Tuesday, 17th June 2025 in Berlin
Welcome to your daily snapshot of Berlin! It's World Day to Combat Desertification. Explore 60 historical events, birthdays, deaths, and milestones that shaped this day in Berlin. From remarkable moments in local and world history to the people who left their mark — find out what makes today special. Today's weather in Berlin brings cloudy with temperatures between 13°C and 25°C. Tonight's moon is in its waxing crescent phase, and the zodiac sign of the day is Gemini. If you're curious about the history of a day — this page brings together everything worth knowing about this Tuesday, 17th June in Berlin, DE.
Berlin, the capital of Germany, is a sprawling metropolis centred on the Spree River and known for its significant historical landmarks and cultural institutions. On 17 June 2025, the city experiences cloudy weather. Astrologically, this date falls under the sign of Gemini, characterised by curiosity and adaptability. The moon is in its waxing crescent phase, a period traditionally associated with new beginnings and growth.
On this day
On this date in 1795, a Royal Navy squadron under the command of William Cornwallis defeated a numerically superior French Navy fleet off the coast of Brittany during the French Revolutionary Wars. This engagement, known as Cornwallis's Retreat, marked a significant naval victory for Britain despite the French outnumbering the British forces. Earlier in history, on 17 June 1631, Mumtaz Mahal, the beloved wife of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, died during childbirth. Her death profoundly affected the emperor, who spent the next seventeen years overseeing the construction of her mausoleum, which would become the Taj Mahal and stand as one of the world's most celebrated monuments to love and loss.
World Day to Combat Desertification
World Day to Combat Desertification falls on 17 June each year and focuses on raising awareness of land degradation and drought affecting millions of people globally. The date was established by the United Nations in 1994 to mark the adoption of the Convention to Combat Desertification, which came into force in 1996. The day emphasises the connection between land health and human survival, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions where soil degradation threatens food security and livelihoods. Events and initiatives on this day aim to mobilise international action to combat desertification and restore damaged ecosystems.
DayAtlas provides comprehensive information for any date and location, displaying weather conditions, historical events, and notable births and deaths. Users can explore what occurred on specific dates throughout history whilst also accessing meteorological data and astrological information relevant to their chosen day and place.
Find out what's happening today in Berlin.
What the Weather Had in Store for Berlin on 17th June 2025
Desire moves through conversation like mercury through glass.
Fortune of the Day
17th June in the Stars – Star Sign Gemini
Personality Profile
Personality Those born on June 17 blend Mercury's analytical sharpness with Venus's harmonic grace. They are curious, eloquent, and naturally charming in social settings. Restlessness drives them toward constant exploration and intellectual adventure.
Strengths & Weaknesses Adaptability, communicative brilliance, and sensory sophistication are their greatest assets. However, superficiality, impatience, and scattered attention can hinder progress. Emotional depth and sustained focus sometimes challenge these individuals.
Love These natives seek intellectual rapport paired with sensuality in relationships. They need partners who appreciate their communication style and respect independence. Romance thrives when playful, mentally engaging, and refreshingly light.
Caree & Finance Careers in communication, sales, design, or mediation suit them brilliantly. Their eye for detail and sense of harmony excel in creative fields. Financial stability demands discipline, as restlessness tempts impulsive spending.
Health Nervous energy can trigger sleep disruption without sufficient physical activity. Mental stimulation and regular movement are vital for wellbeing. Breathing techniques and gentle exercise calm their restless nature.
That night, the moon was in its waxing crescent phase.
Chinese year of the Snake (Wood).
Fun Facts About 17th June
Name Days in Your Language: Alcine, Botolf, Harvey, Hervey, Lamar, Lemar
Someone born on this day would be just 349 days old today — roughly 8,398 hours, 503,924 minutes, or 30,235,476 seconds spent on Earth so far.
It's the 168. day of the year. In 2025, 17th June falls on a Tuesday.
There are 197 days still to come.
We’re currently in Week 25 — the year marches on.
Famous Birthdays on 17th June
On this day, 237 notable people were born on 17th June — spanning from 801 to 2003. From world leaders to artists and scientists, discover who shares this birthday.
17/06/2003
Rizki Juniansyah, Indonesian weightlifter
Rizki Juniansyah is an Indonesian weightlifter who currently specializes in the men’s 79 kg lightweight class and holds various world records at the youth, junior, and senior IWF competition levels. He is the current Olympic champion, having won gold at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, making him Indonesia’s youngest Olympic gold medalist in history and its first in weightlifting.
17/06/2000
Odessa A'zion, American actress
Odessa Zion Segall Adlon, known professionally as Odessa A'zion, is an American actress. On television, she is known for her roles in the CBS series Fam (2019), the Netflix series Grand Army (2020) and the HBO series I Love LA (2025). For her performance as an unfaithful married woman in the comedy drama film Marty Supreme (2025), she was nominated for an Actor Award and a British Academy Film Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her other films include Hellraiser (2022), The Inhabitant (2022), Sitting in Bars with Cake (2023), Fresh Kills (2024) and Until Dawn (2025).
17/06/1999
Henri Jokiharju, Finnish ice hockey player
Henri Jokiharju is a Finnish professional ice hockey player who is a defenceman for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Jokiharju was selected 29th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the 2017 NHL entry draft.
Elena Rybakina, Kazakhstani tennis player
Elena Andreyevna Rybakina is a professional tennis player from Kazakhstan. She is currently ranked world No. 2 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). Rybakina has won 13 WTA Tour-level singles titles, including two majors at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships and the 2026 Australian Open, as well as the 2025 WTA Finals and two WTA 1000 events. Rybakina is the first Kazakhstani player to win a major and to be ranked inside the world's top 10.
17/06/1997
KJ Apa, New Zealand actor
Keneti James Fitzgerald Apa is a New Zealand actor and musician. He gained recognition for playing Kane Jenkins in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street (2013–2015) and Archie Andrews in the CW teen drama series Riverdale (2017–2023). He has also starred in the adventure drama film A Dog's Purpose (2017), the teen drama film The Hate U Give (2018), and the biographical romantic drama film I Still Believe (2020). Apa released his debut solo album in 2021, the indie folk-rock album Clocks.
Raluca Șerban, Romanian-Cypriot tennis player
Raluca Georgiana Șerban is a Romanian-born Cypriot professional tennis player, who since 2019 has represented Cyprus. She has a career-high singles ranking of world No. 152, achieved on 24 July 2023, becoming the only Cypriot player to have been ranked inside the Top 300.
17/06/1995
Clément Lenglet, French footballer
Clément Nicolas Laurent Lenglet is a French professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for La Liga club Atlético Madrid and the France national team.
Aoi Morikawa, Japanese actress and model
Aoi Morikawa is a Japanese actress and model who is affiliated with Stardust Promotion.
Michel-Friedrich Schiefler, German politician
Michel-Friedrich Schiefler is a German politician serving as a member of the Landtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern since 2021. He has served as deputy chairman of the Social Democratic Party in Vorpommern-Rügen since 2019.
17/06/1994
Amari Cooper, American football player
Amari Cooper is an American former professional football wide receiver who played 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, winning the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver and earning unanimous All-American honors in 2014. Cooper was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft.
17/06/1993
Nikita Kucherov, Russian ice hockey player
Nikita Igorevich Kucherov is a Russian professional ice hockey player who is a right winger and alternate captain for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Regarded as one of the best players in the world, Kucherov won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player, Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer, and the Ted Lindsay Award as the best player voted by fellow NHL players in 2019. He won his second Art Ross Trophy in 2024 and his third in 2025 while also being a finalist for the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award for the second time in both years, winning the Ted Lindsay Award in 2025, and was the runner-up for the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the league's goal-scoring leader in 2017.
17/06/1991
Daniel Tupou, Australian-Tongan rugby league player
Daniel Tupou is a professional rugby league footballer who plays on the wing for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League (NRL). He has played for Tonga and Australia at international level.
17/06/1990
Jordan Henderson, English footballer
Jordan Brian Henderson is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Brentford and the England national team. He is known for his leadership, versatility, and physicality.
Josh Mansour, Australian rugby league player
Joshua Mansour is a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a winger. He represented Lebanon and Australia at international level.
17/06/1989
Georgios Tofas, Cypriot footballer
Georgios Tofas is a Cypriot footballer who played for Enosis Neon Paralimni as a striker.
Simone Battle, American singer and actress (died 2014)
Simone Sherise Battle was an American singer, dancer and actress. Beginning her career after appearing in the American series Zoey 101 and Everybody Hates Chris, she also starred in several music videos and in the film We the Party (2012) alongside Snoop Dogg. Battle garnered attention after auditioning for the American version of The X Factor in 2011, and was eliminated at the first live show.
17/06/1988
Andrew Ogilvy, Australian basketball player
Andrew James "A.J." Ogilvy is an Australian former professional basketball player. He played three seasons of college basketball for Vanderbilt before playing in Europe for the first three years of his professional career. After a season in his hometown with the Sydney Kings, he returned to Spain for a second stint. In 2015, he joined the Illawarra Hawks and helped lead them to a grand final appearance in 2017. After seven seasons with the Hawks, he retired from the National Basketball League (NBL) in 2022.
Shaun MacDonald, Welsh footballer
Shaun Benjamin MacDonald is a Welsh footballer who plays as a midfielder for Cymru South club Trefelin.
Stephanie Rice, Australian swimmer
Stephanie Louise Rice, is an Australian former competitive swimmer. She won three gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia on 26 January 2009.
17/06/1987
Kendrick Lamar, American rapper
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, his music features conscious, introspective lyrics, with political criticism and social commentary concerning African-American culture. Music journalists have listed Lamar among the greatest rappers of all time. In 2018, he became the first musician outside of the classical and jazz genres to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Music.
Nozomi Tsuji, Japanese singer and actress
Nozomi Sugiura , known professionally by her birth name Nozomi Tsuji is a Japanese media personality, singer, and blogger. In 2000, she began her career as a singer for Japanese girl band Morning Musume. Tsuji later found success with related groups Mini Moni and W. She has participated in the shuffle groups 10-nin Matsuri, Odoru 11, and 11Water, H.P. All Stars, as well as being a member of the Morning Musume splinter group Morning Musume Otomegumi
17/06/1986
Apoula Edel, Armenian footballer
Apoula Edima Bete Edel is a former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Born in Cameroon, he played for the Armenia national team.
Helen Glover, English rower
Helen Rachel Mary Backshall is a British professional rower and a member of the Great Britain Rowing Team. Ranked the number 1 female rower in the world in 2015–16, she is a two-time Olympic champion, triple World champion, quintuple World Cup champion and quintuple European champion. She and her partner Heather Stanning were the World, Olympic, World Cup and European record holders, plus the Olympic, World and European champions in the women's coxless pairs. She has also been a British champion in both women's fours and quadruple sculls.
17/06/1985
Özge Akın, Turkish sprinter
Özge Akın is a Turkish sprinter competing in the 400 m events. She is the current Turkish record holder of the 400 m hurdles events. Following her marriage to her coach, her surname changed to Akın, although she was also subsequently known by the surname Akın-Gürler.
Marcos Baghdatis, Cypriot tennis player
Marcos Baghdatis is a Greek Cypriot former professional tennis player and coach. He was the runner-up at the 2006 Australian Open and a semifinalist at the 2006 Wimbledon Championships, and reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 8 in August 2006. In the latter part of his career, Baghdatis endured a series of injuries that impacted his play.
Rafael Sóbis, Brazilian footballer
Rafael Augusto Sóbis is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a forward.
17/06/1984
Michael Mathieu, Bahamian sprinter
Michael Walter Mathieu is a retired Bahamian sprinter hailing from Freeport, Grand Bahama who specialized in the 200 metres and 400 metres. He was part of the Bahamian silver medal-winning team in the men's 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, running second leg and recording a 44.0 split, and the gold medal-winning team at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He was also a part of second place relay team at the 2007 World Championships. He won the bronze medal in the 4 × 400 metres relay in the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Si Tianfeng, Chinese race walker
Si Tianfeng is a Chinese race walker. He represented China at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, finishing 17th. He also competed in the 50 km walk at the 2009 Chinese National Games and won the bronze medal. Si set a Games record to take the gold medal in the 50 km walk at the 2010 Asian Games. He was fourth at the World Race Walking Cup that year.
17/06/1983
Lee Ryan, English singer/actor
Lee Ryan is an English singer, songwriter, actor and voice actor. He is the lead singer of the boy band Blue. During his time with Blue, they sold over 15 million records worldwide, and performed with and released records with Elton John and Stevie Wonder.
Vlasis Kazakis, Greek footballer
Vlasis Kazakis is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a forward.
17/06/1982
Alex Rodrigo Dias da Costa, Brazilian footballer
Alex Rodrigo Dias da Costa, known as Alex, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He was known for his physical strength and the power of his shot, which has gained him the nicknames of "The Tank" and "Canhão da Vila".
Marek Svatoš, Slovak ice hockey player (died 2016)
Marek Svatoš was a Slovak professional ice hockey winger. He last played during the 2013–14 season in the Slovak Extraliga with Košice, the same club with which he began his career in 1999. Svatoš played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for several seasons, mostly with the Colorado Avalanche; his last stint in the NHL was in the 2010–11 season, during which he played with the Nashville Predators and Ottawa Senators after beginning the season in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with Avangard Omsk.
Stanislava Hrozenská, Slovak tennis player
Stanislava Hrozenská is a retired Slovak tennis player. She was a semifinalist at the 1999 US Open – Girls' doubles tournament.
Stefan Hodgetts, English racing driver
Stefan Hodgetts is a British auto racing driver, best known for driving a part season in the British Touring Car Championship. His father Chris was twice champion of the BTCC.
Arthur Darvill, English actor
Thomas Arthur Darvill is an English actor, composer and musician. He is known for portraying Rory Williams, a companion of the Eleventh Doctor in the television series Doctor Who (2010–2012), as well as Rip Hunter in Legends of Tomorrow and Rev. Paul Coates in Broadchurch (2013–2017). From 2013 to 2014, he appeared in the lead role in the theatre musical Once in the West End and on Broadway. He played Curly in the West End revival of Oklahoma!, for which he won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical.
Jodie Whittaker, English actress
Jodie Auckland Whittaker is an English actress. She is best known for her roles on television as Beth Latimer in Broadchurch (2013–2017) and the Thirteenth Doctor in Doctor Who.
17/06/1981
Kyle Boller, American football player
Kyle Bryan Boller is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for the California Golden Bears, he was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2003 NFL draft. He was a member of the Ravens from 2003 to 2008, the St. Louis Rams in 2009, and the Oakland Raiders from 2010 to 2011.
Shane Watson, Australian cricketer
Shane Robert Watson is an Australian cricket coach, commentator and former cricketer who played for and occasionally captained the Australian national cricket team between 2002 and 2016. He was an all-rounder who played as a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast-medium bowler. He was ranked as the world's No. 1 all-rounder in Twenty20 Internationals (T20I) for 150 weeks, including an all-time record of 120 consecutive weeks from 13 October 2011 to 30 January 2014. He began playing during the Australian team's golden era in the early 2000s, and was the last player from this era to retire. In his time playing for Australia, Watson was part of their winning squad in the Cricket World Cup two times in 2007, and 2015 along with the ICC Champions Trophy twice in 2006 and 2009, with Watson named as the player of the match in the final on both occasions, as he scored the winning run in the 2006 tournament, with the winning six in the 2009 tournament.
17/06/1980
Elisa Rigaudo, Italian race walker
Elisa Rigaudo is an Italian race walker from Cuneo.
Jeph Jacques, American author and illustrator
Jeffrey Paul "Jeph" Jacques is an American-Canadian cartoonist who writes and draws the webcomic Questionable Content. Jacques has formerly created the webcomics indietits from 2005 to 2007, Derelict Orbital Reflector Devices and Alice Grove.
Venus Williams, American tennis player
Venus Ebony Starr Williams is an American professional tennis player. She has been ranked as the world No. 1 in both women's singles and doubles by the Women's Tennis Association. Williams has won 49 WTA Tour-level singles titles, including seven majors, as well as a gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2008 WTA Tour Championships. She has also won 22 doubles titles, including 14 majors and three Olympic gold medals.
17/06/1979
Nick Rimando, American soccer player
Nicholas Paul Rimando is an American former professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. Having spent his entire career in Major League Soccer, he holds the records for career wins, clean sheets, saves, and overall appearances. He also played for the United States national team.
Tyson Apostol, American television personality
Tyson Apostol is an American reality television personality, best known for his appearances on four seasons of the CBS reality television show Survivor.
Young Maylay, American rapper, producer, and voice actor
Christopher Bellard, known professionally as Young Maylay, is an American rapper, record producer, and voice actor based in Los Angeles, California. He is best known for his portrayal of Carl "CJ" Johnson, the main character of the action-adventure game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004).
17/06/1978
Isabelle Delobel, French ice dancer
Isabelle Delobel is a French former competitive ice dancer. With partner Olivier Schoenfelder, she is the 2008 World champion, the 2007 European champion, and the 2008 Grand Prix Final champion.
Travis Roche, Canadian ice hockey player
Travis Roche is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenseman who last played for EHC Black Wings Linz of the Austrian Hockey League (EBEL).
17/06/1977
Bartosz Brożek, Polish philosopher and jurist
Bartosz Paweł Brożek is a Polish philosopher and jurist whose main research interests are in philosophy of law, philosophy of science, logic and cognitive science. He is currently professor of jurisprudence at the Jagiellonian University and vice rector of the Jagiellonian University, as well as a former director of the Copernicus Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Kraków. Author or co-author of more than 20 book monographs and more than 70 scientific papers. He holds PhDs in both law (2003) and philosophy (2007), habilitation in law (2008) and the title of full professor (2013).
