1562
Politics
Edict of January: Religious Tolerance Attempt
Issued the Edict of January, which granted limited tolerance to Protestants.
View detailsThis Day
17January
23 indexed achievements across recorded history.
1647
Science
Birth/baptism of Elisabetha Koopman Hevelius in Danzig
Baptized in Danzig; this date is commonly used as Elisabetha Koopman Hevelius’s birth date.
View details1814
Literature
Birth of Ellen Wood
Ellen Wood was born on January 17, 1814, in Worcester, England.
View details1850
1853
1881
Science
Files U.S. patent application for life raft
Maria E. Beasley filed her patent application for a collapsible metal life raft, entering marine safety innovation.
View details1882
Science
Patent granted for crocheting and sewing machine
U.S. Patent No. 252,648 was granted to Helen Blanchard for a crocheting and sewing machine used successfully in large manufactories.
View details1893
Politics
Overthrow and deposition as Queen of Hawaiʻi
U.S.-aligned insurgents overthrow Queen Liliʻuokalani; she is deposed as sovereign and a provisional government is proclaimed.
View details1910
Politics
Birth of Edith Starrett Green
Edith Starrett Green was born on January 17, 1910, in Trent, South Dakota.
View details1922
Arts
Birth of Betty White
Betty Marion White was born in Oak Park, Illinois, later becoming one of the most influential women in American television history.
View details1927
Science
Death of Juliette Gordon Low
Juliette Gordon Low died of breast cancer at her home in Savannah, Georgia, on January 17, 1927, ending 15 years of Girl Scout leadership.
View details1927
Activism
Death of Juliette Gordon Low
Juliette Gordon Low died in Savannah, Georgia. Her passing marked the end of her influential life.
View details1938
Science
'A-Tisket, A-Tasket' hits No. 1
Fitzgerald's recording of 'A-Tisket, A-Tasket' reached No. 1 on January 17, 1938, her first chart-topping hit.
View details1955
Science
Birth of Katalin Karikó
Katalin Karikó was born in Szolnok, Hungary, beginning the life of the biochemist whose work on modified mRNA would later underpin COVID-19 vaccines.
View details1964
Politics
Michelle Obama born in Chicago
The lawyer, author, and future First Lady is born Michelle LaVaughn Robinson.
View details1969
Arts
Death of Grażyna Bacewicz
Grażyna Bacewicz passed away on January 17, 1969, in Warsaw, Poland.
View details1972
Literature
Betty Smith's Death
Betty Smith, esteemed novelist, passed away on January 17, 1972, in Shelton, Connecticut.
View details1973
Arts
Death in São Paulo
Tarsila do Amaral passed away on Jan 17, 1973, closing a chapter in Brazilian modernism.
View details1994
Sports
Death of Helen Stephens
Helen Stephens passed away on January 17, 1994, in St. Louis, Missouri.
View details1996
Law
Oral arguments in United States v. Virginia at the U.S. Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in United States v. Virginia, challenging VMI's male-only admissions policy.
View details1996
Science
Death in Austin, Texas
Barbara Jordan died of pneumonia, a complication of leukemia, on January 17, 1996, in Austin, Texas, at the age of 59.
View details2013
2020
Science
Announced as Recipient of PMWC Luminary Award
Agendia announced Laura van 't Veer would receive the PMWC Luminary Award for co-inventing MammaPrint and advancing precision oncology.
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