All Events

Historical Events on April 17

  • Virginia

    1861

    The state of Virginia's secession convention votes to secede from the United States, becoming the 8th state to join the Confederate States of America.

  • American Civil War

    1863

    American Civil War: Grierson's Raid begins: Troops under Union Army Colonel Benjamin Grierson attack central Mississippi.

  • Supreme Court of the United States

    1905

    The Supreme Court of the United States decides Lochner v. New York, which holds that the "right to free contract" is implicit in the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

  • Ellis Island

    1907

    The Ellis Island immigration center processes 11,747 people, more than on any other day.

  • World War II

    1941

    World War II: The Kingdom of Yugoslavia surrenders to Germany.

  • World War II

    1945

    World War II: Montese, Italy, is liberated from Nazi forces.

  • Bangladesh

    1971

    The People's Republic of Bangladesh is formed.

  • Palestinian people

    2006

    A Palestinian suicide bomber detonates an explosive device in a Tel Aviv restaurant, killing 11 people and injuring 70.

  • NASA

    2014

    NASA's Kepler space observatory confirms the discovery of the first Earth-size planet in the habitable zone of another star.

All Births

Famous Birthdays on April 17

All Deaths

Famous Deaths on April 17

16. April

18. April