On This Day

Discover events that happened On This Day including famous birthdays and notable deaths. Each day we highlight famous people, past and present, who have impacted our world. Browse sections by selecting the links below or click the calendar to view events on another day.

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» BORN ON THIS DAY
» DIED ON THIS DAY

December 17

December 17

Events on This Day

1843

170 years ago
Charles Dickens publishes A Christmas Carol. The classic tale has been adapted for stage, film and television nearly 200 times.
1903

110 years ago
The Wright Brothers, Wilbur and Orville, succeed in the first powered flight. Orville pilots a plane for 12 seconds and 120 feet.
1975

38 years ago
Squeaky Fromme is sentenced to life in prison for attempting to assassinate President Gerald Ford.
2003

10 years ago
The Return of the King, the final film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy based on the J.R.R. Tolkien novels, opens in theaters.

Read more at History.com

December 17

Born on This Day

- In these groups:
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous People Born in 1973
- Famous People Born on December 17
Paula Radcliffe

Track and Field Athlete / 1973 -

British athlete Paula Radcliffe is one of the elite runners competing today, having set and broken her own record in the women's marathon.

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Paula Radcliffe
Born: December 17, 1973
Age: 39 years old
Birthplace: Northwich, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom
Occupation: Track and Field Athlete
- In these groups:
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous People Named Bob
- Famous Self-Made Millionaires
Bob Guccione

Entrepreneur / 1930 - 2010

Bob Guccione was a publisher of a variety of magazines, most notably the men's magazine Penthouse.

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Bob Guccione
1930 | 79 years old
Entrepreneur
- In these groups:
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous People Named William
- Famous Pulitzer Prize Winners
William Safire

Journalist / 1929 - 2009

William Safire was a writer whose column "On Language" was a long-running feature of The New York Times Magazine.

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William Safire
1929 | 79 years old
Journalist

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December 17

Died on This Day

- In these groups:
- Hispanic Political Figures
- Famous Leos
- Famous Military Leaders
Simon Bolivar

Military Leader, Political Leader / 1783 - 1830

Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military leader who was instrumental in the revolutions against the Spanish empire.

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Simon Bolivar
Died: December 17, 1830
Age: 47 years old
Place: Santa Marta , Colombia
Occupation: Military Leader, Political Leader
- In these groups:
- Name Changers
- Best Actress Oscar Winners
- Oscar-Winning Portrayals
Jennifer Jones

Film Actress, Television Actress / 1919 - 2009

Jennifer Jones was an American actress best known for her Academy Award-winning performance in the film The Song of Bernadette.

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Jennifer Jones
2009 | 90 years old
Film Actress, Television Actress
- In these groups:
- Famous Academics
- Famous Geminis
- Famous Scholars
Dorothy L Sayers

Scholar, Author / 1893 - 1957

Dorothy Sayers was a writer whose later efforts focused on theological dramas and books, radio plays and scholarly translations.

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Dorothy L Sayers
1957 | 64 years old
Scholar, Author

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Upcoming Birthdays

- In these groups:
- Famous Military Veterans
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Military Leaders
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.

General, Pilot / 1912 - 2002

Pilot and officer Benjamin Oliver Davis, Jr. was the first African American general in the U.S. Air Force.

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Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.
December 18, 1912
Pilot
- In these groups:
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Civil Rights Activists
- Famous Antiwar Activists
Phil Ochs

Civil Rights Activist, Anti-War Activist, Songwriter, Guitarist, Singer / 1940 - 1976

American folk singer Phil Ochs is best remembered for the protest songs he wrote in the 1960's on war and civil rights.

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Phil Ochs
December 19, 1940
Musician
- In these groups:
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Actresses
- Famous Film Actresses
Irene Dunne

Film Actress, Theater Actress, Television Actress / 1898 - 1990

Irene Dunne was an Academy Award-nominated actress and singer known for her roles in Showboat, Anna and the King of Siam and Love Affair.

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Irene Dunne
December 20, 1898
Film Actress
- In these groups:
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Activists
- Famous People Born in 1866
Maud Gonne

Activist / 1866 - 1953

Maud Gonne was an Irish revolutionary, a romantic muse for William Butler Yeats, and mother to Nobel Peace Prize-winner, Sean MacBride.

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Maud Gonne
December 21, 1866
Activist

Famous Sagittarians

- In these groups:
- Famous Black Artists
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Painters
Kara Walker

Painter / 1969 -

Kara Walker is an African-American artist who rose to fame for her use of large paper silhouettes to explore social issues surrounding gender, race and black history.

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Kara Walker
November 26, 1969
Painter
- In these groups:
- Famous Academics
- Famous Linguists
- Famous Sagittarians
Noam Chomsky

Linguist, Anti-War Activist, Academic Author, Journalist / 1928 -

Famed scholar Noam Chomsky is known for both his groundbreaking contributions to linguistics and his penetrating critiques of political systems.

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Noam Chomsky
December 7, 1928
Linguist, Anti-War Activist, Academic Author, Journalist

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