17th April anniversaries

• Birth
  • 1820
  • United States
  • "Birth of Alexander Cartwright, creator of baseball as it is played today." more
  • 1885
  • Denmark
  • "Birth of Karen Blixen, Danish author." more
• event
  • 1397
  • Great Britain
  • "Geoffrey Chaucer, at the court of King Richard II, first tells the Canterbury Tales" more
  • 1521
  • Germany
  • "Martin Luther speaks to the assembly at the Diet of Worms, refusing to recant his teachings" more
  • 1917
  • USA declares war on Germany
  • 1951
  • Great Britain
  • Peak District is designated England's first national park
  • 1956
  • Great Britain
  • Premium Bonds first launched in the UK – first draw was on 1 Jun 1957.
  • 1964
  • United States
  • Jerrie Mock landed the first woman to complete a solo circumnavigation of the world by air. more
  • 1969
  • Great Britain
  • UK voting age lowered from 21 to 18
  • 1969
  • United States
  • A Los Angeles jury found Sirhan Sirhan guilty of assassinating Senator Robert F. Kennedy more
  • 1989
  • Poland
  • The Polish trade union Solidarity was granted legal status after years of repression by the Communist government more
• Death
  • 485
  • Greece
  • "Death or Proclus of Athens, Greek philosopher" more
  • 617
  • Great Britain
  • "Death of Donnan of Eigg, Celtic priest and martyr." more
  • 1355
  • Italy
  • "Death of Marino Faliero, Doge of Venice, beheaded for an attempted coup - he apparently wanted to be a Prince." more
  • 1790
  • United States
  • "Death of Benjamin Franklin, American inventor" more
  • 1984
  • Great Britain
  • Police Constable Yvonne Fletcher killed by gunfire from the Libyan Embassy in London more
  • 1998
  • Great Britain
  • "Death of Linda McCartney, American photographer, musician and animal rights activist." more