Tjaša Jezernik, Slovenian tennis player
Tjaša Jezernik is a Slovenian retired tennis player.
Mark Tauscher, American football player and sportscaster
Mark Tauscher is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 11-year career as an offensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers. Tauscher was selected by the Packers in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL draft. He won Super Bowl XLV with them over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He now provides studio commentary for NFL coverage on Sky Sports in Britain.
17/06/1976
Scott Adkins, English actor and martial artist
Scott Edward Adkins is an English actor and martial artist. He gained prominence with his portrayal of the Russian prison fighter Yuri Boyka in the American film Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006), a role he reprised in its sequels Undisputed III: Redemption (2010), which won him an Action on Film Award for Breakout Action Star, and Boyka: Undisputed (2017), which won him a Jackie Chan Action Movie Award for Best Action Movie Actor.
Sven Nys, Belgian cyclist
Sven Nys is a Belgian former professional cyclist competing in cyclo-cross and mountain bike. With two world championships, seven world cups, and over 140 competitive victories, he is considered one of the best cyclo-cross racers of his generation, and remains a prominent figure in cyclo-cross. Apart from cyclo-cross, Nys is also fivefold national mountainbike champion, and has competed in that discipline in two Olympic games.
17/06/1975
Joshua Leonard, American actor, director, and screenwriter
Joshua Granville Leonard is an American actor, producer, writer, and director, known for his role in The Blair Witch Project (1999). He has since starred in films such as Madhouse (2004), The Shaggy Dog (2006), Higher Ground (2011), The Motel Life (2012), Snake and Mongoose (2013), If I Stay (2014), The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014), 6 Years (2015), and Unsane (2018).
Juan Carlos Valerón, Spanish footballer
Juan Carlos Valerón Santana is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.
Phiyada Akkraseranee, Thai actress and model
Phiyada Akkaraseranee, later Phiyada Jutharattanakul, nickname Aom, , is a Thai actress, model, and host. She is the second daughter of Pisarn Akarasenee, a well-known actor in and producer of various popular Thai TV series.
17/06/1974
Evangelia Psarra, Greek archer
Evangelia Psarra is a Greek archer who has competed at the Summer Olympics six times from 2000 to 2020.
17/06/1973
Leander Paes, Indian tennis player
Leander Adrian Paes is an Indian former professional tennis player. He is regarded as one of the greatest doubles tennis players of all-time and holds the record for the most doubles wins in the Davis Cup. Paes won eight men's doubles and ten mixed doubles Grand Slam titles. He holds a career Grand Slam in men's doubles and mixed doubles making him one of only three men in the Open era to achieve this distinction and won the rare men's/mixed double at the 1999 Wimbledon Championships. Paes, together with Mahesh Bhupathi, were the first pair in Open era history to reach the men's doubles finals of all 4 Grand Slams in the same calendar year (1999). He is currently the brand ambassador of GS Delhi Aces, a team owned by Guru Samruddhi House of Investments in the Tennis Premier League.
17/06/1971
Paulina Rubio, Mexican pop singer
Paulina Susana Rubio Dosamantes is a Mexican singer, songwriter and television personality. Referred to as "The Golden Girl", she first achieved recognition as a member of the successful pop group Timbiriche from 1982 through 1991. After leaving Timbiriche, she embarked on a solo career. Rubio has sold over 15 million records, making her one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time.
Mildred Fox, Irish politician
Mildred Fox is an Irish former independent politician. She was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Wicklow constituency from 1995 to 2007.
17/06/1970
Stéphane Fiset, Canadian ice hockey player
Stéphane Fiset is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League.
Will Forte, American actor, comedian, and screenwriter
Orville Willis Forte IV is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He was a cast member and writer on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live for eight seasons from 2002 to 2010. His most famous recurring character was a parody of Macgyver named MacGruber; he reprised that role in the film adaptation, MacGruber (2010); and the limited series of the same name in 2021.
Jason Hanson, American football player
Jason Douglas Hanson is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons. After playing college football with the Washington State Cougars, he was selected by the Lions in the second round of the 1992 NFL draft with the 56th overall pick. Hanson holds the NFL record for the most seasons played with one team and also holds multiple kicking and scoring records. Due to his longevity and statistical success, even on many non-playoff teams, Hanson is often cited as one of the most-loved players in Detroit Lions franchise history.
Popeye Jones, American basketball player and coach
Ronald Jerome "Popeye" Jones is an American professional basketball coach and former player who currently serves as an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Michael Showalter, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
Michael Showalter is an American director, writer, and producer. He first achieved recognition as a cast member on MTV's The State, which aired from 1993 to 1995. Along with David Wain, Showalter created the Wet Hot American Summer franchise, with Showalter co-writing and starring in Wet Hot American Summer (2001) and the Netflix series. Showalter wrote and directed The Baxter (2005), in which he starred with Michelle Williams, Justin Theroux, and Elizabeth Banks. Both films featured many of his co-stars from The State, and so do several of his other projects. Showalter is also a co-creator, co-producer, actor, and writer for the TV series Search Party. He directed the 2017 film The Big Sick and the 2021 film The Eyes of Tammy Faye, both of which were critically acclaimed.
Alan Dowson, English football manager and former professional player
Alan Dowson is an English football coach and former professional player who is manager at Hampton & Richmond Borough.
17/06/1969
Paul Tergat, Kenyan runner
Paul Kibii Tergat is a Kenyan former professional long-distance runner. He became the first Kenyan man to set the world record in the marathon in 2003, with a time of 2:04:55, and is regarded as one of the most accomplished long-distance runners of all time. Runnerworld called him the "Most comprehensive runner of all time".
Geoff Toovey, Australian rugby league player and coach
Geoffrey Toovey, also known by the nickname of "Toovs" or "Tooves", is the former head coach of the Bradford Bulls and former professional rugby league footballer. Toovey played halfback and Five-Eighth for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, then played as a hooker later in his career at the Northern Eagles. He played 286 first-grade matches in all, and captained Manly to the 1996 ARL premiership and the 1995 and 1997 grand finals. He played in 13 international matches for Australia between 1991 and 1998. Toovey is the former head coach of Manly-Warringah.
Ilya Tsymbalar, Ukrainian-Russian footballer and manager (died 2013)
Ilya Vladimirovich Tsymbalar was a Ukrainian-Russian professional football player and coach. A midfielder, he represented both Ukraine and Russia on the international level. He primarily played as an attacking midfielder and was known for set-piece ability and technique.
17/06/1968
Steve Georgallis, Australian rugby league player and coach
Steve Georgallis is an Australian professional rugby league football coach who is the head coach of Greece, an assistant coach for the North Queensland Cowboys in the National Rugby League (NRL), Head Coach of the Parramatta Eels Women's team (NRLW), and former professional rugby league footballer.
Minoru Suzuki, Japanese wrestler and mixed martial artist
Minoru Suzuki is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. Despite being a freelancer for most of his career, he has worked for the largest promotions in Japan: New Japan Pro Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling, and Pro Wrestling Noah. He also made appearances for promotions outside Japan, like Major League Wrestling (MLW), Revolution Pro Wrestling, TNA Wrestling, Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) and All Elite Wrestling/Ring of Honor.
17/06/1967
Dorothea Röschmann, German soprano and actress
Dorothea Röschmann is a German soprano. She is famous for her performances in operas by Mozart as well as Lieder.
Eric Stefani, American keyboard player and composer
Eric Matthew Stefani is an American musician and animator best known as a founder and former member of the ska punk band No Doubt. He is the elder brother of former bandmate Gwen Stefani. He is also a former animator on the television series The Simpsons.
17/06/1966
Mohammed Ghazy Al-Akhras, Iraqi journalist and author
Mohammed Gahzy Al-Akhras is an Iraqi Arabic writer and journalist. He is known for his moderate political and social opinions, mainly through his daily column in Al Sabaah and his program on the al-Hurra TV channel, Abwab. He has authored several books dealing with the cultural environment in the Arab – particularly the Iraqi – world. The most prominent of his works is Khareef al-Muthaqqaf al-Iraqi. This book was controversial upon publication, and received praise as well as criticism from reviewers.
Tory Burch, American fashion designer and philanthropist
Tory Burch is an American fashion designer and businesswoman. She is the executive chairman and chief creative officer of her own brand, Tory Burch LLC. She was listed as the 88th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes in 2020.
Ken Clark, American football player (died 2013)
Kenneth R. Clark was an American professional football player from Evergreen, Alabama who played running back for three seasons for the Indianapolis Colts.
Diane Modahl, English runner
Diane Dolores Modahl is an English former middle-distance runner who specialised in the 800 metres. She won a gold medal in the 800 m at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, silver at the 1986 Commonwealth Games, and bronze at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.
Jason Patric, American actor
John Anthony Miller III, better known by his stage name Jason Patric is an American film, television and stage actor. He is known for his roles in films such as The Lost Boys (1987), Rush (1991), Geronimo: An American Legend (1993), Sleepers (1996), Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997), Your Friends & Neighbors (1998), Narc (2002), The Alamo (2004), My Sister's Keeper (2009), and The Losers (2010). His father was actor/playwright Jason Miller, and his maternal grandfather was actor Jackie Gleason.
17/06/1965
Dermontti Dawson, American football player and coach
Dermontti Farra Dawson is an American former professional football player who was a center and long snapper in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football with the Kentucky Wildcats. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 1988 NFL draft and spent his entire pro career with the team and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
Dan Jansen, American speed skater and sportscaster
Daniel Erwin Jansen is a retired American speed skater. A multiple world champion in sprint and perennial favorite at the Winter Olympics, he broke a ten-year Olympic jinx when he won a gold medal in his final race, which was the 1,000 meters in the 1994 Winter Games.
Dara O'Kearney, Irish runner and poker player
Dara O'Kearney, born 17 June 1965 in Ennis, County Clare, is an Irish international ultra runner and professional poker player. He is the son of Irish language activist and writer Sean Ua Cearnaigh, and nephew of Irish politician Chris Flood.
17/06/1964
Rinaldo Capello, Italian race car driver
Rinaldo "Dindo" Capello is an Italian professional racing driver. He is a three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with Bentley in 2003 and Audi in 2004 and 2008. Capello is a two-time American Le Mans Series champion, a five-time 12 Hours of Sebring winner, and the record holder for most wins at Petit Le Mans, having won five times. Capello has also raced in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, the FIA World Endurance Championship, DTM and the Italian GT Championship.
Michael Gross, German swimmer
Michael Groß, usually spelled Michael Gross in English, is a former competitive swimmer from Germany. He is 201 centimetres tall, and received the nickname "The Albatross" for his especially long arms that gave him a total span of 2.13 meters. Gross, competing for West Germany, won three Olympic gold medals, two in 1984 and one in 1988 in the freestyle and butterfly events, in addition to two World Championship titles in 1982, two in 1986 and one in 1991.
Steve Rhodes, English cricketer and coach
Steven John Rhodes is an English cricket coach and former cricketer. He was the former coach of the Bangladesh national cricket team. He was best known as a wicket-keeper, but was also a useful number six or seven batsman, making twelve first-class centuries.
17/06/1963
Greg Kinnear, American actor, television presenter, and producer
Gregory Buck Kinnear is an American actor and former talk show host. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in As Good as It Gets (1997).
17/06/1962
Michael Monroe, Finnish singer-songwriter and saxophonist
Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm, known professionally as Michael Monroe, is a Finnish rock musician who rose to fame as the vocalist and saxophonist for the glam punk band Hanoi Rocks and has served as the frontman for all-star side projects, such as Demolition 23 and Jerusalem Slim.
17/06/1961
Kōichi Yamadera, Japanese actor and singer
Koichi Yamadera is a Japanese actor, narrator and singer from Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture. He graduated from Tohoku Gakuin University's economics school and is currently affiliated with Across Entertainment. Before that, he was affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society.
17/06/1960
Adrián Campos, Spanish race car driver (died 2021)
Adrián Campos Suñer was a Spanish Formula One driver. He participated in 21 Grands Prix for Minardi between 1987 and 1988, without scoring a championship point. He later moved into team management, with more success. He was the founder of the Campos Meta Formula One team, which competed in Formula One from 2010 to 2012. He founded Campos Racing in 1998.
Thomas Haden Church, American actor
Thomas Haden Church is an American actor. After starring in the 1990s sitcom Wings and playing the lead for two seasons in Ned & Stacey (1995–1997), Church became known for his film work, including his role of Lyle van de Groot in George of the Jungle (1997), his Academy Award–nominated performance in Sideways (2004), his role as the Marvel Comics villain Sandman in the superhero films Spider-Man 3 (2007) and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), as well as his starring roles in Over the Hedge (2006), Smart People (2008), Easy A (2010), We Bought a Zoo (2011), Max (2015), and Hellboy (2019). He also made his directorial debut with Rolling Kansas (2003). In 2023, he starred as antagonist Agent Stone in the post-apocalyptic action comedy series Twisted Metal.
17/06/1959
Carol Anderson, American author and historian
Carol Elaine Anderson is an American academic. She is the Charles Howard Candler professor of African American Studies at Emory University. Her research focuses on public policy with regard to race, justice, and equality. In 2023, she was elected to the American Philosophical Society.
Lawrence Haddad, South African-English economist and academic
Lawrence James Haddad, is a British economist whose main research focuses on how to make food systems work better to advance the nutrition status of people globally.
Nikos Stavropoulos, Greek basketball player and coach
Nikolaos "Nikos" Stavropoulos, a.k.a. Professor Nicholas "Magic" Stavropoulos, is a former Greek professional basketball player and coach. During his club playing career, at a height of 1.96 m tall, Stavropoulos played at the point guard and shooting guard positions. During his playing career, Stavropoulos was known for his dazzling passing skills, and his spectacular play-making ability, which garnered him the nickname "Magic", or "Greek Magic", after NBA player Magic Johnson, who played during the same era, and was also known for his dazzling passes and play-making ability.
17/06/1958
Pierre Berbizier, French rugby player and coach
Pierre Berbizier is a French former rugby union footballer and a current coach. His usual position was at scrum-half. He played 56 times for France.
Jello Biafra, American singer-songwriter and producer
Eric Reed Boucher, known professionally as Jello Biafra, is an American singer, spoken word artist and political activist. He is the former lead singer and songwriter for the San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys.
Bobby Farrelly, American director, producer, and screenwriter
Robert Thomas Farrelly is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He is one of the Farrelly brothers, alongside his brother Peter, who together are known for directing and producing successful box-office comedy films, including Dumb and Dumber (1994), There's Something About Mary (1998), Me, Myself and Irene (2000), Shallow Hal (2001), and the 2007 remake of The Heartbreak Kid. He made his solo directorial debut in 2023 with Champions.
Sam Hamad, Syrian-Canadian academic and politician
Sam Hamad is a Canadian politician. He is the former member of National Assembly (MNA) for the riding of Louis-Hebert in the Quebec City region. A member of the Quebec Liberal Party, he has held various cabinet posts during his 14 years in the National Assembly. He was the Minister of Natural Resources, Minister for Transports and he was also the Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity, Minister of Labour and Minister responsible for the Capitale-Nationale region.
Jon Leibowitz, American lawyer and politician
Jon Leibowitz is an American attorney who served as the 53rd chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from 2009 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a commissioner of the FTC from 2004 to 2013.
Daniel McVicar, American actor
Daniel McVicar is an American actor, director and writer known for his work in European films and American television.
17/06/1957
Philip Chevron, Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2013)
Philip Ryan, professionally known as Philip Chevron, was an Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist and record producer. He was best known as the lead guitarist for the Celtic punk band the Pogues and as the frontman for the 1970s punk rock band The Radiators from Space. Upon his death in 2013, Chevron was regarded as one of the most influential figures in Irish punk music.
Martin Dillon, American tenor and educator (died 2005)
Martin Dillon was an American musician, operatic tenor, and professor of music at Rutgers University in Camden, New Jersey.
Uģis Prauliņš, Latvian composer
Uģis Prauliņš is a Latvian composer whose choral work Missa Rigensis was recorded by the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, the Riga Cathedral Boys Choir, Youth Choir BALSIS and has been performed in several locations around the world, amongst those Canada, France, England.
17/06/1956
Iain Milne, Scottish rugby player
Iain Gordon Milne is a former Scotland international rugby union player and British & Irish Lion.
17/06/1955
Mati Laur, Estonian historian, author, and academic
Mati Laur is an Estonian historian. He has written and coauthored textbooks about early modern Estonia. He has published scholarly articles about eighteenth-century Estonia, which also was the subject of his doctoral dissertation. Despite this narrow specialisation, he is a professor of general history at the University of Tartu.
Bob Sauvé, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
Robert F. Sauvé is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender.
Cem Hakko, Turkish fashion designer and businessman
Cem Hakko is a Turkish fashion designer and businessman. He is the son of Vitali Hakko (1913–2007).
17/06/1954
Mark Linn-Baker, American actor and director
Mark Linn-Baker is an American actor and director who played Benjy Stone in the film My Favorite Year and Larry Appleton in the television sitcom Perfect Strangers.
17/06/1953
Vernon Coaker, English educator and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Vernon Rodney Coaker, Baron Coaker is a British politician and life peer who has served as Minister of State for Defence since 2024. A member of the Labour Party, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Gedling from 1997 to 2019.
Juan Muñoz, Spanish sculptor and storyteller (died 2001)
Juan Muñoz was a Spanish sculptor, working primarily in paper maché, resin and bronze. He was also interested in the auditory arts and created compositions for the radio. He was a self-described "storyteller". In 2000, Muñoz was awarded Spain's major Premio Nacional de Bellas Artes in recognition of his work; he died shortly after, in 2001.
