December 17 in History

Historical Events on December 17

1777 American Revolution: France formally recognizes the United States.

1807 Napoleonic Wars: France issues the Milan Decree, which confirms the Continental System.

1812 War of 1812: U.S. forces attack a Lenape village in the Battle of the Mississinewa.

1862 American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant issues General Order No. 11, expelling Jews from parts of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky.

1896 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Schenley Park Casino, which was the first multi-purpose arena with the technology to create an artificial ice surface in North America, is destroyed in a fire.

1919 Uruguay becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.

1939 World War II: Battle of the River Plate: The Admiral Graf Spee is scuttled by Captain Hans Langsdorff outside Montevideo.

1944 World War II: Battle of the Bulge: Malmedy massacre: American 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion POWs are shot by Waffen-SS Kampfgruppe Joachim Peiper.

1989 The Simpsons first premiered on television with the episode, Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire.

All Events

Famous Birthdays on December 17

1936 Pope Francis

1942 Muhammadu Buhari

1978 Manny Pacquiao

1987 Chelsea Manning

All Births

Famous Deaths on December 17

1830 Simón Bolívar

1907 William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin

2010 Captain Beefheart

2011 Kim Jong-il

All Deaths

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