Discover what happened on December 17 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

December 17

Discover what happened on December 17 with HISTORY&#8217;s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

December 17 Archives - History.com

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1903

japanese internment camp, roosevelt, franklin d roosevelt, fdr, war

2010

1892

1963

2011

1975

1944

1979

2003

1961

1986

1862

1991

1777

1941

The 21st century saw the dawn of the war on terrorism, as the 9/11 attacks and the Boston Marathon bombing dramatically changed society. Economic issues moved to the forefront during the Great Recession. The COVID-19 pandemic upended lives and economies around the world. Awareness of social inequality grew as the killings of Black Americans, including Trayvon Martin and George Floyd, spurred widespread protests.

21st Century

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have played vital roles in shaping the nation—from building the Transcontinental Railroad to advocating for labor law changes to fighting in multiple wars. They made these contributions while also facing persistent discrimination and violence throughout U.S. history.

Asian American and Pacific Islander History

Crime

French History

Film

Assassinations

Pacific Theater

The 1960s was one of the most tumultuous and divisive decades in world history. The era was marked by the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and antiwar protests, countercultural movements, political assassinations and the emerging "generation gap."

1960s

Crime has been a dark and powerful undercurrent in human society throughout history. Uncover the facts behind some of the most daring robberies, brazen scams and brutal murders ever committed.&nbsp;

The U.S. government, with its three branches of government and a system of checks and balances, is responsible for governing the 50 states and all districts and territories of the United States.

U.S. Government and Politics

The Civil War was America's bloodiest and most divisive conflict, pitting the Union Army against the Confederate States of America. The war resulted in the deaths of more than 620,000 people, with millions more injured and the South left in ruins.

Civil War

Korea

Charles Manson

Disasters

American Revolution

Inventors

The Revolutionary War waged by the American colonies against Britain influenced political ideas and revolutions around the globe, as a small fledgling nation won its freedom from the greatest military force of its time.

Videos

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History.com Editors

Art history tells the complex story of human civilization through art and design. It ranges from prehistoric art of the Neolithic period through Renaissance masterpieces, Impressionism, Modernism, the Bauhaus and contemporary art.

Art, Literature, and Film History

<a href="https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/world-war-ii-history">World War II</a> was the biggest and deadliest war in history, involving more than 30 countries. Sparked by the 1939 Nazi invasion of Poland, the war dragged on for six bloody years until the Allies defeated the Axis powers of Nazi Germany, Japan and Italy in 1945. Explore the battles, leaders and atrocities from the war and its impact on geopolitics and humankind.

World War II

Inventions from the telephone to the Model T and the computer have defined human history, and inventors like Leonardo da Vinci, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Eli Whitney and Alexander Graham Bell have transformed our society.

Inventions & Science

Aircraft

The Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union lasted for decades and resulted in anti-communist suspicions and international incidents that led the two superpowers to the brink of nuclear disaster.

Cold War

The Middle East is a large and diverse region composed of several countries and cultures in north Africa and western Asia. Its complex history includes the Persian Gulf War, the Iran Hostage Crisis, the Yom Kippur War, Zionism and more.

This Day In History: December 17

First airplane flies

Also on This Day in History December | 17

Street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi self‑immolates in Tunisia, igniting the Arab Spring

First issue of “Vogue” is published

Clean Air Act becomes law

This Day in History Video: What Happened on December 17

Kim Jong Il, leader of North Korea, dies

Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme sentenced to life for assassination attempt

U.S. approves end to internment of Japanese Americans

Stuntman Stan Barrett breaks the sound barrier

Third and final “Lord of the Rings” movie opens

Circus catches fire in Brazil

“Operation Iceman” nabs murderer Richard Kuklinski

Union General Ulysses S. Grant expels Jews from his military district

Boris Yeltsin announces the Soviet Union will cease to exist by New Year’s Eve

France formally recognizes the United States

Commander at Pearl Harbor relieved of his duties

Also on This Day in History December | 17

Wake Up to This Day in History