17/06/1952
Mike Milbury, American ice hockey player, coach, and manager
Michael James Milbury is an American former professional ice hockey player and current sports announcer. He played for twelve seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), all for the Boston Bruins. He helped the Bruins reach the Stanley Cup Final in 1977 and 1978. He was inducted into the U.S hockey hall of fame in 2006.
Estelle Morris, Baroness Morris of Yardley, English educator and politician, Secretary of State for Education
Estelle Morris, Baroness Morris of Yardley,, is a British politician and life peer who served as Secretary of State for Education and Skills from 2001 to 2002. A member of the Labour Party, she was Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham Yardley from 1992 to 2005.
17/06/1951
Starhawk, American author and activist
Starhawk is an American feminist and writer. She is known as a theorist of feminist neopaganism and ecofeminism. In 2013, she was listed in Watkins' Mind Body Spirit magazine as one of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People.
John Garrett, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
John Murdoch Garrett was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender and television sports commentator. He played in the World Hockey Association from 1973 to 1979 and then in the National Hockey League from 1979 to 1985. After retiring from playing he turned to broadcasting.
Joe Piscopo, American actor, comedian, and screenwriter
Joseph Charles John Piscopo is an American actor, comedian, and conservative radio talk show host. He was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984, where he played a variety of recurring characters. His film roles include Danny Vermin in Johnny Dangerously (1984), Moe Dickstein in Wise Guys (1986), Doug Bigelow in Dead Heat (1988) and Kelly Stone in Sidekicks (1992).
17/06/1949
Snakefinger, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1987)
Philip Charles Lithman, who performed under the stage name Snakefinger, was an English musician, singer and songwriter. A multi-instrumentalist, he was best known for his guitar and violin work and his collaborations with the Residents.
John Craven, English economist and academic
John Anthony George Craven is a British economist, a former vice-chancellor of the University of Portsmouth. In 2006, he founded the University Alliance, and served as its first chair until 2009.
Russell Smith, American country singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2019)
Howard Russell Smith was an American singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the groups The Amazing Rhythm Aces and Run C&W. As a solo artist, he released four studio albums and charted five singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart between 1984 and 1989.
17/06/1948
Dave Concepción, Venezuelan baseball player and manager
David Ismael Concepción Benitez is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that won four National League pennants and two World Series championships between 1970 and 1976.
Jacqueline Jones, American historian and academic
Jacqueline Jones is an American social historian and winner of the Pulitzer Prize in history. She held the Walter Prescott Webb Chair in History and Ideas from 2008 to 2017, is the Ellen C. Temple Professor of Women’s History Emerita at the University of Texas at Austin, and is the past president of the American Historical Association. Her expertise is in American social history in addition to writing on economics, race, slavery, and class. She is a Macarthur Fellow, Bancroft Prize Winner, and Pulitzer Prize winner in 2024 after twice being a finalist.
Aurelio López, Mexican baseball player and politician (died 1992)
Aurelio Alejandro López Rios was a Mexican professional baseball player. After pitching for several years in the Mexican League, he spent eleven seasons with four teams in Major League Baseball — a majority of it spent with the Detroit Tigers. He acquired the nickname "Señor Smoke" in Detroit, while he was known as "El Buitre de Tecamachalco" in Mexico. López was discovered in his hometown by Mexican League scouts and converted from a starting pitcher to a relief pitcher.
Karol Sikora, English physician and academic
Karol Sikora is a British physician specialising in oncology, who has been described as a leading authority on cancer. He was a founder and medical director of Rutherford Health, a company that provided proton therapy services, and is Director of Medical Oncology at the Bahamas Cancer Centre.
17/06/1947
Christopher Allport, American actor (died 2008)
Christopher Allport was an American actor.
Timothy Wright, American gospel singer, pastor (died 2009)
Timothy Wright, generally credited as Rev. Timothy Wright or Reverend Timothy Wright on recordings, was an American gospel singer and pastor.
Linda Chavez, American journalist and author
Linda Lou Chavez is an American author, commentator, and radio talk show host. She is also a Fox News analyst, Chairman of the Center for Equal Opportunity, has a syndicated column that appears in newspapers nationwide each week, and sits on the board of directors of two Fortune 500 companies: Pilgrim's Pride and ABM Industries. Chavez was the highest-ranking woman in President Ronald Reagan's White House, and was the first Latina ever nominated to the United States Cabinet, when President George W. Bush nominated her Secretary of Labor. She withdrew from consideration for the position when the media published allegations that she had employed an illegal immigrant a decade earlier. In 2000, Chavez was named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress.
George S. Clinton, American composer and songwriter
George Stanley Clinton Jr. is an American composer, songwriter, arranger, and session musician.
Gregg Rolie, American rock singer-songwriter and keyboard player
Gregg Alan Rolie is an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter. Rolie served as lead singer of the bands Santana and Journey – both of which he co-founded. He also helmed rock group the Storm, performed in Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band until 2021, and since 2001 with his Gregg Rolie Band. Rolie is a two-time inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, having been inducted both as a member of Santana in 1998 and as a member of Journey in 2017.
Paul Young, English singer-songwriter (died 2000)
Paul Young was a British singer and songwriter. He achieved success in the bands Sad Café and Mike + the Mechanics.
17/06/1946
Peter Rosei, Austrian author, poet, and playwright
Peter Rosei is an Austrian literary writer.
17/06/1945
Tommy Franks, American general
Tommy Ray Franks is a retired United States Army general. His last army post was as the Commander of the United States Central Command, overseeing United States military operations in a 25-country region, including the Middle East. Franks succeeded General Anthony Zinni to this position on 6 July 2000 and served until his retirement on 7 July 2003. Franks was the United States general leading the attack on the Taliban in Afghanistan in response to the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001. He also oversaw the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
Ken Livingstone, English politician, 1st Mayor of London
Kenneth Robert Livingstone is an English politician who served as the Leader of the Greater London Council (GLC) from 1981 until the council was abolished in 1986, and as the first mayor of London from the creation of the office in 2000 until 2008. He also served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Brent East from 1987 to 2001. He is a former member of the Labour Party, ideologically identifying as a socialist.
Eddy Merckx, Belgian cyclist and sportscaster
Édouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx, is a Belgian former professional road and track cyclist racer who is the most successful rider in the history of competitive cycling. His victories include an unequalled eleven Grand Tours, all five Monuments, setting the hour record, three World Championships, every major one-day race other than Paris–Tours, and extensive victories on the track.
Art Bell, American broadcaster and author (died 2018)
Arthur William Bell III was an American broadcaster and author. He was the founder and the original host of the paranormal-themed radio program Coast to Coast AM, which is syndicated on hundreds of radio stations in the United States and Canada. He also created and hosted its companion show Dreamland. Coast to Coast still airs nightly, now hosted weeknights by George Noory. Bell's past shows from 1994 to 2002 are repeated on Premiere Networks on Saturday evenings. They are retitled Somewhere in Time with Art Bell.
17/06/1944
Randy Johnson, American football player (died 2009)
Randolph Klaus Johnson was an American professional football player. He was the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons in their inaugural season of 1966. He also had brief stints with the New York Giants, Washington Redskins, and Green Bay Packers. In 1974, he played with The Hawaiians of the World Football League (WFL).
Chris Spedding, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
Christopher John Spedding is an English guitarist and record producer. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Spedding is best known for his studio session work. By the early 1970s, he had become one of the most sought-after session guitarists in England. Spedding has played on and produced many albums and singles. He has also been a member of eleven rock bands: the Battered Ornaments, Frank Ricotti Quartet, King Mob, Mike Batt and Friends, Necessaries, Nucleus, Ricky Norton, Sharks, Trigger, and the Wombles. In May 1976, Spedding also produced the first Sex Pistols recordings.
17/06/1943
Newt Gingrich, American historian and politician, 58th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Newton Leroy Gingrich is an American politician who served as the 50th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U.S. representative for Georgia's 6th congressional district serving north Atlanta and nearby areas from 1979 until his resignation in 1999. In 2012, Gingrich unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination for president of the United States.
Barry Manilow, American singer-songwriter and producer
Barry Manilow is an American singer and songwriter with a career spanning over sixty years. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", "Looks Like We Made It", "Mandy", "I Write the Songs", "Ready to Take a Chance Again", "Can't Smile Without You", "Weekend in New England", and "Copacabana ".
Chantal Mouffe, Belgian theorist and author
Chantal Mouffe is a Belgian political theorist, teaching at University of Westminster. She is best known for her and Ernesto Laclau's contribution to the development of the so-called Essex School of discourse analysis. She is a strong critic of deliberative democracy and advocates a conflict-oriented model of radical democracy.
Burt Rutan, American engineer and pilot
Elbert Leander "Burt" Rutan is an American retired aerospace engineer and entrepreneur noted for his originality in designing light, strong, unusual-looking, and energy-efficient air and space craft. He designed the record-breaking Voyager, which in 1986 was the first plane to fly around the world without stopping or refueling. He also designed the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer, which in 2006 set the world record for the fastest and longest nonstop non-refueled circumnavigation flight in history. In 2004, Rutan's sub-orbital spaceplane design SpaceShipOne became the first privately funded spacecraft to enter the realm of space, winning the Ansari X-Prize that year for achieving the feat twice within a two-week period.
17/06/1942
Mohamed ElBaradei, Egyptian politician, Vice President of Egypt, Nobel Prize laureate
Mohamed Mostafa ElBaradei is an Egyptian lawyer and diplomat who served as Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 1997 to 2009, then as vice president of Egypt on an interim basis from 14 July to 14 August 2013.
Doğu Perinçek, Turkish lawyer and politician
Doğu Perinçek is a Turkish politician, doctor of law and former communist revolutionary who has been chairman of the left-wing nationalist Patriotic Party since 2015. He was also a member of the Talat Pasha Committee, an organization that denies the Armenian genocide. Politically, he is a Eurasianist who favors closer relations with China and Russia, and is one of the most anti-American politicians in Turkey.
Roger Steffens, American actor and producer
Roger Steffens is an American actor, author, lecturer, editor, reggae archivist, photographer, and producer. Six rooms of his home in Los Angeles house reggae archives, which include the world's largest collection of Bob Marley material. Based on these archives Steffens lectures internationally with a multi-media presentation called The Life of Bob Marley. His radio career began in New York City in 1961, and he co-hosted Reggae Beat on KCRW in Los Angeles and was syndicated on 130 stations worldwide in the 1980s.
17/06/1941
Nicholas C. Handy, English chemist and academic (died 2012)
Nicholas Charles Handy was a British theoretical chemist. He retired as Professor of quantum chemistry at the University of Cambridge in September 2004.
17/06/1940
George Akerlof, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
George Arthur Akerlof is an American economist and a university professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University and Koshland Professor of Economics Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. Akerlof was awarded the 2001 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, jointly with Michael Spence and Joseph Stiglitz, "for their analyses of markets with asymmetric information." He is the husband of former United States Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen.
Bobby Bell, American football player
Bobby Lee Bell Sr. is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker and defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Bell is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame, NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, and played on the Chiefs' team that won Super Bowl IV. Paul Zimmerman described him as the first, and prototype, size and speed linebacker.
Chuck Rainey, American bassist
Charles Walter Rainey III is an American bass guitarist who has performed and recorded with many well-known acts, including Aretha Franklin, Steely Dan, and Quincy Jones. Rainey is credited for playing bass on more than 1,000 albums, and is one of the most recorded bass players in the history of recorded music.
17/06/1937
Peter Fitzgerald, Irish footballer and manager (died 2013)
Peter Joseph Fitzgerald was an Irish professional footballer who played as a forward.
Ted Nelson, American sociologist and philosopher
Theodor Holm Nelson is an American pioneer of information technology, philosopher of computer science, and sociologist. He coined the terms hypertext and hypermedia in 1963 and published them in 1965. According to his profile published in Forbes in 1997, Nelson "sees himself as a literary romantic, like a Cyrano de Bergerac, or 'the Orson Welles of software'."
Clodovil Hernandes, Brazilian fashion designer, television presenter and politician (died 2009)
Clodovil Hernandes was a Brazilian fashion designer, television presenter, and politician.
17/06/1936
Vern Harper, Canadian tribal leader and activist (died 2018)
Vern Harper Vernon Harper born on June 17, 1936 in Regent Park Toronto, Ontario – May 12, 2018) was a Canadian First Nations Cree Elder, medicine man, and Aboriginal rights activist.
Ken Loach, English director, producer, and screenwriter
Kenneth Charles Loach is a retired English filmmaker. His socially critical directing style and socialist views are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as poverty, homelessness, and labour rights.
17/06/1933
Harry Browne, American soldier and politician (died 2006)
Harry Edson Browne was an American writer, libertarian political activist, and investment advisor. He was the Libertarian Party's presidential nominee in the U.S. elections of 1996 and 2000 running on a platform that advocated abolishing the federal income tax, privatizing Social Security, ending the war on drugs, and drastically reducing the size and scope of government. A leading figure in the modern libertarian movement, Browne was a passionate advocate for personal freedom, limited government, and voluntary cooperation. He authored 12 books that in total have sold more than 2 million copies including his influential work How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World (1973), which provided a blueprint for achieving individual liberation by rejecting societal constraints and embracing self-reliance. Through his presidential campaigns, writings, and public appearances, Browne articulated a vision of a society free from coercion, inspiring generations of libertarians to challenge political and cultural orthodoxy.
Christian Ferras, French violinist (died 1982)
Christian Ferras was a French violinist.
Maurice Stokes, American basketball player (died 1970)
Maurice Stokes was an American professional basketball player. He played for the Cincinnati/Rochester Royals of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1955 to 1958. Stokes was a three-time NBA All-Star, a three-time All-NBA Second Team member and the 1956 NBA Rookie of the Year. His career – and later his life – was cut short by a debilitating brain injury and paralysis.
17/06/1932
Derek Ibbotson, English runner (died 2017)
George Derek Ibbotson was an English runner who excelled in athletics in the 1950s. His most famous achievement was setting a new world record in the mile in 1957.
John Murtha, American colonel and politician (died 2010)
John Patrick Murtha Jr. was an American politician and Marine Corps officer. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1974 until his death in 2010. Murtha was the first Vietnam War veteran elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and is the longest-serving member of the chamber ever elected from Pennsylvania.
17/06/1931
John Baldessari, American painter and illustrator (died 2020)
John Anthony Baldessari was an American conceptual artist known for his work featuring found photography and appropriated images. He lived and worked in Santa Monica and Venice, California.
17/06/1930
Cliff Gallup, American guitarist (died 1988)
Clifton E. Gallup was an American guitarist. He was the lead guitarist for Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps in the 1950s. Gallup's recording career was brief, recording 35 songs with Vincent in 1956 plus a 1960s solo album, but he performed occasionally until the end of his life as a part-time hobby.
Brian Statham, English cricketer (died 2000)
John Brian Statham, was an English professional cricketer from Gorton, in Manchester, who played for Lancashire County Cricket Club from 1950 to 1968 and for England from 1951 to 1965. As an England player, he took part in nine overseas tours from 1950–51 to 1962–63. He was a right arm fast bowler and was noted for the consistent accuracy of his length and direction.
Shatzi Weisberger, Jewish-American nurse, educator, and activist (died 2022)
Joyce "Shatzi" Weisberger was an American death educator, activist, and nurse based in New York City. After a 47-year career in nursing, she began engaging in public death education and end-of-life advocacy. Throughout her life, Weisberger was involved in several activist movements, including the civil rights movement, anti-nuclear movement, ACT UP, and campaigns against police brutality. In her later years, she was affiliated with the New York chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, expressing opposition to Zionism.
17/06/1929
Bud Collins, American journalist and sportscaster (died 2016)
Arthur Worth "Bud" Collins Jr. was an American journalist and television sportscaster, best known for his tennis commentary. Collins was married to photographer Anita Ruthling Klaussen.
Tigran Petrosian, Armenian chess player (died 1984)
Tigran Vardani Petrosian was a Soviet-Armenian chess grandmaster. The ninth World Chess Champion from 1963 to 1969, he was nicknamed "Iron Tigran" due to his almost-impenetrable defensive playing style, which emphasized safety above all else. Petrosian is often credited with popularizing chess in Armenia.
17/06/1928
Juan María Bordaberry, President of Uruguay (died 2011)
Juan María Bordaberry Arocena, was an Uruguayan politician and cattle rancher who served as the 34th President of Uruguay from 1972 until his ouster in 1976. For the last three years of his tenure, he was the first President of the Civic-Military Dictatorship. Previously, he was the Minister of Agriculture from 1969 to 1972. He came to office following the Presidential elections of late 1971. In 1973, Bordaberry engineered a self-coup where he dissolved the General Assembly and transferred its powers to a military-influenced Council of State. He then ruled by decree as a military-sponsored dictator until disagreements with the military led to his being overthrown before his original term of office had expired.
17/06/1927
Martin Böttcher, German composer and conductor (died 2019)
Martin Böttcher was a German composer, arranger and conductor.
Wally Wood, American author, illustrator, and publisher (died 1981)
Wallace Allan Wood was an American comic book writer, artist and independent publisher, widely known for his work on EC Comics's titles such as Weird Science, Weird Fantasy, and MAD Magazine from its inception in 1952 until 1964, as well as for T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, and work for Warren Publishing's Creepy. He drew a few early issues of Marvel's Daredevil and established the title character's distinctive red costume. Wood created and owned the long-running characters Sally Forth and Cannon.
