Birthday February 17, 1723 Tobias Mayer, "method of lunars" for longitude determination
Birthday February 17, 1774 Raphael Peale, American painter
Birthday February 17, 1781 Rene-Theophile-Hyacinthe Laennec, invented stethoscope
Birthday February 17, 1844 A Montgomery Ward, found mail-order a nice business
Birthday February 17, 1857 Samuel Sidney McClure, Irish-American newspaper editor & publisher
Birthday February 17, 1874 Thomas J. Watson Sr., founder of IBM
Birthday February 17, 1888 Otto Stern, physicist (Nobel 1943)
Birthday February 17, 1902 Marian Anderson, operatic contralto
Birthday February 17, 1908 Red (Walter L) Barber, sports announcer
Birthday February 17, 1924 Margaret Truman, daughter of Harry S
Birthday February 17, 1925 Hal Holbrook, Actor
Birthday February 17, 1929 Chaim Potok, novelist
Birthday February 17, 1934 Alan Bates, Actor (Zorba the Greek)
Birthday February 17, 1936 Jim Brown, NFL fullback (Cleveland Browns)
Birthday February 17, 1942 Huey Newton, Black Panther leader
Birthday February 17, 1945 Pat Morrow, in Los Angeles - Peyton Place
Birthday February 17, 1947 Dodie Stevens
History February 17, 1600 Giordano Bruno burned in Rome as a heretic
History February 17, 1782 French and British battle in the Indian Ocean
History February 17, 1801 Thomas Jefferson is elected
History February 17, 1801 Deadlock over presidential election ends
History February 17, 1820 Senate passes Missouri Compromise
History February 17, 1854 British recognize independence of Orange Free State (South Africa)
History February 17, 1865 Sherman sacks Columbia, South Carolina
History February 17, 1870 Mississippi readmitted to U.S. after Civil War
History February 17, 1876 Sardines were 1st canned - in Eastport - Maine
History February 17, 1878 1st telephone exchange in SF opens with 18 phones
History February 17, 1906 The first Trial of the Century
History February 17, 1908 Geronimo - Apache hero - dies (birth date unknown)
History February 17, 1915 Zeppelin L-4 crashes into North Sea
History February 17, 1944 U.S. troops land on Eniwetok atoll
History February 17, 1947 Voice of America begins broadcasts to Russia
History February 17, 1957 Gromyko becomes foreign minister
History February 17, 1966 Brian Wilson rolls tape on Good Vibrations, take one
History February 17, 1966 Taylor testifies on Operation Rolling Thunder
History February 17, 1968 U.S. casualty rate reaches record high
History February 17, 1972 Beetle overtakes Model T as world's best-selling car
History February 17, 1979 China invades Vietnam
History February 17, 1982 Lee Strasberg dies
History February 17, 1993 Ferry sinks near Haiti
History February 17, 1996 Kasparov defeats chess-playing computer
History February 17, 2000 Dave Eggers' Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius debuts
February 17, 1723 Tobias Mayer, "method of lunars" for longitude determination
February 17, 1774 Raphael Peale, American painter
February 17, 1781 Rene-Theophile-Hyacinthe Laennec, invented stethoscope
February 17, 1844 A Montgomery Ward, found mail-order a nice business
February 17, 1857 Samuel Sidney McClure, Irish-American newspaper editor & publisher
February 17, 1874 Thomas J. Watson Sr., founder of IBM
February 17, 1888 Otto Stern, physicist (Nobel 1943)
February 17, 1902 Marian Anderson, operatic contralto
February 17, 1908 Red (Walter L) Barber, sports announcer
February 17, 1924 Margaret Truman, daughter of Harry S
February 17, 1925 Hal Holbrook, Actor
February 17, 1929 Chaim Potok, novelist
February 17, 1934 Alan Bates, Actor (Zorba the Greek)
February 17, 1936 Jim Brown, NFL fullback (Cleveland Browns)
February 17, 1942 Huey Newton, Black Panther leader
February 17, 1945 Pat Morrow, in Los Angeles - Peyton Place
February 17, 1947 Dodie Stevens
February 17, 1600 Giordano Bruno burned in Rome as a heretic
February 17, 1782 French and British battle in the Indian Ocean
February 17, 1801 Thomas Jefferson is elected
February 17, 1801 Deadlock over presidential election ends
February 17, 1820 Senate passes Missouri Compromise
February 17, 1854 British recognize independence of Orange Free State (South Africa)
February 17, 1865 Sherman sacks Columbia, South Carolina
February 17, 1870 Mississippi readmitted to U.S. after Civil War
February 17, 1876 Sardines were 1st canned - in Eastport - Maine
February 17, 1878 1st telephone exchange in SF opens with 18 phones
February 17, 1906 The first Trial of the Century
February 17, 1908 Geronimo - Apache hero - dies (birth date unknown)
February 17, 1915 Zeppelin L-4 crashes into North Sea
February 17, 1944 U.S. troops land on Eniwetok atoll
February 17, 1947 Voice of America begins broadcasts to Russia
February 17, 1957 Gromyko becomes foreign minister
February 17, 1966 Brian Wilson rolls tape on Good Vibrations, take one
February 17, 1966 Taylor testifies on Operation Rolling Thunder
February 17, 1968 U.S. casualty rate reaches record high
February 17, 1972 Beetle overtakes Model T as world's best-selling car
February 17, 1979 China invades Vietnam
February 17, 1982 Lee Strasberg dies
February 17, 1993 Ferry sinks near Haiti
February 17, 1996 Kasparov defeats chess-playing computer
February 17, 2000 Dave Eggers' Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius debuts