All Events

Historical Events on January 17

  • American Revolutionary War

    1781

    American Revolutionary War: Battle of Cowpens: Continental troops under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan defeat British forces under Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton at the battle in South Carolina.

  • Malta

    1799

    Maltese patriot Dun Mikiel Xerri, along with a number of other patriots, is executed.

  • Russia

    1915

    Russia defeats Ottoman Turkey in the Battle of Sarikamish during the Caucasus Campaign of World War I.

  • Finnish Civil War

    1918

    Finnish Civil War: The first serious battles take place between the Red Guards and the White Guard.

  • Allies of World War II

    1944

    World War II: Allied forces launch the first of four assaults on Monte Cassino with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome, an effort that would ultimately take four months and cost 105,000 Allied casualties.

  • Dwight D. Eisenhower

    1961

    U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivers a televised farewell address to the nation three days before leaving office, in which he warns against the accumulation of power by the "military-industrial complex" as well as the dangers of massive spending, especially deficit spending.

  • Capital punishment in the United States

    1977

    Capital punishment in the United States resumes after a ten-year hiatus, as convicted murderer Gary Gilmore is executed by firing squad in Utah.

  • Gulf War

    1991

    Gulf War: Operation Desert Storm begins early in the morning. Iraq fires eight Scud missiles into Israel in an unsuccessful bid to provoke Israeli retaliation.

  • European Union

    1996

    The Czech Republic applies for membership of the European Union.

All Births

Famous Birthdays on January 17

All Deaths

Famous Deaths on January 17

16. January

18. January