17/06/1925
Alexander Shulgin, American pharmacologist and chemist (died 2014)
Alexander Theodore "Sasha" Shulgin was an American biochemist, broad researcher of synthetic psychoactive compounds, and author of works regarding these, who independently explored the organic chemistry and pharmacology of such agents—in his mid-life and later, many through preparation in his home laboratory, and testing on himself. He is acknowledged to have introduced to broader use, in the late 1970s, the previously synthesized compound MDMA ("ecstasy"), in research psychopharmacology and in combination with conventional therapy, the latter through presentations and academic publications, including to psychologists; and for the rediscovery, occasional discovery, and regular synthesis and personal use and distribution, of possibly hundreds of psychoactive compounds. As such, Shulgin is seen both as a pioneering and a controversial participant in the emergence of the broad use of psychedelics.
17/06/1923
Elroy Hirsch, American football player (died 2004)
Elroy Leon "Crazylegs" Hirsch was an American professional football player, sport executive, and actor. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1974. He was a first-team All-Pro in 1951 and 1953, was named to the National Football League (NFL) 1950s All-Decade Team and also was selected as a member of the NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1969 and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019.
Arnold S. Relman, American physician and academic (died 2014)
Arnold Seymour Relman — known as Bud Relman to intimates — was an American internist and professor of medicine and social medicine. He was editor of The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) from 1977 to 1991, where he instituted two important policies: one asking the popular press not to report on articles before publication and another requiring authors to disclose conflicts of interest. He wrote extensively on medical publishing and reform of the U.S. health care system, advocating non-profit delivery of single-payer health care. Relman ended his career as professor emeritus at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts.
Dale C. Thomson, Canadian historian and academic (died 1999)
Dale Cairns Thomson was a professor and departmental director at the Université de Montréal, professor and Vice-Principal of McGill University and a professor of international relations and Director of the Center of Canadian Studies at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C. and the author of several important historical works.
17/06/1922
John Amis, English journalist and critic (died 2013)
John Preston Amis was a British broadcaster, classical music critic, music administrator, and writer. He was a frequent contributor for The Guardian and to BBC radio and television music programming.
17/06/1920
Jacob H. Gilbert, American lawyer and politician (died 1981)
Jacob H. Gilbert was an American lawyer and politician who served six terms as a United States representative from New York between 1960 and 1971.
Setsuko Hara, Japanese actress (died 2015)
Setsuko Hara was a Japanese actress. She is best known for her performances in Yasujirō Ozu's films Late Spring (1949), Tokyo Story (1953) and Tokyo Twilight (1957), amongst many others, and for working extensively with director Mikio Naruse. She is widely considered to be one of the greatest Japanese film actresses of all time.
François Jacob, French biologist and geneticist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2013)
François Jacob was a French biologist. He shared the 1965 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Jacques Monod and André Lwoff "for their discoveries concerning genetic control of enzyme and virus synthesis." He and Monod originated the idea that control of enzyme levels in all cells occurs through regulation of transcription. For his work in the French Resistance, he received the Cross of Liberation, the Légion d'honneur and Croix de guerre.
Peter Le Cheminant, English air marshal and politician, Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey (died 2018)
Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter de Lacy Le Cheminant, was a senior commander of the Royal Air Force (RAF), who served as Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff from 1974 to 1976 and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces Central Europe from 1976 until his retirement in 1979.
17/06/1919
William Kaye Estes, American psychologist and academic (died 2011)
William Kaye Estes was an American psychologist. A Review of General Psychology survey, published in 2002, ranked Estes as the 77th most cited psychologist of the 20th century. In order to develop a statistical explanation for the learning phenomena, William Kaye Estes developed the Stimulus Sampling Theory in 1950 which suggested that a stimulus-response association is learned by a single trial; however, the learning process is continuous and consists of the accumulation of distinct stimulus-response pairings.
John Moffat, Scottish lieutenant and pilot (died 2016)
John William Charlton Moffat was a Scottish Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm pilot, widely credited as the pilot whose torpedo crippled the German battleship Bismarck and author of the biographical I sank the Bismarck. Moffat took part in the courageous strike on the German battleship Bismarck during its Atlantic sortie, codenamed Operation Rheinübung, on 26 May 1941 whilst flying a Fairey Swordfish biplane.
Beryl Reid, English actress (died 1996)
Beryl Elizabeth Reid was a British actress. She won the 1967 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for The Killing of Sister George, the 1980 Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance for Born in the Gardens, and the 1982 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for Smiley's People. Her film appearances included The Belles of St. Trinian's (1954), The Killing of Sister George (1968), The Assassination Bureau (1969), and No Sex Please, We're British (1973).
17/06/1918
Ajahn Chah, Thai monk and educator (died 1992)
Ajahn Chah was a Thai Buddhist monk. He was an influential teacher of the Buddhadhamma and a founder of two major monasteries in the Thai Forest Tradition.
17/06/1917
Dufferin Roblin, Canadian politician, 14th Premier of Manitoba (died 2010)
Dufferin "Duff" Roblin was a Canadian businessman and politician. He served as the 14th premier of Manitoba from 1958 to 1967. Roblin was appointed to the Senate of Canada on the advice of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. In the government of Brian Mulroney, he served as government leader in the Senate. He was the grandson of Sir Rodmond Roblin, who also served as Manitoba Premier. His ancestor John Roblin served in the Upper Canada assembly.
17/06/1916
Terry Gilkyson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1999)
Terry Gilkyson was an American folk singer and songwriter.
17/06/1915
David "Stringbean" Akeman, American singer and banjo player (died 1973)
David Akeman, better known as Stringbean, was an American singer-songwriter, musician, comedian, and semiprofessional baseball player best known for his role as a main cast member on the hit television show Hee Haw and as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Akeman was well known for his "old-fashioned" banjo-picking style, careful mix of comedy and music, and his memorable stage wardrobe. Akeman and his wife were shot and murdered by burglars in their rural Tennessee home near Ridgetop, Tennessee, in 1973.
Marcel Cadieux, Canadian civil servant and diplomat, Canadian Ambassador to the United States (died 1981)
Marcel Cadieux, was a Canadian civil servant and diplomat.
17/06/1914
John Hersey, American journalist and author (died 1993)
John Richard Hersey was an American writer and journalist. He is considered one of the earliest practitioners of the so-called New Journalism, in which storytelling techniques of fiction are adapted to non-fiction reportage. In 1999, Hiroshima, Hersey's account of the aftermath of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, was adjudged the finest work of American journalism of the 20th century by a 36-member panel associated with New York University's journalism department.
17/06/1910
Red Foley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1968)
Clyde Julian "Red" Foley was an American musician who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II. For more than two decades, Foley was one of the biggest stars of the genre, selling more than 25 million records. His 1951 hit, "Peace in the Valley", was among the first million-selling gospel records. A Grand Ole Opry veteran until his death, Foley also hosted the first popular country music series on network television, Ozark Jubilee, from 1955 to 1960.
George Hees, Canadian football player and politician (died 1996)
George Harris Hees was a Canadian politician and businessman.
17/06/1909
Elmer L. Andersen, American businessman and politician, 30th Governor of Minnesota (died 2004)
Elmer Lee Andersen was an American businessman, philanthropist, and politician who built a successful business career with the H. B. Fuller Company. Andersen was most notably the 30th governor of Minnesota. A self-described progressive Republican, he was a well-regarded politician who passed many social and environmental regulations during his time as governor.
Ralph E. Winters, Canadian-American film editor (died 2004)
Ralph Ethan Winters was a Canadian-born film editor who became one of the leading figures of this field in the American industry.
17/06/1907
Maurice Cloche, French director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1990)
Maurice Cloche was a French film director, screenwriter, photographer and film producer. Best known for his Oscar-winning film Monsieur Vincent (1947) he won a 1948 Special Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
17/06/1904
Ralph Bellamy, American actor (died 1991)
Ralph Rexford Bellamy was an American actor whose career spanned 65 years on stage, film, and television. During his career, he played leading roles as well as supporting roles, garnering acclaim and awards, including a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for Sunrise at Campobello as well as Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination for The Awful Truth (1937). In 1986, Bellamy was awarded with an Academy Honorary Award.
J. Vernon McGee, American pastor and theologian (died 1988)
John Vernon McGee was an American ordained Presbyterian minister, pastor, Bible teacher, theologian, and radio minister.
Patrice Tardif, Canadian farmer and politician (died 1989)
Patrice Tardif was a Canadian politician of Quebec. He was a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec (MLA).
17/06/1903
Ruth Graves Wakefield, American chef, created the chocolate chip cookie (died 1977)
Ruth Graves Wakefield was an American chef, known for her innovations in the baking field. She pioneered the first chocolate chip cookie recipe, an invention many people incorrectly assume was a mistake. Her new dessert, supposedly conceived of as she returned from a vacation in Egypt, is the inspiration behind the massively popular Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie. Throughout her life, Wakefield found occupation as a dietitian, educator, business owner, and published author. She wrote a cookbook titled Ruth Wakefield’s, Toll House: Tried and True Recipes.
17/06/1902
Sammy Fain, American pianist and composer (died 1989)
Sammy Fain was an American composer of popular music. In the 1920s and early 1930s, he contributed numerous songs that form part of The Great American Songbook, and to Broadway theatre.
Alec Hurwood, Australian cricketer (died 1982)
Alexander Hurwood, was an Australian cricketer who played in two Tests in the 1930–31 season.
17/06/1900
Martin Bormann, German politician (died 1945)
Martin Ludwig Bormann was a German Nazi Party official, head of the Nazi Party Chancellery, private secretary to Adolf Hitler and war criminal. Bormann gained immense power by using his position as Hitler's private secretary to control the flow of information and access to Hitler. He used his position to create an extensive bureaucracy and involve himself as much as possible in decision-making.
Evelyn Irons, Scottish journalist and war correspondent (died 2000)
Evelyn Graham Irons was a Scottish journalist, the first female war correspondent to be decorated with the French Croix de Guerre.
17/06/1898
M. C. Escher, Dutch illustrator (died 1972)
Maurits Cornelis Escher was a Dutch graphic artist who made woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints, many of which were inspired by mathematics. Despite wide popular interest, for most of his life Escher was neglected in the art world, even in his native Netherlands. He was 70 before a retrospective exhibition was held. In the late twentieth century, he became more widely appreciated, and in the twenty-first century he has been celebrated in exhibitions around the world.
Carl Hermann, German physicist and academic (died 1961)
Carl Heinrich Hermann, also spelled Karl Hermann, was a German physicist, crystallographer, and resistance fighter in Nazi Germany. He is known for his research in crystallographic symmetry, nomenclature, and mathematical crystallography in N-dimensional spaces.
Joe McKelvey, Executed Irish republican (died 1922)
Joseph McKelvey was an Irish Republican Army officer who was executed during the Irish Civil War without trial or court martial. He participated in the Anti-Treaty IRA's repudiation of the authority of the Dáil Éireann, the civil government of the Irish Republic declared in 1919 in March 1922, and was elected to the IRA Army Council as Deputy Chief of Staff. In April 1922, he helped command the occupation of the Four Courts in defiance of the new Irish Free State. This action helped to spark the civil war, between pro- and anti-treaty factions. McKelvey was among the most hardline of the republican side and, briefly in June 1922, became IRA Chief of Staff.
Harry Patch, English soldier and firefighter (died 2009)
Henry John Patch, dubbed in his later years "the Last Fighting Tommy", was an English supercentenarian, briefly the oldest man in Europe, and the world's last surviving trench combat soldier of the First World War. Patch was not the longest-surviving soldier of the First World War, but he was the fifth-longest-surviving veteran of any sort from the First World War, behind British veterans Claude Choules and Florence Green, Frank Buckles of the United States and John Babcock of Canada. At the time of his death, aged 111 years and 38 days, Patch was the fourth-oldest man in the world, behind Walter Breuning, Horacio Celi Mendoza, and Jiroemon Kimura.
17/06/1897
Maria Izilda de Castro Ribeiro, Brazilian girl, popular saint (died 1911)
Maria Izilda de Castro Ribeiro, popularly known as Menina Izildinha, Angel of the Lord or Saint Izildinha, is an unofficial popular child saint to whom Brazilian Catholics have attributed inexplicable miracles, cures and healings.
17/06/1888
Heinz Guderian, German general (died 1954)
Heinz Wilhelm Guderian was a German army general and military theorist. A pioneer and advocate of the "blitzkrieg" approach, he played a central role in the development of the panzer division concept and tank warfare more broadly.
17/06/1882
Adolphus Frederick VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (died 1918)
Adolphus Frederick VI was the last reigning Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
Igor Stravinsky, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (died 1971)
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky was a Russian composer and conductor with French and American citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th century and a pivotal figure in modernist music.
17/06/1881
Tommy Burns, Canadian boxer and promoter (died 1955)
Tommy Burns was a Canadian professional boxer. He remains the only Canadian-born fighter to win the World Heavyweight Championship and is the shortest champion in the division's history. The first to travel the globe in defending his title, Burns made 13 title defences against 11 different boxers, despite often being the underdog due to his size.
17/06/1880
Carl Van Vechten, American author and photographer (died 1964)
Carl Van Vechten was an American writer and artistic photographer who was a patron of the Harlem Renaissance and the literary executor of Gertrude Stein. He gained fame as a writer, and notoriety as well, for his 1926 novel Nigger Heaven. In his later years, he took up photography and took many portraits of notable people. Although he was married to women for most of his adult years, Van Vechten engaged in numerous affairs with other men during his lifetime.
17/06/1876
William Carr, American rower (died 1942)
William John Carr was an American rower who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics. He was part of the American boat Vesper Boat Club, which won the gold medal in the eights.
Edward Anthony Spitzka, American anatomist and author (died 1922)
Edward Anthony Spitzka was an American anatomist who autopsied the brain of Leon Czolgosz, the assassin of president William McKinley.
17/06/1871
James Weldon Johnson, American author, journalist, and activist (died 1938)
James Weldon Johnson was an American writer and civil rights activist. He was married to civil rights activist Grace Nail Johnson. Johnson was a leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), where he started working in 1917. In 1920, he was chosen as executive secretary of the organization, effectively the operating officer. He served in that position from 1920 to 1930. In 1928 and then again in 1930 he received Rosenwald fellowships from the Rosenwald Fund to write Black Manhattan.
17/06/1867
Flora Finch, English-American actress (died 1940)
Flora Finch was an English-born vaudevillian, stage and film actress who starred in over 300 silent films, including over 200 for the Vitagraph Studios film company. The vast majority of her films from the silent era are currently classified as lost.
John Robert Gregg, Irish-born American educator, publisher, and humanitarian (died 1948)
John Robert Gregg was an Irish-born American educator, publisher, and inventor, best known as the creator of the eponymous shorthand writing system, Gregg shorthand. Developed in the late 19th century and refined over several decades, Gregg shorthand became one of the most widely used systems of shorthand in the English-speaking world, particularly in business and educational settings during the 20th century.
Henry Lawson, Australian poet and author (died 1922)
Henry Archibald Hertzberg Lawson was an Australian writer and bush poet. Along with his contemporary Banjo Paterson, Lawson is among the best-known Australian poets and fiction writers of the colonial period and is often called Australia's "greatest short story writer".
17/06/1865
Susan La Flesche Picotte, Native American physician (died 1915)
Susan La Flesche Picotte was a Native American medical doctor and reformer and member of the Omaha tribe. She is widely acknowledged as one of the first Indigenous people, and the first Indigenous woman, to earn a medical degree. She campaigned for public health and for the formal, legal allotment of land to members of the Omaha tribe. She served as a physician to over 1,200 Omaha people on the reservation, working under conditions of significant pay disparity compared to white government doctors. In 1913, after no Commissioner of Indian Affairs during her life supported government-funded hospital for Native Americans, she founded the Walthill Hospital, the first privately funded hospital on a Native American reservation.
17/06/1863
Charles Michael, duke of Mecklenburg (died 1934)
Charles Michael, Duke of Mecklenburg was an officer in the Imperial Russian Army, heir presumptive to the throne of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and from 1918 head of the Grand Ducal House.
17/06/1861
Pete Browning, American baseball player (died 1905)
Louis Rogers "Pete" Browning, nicknamed "Gladiator" and "the Louisville Slugger", was an American professional baseball center fielder and left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1882 to 1894. He played primarily for the Louisville Eclipse/Colonels, becoming one of the sport's most accomplished batters of the 1880s.
Omar Bundy, American general (died 1940)
Major General Omar Bundy was a career United States Army officer who was a veteran of the American Indian Wars, Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War, Pancho Villa Expedition, and World War I.
17/06/1858
Eben Sumner Draper, American businessman and politician, 44th Governor of Massachusetts (died 1914)
Eben Sumner Draper was an American businessman and politician from Massachusetts. He was for many years a leading figure in what later became the Draper Corporation, the dominant manufacturer of cotton textile process machinery in the world during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He served as the 44th governor of Massachusetts from 1909 to 1911.
17/06/1833
Manuel González Flores, Mexican general and president (died 1893)
José Manuel del Refugio González Flores was a Mexican general and liberal politician who served as the 35th President of Mexico from 1880 to 1884.
17/06/1832
William Crookes, English chemist and physicist (died 1919)
Sir William Crookes was an English chemist and physicist who attended the Royal College of Chemistry, now part of Imperial College London, and worked on spectroscopy. He was a pioneer of vacuum tubes, inventing the Crookes tube, which was made in 1875. Observing cathode rays generated in these tubes, Crookes posited that "radiant matter" was a unique fourth state of matter, a foundational contribution to plasma physics.
17/06/1821
E. G. Squier, American archaeologist and journalist (died 1888)
Ephraim George Squier, usually cited as E. G. Squier, was an American archaeologist, history writer, painter and newspaper editor.
