Discover what happened on October 17 in history as unusual disasters made headlines, political and technological milestones shaped society, entertainment history unfolded, and historic events helped shape the world we know today.
What Happened on October 17 in History?
On this day, British forces surrendered at Saratoga, a deadly flood of beer swept through London, the presidential residence officially became known as the White House, Bobby Fischer played his legendary chess game, and the Loma Prieta earthquake struck California.
OCTOBER 17 – TODAY IN HISTORY:
1777 – British General John Burgoyne surrendered his army to American forces following the Battles of Saratoga in New York. The American victory became a turning point in the Revolutionary War and helped secure French support for independence.
1814 – A massive vat of beer burst at London’s Horse Shoe Brewery, sending a destructive wave of porter through nearby streets and homes. The bizarre disaster, known as the London Beer Flood, killed eight people.
1888 – Thomas Edison filed a patent caveat describing a device that would record and reproduce moving images, an early step toward the development of motion pictures. His work eventually led to the Kinetograph camera and Kinetoscope viewing machine.
1901 – President Theodore Roosevelt officially adopted “White House” as the name of the presidential residence, directing that the term replace “Executive Mansion” on official government correspondence.
1919 – The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) was incorporated, beginning the history of a company that would become a major force in American radio, television, electronics and recorded music.
1931 – Chicago gangster Al Capone was convicted of federal income tax evasion, allowing prosecutors to imprison one of America’s most notorious organized-crime figures. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison later that month.
1933 – Physicist Albert Einstein arrived in the United States after leaving Europe amid the rise of Nazi Germany. He settled in Princeton, NJ, where he joined the Institute for Advanced Study.
1956 – The adventure film Around the World in 80 Days, starring David Niven and featuring dozens of celebrity appearances, premiered in New York. The film went on to win five Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
1956 – Thirteen-year-old chess prodigy Bobby Fischer defeated Donald Byrne in New York in a stunning match that became known as the “Game of the Century.” Fischer’s brilliant combination of moves helped establish his reputation as one of chess’s most extraordinary young talents.
1957 – Two Milwaukee men reportedly made an unexpected seven-hour balloon flight across Lake Michigan after a promotional balloon broke loose. Their adventure ended when the balloon became caught in a tree near Benton Harbor, MI.
1966 – The television game show Hollywood Squares, hosted by Peter Marshall, premiered on NBC. Contestants played tic-tac-toe with a grid of celebrities who answered trivia questions, often with hilarious results.
1966 – NBC completed its transition to broadcasting its network news programming in color, another milestone in television’s move away from black-and-white broadcasts.
1973 – Arab oil-producing nations began an oil embargo against the United States and other countries supporting Israel during the Yom Kippur War. The embargo contributed to a major energy crisis, rising fuel prices and gasoline shortages.
1978 – President Jimmy Carter signed legislation posthumously restoring the full rights of U.S. citizenship to Jefferson Davis, who had served as president of the Confederacy during the Civil War.
1979 – President Jimmy Carter signed the Department of Education Organization Act, establishing a separate Cabinet-level Department of Education and reorganizing the existing Department of Health, Education and Welfare into the Department of Health and Human Services.
1979 – Mother Teresa was announced as the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her humanitarian work among the poor and sick, particularly in Calcutta, India.
1989 – A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Northern California just before Game 3 of the World Series, causing widespread destruction in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Loma Prieta earthquake killed 63 people, damaged bridges and highways, and interrupted the nationally televised baseball game.
2000 – Madame Tussauds opened its New York City wax museum in Times Square, bringing its collection of lifelike celebrity and historical figures to Manhattan.
2001 – Congressional buildings in Washington, DC, were closed for inspections following the discovery of anthrax in a letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. The incident was part of a series of deadly anthrax attacks carried out through the U.S. mail.
2003 – Taipei 101 in Taiwan became the world’s tallest skyscraper when workers installed the final section of its spire, bringing the 101-story building to a height of more than 1,660 feet. The building officially opened the following year.
2003 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved memantine, marketed as Namenda, for the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease.
2007 – Storm Chasers premiered on the Discovery Channel, following researchers and extreme-weather enthusiasts as they pursued tornadoes and severe thunderstorms across the United States.
