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17 August 2021
Holidays, observances, history and sky information for this date.
Holidays
No listed India public holiday for this date.
Observances
No UN observance in the current list for this date.
Selected anniversaries
Anniversary
2008 - Michael Phelps won his eighth gold medal of the Summer Olympics in Beijing, setting the record for the most gold medals won by an athlete at a single games.American swimmer (born 1985)
Anniversary
1959 - American musician Miles Davis released Kind of Blue, which became one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed jazz recordings of all time.American jazz musician (1926–1991)
Anniversary
1950 - Korean War: Forty-two American prisoners of war were massacred by the Korean People's Army on a hill above Waegwan, South Korea.1950–1953 conflict on the Korean Peninsula
Anniversary
1945 - Animal Farm, George Orwell's satirical allegory of Soviet totalitarianism, was first published.1945 political allegorical novella by George Orwell
Anniversary
1945 - The independence of Indonesia was proclaimed, igniting a revolution against the Dutch Empire.1945 Indonesian independence document
Historical events
No items available.
Notable births
No items available.
Notable deaths
Died
2024 - Virginia Ogilvy, Countess of Airlie, British countess (born 1933)British countess (1933–2024)
Died
2024 - Silvio Santos, Brazilian media mogul and television host (born 1930)Brazilian television presenter and business magnate (1930–2024)
Died
2016 - Arthur Hiller, Canadian actor, director, and producer (born 1923)Canadian film and television director (1923–2016)
Died
2015 - Yvonne Craig, American ballet dancer and actress (born 1937)American actress (1937–2015)
Died
2015 - Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder, German businessman (born 1933)German politician and sports administrator (1933–2015)
Died
2014 - Børre Knudsen, Norwegian minister and activist (born 1937)Norwegian Lutheran priest and anti-abortion activist
Sky
Moon phase
First Quarter
67.6% illuminated
Lunar age: 9.1 days
Sun zodiac
Leo
24.80 degrees
Constellation: Leo
Moon zodiac
Sagittarius
19.37 degrees
Constellation: Ophiuchus
Astronomy events
No major astronomy event in the current calendar for this date.