17/06/1818
Charles Gounod, French composer and academic (died 1893)
Charles-François Gounod was a French composer, conductor, and organist of the Romantic era. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been Faust (1859); his Roméo et Juliette (1867) also remains in the international repertoire. He composed a large amount of church music, many songs, and popular short pieces including his "Ave Maria" and "Funeral March of a Marionette".
Sophie of Württemberg, queen of the Netherlands (died 1877)
Sophie of Württemberg was Queen of the Netherlands as the first wife of King William III. Sophie separated from William in 1855 but continued to perform her duties as queen in public. She was known for her progressive and liberal views and corresponded with several famous intellectuals.
17/06/1811
Jón Sigurðsson, Icelandic scholar and politician (died 1879)
Jón Sigurðsson was the leader of the 19th century Icelandic independence movement.
17/06/1810
Ferdinand Freiligrath, German poet and translator (died 1876)
Ferdinand Freiligrath was a German poet, translator and liberal agitator, who is considered part of the Young Germany movement.
17/06/1808
Henrik Wergeland, Norwegian poet, playwright, and linguist (died 1845)
Henrik Arnold Thaulow Wergeland was a Norwegian writer, most celebrated for his poetry but also a prolific playwright, polemicist, historian, and linguist. He is often described as a leading pioneer in the development of a distinctly Norwegian literary heritage and of modern Norwegian culture.
17/06/1800
William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, English-Irish astronomer and politician (died 1867)
William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, was an English engineer and astronomer. He built several giant telescopes. His 72-inch telescope, built in 1845 and colloquially known as the "Leviathan of Parsonstown", was the world's largest telescope, in terms of aperture size, until the early 20th century. From April 1807 until February 1841, he was styled as Baron Oxmantown.
17/06/1778
Gregory Blaxland, English-Australian explorer (died 1853)
Gregory Blaxland was an English pioneer farmer and explorer.
17/06/1718
George Howard, English field marshal and politician, Governor of Minorca (died 1796)
Field Marshal Sir George Howard KB PC was a British Army officer and politician. After commanding the 3rd Regiment of Foot at the Battle of Fontenoy in May 1745 during the War of the Austrian Succession and after commanding that regiment again at the Battle of Falkirk Muir and the Battle of Culloden during the Jacobite Rebellion, he returned to the continent and fought at the Battle of Lauffeld. He went on to command a brigade at the Battle of Warburg during the Seven Years' War. He subsequently became the Governor of Minorca.
17/06/1714
César-François Cassini de Thury, French astronomer and cartographer (died 1784)
César-François Cassini de Thury, also called Cassini III or Cassini de Thury, was a French astronomer and cartographer.
17/06/1704
John Kay, English engineer, invented the Flying shuttle (died 1780)
John Kay was an English inventor whose most important creation was the flying shuttle, which was a key contribution to the Industrial Revolution. He is often confused with his namesake, who built the first "spinning frame".
17/06/1693
Johann Georg Walch, German theologian and author (died 1775)
Johann Georg Walch was a German Lutheran theologian.
17/06/1691
Giovanni Paolo Panini, Italian painter and architect (died 1765)
Giovanni Paolo, also known as Gian Paolo Panini or Pannini, was an Italian Baroque painter and architect who worked in Rome and is primarily known as one of the vedutisti. As a painter, Panini is best known for his vistas of Rome, in which he took a particular interest in the city's antiquities. Among his most famous works are his view of the interior of the Pantheon, and his vedute—paintings of picture galleries containing views of Rome. Most of his works, especially those of ruins, have a fanciful and unreal embellishment characteristic of capriccio themes. In this they resemble the capricci of Marco Ricci. Panini also painted portraits, including one of Pope Benedict XIV.
17/06/1682
Charles XII, Swedish king (died 1718)
Charles XII, sometimes Carl XII or Carolus Rex, was King of Sweden from 1697 to 1718. He belonged to the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, a branch line of the House of Wittelsbach. Charles was the only surviving son of Charles XI and Ulrika Eleonora the Elder. He assumed power, after a seven-month caretaker government, at the age of fifteen.
17/06/1631
Gauharara Begum, Mughal princess (died 1706)
Gauhar Ara Begum was a Mughal princess and the 14th and youngest child of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
17/06/1610
Birgitte Thott, Danish scholar, writer and translator (born 1662)
Birgitte (Bridget) Thott was a Danish writer, scholar and feminist, known for her learning. She was fluent and literate in Latin along with many other languages. She translated many published works into Danish, including a 1,000-page translation of Latin moral philosopher Seneca.
17/06/1604
John Maurice, Dutch nobleman (died 1679)
John Maurice of Nassau, called "the Brazilian" for his fruitful period as governor of Dutch Brazil, was Count and Prince of Nassau-Siegen. He served as Herrenmeister of the Order of Saint John from 1652 until his death in 1679.
17/06/1603
Joseph of Cupertino, Italian mystic and saint (died 1663)
Joseph of Cupertino, OFM Conv. was an Italian Conventual Franciscan friar who is honored as a Christian mystic and saint. According to traditional Franciscan accounts, he was "remarkably unclever", but experienced miraculous levitation and ecstatic visions throughout his life which made him the object of scorn.
17/06/1571
Thomas Mun, English writer on economics (died 1641)
Sir Thomas Mun was an English writer on economics and is often referred to as the last of the early mercantilists. Most notably, he is known for serving as the director of the East India Company. Due to his strong belief in the state and his prior experience as a merchant, Mun took on a prominent role during the economic depression which began in 1620. To defend the East India Company and to regain England's economic stability, Mun published A Discourse of Trade from England unto the East-Indies.
17/06/1530
François de Montmorency, French nobleman (died 1579)
François de Montmorency, 2nd Duke of Montmorency was a French noble, governor, diplomat and soldier during the latter Italian Wars and the early French Wars of Religion. The son of Anne de Montmorency, favourite of the king and Madeleine of Savoy, Montmorency began his political career during the coronation of Henri II in 1547. With the resumption of the Italian Wars in 1551 he fought at the capture of Chieri, the famous defence of Metz and the defence of Thérouanne. In the latter engagement he was captured by Imperial forces, and put up for ransom. He would spend the next three years in captivity before returning to France in 1556. Returning to the conflict immediately he participated in the disastrous Saint-Quentin campaign in which the French army was destroyed and his father captured. After serving as a lieutenant in Picardie he found himself gaining advantage on the death of Henri II, the new Guise regime compensating the Montmorency family for their seizure of the grand maître title with the provision of a Marshal baton to Montmorency.
17/06/1239
Edward I, English king (died 1307)
Edward I, also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 1254 to 1306 ruled Gascony as Duke of Aquitaine in his capacity as a vassal of the French king. Before his accession to the throne, he was commonly referred to as the Lord Edward.
17/06/0801
Drogo of Metz, Frankish bishop (died 855)
Drogo, also known as Dreux or Drogon, was an illegitimate son of Frankish emperor Charlemagne by the concubine Regina.
Lives Remembered on 17th June
On 17th June, 103 remarkable people passed away — from 656 to 2021. Remember the lives and legacies of those we lost on this day.
17/06/2021
Kenneth Kaunda, Zambian educator and politician, first president of Zambia (born 1924)
Kenneth Kaunda, also known as KK, was a Zambian politician who served as the first president of Zambia from 1964 to 1991. He was at the forefront of the campaign for independence from the British Empire, though he would subsequently establish himself as a dictator and oversee Zambia's economic collapse once this was achieved. Dissatisfied with Harry Nkumbula's leadership of the Northern Rhodesian African National Congress, he broke away and founded the Zambian African National Congress, later becoming the head of the socialist United National Independence Party (UNIP).
17/06/2020
Jean Kennedy Smith, American activist, humanitarian, author and diplomat (United States Ambassador to Ireland, 1993–1998) (born 1928)
Jean Ann Kennedy Smith was an American diplomat, activist, humanitarian, and author who served as United States Ambassador to Ireland from 1993 to 1998. A member of the Kennedy family, Kennedy was the eighth of nine children born to Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Rose Kennedy. Her siblings included President of the United States John F. Kennedy, United States Senator Robert F. Kennedy of New York, United States Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, Rosemary Kennedy, and Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver.
17/06/2019
Gloria Vanderbilt, American artist, author actress, fashion designer, heiress and socialite (born 1924)
Gloria Laura Vanderbilt was an American artist, author, actress, fashion designer, heiress, and socialite.
Mohamed Morsi, Egyptian professor and politician, first elected president of Egypt after Egyptian revolution (born 1951)
Mohamed Mohamed Morsi Eissa Al-Ayyat was an Egyptian politician, engineer, and professor who served as the 5th president of Egypt from 2012 to 2013, when General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi removed him from office in a coup d'état after protests in June. Affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood organization, Morsi led the Freedom and Justice Party from 2011 to 2012.
17/06/2017
Baldwin Lonsdale, president of Vanuatu (born 1948)
Baldwin Jacobson Lonsdale was a Vanuatuan politician and Anglican priest who served as the president of Vanuatu from 22 September 2014 until his death in 2017.
17/06/2015
Ron Clarke, Australian runner and politician, Mayor of the Gold Coast (born 1937)
Ronald William Clarke was an Australian athlete, writer, and the Mayor of the Gold Coast from 2004 to 2012. He was one of the best-known middle- and long-distance runners in the 1960s, notable for setting seventeen world records.
John David Crow, American football player and coach (born 1935)
John David Crow Sr. was an American professional football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1957 as a halfback playing for the Texas A&M Aggies. After college, he played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago / St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers from 1958 to 1968.
Süleyman Demirel, Turkish engineer and politician, 9th President of Turkey (born 1924)
Sami Süleyman Gündoğdu Demirel was a Turkish politician, engineer, and statesman who served as the president of Turkey from 1993 to 2000. He previously served as the prime minister of Turkey seven times between 1965 and 1993. He was the leader of the Justice Party (AP) from 1964 to 1980 and the leader of the True Path Party (DYP) from 1987 to 1993.
Roberto M. Levingston, Argentinian general and politician, 36th President of Argentina (born 1920)
Roberto Marcelo Levingston Laborda was an Argentine Army general who was the 36th President of Argentina from 1970 to 1971. His presidency was marked by a protectionist economic policy amid the country's financial struggles, and the imposition of the death penalty against terrorists and kidnappers.
Clementa C. Pinckney, American minister and politician (born 1973)
Clementa "Clem" Carlos Pinckney was an American politician and pastor who served as a Democratic member of the South Carolina Senate, representing the 45th District from 2000 until his assassination in 2015. He was previously a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1997 through 2000.
17/06/2014
Patsy Byrne, English actress (born 1933)
Patricia Anne Thirza Byrne was an English actress, best known for her role as "Nursie" in Blackadder II as well as Malcolm's domineering Mother, Mrs Stoneway in all seven series of the ITV comedy Watching between 1987 and 1993.
Éric Dewailly, Canadian epidemiologist and academic (born 1954)
Éric Dewailly was a Canadian epidemiologist and medical researcher from Quebec. He was particularly notable for his research into human toxicology and the effect of contaminants on the environment in the Arctic. A professor of medicine at Laval University and the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec Research Center, he was also a scientific director of the World Health Organization's Collaborative Centre in Environmental Health.
Stanley Marsh 3, American businessman and philanthropist (born 1938)
Stanley Marsh 3 was an American artist, businessman, philanthropist, and prankster from Amarillo, Texas. He is perhaps best known for having been the sponsor of the Cadillac Ranch, an unusual public art installation off historic Route 66, now Interstate 40, west of Amarillo.
Arnold S. Relman, American physician and academic (born 1923)
Arnold Seymour Relman — known as Bud Relman to intimates — was an American internist and professor of medicine and social medicine. He was editor of The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) from 1977 to 1991, where he instituted two important policies: one asking the popular press not to report on articles before publication and another requiring authors to disclose conflicts of interest. He wrote extensively on medical publishing and reform of the U.S. health care system, advocating non-profit delivery of single-payer health care. Relman ended his career as professor emeritus at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts.
Larry Zeidel, Canadian-American ice hockey player and sportscaster (born 1928)
Lazarus "Larry The Rock" Zeidel was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, most notably for the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League, for whom he played nine seasons, and in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks and the Philadelphia Flyers during a career that lasted from 1947 to 1969. He is considered one of the most violent players in hockey history, and at the time of his retirement, was the most penalized player in minor league history.
17/06/2013
Michael Baigent, New Zealand-English theorist and author (born 1948)
Michael Baigent was a New Zealand writer who published a number of popular works questioning traditional perceptions of history and the life of Jesus. He is known best as a co-author of the book The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail.
Atiqul Haque Chowdhury, Bangladeshi playwright and producer (born 1930)
Atiqul Haque Chowdhury was a prominent media personality in Bangladesh. He significantly contributed to the development of Bangladesh television and radio.
Pierre F. Côté, Canadian lawyer and civil servant (born 1927)
Pierre-Ferdinand Côté, was a Canadian civil servant and lawyer. Côté served as the first Chief Electoral Officer of Quebec from 1978 until 1997. The Chief Electoral Officer is the official responsible for the administration of the electoral and referendum system in the province of Quebec.
Bulbs Ehlers, American basketball player (born 1923)
Edwin Sheffield "Bulbs" Ehlers was an American professional basketball player. Standing 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) and weighing 198 pounds (90 kg), he played the Shooting Guard positions. Ehlers was drafted third overall in the inaugural 1947 BAA draft by the Boston Celtics. In two seasons in the league, both with the Celtics, Ehlers averaged 8.1 points per game.
James Holshouser, American politician, 68th Governor of North Carolina (born 1934)
James Eubert Holshouser Jr. was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 68th Governor of North Carolina from 1973 to 1977. He was the first Republican candidate to be elected as governor of the state since 1896. Born in Boone, North Carolina, Holshouser initially sought to become a sports journalist before deciding to pursue a law degree. While in law school he developed an interest in politics and in 1962 he was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives where he focused on restructuring government and higher education institutions, and drug abuse legislation. Made chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party in March 1966, he established the organization's first permanent staff and gained prominence by opposing a cigarette tax.
17/06/2012
Stéphane Brosse, French mountaineer (born 1971)
Stéphane Brosse was a French ski mountaineer.
Patricia Brown, American baseball player (born 1931)
Patricia Irene Brown was a pitcher who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). Listed at 5' 5", 135 lb., she batted and threw right handed.
Nathan Divinsky, Canadian mathematician and chess player (born 1925)
Nathan Joseph Harry Divinsky was a Canadian mathematician, university professor, chess master, writer, and politician. Divinsky was also known for being the former husband of the 19th Prime minister of Canada, Kim Campbell. Divinsky and Campbell were married from 1972 to 1983.
Rodney King, American victim of police brutality (born 1965)
Rodney Glen King was an African American victim of police brutality. On March 3, 1991, he was severely beaten by officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) during his arrest after a high speed pursuit for driving while intoxicated on Interstate 210. An uninvolved resident, George Holliday, saw and filmed the incident from his nearby balcony and sent the footage, which showed King on the ground being beaten, to a local news station, KTLA. The station broadcast the film, which was rebroadcast by other stations, with this exposure precipitating riots.
Fauzia Wahab, Pakistani actress and politician (born 1956)
Fauzia Wahab was a Pakistani politician who served as the senior ex officio member and the secretary-general of the central executive committee of the Pakistan Peoples Party.
17/06/2011
Rex Mossop, Australian rugby player and sportscaster (born 1928)
Rex Peers "Moose" Mossop was an Australian rugby union and rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s – a dual-code international, and an Australian television personality from 1964 until 1991.
17/06/2009
Ralf Dahrendorf, German-English sociologist and politician (born 1929)
Ralf Gustav Dahrendorf, Baron Dahrendorf, was a German-British sociologist, philosopher, political scientist and liberal politician. A class conflict theorist, Dahrendorf was a leading expert on explaining and analysing class divisions in modern society. Dahrendorf wrote multiple articles and books, his most notable being Class and Conflict in Industrial Society (1959) and Essays in the Theory of Society (1968).
Darrell Powers, American sergeant (born 1923)
Darrell Cecil "Shifty" Powers was a non-commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. Powers was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Peter Youngblood Hills.
17/06/2008
Cyd Charisse, American actress and dancer (born 1922)
Cyd Charisse was an American dancer and actress.
17/06/2007
Gianfranco Ferré, Italian fashion designer (born 1944)
Gianfranco Ferré was an Italian fashion designer also known as "the architect of fashion" for his background and his original attitude toward creating fashion design.
Serena Wilson, American dancer and choreographer (born 1933)
Serena Wilson, often known just as "Serena", was a well-known dancer, choreographer, and teacher who helped popularize belly dance in the United States. Serena's work also helped legitimize the dance form and helped it to be perceived as more than burlesque or stripping. Serena danced in clubs in her younger years, opened her own studio, hosted her own television show, founded her own dance troupe, and was the author of several books about belly dance.
17/06/2006
Bussunda, Brazilian comedian (born 1962)
Cláudio Besserman Vianna, commonly known as Bussunda, was a Brazilian humorist and TV comedian, member of the Casseta & Planeta troupe. He was born in Rio de Janeiro, where he lived and worked, having started his career in the 1980s as a writer for satirical magazine Casseta Popular. One of the most popular Brazilian comedians of his generation, the overweight Bussunda was famous for his impersonations of football striker Ronaldo and of Brazil's president Lula. He also did the voice of Shrek in the Brazilian Portuguese version of Shrek and Shrek 2. He was of Jewish descent.
17/06/2004
Gerry McNeil, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1926)
Joseph Gerald George McNeil was a professional ice hockey goaltender who won three Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens between 1947 and 1956.