2008 – The paranormal investigation series Ghost Adventures, featuring Zak Bagans, Nick Groff and Aaron Goodwin, premiered on the Travel Channel.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON OCTOBER 17:
Hiroo Kanamori – 90 years old (1936) – Japanese-American seismologist and academic
Stephen Kovacevich – 86 years old (1940) – Pianist and conductor
Paul Ellison – 85 years old (1941) – Musician
Gary Puckett – 84 years old (1942) – Pop singer-songwriter and guitarist
Bob Seagren – 80 years old (1946) – Pole vaulter
Gene Green – 79 years old (1947) – Lawyer and politician
Michael McKean – 79 years old (1947) – Singer-songwriter, actor, and director
Robert Post – 79 years old (1947) – Educator and academic
Bill Hudson – 77 years old (1949) – Musician and actor
Shari Ulrich – 75 years old (1951) – American-Canadian singer-songwriter and violinist
Joseph Bowie – 73 years old (1953) – Trombonist and bandleader
Carlos Buhler – 72 years old (1954) – Mountaineer
Mike Bratz – 71 years old (1955) – Basketball player
Fran Cosmo – 70 years old (1956) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Mae Jemison – 70 years old (1956) – Physician, academic, and astronaut
Pat McCrory – 70 years old (1956) – Businessman and politician, 74th Governor of North Carolina
Ken Morrow – 70 years old (1956) – Ice hockey player and executive
Stephen Palumbi – 70 years old (1956) – Academic and author
Lawrence Bender – 69 years old (1957) – Actor and producer
Vincent Van Patten – 69 years old (1957) – Tennis player and actor
Howard Alden – 68 years old (1958) – Guitarist
Alan Jackson – 68 years old (1958) – Singer-songwriter
Ron Drummond – 67 years old (1959) – Author and scholar
Richard Roeper – 67 years old (1959) – Journalist and critic
Rob Marshall – 66 years old (1960) – Director, producer, and choreographer
Philippe Sands – 66 years old (1960) – Lawyer and academic
David Means – 65 years old (1961) – Short story writer
Glenn Braggs – 64 years old (1962) – Baseball player
Jay Humphries – 64 years old (1962) – Basketball player
Mike Judge – 64 years old (1962) – Animator, director, screenwriter, producer and actor
Danny Ferry – 60 years old (1966) – Basketball player and manager
Tommy Kendall – 60 years old (1966) – Race car driver and sportscaster
Wood Harris – 57 years old (1969) – Actor
Wyclef Jean – 57 years old (1969) – Haitian-American rapper, producer, and actor
John Mabry – 56 years old (1970) – Baseball player, coach, and sportscaster
Chris Kirkpatrick – 55 years old (1971) – Singer-songwriter and dancer
Martin Heinrich – 55 years old (1971) – Politician
Blues Saraceno – 55 years old (1971) – Guitarist, songwriter, and producer
Eminem – 54 years old (1972) – Rapper, producer, and actor
Sharon Leal – 54 years old (1972) – Actress
Ariel Levy – 52 years old (1974) – Journalist and author
John Rocker – 52 years old (1974) – Baseball player
Francis Bouillon – 51 years old (1975) – American-Canadian ice hockey player
Seth Etherton – 50 years old (1976) – Baseball player
Alimi Ballard – 49 years old (1977) – Actor and producer
Bryan Bertino – 49 years old (1977) – Actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
Ryan McGinley – 49 years old (1977) – Photographer
Angel Parker – 46 years old (1980) – Actress
Justin Shenkarow – 46 years old (1980) – Actor
Holly Holm – 45 years old (1981) – Mixed martial artist
Ben Rothwell – 45 years old (1981) – Mixed-martial artist
Mitch Talbot – 43 years old (1983) – Baseball player
Chris Lowell – 42 years old (1984) – Actor
Randall Munroe – 42 years old (1984) – Author and illustrator
Luke Rockhold – 42 years old (1984) – Mixed martial artist
Jacob Artist – 34 years old (1992) – Actor, singer, and dancer
Anthony Gill – 34 years old (1992) – Basketball player
Jamal Adams – 31 years old (1995) – Football player
Robert Williams III – 29 years old (1997) – Basketball player
Matthew Knies – 24 years old (2002) – Professional ice hockey player
DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR OCTOBER 17:
- National Pasta Day: No matter where it started or how it became so popular, pasta is a simple and versatile dish that is absolutely worth celebrating.
- National Sweetest Day: Indulge your sweet tooth with a box of heart-shaped chocolates. Feel free to share with a loved one, but this isn’t Valentine’s Day—it’s all about your love of sweets.
- Bridge Day: Attend a Bridge Day event to see adrenaline junkies BASE jump, or jump from great heights like buildings, bridges, and cliffs, or try it yourself—carefully.
- Black Poetry Day: Black Poetry Day encourages participants to set aside time to read, enjoy and appreciate the lyrical, powerful and poignant words of Black poets. History of Black Poetry Day On October 17, 1761, Jupiter Hammon, (poet, writer and preacher) became the first black published author in the United States, paving the...
