Births on May 17

Jason Bernard, American actor (d. 1996)

Jason Bernard (May 17, 1938 – October 18, 1996) was an American actor.

18 Feb

Nanking Massacre
Second Sino-Japanese War: During the Nanking Massacre the Nanking Safety Zone International Committee is renamed "Nanking International Rescue Committee" and the safety zone in place for refugees falls apart.
12 Mar

Austria
Anschluss: German troops occupy and absorb Austria.
23 Sep

Munich Agreement
Mobilization of the Czechoslovak army in response to the Munich Agreement.
30 Sep

Munich Agreement
Britain, France, Germany and Italy sign the Munich Agreement, allowing Germany to occupy the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia.
30 Oct

The War of the Worlds (radio drama)
Orson Welles broadcasts his radio play of H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds, causing anxiety in some of the audience in the United States.