17/06/2002
Willie Davenport, American sprinter and hurdler (born 1943)
William D. Davenport was an American sprint runner.
Fritz Walter, German footballer (born 1920)
Friedrich "Fritz" Walter was a German footballer who spent his entire senior career at 1. FC Kaiserslautern. He usually played as an attacking midfielder or inside forward. In his time with the Germany and West Germany national teams, he appeared in 61 games and scored 33 goals, and was the captain of the team that won the 1954 FIFA World Cup. After his career, he was named honorary captain of the Germany national team.
17/06/2001
Donald J. Cram, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1919)
Donald James Cram was an American chemist who shared the 1987 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Jean-Marie Lehn and Charles J. Pedersen "for their development and use of molecules with structure-specific interactions of high selectivity." They were the founders of the field of host–guest chemistry.
Thomas Winning, Scottish cardinal (born 1925)
Thomas Joseph Winning was a Scottish Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Glasgow from 1974 and President of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland from 1985 until his death. Winning was elevated to the cardinalate in 1994.
17/06/2000
Ismail Mahomed, South African lawyer and jurist, 17th Chief Justice of South Africa (born 1931)
Ismail Mahomed SCOB SC was a South African lawyer and jurist who served as the first non-white Chief Justice of South Africa from January 1997 until his death in June 2000. He was also the Chief Justice of Namibia from 1992 to 1999 and the inaugural Deputy President of the Constitutional Court of South Africa from 1995 to 1996.
17/06/1999
Basil Hume, English cardinal (born 1923)
George Basil Hume was an English Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Westminster from 1976 until his death in 1999. A member of the Benedictines, he was made a cardinal in 1977.
17/06/1996
Thomas Kuhn, American historian and philosopher (born 1922)
Thomas Samuel Kuhn was an American historian and philosopher of science whose 1962 book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions was influential in both academic and popular circles, popularizing the term paradigm shift, which has since become an English-language idiom.
Curt Swan, American illustrator (born 1920)
Douglas Curtis Swan was an American comics artist. The artist most associated with Superman during the period fans call the Bronze Age of Comic Books, Swan produced hundreds of covers and stories from the 1950s through the 1980s.
17/06/1987
Dick Howser, American baseball player, coach, and manager (born 1936)
Richard Dalton Howser was an American Major League Baseball shortstop, coach, and manager who was best known as the manager of the Kansas City Royals during the 1980s and for guiding them to the franchise's first World Series title in 1985.
17/06/1986
Kate Smith, American singer (born 1907)
Kathryn Elizabeth Smith was an American contralto. Referred to as The First Lady of Radio, Smith became well known for her renditions of "God Bless America" and "When the Moon Comes over the Mountain". She began to use the descriptor The Songbird of the South in the late 1920s, while performing on the stage. This term was also used by other southern vocalists of that era; however, as the Washington D.C. Sunday Star noted, Smith was not really southern—born in Virginia, she had spent nearly all of her life in the D.C. area. But as Smith became nationally known, she became more identified with the term. By early 1929, she was being referred to that way on a regular basis: a version of the term, using "from" rather than "of," was seen in newspaper advertisements that promoted her stage performances. "Songbird of the South" was used when she appeared on the NBC Radio Network in April. Then, in the summer of that year, she starred in a Vitaphone short feature titled "Songbird of the South," in which she sang two of her hit songs, "Bless You Sister" and "Carolina Moon."
17/06/1985
John Boulting, English director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1913)
John Edward Boulting and Roy Alfred Clarence Boulting, known collectively as the Boulting brothers, were English filmmakers and identical twins who became known for their series of satirical comedies in the 1950s and 1960s. They produced many of their films through their own production company, Charter Film Productions, which they founded in 1937.
17/06/1983
Peter Mennin, American composer and educator (born 1923)
Peter Mennin was a prominent American composer, teacher and administrator. In 1958, he was named Director of the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, and in 1962 became President of the Juilliard School, a position he held until his death in 1983. Under his leadership, Juilliard moved from Claremont Avenue to its present location at Lincoln Center. Mennin is responsible for the addition of drama and dance departments at Juilliard. He also started the Master Class Program, and brought many artists to teach including Maria Callas, Pierre Fournier and others.
17/06/1982
Roberto Calvi, Italian banker (born 1920)
Roberto Calvi was an Italian banker, dubbed "God's Banker" by the press because of his close business dealings with the Holy See. He was a native of Milan and was chairman of Banco Ambrosiano, which collapsed in one of Italy's biggest political scandals.
17/06/1981
Richard O'Connor, Indian-English general (born 1889)
General Sir Richard Nugent O'Connor, was a senior British Army officer who fought in both the First and Second World Wars, and commanded the Western Desert Force in the early years of the Second World War. He was the field commander for Operation Compass, in which his forces destroyed a much larger Italian army – a victory which nearly drove the Axis from Africa, and in turn, led Adolf Hitler to send the Afrika Korps under Erwin Rommel to try to reverse the situation. O'Connor was captured by a German patrol on 6 April 1941 and spent over two years in an Italian prisoner of war camp. He eventually escaped after the fall of Mussolini in the autumn of 1943. In 1944 he commanded VIII Corps in the Battle of Normandy and later during Operation Market Garden. In 1945 he was General Officer in Command of the Eastern Command in India and then, in the closing days of British rule in the subcontinent, he headed Northern Command. His final job in the army was Adjutant-General to the Forces in London, in charge of the British Army's administration, personnel and organisation.
Zerna Sharp, American author and educator (born 1889)
Zerna Addas Sharp was an American educator and book editor who is best known as the creator of the Dick and Jane series of beginning readers for elementary school-aged children. Published by Scott, Foresman and Company of Chicago, Illinois, the readers, which described the activities of her fictional siblings, "Dick," "Jane," "Sally," and other characters, were widely used in schools in the United States and many other English-speaking countries for nearly forty years. The series, which included such titles as We Look and See, We Come and Go, We Work and Play, and Fun with Dick and Jane, among others, was marketed until 1973 and used the look-say method of teaching reading.
17/06/1979
Hubert Ashton, English cricketer and politician (born 1898)
Sir Hubert Ashton was an English first-class cricketer, footballer and politician.
Duffy Lewis, American baseball player and manager (born 1888)
George Edward "Duffy" Lewis was an American professional baseball left fielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees, and the Washington Senators from 1910 to 1921.
17/06/1975
James Phinney Baxter III, American historian and academic (born 1893)
James Phinney Baxter III was an American historian, educator, and academic, who won the 1947 Pulitzer Prize for History for his book Scientists Against Time (1946). He was also the author of The Introduction of the Ironclad Warship (1933).
17/06/1974
Refik Koraltan, Turkish lawyer and politician, 8th Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (born 1889)
Refik Koraltan was a Turkish politician, having served as the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) from 22 May 1950 to 27 May 1960.
17/06/1968
José Nasazzi, Uruguayan footballer and manager (born 1901)
José Nasazzi Yarza was a Uruguayan footballer who played as a right-back or centre-back. He captained his country when they won the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930.
17/06/1963
Aleksander Kesküla, Estonian politician (born 1882)
Aleksander Eduard Kesküla was an Estonian politician and revolutionary.
17/06/1961
Jeff Chandler, American actor (born 1918)
Jeff Chandler was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Cochise in Broken Arrow (1950), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He was one of Universal Pictures' more popular male stars of the 1950s. His other credits include Sword in the Desert (1948), Deported (1950), Female on the Beach (1955), and Away All Boats (1956). He also performed as a radio actor and as a singer.
17/06/1957
Dorothy Richardson, English journalist and author (born 1873)
Dorothy Miller Richardson was a British author and journalist. Author of Pilgrimage, a sequence of 13 semi-autobiographical novels published between 1915 and 1967—though Richardson saw them as chapters of one work—she was one of the earliest modernist novelists to use stream of consciousness as a narrative technique. Richardson also emphasises in Pilgrimage the importance and distinct nature of female experiences. The title Pilgrimage alludes not only to "the journey of the artist ... to self-realisation but, more practically, to the discovery of a unique creative form and expression".
J. R. Williams, Canadian-American cartoonist (born 1888)
James Robert Williams was a Canadian cartoonist who signed his work J. R. Williams. He was best known for his long-run daily syndicated panel Out Our Way. As noted by Coulton Waugh in his 1947 book The Comics, anecdotal evidence indicated that more Williams' cartoons were clipped and saved than were other newspaper comics. A newspaper promotion of 1930 compared him to poets Eugene Field and James Whitcomb Riley.
17/06/1956
Percival Perry, 1st Baron Perry, English businessman (born 1878)
Percival Lea Dewhurst Perry, 1st Baron Perry KBE was an English motor vehicle manufacturer who served as chairman of Ford Motor Company Limited in Britain for 20 years from its incorporation in 1928, completing almost a lifetime's work with Henry Ford. He also led the establishment of Segro.
Paul Rostock, German surgeon and academic (born 1892)
Paul Rostock was a German physician, official, and university professor. He was chief of the Office for Medical Science and Research under Third Reich Commissioner and war criminal Karl Brandt and a full professor, medical doctorate, medical superintendent of the University of Berlin Surgical Clinic.
Bob Sweikert, American race car driver (born 1926)
Robert Charles Sweikert was an American racing driver, best known as the winner of the 1955 Indianapolis 500 and the 1955 National Championship, as well as the 1955 Midwest Sprint car championship – the only driver in history to sweep all three during a single racing season.
17/06/1954
Danny Cedrone, American guitarist and bandleader (born 1920)
Donato Joseph "Danny" Cedrone was an American guitarist and bandleader, best known for his work with Bill Haley & His Comets on their epochal "Rock Around the Clock" in 1954.
17/06/1952
Jack Parsons, American chemist and engineer (born 1914)
John Whiteside Parsons was an American rocket engineer, chemist, and Thelemite occultist. Parsons was one of the principal founders of both the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Aerojet. He invented the first rocket engine to use a castable, composite rocket propellant, and pioneered the advancement of both liquid-fuel and solid-fuel rockets.
17/06/1942
Charles Fitzpatrick, Canadian lawyer and politician, 5th Chief Justice of Canada (born 1853)
Sir Charles Fitzpatrick, was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as Minister of Justice of Canada, as Chief Justice of Canada and then as Lieutenant Governor of Quebec.
17/06/1941
Johan Wagenaar, Dutch organist and composer (born 1862)
Johan Wagenaar was a Dutch composer and organist.
Đorđe Bogić, protopresbyter of the Serbian Orthodox Church, victim of Genocide of Serbs (born 1911)
Georgije Bogić was a Serbian Orthodox protopresbyter and the parish priest of the Orthodox church in Našice; who was martyred by the Ustaše during the Second World War, for which he was canonized as Saint George of Slavonia, being recognised as a new martyr and hieromartyr.
17/06/1940
Arthur Harden, English biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1865)
Sir Arthur Harden, FRS was a British biochemist. He shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1929 with Hans Karl August Simon von Euler-Chelpin for their investigations into the fermentation of sugar and fermentative enzymes. He was a founding member of the Biochemical Society and editor of the Biochemical Journal for 25 years.
17/06/1939
Allen Sothoron, American baseball player, coach, and manager (born 1893)
Allen Sutton Sothoron was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. As a player, he was a spitball pitcher who spent 11 years in the major leagues playing for the St. Louis Browns, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians and the St. Louis Cardinals. Born in Bradford, Ohio, Sothoron threw and batted right-handed, stood 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and weighed 182 pounds (83 kg). He attended Albright College and Juniata College.
Eugen Weidmann, German criminal (born 1908)
Eugen Weidmann was a German criminal and serial killer who was executed by guillotine in France in June 1939, the last public execution in France.
17/06/1936
Julius Seljamaa, Estonian journalist, politician, and diplomat, Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs (born 1883)
Julius Friedrich Seljamaa was an Estonian politician, diplomat and journalist. From 1933 to 1936, he was the Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
17/06/1914
Julien Félix, French military officer and aviator (born 1869)
Major Julien-Alexandre Félix was the director of manoeuvres in the French Military Aviation School, École militaire de Pau. He set the altitude record on August 5, 1911 in Étampes in France by climbing to 11,330 feet in 63 minutes, breaking the record of Georges Legagneux.
17/06/1904
Nikolay Bobrikov, Russian soldier and politician, Governor-General of Finland (born 1839)
Nikolay Ivanovich Bobrikov was a Russian general and politician. He served as Governor-General of Finland and the Finnish Military District from 29 August [O.S. 17 August] 1898 until his death, during the early reign of Emperor Nicholas II, and was responsible for promoting Russification policies in Finland. After his appointment as governor-general, he quickly became very unpopular and was assassinated by Eugen Schauman, a Finnish nationalist born in Kharkov.
17/06/1898
Edward Burne-Jones, English soldier and painter (born 1833)
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet was an English painter and designer associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's style and subject matter.
17/06/1889
Lozen, Chiracaua Apache warrior woman (born ~1840)
Lozen was a warrior and prophet of the Chihenne Chiricahua Apache. She was the sister of Victorio, a prominent chief. Born into the Chihenne band during the 1840s, Lozen was, according to legends, able to use her powers in battle to learn the movements of the enemy. According to James Kaywaykla, Victorio introduced her to Nana, "Lozen is my right hand ... strong as a man, braver than most, and cunning in strategy. Lozen is a shield to her people".
17/06/1866
Joseph Méry, French poet and author (born 1798)
Joseph Méry was a French writer, journalist, novelist, poet, playwright and librettist.
17/06/1839
Lord William Bentinck, English general and politician, 14th Governor-General of India (born 1774)
Lieutenant-General Lord William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck,, known as Lord William Bentinck, was a British military commander and politician who served as the governor of the Bengal presidency from 1828 to 1834 and the first governor-general of India from 1834 to 1835.
17/06/1821
Martín Miguel de Güemes, Argentinian general and politician (born 1785)
Martín Miguel de Güemes was a military leader and popular caudillo who defended northwestern Argentina from the Spanish royalist army during the Argentine War of Independence.
17/06/1813
Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham, Scottish-English admiral and politician (born 1726)
Admiral Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham, PC was a Royal Navy officer and politician. As a junior officer he saw action during the Seven Years' War. Middleton was given command of a guardship at the Nore, a Royal Navy anchorage in the Thames Estuary, at the start of the American War of Independence, and was subsequently appointed Comptroller of the Navy. He went on to be First Naval Lord and then First Lord of the Admiralty.
17/06/1797
Mohammad Khan Qajar, Persian tribal chief (born 1742)
Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar, also known by his regnal name of Agha Mohammad Shah, was the founder of the Qajar dynasty of Iran, ruling as Shah from 1789 to 1797.
17/06/1775
John Pitcairn, Scottish-English soldier (born 1722)
Major John Pitcairn was a British military officer. Born in Dysart, Fife, he enlisted in the Chatham Marine Division of the British Naval Service at the age of 23. He served in North America during the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. Arriving in Boston in 1774 with the rank of major, he fought in the 1775 battles of Lexington and Concord during the outbreak of the American War of Independence. Two months later in June, Pitcairn was killed in action during the Battle of Bunker Hill. Respected by both his men and his American opponents, he was buried at Boston's Old North Church. At the time of his death Pitcairn was serving alongside his son Thomas, also a marine officer in the same division, who helped to carry his mortally wounded father from the battlefield.
17/06/1771
Daskalogiannis, Greek rebel leader (born 1722)
Ioannis Vlachos, better known as Daskalogiannis, was a wealthy shipbuilder and shipowner who led a Cretan revolt against Ottoman rule in the 18th century.
17/06/1762
Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon, French poet and playwright (born 1674)
Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon was a French poet and tragedian.
17/06/1740
Sir William Wyndham, 3rd Baronet, English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (born 1687)
Sir William Wyndham, 3rd Baronet was a British Tory politician who sat in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1710 to 1740. He served as Secretary at War in 1712 and Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1713 during the reign of the last Stuart monarch, Queen Anne (1702–1714). He was a Jacobite leader firmly opposed to the Hanoverian succession and was leader of the Tory opposition in the House of Commons during the reign of King George I (1714–1727) and during the early years of King George II (1727–1760).
17/06/1734
Claude Louis Hector de Villars, French general and politician, French Secretary of State for War (born 1653)
Claude Louis Hector de Villars, Prince of Martigues, Marquis then (1st) Duke of Villars, Viscount of Melun was a French military commander and an illustrious general of Louis XIV. He was one of only six Marshals to have been promoted Marshal General of France. Villars is considered one of the great military commanders produced by his time.
17/06/1719
Joseph Addison, English essayist, poet, playwright, and politician (born 1672)
Joseph Addison was a British writer and politician. He was the eldest son of Lancelot Addison. His name is usually remembered alongside that of his long-standing friend Richard Steele, with whom he founded The Spectator magazine. His simple prose style marked the end of the mannerisms and conventional classical images of the 17th century. Addison is also famous for his play Cato, a Tragedy, written in 1712.
17/06/1696
John III Sobieski, Polish king (born 1629)
John III Sobieski was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1674 until his death in 1696.
17/06/1694
Philip Howard, English cardinal (born 1629)
Philip Howard was an English Roman Catholic cardinal.
17/06/1674
Jijabai, Dowager Queen, mother of Shivaji (born 1598)
Jijabai, was the mother of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, founder of the Maratha Kingdom. She was a daughter of Lakhujirao Jadhav of Sindkhed Raja. He belonged to the lineage of Devagiri Yadavas.
17/06/1649
Injo of Joseon, Korean king (born 1595)
Injo, personal name Yi Jong, was the 16th monarch of Joseon. He was the eldest son of Prince Jeongwon and a grandson of King Seonjo, and ascended to the throne after leading a coup d'état against his uncle, Gwanghaegun. Today, he is considered a weak and incompetent king, as during his reign the country experienced Yi Kwal's Rebellion, the Later Jin invasion, the Qing invasion, and an economic recession, while the government was corrupt and ineffective.
