October 17

Friday 17, 2003:

The pinnacle was fitted on the roof of Taipei 101, a 106-floor skyscraper in Taipei, allowing it to surpass the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur by 50 meters (165 feet) and become the World's tallest highrise.

Monday 17, 1994:

Peace treaty between the government of Angola and UNITA rebels.

Saturday 17, 1992:

The United Nations General Assembly declares October 17 as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, to be observed beginning in 1993. Resolution 47/196 of 22 December 1992.

Tuesday 17, 1989:

Loma Prieta earthquake (7.1 on the Richter scale) hits the San Francisco Bay Area.

Wednesday 17, 1984:

The New York Times runs an article titled "CIA primer tells nicaraguan rebels how to kill", which describes a secret "Psychological Operations in Guerilla Warfare" manual that the CIA supplied to the Contras and that gives instructions on how to kidnap and assassinate civil officials such as judges and policemen.

Wednesday 17, 1979:

The Department of Education Organization Act is signed into law creating the United States Department of Education and United States Department of Health and Human Services. Both replace the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

Wednesday 17, 1973:

OPEC starts an oil embargo against a number of western countries, considered to have helped Israel in its war against Syria

Saturday 17, 1970:

Montreal, Quebec: Quebec Vice-Premier and Minister of Labour Pierre Laporte murdered by members of the FLQ terrorist group.

Tuesday 17, 1967:

The musical Hair opens at the Anspacher Theater on Broadway.

Monday 17, 1966:

A fire at a building in New York, New York kills 12 firefighters.

Tuesday 17, 1961:

Approximately 200 Algerian protesters (some claim up to 400) are massacred by the Paris police

Sunday 17, 1965:

The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair closes after a two year run. More than 51 million people had attended the two-year event.

Wednesday 17, 1945:

A massive number of people gather in the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina to demand Juan Peron's release. This is known to the Peronists as the Día de la lealtad (day of loyalty) or San Perón (Saint Perón). It's considered the birthday of Peronism.

Friday 17, 1941:

For the first time in World War II, a German submarine attacks an American ship

Sunday 17, 1937:

Huey, Dewey and Louie, Donald Duck's three almost identical nephews, first appear in a newspaper comic strip.

Tuesday 17, 1933:

Albert Einstein, fleeing Nazi Germany, moves to the US

Saturday 17, 1931:

Al Capone convicted of income tax evasion

Wednesday 17, 1917:

First British bombing of Germany in World War I

Thursday 17, 1912:

Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia declare war on the Ottoman Empire, joining Montenegro in the First Balkan War

Wednesday 17, 1888:

Thomas Edison files a patent for the Optical Phonograph (the first movie).

Wednesday 17, 1860:

First British golf open

Friday 17, 1806:

Former leader of the Great Slave Rebellion of 1791, Emperor Jacques I of Haiti was assassinated after an oppressive rule

Friday 17, 1800:

England takes control of the Dutch colony of Curaçao

Wednesday 17, 1781:

General Charles Cornwallis offers his surrender to the American revolutionaries at Yorktown, Virginia

Friday 17, 1777:

American troops defeat the British in the Battle of Saratoga

Tuesday 17, 1662:

Charles II of England sells Dunkerque to France for 40 000 pounds

Sunday 17, 1604:

Kepler's Star: German astronomer Johannes Kepler observes that an exceptionally bright star had suddenly appeared in the constellation Ophiuchus, which turned out to be the last supernova to have been observed in our own galaxy, the Milky Way.

Sunday 17, 1469:

Ferdinand II of Aragon marries Isabella of Castile. Their marriage leads to the unification of Aragon and Castile in a single country, Spain

Monday 17, 1346:

Battle of Neville's Cross: King David II of Scotland is captured by Edward III of England at Calais, and imprisoned in the Tower of London for eleven years

Monday 17, 1244:

Battle of La Forbie: Crusaders are defeated by Khwarezmians & Egyptians

Friday 17, 538:

King Cyrus of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost 70 years of exile and making the first Human Rights Declaration

More on October, 17

• People Born on October, 17
• They left us on October, 17