the French Empire.

Napoleon

1805

Muhammad Ali becomes Wāli of Egypt.

Muhammad Ali of Egypt

1792

The New York Stock Exchange is formed under the Buttonwood Agreement.

New York Stock Exchange

1760

French forces besieging Quebec retreat after the Royal Navy arrives to relieve the British garrison.

Siege of Quebec (1760)

1756

Seven Years' War formally begins when Great Britain declares war on France.

Seven Years' War

1673

Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette begin exploring the Mississippi River.

Louis Jolliet

1648

An allied French and Swedish army defeats Imperial and Bavarian forces in the Battle of Zusmarshausen.

Battle of Zusmarshausen

1642

Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve founds the Ville Marie de Montréal.

Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve

1639

The treaty of Zuhab ends the fifteen-year-long war between the Ottomans and the Safavids.

Treaty of Zuhab

1590

Anne of Denmark is crowned Queen of Scotland.

Anne of Denmark

1536

George Boleyn, 2nd Viscount Rochford and four other men are executed for treason.

George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford

1536

Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn's marriage is annulled.

Henry VIII

1527

Pánfilo de Narváez departs Spain to explore Florida with 600 men – by 1536 only four survive.

Pánfilo de Narváez

1521

Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for treason.

Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham

1395

Battle of Rovine: The Wallachians defeat an invading Ottoman army.

Battle of Rovine

1012

The comital family of Tusculum arranges the election of the count's son as Pope Benedict VIII following the death of Pope Sergius IV earlier that month.

Counts of Tusculum

884

Election of Pope Hadrian III following the death of Pope Marinus I earlier that month.

Pope Adrian III

352

Election of Pope Liberius following the death of Pope Julius I in the previous month.

Pope Liberius