17/06/1631
Mumtaz Mahal, Mughal princess (born 1593)
Mumtaz Mahal was the empress of the Mughal Empire from 1628 to 1631 as the chief consort of the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan. The Taj Mahal in Agra, often cited as one of the Wonders of the World, was commissioned by her husband to act as her tomb.
17/06/1565
Ashikaga Yoshiteru, Japanese shōgun (born 1536)
Ashikaga Yoshiteru , also known as Yoshifushi or Yoshifuji, was a Japanese samurai, daimyo and the 13th shōgun of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1546 to 1565 during the late Muromachi period of Japan. He was the eldest son of the 12th shōgun, Ashikaga Yoshiharu, and his mother was a daughter of Konoe Hisamichi. When he became shogun in 1546 at age 11, Yoshiteru's name was Yoshifushi ; but some years later in 1554, he changed his name to the one by which he is conventionally known today. His childhood name was Kikubemaru (菊童丸). His younger brother Ashikaga Yoshiaki became the fifteenth shōgun.
17/06/1501
John I Albert, Polish king (born 1459)
John I Albert was King of Poland from 1492 to his death and Duke of Głogów from 1491 to 1498. He was the fourth Polish sovereign from the Jagiellonian dynasty and the son of Casimir IV and Elizabeth of Austria.
17/06/1463
Catherine of Portugal, Portuguese princess (born 1436)
Infanta Catarina ; was a Portuguese infanta (princess), daughter of King Edward of Portugal and Eleanor of Aragon.
17/06/1400
Jan of Jenštejn, archbishop of Prague (born 1348)
Jan of Jenštejn was a Bohemian archbishop, composer and poet. From 1379 to 1396 he was the Archbishop of Prague. He studied in Bologna, Padua, Montpellier and Paris.
17/06/1361
Ingeborg of Norway, princess consort and regent of Sweden (born 1301)
Ingeborg of Norway was a Norwegian princess and by marriage a Swedish royal duchess with a position in the regency governments in Norway (1319–1327) and Sweden (1319–1326) during the minority of her son, King Magnus Eriksson. In 1318–1319, she was Sweden's de facto ruler, and from 1319 until 1326, she was Sweden's first de jure female regent. Her role in northern European history is considered of major importance.
17/06/1219
David of Scotland, 8th Earl of Huntingdon
David of Scotland was a Scottish prince and Earl of Huntingdon. He was the grandson of David I and the younger brother of two Scottish kings, Malcolm the Maiden and William the Lion.
17/06/1207
Daoji, Chinese buddhist monk (born 1130)
Daoji, popularly known as Jigong, was a Chan Buddhist monk who lived in the Southern Song. He purportedly possessed supernatural powers through Buddhist practice, which he used to help the poor and stand up to injustice. However, he was also known for his wild and eccentric behavior and did not follow Buddhist monastic rules by consuming alcohol and meat. By the time of his death, Daoji had become a legend in Chinese culture and a deity in Chinese folk religion. He is mentioned by Buddhists in folktales and gong'an, and sometimes invoked by oracles to assist in worldly affairs.
17/06/1091
Dirk V, count of Holland (born 1052)
Dirk V was Count of Holland from 1061 to 1091.
17/06/1025
Bolesław I the Brave, Polish king (born 967)
Bolesław I the Brave, less often known as Bolesław the Great, was Duke of Poland from 992 to 1025 and the first King of Poland in 1025. He was also Duke of Bohemia between 1003 and 1004 as Boleslaus IV. A member of the Piast dynasty, Bolesław was a capable monarch and a strong mediator in Central European affairs. He continued to proselytise Western Christianity among his subjects and raised Poland to the rank of a kingdom, thus becoming the first Polish ruler to hold the title of rex, Latin for King.
17/06/0900
Fulk, French archbishop and chancellor
Fulk the Venerable was archbishop of Reims from 883 until his death. He was a key figure in the political conflicts of the West Frankish kingdom that followed the dissolution of the Carolingian Empire in the late ninth century.
17/06/0850
Tachibana no Kachiko, Japanese empress (born 786)
Tachibana no Kachiko , also known as Empress Danrin , was a Japanese empress, the chief consort of Emperor Saga and the daughter of Tachibana no Kiyotomo. She was de facto ruler of the empire between 833 and 850.
17/06/0811
Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, Japanese shōgun (born 758)
Sakanoue no Tamuramaro was a court noble, general and shōgun of the early Heian period of Japan. He served as Dainagon, Minister of War and Ukon'e no Taisho. He held the kabane of Ōsukune and the court rank of Junior Second Rank and was awarded the Order of Second Class.
17/06/0676
Adeodatus, pope of the Catholic Church
Pope Adeodatus II, sometimes called Deodatus, was the bishop of Rome from 672 to his death on 17 June 676. He devoted much of his papacy to improving churches and fighting monothelitism.
17/06/0656
Uthman, caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate (born 579)
Uthman ibn Affan was the third caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate, ruling from 644 until his assassination in 656. Uthman, a second cousin, son-in-law, and senior companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, played a major role in early Islamic history. During his reign as caliph, he was known for ordering the official compilation of the standardized version of the Quran, known as the Uthmanic codex, which is still used today.
Celebrations & Special Days Worldwide on 17th June
Christian feast day: Albert Chmielowski
Albert Chmielowski – born Adam Hilary Bernard Chmielowski – was a Polish Franciscan tertiary, painter, and disabled veteran of the Uprising of 1863. He was founder of both the Albertine Brothers and Albertine Sisters who are servants of the homeless and destitute.
Christian feast day: Botolph (England and Scandinavia)
Botolph of Thorney was an English abbot and saint. He is regarded as the patron saint of boundaries, and by extension, of trade and travel, as well as various aspects of farming. His feast day is celebrated either on 17 June (England) or 25 June (Scotland).
Christian feast day: Gondulphus of Berry
Saint Gondulphus of Berry, is a bishop, not to be confused with Gondulf of Maastricht.
Christian feast day: Hervé
Saint Hervé, also known as Harvey, Herveus, or Houarniaule, was a sixth-century Breton saint. Along with Saint Ives, he is one of the most popular of the Breton saints. He was born in Guimiliau (Gwimilio).
Christian feast day: Hypatius of Bithynia (Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic Churches)
Hypatius of Bithynia was a monk and hermit of the fifth century. A Phrygian, he became a hermit at the age of nineteen in Thrace. He then traveled to Constantinople and then Chalcedon with another hermit named Jason. He became abbot of a hermitage at Chalcedon.
Christian feast day: Rainerius
Rainerius (c. 1115/1117 – 1160) is the patron saint of Pisa and patron saint of travellers. His feast day is June 17, his name may also be spelled Raynerius, Rainerius, Rainier, Raineri, Rainieri, Ranieri, Raniero, or Regnier.
Christian feast day: Samuel and Henrietta Barnett (Church of England)
Samuel Augustus Barnett was a Church of England cleric and social reformer who was particularly associated with the establishment of the first university settlement, Toynbee Hall, in east London in 1884. He is often referred to as Canon Barnett, having served as Canon of Westminster Abbey from 1906 until his death.
Christian feast day: Theresa of Portugal
Theresa of Portugal was Queen of Léon as the first wife of her first cousin King Alfonso IX of León. When her marriage was annulled because of consanguinity, she retired to a convent. She was beatified in 1705.
Christian feast day: June 17 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
June 16 - Eastern Orthodox Church calendar - June 18
Father's Day (El Salvador, Guatemala)
Father's Day is a day set aside for honoring one's father, as well as fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. "Father's Day" complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Mother's Day and, in some countries, Siblings Day, and Grandparents' Day. The day is held on various dates across the world, and different regions maintain their own traditions of honoring fatherhood.
Icelandic National Day, celebrates the independence of Iceland from Kingdom of Denmark in 1944.
Icelandic National Day is an annual holiday in Iceland which commemorates the foundation of The Republic of Iceland on 17 June 1944. This date also marks the end of Iceland's centuries-old ties with Denmark. The date was chosen to coincide with the birthday of Jón Sigurðsson, a major figure of Icelandic culture and the leader of the 19th-century Icelandic independence movement.
National Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Forest Fires (Portugal)
A series of four initial deadly wildfires erupted across central Portugal in the afternoon of 17 June 2017 within minutes of each other, resulting in at least 66 deaths and 204 injured people.
Occupation of the Latvian Republic Day (Latvia)
Occupation of the Latvian Republic Day is an official day of remembrance in Latvia and is observed on June 17. It commemorates the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940.
World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (international)
In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly declared a “World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought". Since 2019, it has been known simply as Desertification and Drought Day and is observed on 17 June to promote public awareness of international efforts to combat desertification.
Zemla Intifada Day (Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic)
The Zemla Intifada is the name used to refer to disturbances of 17 June 1970, which culminated in a massacre by Spanish Legion forces in the Zemla district of El Aaiun, Spanish Sahara.
What Happened on 17th June?
60 significant events took place on Saturday, 17th June — stretching from 653 to 2021. Explore the moments that shaped history on this day.
17/06/2021
Juneteenth National Independence Day, was signed into law by President Joe Biden, to become the first federal holiday established since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.
Juneteenth, officially Juneteenth National Independence Day, is a federal holiday in the United States. It is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday's name, first used in the 1890s, is a portmanteau of June and nineteenth, referring to June 19, 1865, the day when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of the American Civil War.
17/06/2017
A series of wildfires in central Portugal kill at least 64 people and injure 204 others.
A series of four initial deadly wildfires erupted across central Portugal in the afternoon of 17 June 2017 within minutes of each other, resulting in at least 66 deaths and 204 injured people.
17/06/2015
Nine people are killed in a mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina.
On June 17, 2015, an anti-black mass shooting and hate crime occurred in Charleston, South Carolina. Nine people were killed and another injured during a Bible study at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the oldest black church in the Southern United States. Among the fatalities was the senior pastor, state senator Clementa C. Pinckney. All ten victims were African Americans. At the time, it was one of the deadliest mass shootings at a place of worship in U.S. history, tied with the Waddell Buddhist temple shooting. Both incidents were surpassed by the Sutherland Springs church shooting in 2017.
17/06/1994
Following a televised low-speed highway chase, O. J. Simpson is arrested for the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.
Orenthal James Simpson, nicknamed "the Juice", was an American football player, actor, and media personality. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons—nine with the Buffalo Bills—and is regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time. His success was overshadowed by his two criminal charges for the 1994 murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman, and the contentious criminal trial in which he was acquitted on both counts.
17/06/1992
A "joint understanding" agreement on arms reduction is signed by U.S. president George Bush and Russian president Boris Yeltsin (this would be later codified in START II).
George Herbert Walker Bush was the 41st president of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. Bush was Ronald Reagan's vice president from 1981 to 1989. He was the father of George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States.
17/06/1991
Apartheid: The South African Parliament repeals the Population Registration Act which required racial classification of all South Africans at birth.
Apartheid was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an authoritarian political culture based on baasskap, which ensured that South Africa was dominated politically, socially, and economically by the nation's minority white population. Under this minoritarian system, white citizens held the highest status, followed by Indians, Coloureds and black Africans, in that order. The economic legacy and social effects of apartheid continue to the present day, particularly inequality.
17/06/1989
Interflug Flight 102 crashes during a rejected takeoff from Berlin Schönefeld Airport, killing 21 people.
Interflug Flight 102 ended in a crash involving an Ilyushin Il-62M on 17 June 1989. The aircraft, while attempting to take off from Berlin Schönefeld Airport, East Germany, crashed into obstacles on the ground at the end of its takeoff, costing 21 lives.
17/06/1987
With the death of the last individual of the species, the dusky seaside sparrow becomes extinct.
The dusky seaside sparrow is an extinct non-migratory subspecies of the seaside sparrow, found in Florida in the natural salt marshes of Merritt Island and along the St. Johns River. The last definite known individual died on Walt Disney World's Discovery Island in 1987, and the subspecies was officially declared extinct in December 1990.
17/06/1985
Space Shuttle program: STS-51-G mission: Space Shuttle Discovery launches carrying Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the first Arab and first Muslim in space, as a payload specialist.
The Space Shuttle program was the fourth human spaceflight program carried out by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which accomplished routine transportation for Earth-to-orbit crew and cargo from 1981 to 2011. Its official program name was carried over from the 1969 plan for the Space Transportation System (STS) of reusable spacecraft. Only the shuttle and supporting rockets were funded for development; a proposed nuclear lunar shuttle in the plan was canceled in 1972. It flew 135 missions and carried 355 astronauts from 16 countries, many on multiple trips.
17/06/1972
Watergate scandal: Five White House operatives are arrested for burgling the offices of the Democratic National Committee during an attempt by members of the administration of President Richard M. Nixon to illegally wiretap the political opposition as part of a broader campaign to subvert the democratic process.
The Watergate scandal, or simply Watergate, was a political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon. On June 17, 1972, operatives associated with Nixon's 1972 re-election campaign were caught burglarizing and planting listening devices in the Democratic National Committee headquarters at Washington, D.C.'s Watergate complex. Nixon's efforts to conceal his administration's involvement led to an impeachment process and his resignation in August 1974.
17/06/1971
U.S. president Richard Nixon in a televised press conference called drug abuse "America's public enemy number one", starting the war on drugs.
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he represented California in both houses of the United States Congress before serving as the 36th vice president under President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1961. His presidency saw the reduction of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, détente with the Soviet Union and China, the Apollo 11 Moon landing, and the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Nixon's second term ended early when he became the only U.S. president to resign from office, as a result of the Watergate scandal.
17/06/1967
Nuclear weapons testing: China announces a successful test of its first thermonuclear weapon.
Nuclear weapons tests are experiments carried out to determine the performance of nuclear weapons and the effects of their explosion. Over 2,000 nuclear weapons tests have been carried out since 1945. Nuclear testing is a sensitive political issue. Governments have often performed tests to signal strength. Because of their destruction and fallout, testing has seen opposition by civilians as well as governments, with international bans having been agreed on. Thousands of tests have been performed, with most in the second half of the 20th century.
17/06/1963
The United States Supreme Court rules 8–1 in Abington School District v. Schempp against requiring the reciting of Bible verses and the Lord's Prayer in public schools.
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on questions of U.S. constitutional or federal law. It also has original jurisdiction over a narrow range of cases, specifically "all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party". In 1803, the court asserted itself the power of judicial review, the ability to invalidate a statute for violating a provision of the Constitution. It is also able to strike down presidential directives for violating either the Constitution or statutory law.
A day after South Vietnamese president Ngô Đình Diệm announced the Joint Communiqué to end the Buddhist crisis, a riot involving around 2,000 people breaks out. One person is killed.
This is a list of leaders of South Vietnam, since the establishment of the Autonomous Republic of Cochinchina in 1946, the establishment of the State of Vietnam in 1949, and the division of Vietnam in 1954 until the fall of the Republic of Vietnam in 1975, and the reunification of Vietnam in 1976.
17/06/1960
The Nez Perce tribe is awarded $4 million for 7 million acres (28,000 km2) of land undervalued at four cents/acre in the 1863 treaty.
The Nez Perce are an Indigenous people of the Plateau who still live on a fraction of the lands on the southeastern Columbia River Plateau in the Pacific Northwest. This region has been occupied for at least 11,500 years.
17/06/1958
The Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing, in the process of being built to connect Vancouver and North Vancouver (Canada), collapses into the Burrard Inlet killing 18 ironworkers and injuring others.
The Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing, also called the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge and Second Narrows Bridge, is the second bridge constructed at the Second (east) Narrows of Burrard Inlet in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Originally named the Second Narrows Bridge, it connects Vancouver to the North Shore of Burrard Inlet, which includes the District of North Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver, and West Vancouver. It was constructed adjacent to the older Second Narrows Bridge, which is now exclusively a rail bridge. Its construction, from 1956 to 1960, was marred by a multi-death collapse on June 17, 1958. The First Narrows Bridge, better known as Lions Gate Bridge, crosses Burrard Inlet about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) west of the Second Narrows.
17/06/1953
Cold War: East Germany Workers Uprising: In East Germany, the Soviet Union orders a division of troops into East Berlin to quell a rebellion.
The Cold War was a period of international geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc. It began in the aftermath of the Second World War and ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The term cold war is used because there was no direct fighting between the two superpowers, though each supported opposing sides in regional conflicts known as proxy wars. In addition to the struggle for ideological and economic influence and an arms race in both conventional and nuclear weapons, the Cold War was expressed through technological rivalries such as the Space Race, espionage, propaganda campaigns, embargoes, and sports diplomacy.
17/06/1952
Guatemala passes Decree 900, ordering the redistribution of uncultivated land.
Decree 900, also known as the Agrarian Reform Law, was a Guatemalan land-reform law passed on June 17, 1952, during the Guatemalan Revolution. The law was introduced by President Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán and passed by the Guatemalan Congress. It redistributed unused land greater than 90 hectares in area to local peasants, compensating landowners with government bonds. Land from at most 1,700 estates was redistributed to about 500,000 individuals—one-sixth of the country's population. The goal of the legislation was to move Guatemala's economy from pseudo-feudalism into capitalism. Although in force for only eighteen months, the law had a major effect on the Guatemalan land-reform movement.
17/06/1948
United Airlines Flight 624, a Douglas DC-6, crashes near Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, killing all 43 people on board.