- Women in Military Service for America Memorial Anniversary: The Women in Military Service for America Memorial Anniversary celebrates the brave women who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Located near Arlington National Cemetery, this memorial is the only major national tribute to women in the military. The anniversary is a reminder of their dedication, courage, and the...
- Spreadsheet Day: Balance your budget, prepare lists, and organize every corner of your life simply by using spreadsheets, a tool used by individuals and large companies alike.
- International Repair Day: In an increasingly wasteful society, it’s important to know how to repair things instead of replacing them. Start small, and see what broken bits you can salvage.
- National Fetch Day: Likely one of the oldest games that has ever been played between humans and dogs, fetch offers a way for bonding with man’s best friend. National Fetch Day is the time to remember how loyal dogs can be and how much most of them love to retrieve something – virtually...
- Child Poverty Day: Child Poverty Day, celebrated on October 17, highlights the urgent need to address child poverty around the globe. This day calls attention to the millions of children who lack necessities such as adequate healthcare, education, and clean water. It’s a day that brings people from various backgrounds together, urging them...
- International Day for the Eradication of Poverty: Poverty affects people all around the globe, including where you live. Find an event or organization to join the fight, donate, volunteer, and raise awareness.
- National Mulligan Day: Inspired by golf's do-over stroke, celebrate Mulligan Day with second chances, or simply enjoy a relaxed round of golf.
- National Playing Card Collection Day: Share photos of your playing card collection online, get a game going with friends, or start your very own collection of portable, mutli-use mini-works of art.
- Dysautonomia Awareness Month: Join or host a fundraising event, do your research, and help raise awareness about dysautonomia, a class of diseases affected the autonomic nervous system.
- Adventure Day: Get in touch with your inner child and make your own adventure. A little imagination can turn an ordinary day into something joyful.
- Forgive an Ex Day: Forgiveness is hard, but it’s also healing. On Forgive an Ex Day, get in touch with someone who hurt you, or just let go of any resentment you still have.
- Durga Puja: Durga Puja is a vibrant festival that honors the goddess Durga and celebrates her triumph over evil. Communities come together in a joyful spirit, decorating elaborate idols and pandals—temporary structures full of intricate artwork and colorful displays. Music, dance, and rituals fill the air, creating an energetic atmosphere. People visit...
- World Trauma Day: World Trauma Day brings attention to something many people try to hide—pain that comes after a shocking or harmful event. It could be the result of an accident, a fall, or a violent act. The effects often go beyond what anyone can see. A person might look fine but feel...
- UK Coffee Week: UK Coffee Week is a lively celebration of the UK's coffee culture. For one week, coffee lovers, shops, and roasters unite to enjoy their favorite brews while supporting a great cause. The event is filled with various activities and events, all aimed at bringing people together over their shared love...
- National Edge Day: Enjoy punk, metal, hardcore techno, and more styles of music in a way that encourages living a clean lifestyle – because it’s time for National Edge Day! How to Celebrate National Edge Day Get involved in this important movement of music that speaks of better living with some of these ideas for...
- National Pay Back a Friend Day: National Pay Back a Friend Day, observed on October 17, is more than just a reminder to settle debts. It's a day dedicated to strengthening bonds and expressing gratitude towards those who've helped us out financially. Celebrated across the United States, this day encourages everyone to show appreciation for their...
- National Whole Hog Barbecue Day: National Whole Hog Barbecue Day is a celebration of a cherished Southern tradition. On this day, communities gather to cook entire hogs over wood coals, embracing a method that requires patience and skill. The air fills with the rich aroma of slow-roasted pork, drawing people together to share in the...
- Wear Something Gaudy Day: Get garish and be brilliant in your gaudiest, poorest taste in fashion. Clashing colors, appalling patterns, and abominable accessories will draw all eyes to you.
- International Sawfish Day: Sawfish are some of the ocean’s most unusual residents, with long snouts lined like a saw. International Sawfish Day highlights these striking creatures and reminds us how important they are to healthy seas. It’s not just an event for scientists—it’s a call for everyone to notice, learn, and care. By bringing...
- Rtveli: Rtveli is a vibrant grape harvest festival celebrated across Georgia. It is a joyful blend of hard work and celebration. It's a time when people unite to collect the fruits of their labor and honor the cultural heritage of winemaking that has been cherished for generations. The festival extends beyond...
- Drink Local Wine Week: Drink Local Wine Week gives small wineries a chance to be noticed. It’s when bloggers and wine writers focus on bottles made nearby. Instead of just talking about famous spots like Napa or Willamette, this week shifts attention to local vineyards. People get to read about wines made just down the...
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