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17 August 2024
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
History
2019 - A bomb explodes at a wedding in Kabul killing 63 people and leaving 182 injured.Suicide bombing at a wedding in Kabul
History
2017 - Barcelona attacks: A van is driven into pedestrians in La Rambla, killing 14 and injuring at least 100.Terrorist attacks in Spain in August 2017
History
2015 - A bomb explodes near the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, killing at least 19 people and injuring 123 others.2015 terrorist attack in Thailand
History
2009 - An accident at the Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam in Khakassia, Russia, kills 75 and shuts down the hydroelectric power station, leading to widespread power failure in the local area.2009 turbine failure at a hydroelectric power station in Russia
History
2008 - American swimmer Michael Phelps becomes the first person to win eight gold medals at one Olympic Games.American swimmer (born 1985)
History
2005 - The first forced evacuation of settlers, as part of Israeli disengagement from Gaza, starts.Israeli communities built on land occupied in the 1967 Six-Day War
History
2005 - Over 500 bombs are set off by terrorists at 300 locations in 63 out of the 64 districts of Bangladesh.Islamist terror attacks throughout Bangladesh
History
2004 - The National Assembly of Serbia unanimously adopts new state symbols for Serbia: Bože pravde becomes the new anthem and the coat of arms is adopted for the whole country.Legislature of Serbia
History
1999 - The 7.6 Mw İzmit earthquake shakes northwestern Turkey with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), leaving 17,118–17,127 dead and 43,953–50,000 injured.Earthquake in Kocaeli Province, Turkey
History
1998 - Lewinsky scandal: US President Bill Clinton admits in taped testimony that he had an "improper physical relationship" with White House intern Monica Lewinsky; later that same day he admits before the nation that he "misled people" about the relationship.1998 American political sex scandal
Notable births
Born
2003 - The Kid Laroi, Australian rapper and songwriterAustralian singer (born 2003)
Born
1998 - Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Japanese baseball playerJapanese baseball player (born 1998)
Born
1995 - Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, New Zealand rugby league playerNew Zealand international rugby league footballer
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
Waxing Gibbous
94.0% illuminated
Lunar age: 12.4 days
Sun zodiac
Leo
25.07 degrees
Constellation: Leo
Moon zodiac
Capricorn
24.21 degrees
Constellation: Sagittarius
Astronomy events
No major astronomy event in the current calendar for this date.