United Air Lines Flight 624 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from San Diego, California, to New York City, with stopovers in Los Angeles and Chicago. The four-engined, propeller-driven Douglas DC-6 crashed at 1:41 pm Eastern Daylight Time on June 17, 1948, outside Aristes, Pennsylvania, resulting in the deaths of all 4 crew members and 39 passengers on board. The crew had deployed the aircraft's CO2-based fire extinguisher system, without opening the pressure relief valves designed to ventilate CO2 out of the cabin. The part-incapacitated crew then began an emergency descent and subsequently crashed into a hillside.
17/06/1944
Iceland declares independence from Denmark and becomes a republic.
Iceland is a Nordic island country between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Europe and North America. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the region's westernmost and most sparsely populated country. Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which is home to about 35% of the country's roughly 395,000 residents. The official language of the country is Icelandic. Iceland is on a rift between tectonic plates, and its geologic activity includes geysers and frequent volcanic eruptions. The interior consists of a volcanic plateau with sand and lava fields, mountains and glaciers, and many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate, despite being at a latitude just south of the Arctic Circle. Its latitude and marine influence keep summers chilly, and most of its islands have a polar climate.
17/06/1940
World War II: RMS Lancastria is attacked and sunk by the Luftwaffe near Saint-Nazaire, France. At least 3,000 are killed in Britain's worst maritime disaster.
World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. Tanks and aircraft played major roles, the latter enabling the strategic bombing of cities and delivery of the only nuclear weapons used in war. World War II was the deadliest conflict in history, causing the death of 60 to 75 million people. Millions died as a result of massacres, starvation, disease, and genocides, including the Holocaust. After the Allied victory, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Korea were occupied, and German and Japanese leaders were tried for war crimes.
World War II: The British Army's 11th Hussars assault and take Fort Capuzzo in Libya from Italian forces.
The 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army established in 1715. It saw service for three centuries including the First World War and Second World War but then amalgamated with the 10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales' Own) to form the Royal Hussars in 1969.
The three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania fall under the occupation of the Soviet Union.
The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, the Baltic Assembly, and the OECD. The three sovereign states on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea are sometimes referred to as the "Baltic nations", less often and in historical circumstances also as the "Baltic republics", the "Baltic lands", or simply the Baltics.
17/06/1939
Last public guillotining in France: Eugen Weidmann, a convicted murderer, is executed in Versailles outside the Saint-Pierre prison.
Eugen Weidmann was a German criminal and serial killer who was executed by guillotine in France in June 1939, the last public execution in France.
17/06/1933
Union Station massacre: In Kansas City, Missouri, four FBI agents and captured fugitive Frank Nash are gunned down by gangsters attempting to free Nash.
The Kansas City massacre was the shootout and murder of four law enforcement officers and a criminal fugitive at the Union Station railroad depot in Kansas City, Missouri, on the morning of June 17, 1933. It occurred as part of the attempt by a gang led by Vernon C. "Verne" Miller to free Frank "Jelly" Nash, a federal prisoner. At the time, Nash was in the custody of several law enforcement officers who were returning him to the U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas, from which he had escaped three years earlier.
17/06/1932
Bonus Army: Around a thousand World War I veterans amass at the United States Capitol as the U.S. Senate considers a bill that would give them certain benefits.
The Bonus Army, a group of 43,000 demonstrators—17,000 veterans of U.S. involvement in World War I, their families, and affiliated groups—gathered in Washington, D.C., in mid-1932 to demand early cash redemption of their service-bonus certificates. Organizers called the demonstrators the Bonus Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.), to echo the name of World War I's American Expeditionary Forces, while the media referred to them as the "Bonus Army" or as "Bonus Marchers". The demonstrators were led by Walter W. Waters, a former sergeant. Many of the war veterans had been out of work during the early years of the Great Depression. The World War Adjusted Compensation Act of 1924 had awarded all U.S. World War I veterans "bonuses" in the form of certificates which they could not redeem until 1945. Each certificate, issued to a qualified veteran soldier, bore a face value equal to the soldier's promised payment with compound interest. The principal demand of the Bonus Army was the immediate cash payment of their certificates.
17/06/1930
U.S. president Herbert Hoover signs the Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act into law.
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st president of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933. As a member of the Republican Party, he served as the third United States secretary of commerce from 1921 to 1928 before being elected president in 1928. His presidency was dominated by the Great Depression, and his policies and methods to combat it were seen as inadequate and overly conservative. Amid his unpopularity, he decisively lost reelection to Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932.
17/06/1929
The town of Murchison, New Zealand is rocked by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake killing 17. At the time it was New Zealand's worst natural disaster.
Murchison is a town in the Tasman Region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is near the western end of the "Four Rivers Plain", at the confluence of the Buller River and the Mātakitaki River. The other two rivers are the Mangles River, and the Matiri River. It is a rural service town for the surrounding mixed farming district, approximately halfway between Westport and Nelson. Murchison was named after the Scottish geologist Roderick Murchison, one of the founders of the Royal Geographical Society.
17/06/1922
Portuguese naval aviators Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral complete the first aerial crossing of the South Atlantic.
The Portuguese Naval Aviation constituted the air component of the Portuguese Navy, from 1917 to 1957. The Portuguese Air Force maritime patrol units and the Navy's Helicopter Squadron are the present successors of the former Portuguese Naval Aviation.
17/06/1910
Aurel Vlaicu pilots an A. Vlaicu nr. 1 on its first flight.
Aurel Vlaicu was a Romanian engineer, inventor, airplane constructor, and early pilot.
17/06/1901
The College Board introduces its first standardized test, the forerunner to the SAT.
The College Board, styled as CollegeBoard, is an American not-for-profit organization. It was formed in December 1899 as the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) to expand access to higher education. While the College Board is not an association of colleges, it runs a membership association of institutions, including over 6,000 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational organizations.
17/06/1900
Boxer Rebellion: Western Allied and Japanese forces capture the Taku Forts in Tianjin, China.
The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, Boxer Movement, Yihetuan Movement, or Boxer War, was an anti-foreign, anti-imperialist, and anti-Christian uprising in North China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists. Its members were known as the "Boxers" in English, owing to many of them practicing Chinese martial arts, which at the time were referred to as "Chinese boxing". It was defeated by the Eight-Nation Alliance of foreign powers.
17/06/1898
The United States Navy Hospital Corps is established.
A hospital corpsman (HM) or corpsman is an enlisted medical specialist of the United States Navy, who may also serve in a U.S. Marine Corps unit. The corresponding rating within the United States Coast Guard is Health Services Technician (HS). The U.S. Navy Hospital Corps was created on 17 June 1898, with hospital corpsman used as a generic name for the applicable personnel while various other official names were used for the rating; after World War II, hospital corpsman became the official name for the rating.
17/06/1885
The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York Harbor.
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture of a robed and crowned woman on Liberty Island, part of New York City, in New York Harbor. The copper-clad statue, a gift to the United States from the people of France, was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, and its metal framework built by Gustave Eiffel. The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886.
17/06/1877
American Indian Wars: Battle of White Bird Canyon: The Nez Perce defeat the U.S. Cavalry at White Bird Canyon in the Idaho Territory.
The Battle of White Bird Canyon was fought on June 17, 1877, in Idaho Territory. White Bird Canyon was the opening battle of the Nez Perce War between the Nez Perce Indians and the United States. The battle was a significant defeat of the U.S. Army. It took place in the western part of present-day Idaho County, southwest of the city of Grangeville.
17/06/1876
American Indian Wars: Battle of the Rosebud: One thousand five hundred Sioux and Cheyenne led by Crazy Horse beat back General George Crook's forces at Rosebud Creek in Montana Territory.
The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, were initially fought by European colonial empires, the United States, and briefly the Confederate States of America and Republic of Texas against various American Indian tribes in North America. These conflicts occurred from the time of the earliest colonial settlements in the 17th century until the end of the 19th century. The various wars resulted from a wide variety of factors, the most common being the desire of settlers and governments for Indian tribes' lands. The European powers and their colonies enlisted allied Indian tribes to help them conduct warfare against each other's colonial settlements. After the American Revolution, many conflicts were local to specific states or regions and frequently involved disputes over land use; some entailed cycles of violent reprisal.
17/06/1863
American Civil War: Battle of Aldie in the Gettysburg campaign.
The Battle of Aldie took place on June 17, 1863, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of the Gettysburg campaign of the American Civil War.
17/06/1861
American Civil War: Battle of Vienna, Virginia.
The American Civil War was a civil war in the United States between the Union and the Confederacy, which was formed in 1861 by states that had seceded from the Union to preserve slavery in the United States, which they saw as threatened because of the election of Abraham Lincoln and the growing abolitionist movement in the North. The war ended with Union victory, the dissolution of the Confederacy and the abolition of slavery, freeing four million African Americans.
17/06/1843
The Wairau Affray, the first serious clash of arms between Māori and British settlers in the New Zealand Wars, takes place.
The Wairau Affray of 17 June 1843, also called the Wairau Massacre and the Wairau Incident, was the first serious clash of arms between British settlers and Māori in New Zealand after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and the only one to take place in the South Island. The incident was sparked when a magistrate and a representative of the New Zealand Company, who held a deed to land in the Wairau Valley in the Nelson Province in the north of the South Island, led a group of European settlers to attempt to arrest Ngāti Toa chiefs Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata. Fighting broke out and 22 British settlers were killed, nine after their surrender. Four Māori were killed, including Te Rongo, who was Te Rangihaeata's wife.
17/06/1839
In the Kingdom of Hawaii, Kamehameha III issues the edict of toleration which gives Roman Catholics the freedom to worship in the Hawaiian Islands. The Hawaii Catholic Church and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace are established as a result.
The Hawaiian Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, was an archipelagic country from 1795 to 1893, which eventually encompassed all of the inhabited Hawaiian Islands. It was established in 1795 when Kamehameha I, then Aliʻi nui of Hawaii, conquered the islands of Oʻahu, Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi, and unified them under one government. In 1810, the Hawaiian Islands were fully unified when the islands of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau voluntarily joined the Hawaiian Kingdom. Two major dynastic families ruled the kingdom, the House of Kamehameha and the House of Kalākaua.
17/06/1831
The steam locomotive Best Friend of Charleston causes the first boiler explosion caused by a steam locomotive.
The Best Friend of Charleston was a steam-powered railroad locomotive widely considered the first locomotive to be built entirely within the United States for revenue service. It was also the first locomotive to suffer a boiler explosion in the United States.
17/06/1795
The burghers of Swellendam expel the Dutch East India Company magistrate and declare a republic.
Swellendam is the third oldest town in South Africa, a town with 17,537 inhabitants situated in the Western Cape province. The town has over 50 provincial heritage sites, most of them buildings of Cape Dutch architecture. Swellendam is situated on the N2, approximately 220 km from both Cape Town and George.
17/06/1794
Foundation of Anglo-Corsican Kingdom.
The Anglo-Corsican Kingdom, also known officially as the Kingdom of Corsica, was a client state of the Kingdom of Great Britain that existed on the island of Corsica from 1794 to 1796, during the French Revolutionary Wars.
17/06/1789
In France, the Third Estate declares itself the National Assembly.
France, officially the French Republic, is a country primarily located in Western Europe. Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the North Atlantic, the French West Indies, and many islands in Oceania and the Indian Ocean. Metropolitan France shares borders with Belgium and Luxembourg to the north; Germany to the northeast; Switzerland to the east; Italy and Monaco to the southeast; Andorra and Spain to the south; and a maritime border with the United Kingdom to the northwest. Its metropolitan area extends from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean and from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea. Its 18 integral regions—five of which are overseas—span a combined area of 632,702 km2 (244,288 sq mi), with a total population estimated at over 69.1 million in 2026. Its capital, largest city and main cultural and economic centre is Paris.
17/06/1775
American Revolutionary War: Colonists inflict heavy casualties on British forces while losing the Battle of Bunker Hill.
The American Revolutionary War, also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence or simply the American Revolution, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which American Patriot forces organized as the Continental Army and commanded by George Washington defeated the British Army. The conflict was fought in North America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean. The war's outcome seemed uncertain for most of the war, but Washington and the Continental Army's decisive victory in the Siege of Yorktown in 1781 led King George III and the Kingdom of Great Britain to negotiate an end to the war. In 1783, in the Treaty of Paris, the British monarchy acknowledged the independence of the Thirteen Colonies, leading to the establishment of the United States as an independent and sovereign nation.
17/06/1773
Cúcuta, Colombia, is founded by Juana Rangel de Cuéllar.
Cúcuta, officially San José de Cúcuta, is a Colombian municipality, capital of the department of Norte de Santander and nucleus of the Metropolitan Area of Cúcuta. The city is located in the homonymous valley, beneath the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes, on the border with Venezuela.
17/06/1767
Samuel Wallis, a British sea captain, sights Tahiti and is considered the first European to reach the island.
Captain Samuel Wallis was a Royal Navy officer and explorer who made the first recorded visit by a European navigator to Tahiti.
17/06/1673
French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet reach the Mississippi River and become the first Europeans to make a detailed account of its course.
French people are the individuals who are identified with the country of France, or more broadly, a global sociolinguistic group that share a common connection through the French language, culture, and history that originated in Western Europe. The Francophone world is one of the most geographically widespread linguistic communities.
17/06/1665
Battle of Montes Claros: Portugal definitively secured independence from Spain in the last battle of the Portuguese Restoration War.
The Battle of Montes Claros was fought on 17 June 1665, near Borba, between Spanish and a combined Anglo-Portuguese force as the last major battle in the Portuguese Restoration War. The battle resulted in a decisive Portuguese victory and is considered one of the most important battles in the country's history.
17/06/1631
Mumtaz Mahal dies during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, will spend the next 17 years building her mausoleum, the Taj Mahal.
Mumtaz Mahal was the empress of the Mughal Empire from 1628 to 1631 as the chief consort of the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan. The Taj Mahal in Agra, often cited as one of the Wonders of the World, was commissioned by her husband to act as her tomb.
17/06/1596
The Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz discovers the Arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen.
Willem Barentsz, anglicized as William Barents or Barentz, was a Dutch navigator, cartographer, and Arctic explorer.
17/06/1579
Sir Francis Drake claims a land he calls Nova Albion (modern California) for England.
Sir Francis Drake was an English explorer and privateer best known for making the second circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition between 1577 and 1580. He is also known for participating in the early English slaving voyages of his cousin, John Hawkins, and John Lovell. Having started as a simple seaman, in 1588 he was part of the fight against the Spanish Armada as a vice admiral.
17/06/1497
Battle of Deptford Bridge: Forces under King Henry VII defeat troops led by Michael An Gof.
The Cornish rebellion of 1497, also known as the First Cornish rebellion, was a popular uprising in the Kingdom of England, which began in Cornwall and culminated with the Battle of Deptford Bridge near London on 17 June 1497.
17/06/1462
Vlad the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II (The Night Attack at Târgovişte), forcing him to retreat from Wallachia.
Vlad III, commonly known as Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Dracula, was Voivode of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death. He is regarded as a Christian hero in Romania due to his opposition to the Ottoman Empire and he is considered an important ruler in Wallachian history.
17/06/1397
The Kalmar Union is formed under the rule of Margaret I of Denmark.
The Kalmar Union was a personal union in Scandinavia, agreed at Kalmar in Sweden as designed by Queen Margaret of Denmark. From 1397 to 1523, it joined under a single monarch the three kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, together with Norway's maritime colonies.
17/06/1300
Turku Cathedral is consecrated by Bishop Magnus I in the city of Turku (Swedish: Åbo).
Turku Cathedral is the only medieval basilica in Finland and the Mother Church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. It is the central church of the Lutheran Archdiocese of Turku and the seat of the Lutheran Archbishop of Finland, Tapio Luoma. It is also regarded as one of the major records of Finnish architectural history.
17/06/1242
Following the Disputation of Paris, twenty-four carriage loads of Jewish religious manuscripts were burnt in Paris.
The Disputation of Paris, also known as the Trial of the Talmud, took place in 1240 at the court of King Louis IX of France. It followed the work of Nicholas Donin, a Jewish convert to Christianity who translated the Talmud and pressed 35 charges against it to Pope Gregory IX by quoting a series of blasphemous passages about Jesus, Mary, or Christianity. Four rabbis defended the Talmud against Donin's accusations.
17/06/1128
Former Empress Matilda, daughter and designated heiress of king Henry I of England, marries Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou.
Empress Matilda, also known as Empress Maud, was Holy Roman Empress as the consort of Emperor Henry V from 1110 until his death in 1125, and was subsequently a claimant to the English throne, and Lady of the English, during the civil war known as the Anarchy. Following the death of her father, King Henry I of England, as his only surviving child and nominated heir, she asserted her right to the English throne. However, her cousin Stephen of Blois usurped the crown.
17/06/0657
After a prolonged siege by rebels who demand his abdication, caliph Uthman is assassinated as the rebels enter his palace.
Uthman ibn Affan was the third caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate, ruling from 644 until his assassination in 656. Uthman, a second cousin, son-in-law, and senior companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, played a major role in early Islamic history. During his reign as caliph, he was known for ordering the official compilation of the standardized version of the Quran, known as the Uthmanic codex, which is still used today.
17/06/0653
Pope Martin I is arrested and taken to Constantinople, due to his opposition to monothelitism.
Pope Martin I, also known as Martin the Confessor, was the bishop of Rome from 21 July 649 to 653 or 654. He had served as Pope Theodore I's ambassador to Constantinople, and was elected to succeed him as pope. He was the only pope when Constantinople controlled the papacy whose election had not awaited imperial mandate. For his strong opposition to Monothelitism, Pope Martin I was arrested by Emperor Constans II, carried off to Constantinople, and ultimately banished to Cherson. He is considered a saint by both the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, as well as the last pope recognised as a martyr.