On This Day in History – July 17
On This Day - July
Major Events
- 1453 – The Battle of Castillon marked the end of the Hundred Years’ War between France and England.
- 1717 – King George I of Great Britain sailed down the River Thames with a barge of musicians playing Handel’s Water Music for the first time.
- 1918 – Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his family were executed by Bolsheviks in Yekaterinburg.
- 1945 – The Potsdam Conference began, where Allied leaders met to decide post-WWII Europe’s future.
- 1955 – Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California.
- 1996 – TWA Flight 800 exploded off the coast of Long Island, killing all 230 people aboard.
Famous Birthdays
- Angela Merkel (born 1954), German politician and former Chancellor of Germany
- David Hasselhoff (born 1952), American actor known for Knight Rider and Baywatch
- Phyllis Diller (1917–2012), American comedian and actress known for her eccentric stage persona
- Camilla, Queen Consort (born 1947), member of the British royal family and wife of King Charles III
- Donald Sutherland (born 1935), Canadian actor known for roles in MASH*, Ordinary People, and The Hunger Games
Notable Deaths
- Tsar Nicholas II (d. 1918), last Emperor of Russia (b. 1868)
- Anastasia Romanov (d. 1918), Grand Duchess of Russia, daughter of Nicholas II (b. 1901)
- Nikolai Romanov family (d. 1918), members of the Russian Imperial family executed by the Bolsheviks
- Walter Brennan (d. 1974), American actor and three-time Academy Award winner (b. 1894)
Holidays
- World Emoji Day – Celebrated due to the calendar emoji often displaying July 17.
- Constitution Day (South Korea) – Commemorates the adoption of the South Korean constitution in 1948.
Fun Facts
- Disneyland’s opening day in 1955 was plagued by extreme heat, counterfeit tickets, and plumbing problems.
- The July 17 emoji date originated from Apple’s calendar icon design.
- Phyllis Diller was one of the first female stand-up comedians to achieve national fame in the U.S.
- The Potsdam Conference helped shape the geopolitical landscape of the Cold War.
- Handel’s Water Music is still performed frequently and is associated with royal occasions.