17th August anniversaries

• Birth
  • 1786
  • "Birth of Davy Crockett, legendary American frontiersman." more
  • 1959
  • United States
  • "Birth of David Koresh, American leader of the Branch Davidians religious cult whose members were killed by the FBI in the Waco siege of 1993" more
• event
  • 1648
  • Great Britain
  • Battle of Preston
  • 1807
  • United States
  • Inaugural journey of the North River Steamboat on its transit between New York City and Albany - the first commercial steamboat service in the world. more
  • 1820
  • Great Britain
  • Trial of Queen Caroline wife of George IV. more
  • 1896
  • Great Britain
  • "First fatality in Britain caused by a motor car when Bridget Driscoll, en-route to a folk dancing display at Crystal Palace, stepped in front of a vehicle travelling at 4 mph." more
  • 1908
  • France
  • "Premiere in Paris of Fantasmagorie, the first animated cartoon." more
  • 1953
  • United States
  • The first meeting of Narcotics Anonymous took place in California. more
  • 1969
  • United States
  • "Hurricane Camille hit the coast of Mississippi, killing 248 people and causing $1.5 billion worth of damage"
  • 1978
  • United States
  • "Double Eagle II became the first hot-air balloon to cross the Atlantic, flown by Americans Max Anderson, Ben Abruzzo and Larry Newman."
  • 1989
  • Great Britain
  • Electronic tagging of a criminal was used for the first time in Britain
  • 1998
  • United States
  • US President Bill Clinton admitted having an inappropriate relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
  • 1999
  • Turkey
  • "A powerful earthquake struck Izmit, Western Turkey, flattening much of the town and killing more than 17,000 with many more injured." more
• Death
  • 1809
  • Great Britain
  • "Death of Matthew Boulton, British manufacturer and engineer."
  • 1942
  • Russian Federation
  • "Death in Auschwitz of Irene Nemirovsky Ukranian born French novelist, who despite being a Catholic was executed for having Jewish parents." more
  • 1983
  • United States
  • "Death of Ira Gershwin, American lyricist ."
  • 1988
  • Pakistan
  • "Death of Zia ul-Haq, President of Pakistan, along with several others, when their plane exploded in mid-air in mysterious circumstances."