Today in History: It’s midway through December. Just two weeks are left before 2023 begins. Today is 17 December. It may seem to be another random December day but 17 December is a significant day in world history. Many key events happened on this day (17 Dec).
From the birth of a beloved pope, one of the greatest boxers of all time and two popular Bollywood actors, the establishment of Indian Statistical Institute and the demise a South American hero and liberator to the world’s first flight, December 17 is a defining day in history.
Dive in to learn what happened on this day (Dec. 17) in sports, politics and art, along with famous birthdays and deaths in world history.
Historical Events on This day
- In 1398, Timur invaded and conquered Delhi after defeating Sultan Nasir-u Din Mehmud’s armies.
- In 1807, Napoleon Bonaparte, King of France, issued the Milan Decree confirming the Continental System and the embargo against British trade.
- In 1892, the first performance of renowned Austrian composer Franz Schubert’s “Unfinished Symphony” was conducted.
- In 1892, the first issue of the popular magazine Vogue was published.
- In 1917, the American aviation pioneers the Wright brothers first executed a successful 12-second flight on their plane, “the Flyer.”
- In 1928, Indian revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru assassinated the British police officer James Saunders in Lahore to avenge the death of Lala Lajpat Rai.
- In 1931, the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) was established by renowned scientist and statistician Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in West Bengal.
- In 1967, Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming near Portsea, Victoria and was presumed drowned.
- In 2010, Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi immolated himself to protest against harassment by a municipal official. The incident sparked the Arab Spring, a series of anti-government protests and rebellions against the autocratic regimes in Arab nations.
- In 2014, the US and Cuba re-established diplomatic relations for the first time since 1961.
Sports Events Today
- In 1927, legendary Australian cricketer Don Bradman scored a century (118) on his first-class cricket debut.
- In 1933, Indian cricketer Lala Amarnath scored a century on his Test Cricket debut.
- In 2015, Jose Mourinho was fired as manager of the British Premier football club Chelsea due to discord with the players.
Music and Cinema Events Today
- In 1964, the third James Bond film Goldfinger, starring Scottish actor Sean Connery premiered in London.
- In 1989, the long-running animated sitcom The Simpsons, created by Matt Groenig, premiered on Fox TV.
- In 2003, Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings; The Return of the King, the final film of the trilogy adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic Lord of the Rings book series, premiered.
Notable Deaths On This Day
| Sr No | Death Year | Personality |
| 1 | 1645 | Nur Jahan, wife of the Mughal emperor Jahangir and an influential figure during his rule |
| 2 | 1830 | Simon Bolivar, Venezuelan soldier and statesman who led many revolts against the Spanish colonials and liberated many South American nations |
| 3 | 1907 | William Thomson, Irish-Scottish mathematician and physicist known for his contributions to electricity, magnetism, thermodynamics and the first trans-Atlantic telegraph cable |
| 4 | 1927 | Rajendra Lahiri, Indian activist and nationalist who orchestrated the Dakshineshwar bombing and the Kakori conspiracy to destablise the British Raj in India. He was hanged on this day. |
| 5 | 2011 | Kim Jong II, North Korean political leader and dictator who ruled the country from 1994 to 2011 |
Famous Birthdays On This Day
| Sr No | Birth Year | Personality |
| 1 | 1778 | Sir Humphry Davy, English chemist who discovered the sodium, potassium and many other chemical elements |
| 2 | 1908 | Willard Libby, American chemist and Nobel Laureate who developed radiocarbon dating and revolutionized the fields of archaeology and palaeontology |
| 3 | 1914 | Syed Mushtaq Ali, Indian cricketer and a prolific batsman |
| 4 | 1936 | Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio), Argentine bishop and the leader of Roman Catholic Church since 2013 |
| 5 | 1942 | Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerian military leader and politician who led the country from 1983 to 1985 before being overthrown in a coup d’etat. He was later elected president in 2015. |
| 6 | 1972 | John Abraham, Indian actor known for his macho man image and action films like Dhoom and Force |
| 7 | 1975 | Milla Jovovich, Russian-American model and actress known for her role as Alice in the popular Resident Evil film series |
| 8 | 1978 | Manny Pacquiao, Filipino boxer and politician who is counted among the greatest boxers and sportspersons of all time |
| 9 | 1978 | Ritiesh Deshmukh, Indian actor and son of former Maharashtra CM Vilasrao Deshmukh, who is known for starring popular Marathi and Hindi films like Banjo and Ek Villain |
Also Read: Today in History (16 December)
Also Read: Today in History (15 December)
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