What are the important events that happened on April 17? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

April 17: Facts & Myths About This Day

April 17 is the 108^th day of the year 2024 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 258 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Wednesday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is April 4, 2024 – a Wednesday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

When this day started, 475,920 hours has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.

Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘hectaoctagon’ day.

Aries is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Diamond is the modern birthstone for this month. Opal is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.

According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 287 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.

The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,135 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.

April 17 Historical Events

• 69 –
  After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor.
• 1797 –
  Sir Ralph Abercromby attacks San Juan, Puerto Rico in what would be one of the largest invasions of the Spanish territories in America.
• 1864 –
  American Civil War: The Battle of Plymouth begins – Confederate forces attack Plymouth, North Carolina.
• 1907 –
  The Ellis Island immigration center processes 11,747 people, more than on any other day.
• 1912 –
  Russian troops open fire on striking goldfield workers in northeast Siberia, killing at least 150.
• 1941 –
  World War II: The Kingdom of Yugoslavia surrenders to Germany.
• 1944 –
  Forces of the Communist-controlled Greek People’s Liberation Army attack the smaller National and Social Liberation resistance group, which surrenders. Its leader Dimitrios Psarros is murdered.
• 1945 –
  Brazilian forces liberate the town of Montese, Italy, from German Nazi forces.
• 1982 –
  Patriation of the Canadian constitution in Ottawa by Proclamation of Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada.
• 2006 –
  Sami Hammad, a Palestinian suicide bomber, detonates an explosive device in Tel Aviv, killing 11 people and injuring 70.

Who were born on April 17?

• 1586 –
  John Ford, English dramatist
• 1794 –
  Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, German botanist (d. 1868)
• 1865 –
  Ursula Julia Ledochowska, Polish-Austrian Catholic saint (d. 1939)
• 1878 –
  Emil Fuchs, German-born American attorney and baseball owner (d. 1961)
• 1937 –
  Ferdinand Piëch, Austrian-German automotive engineer and executive
• 1939 –
  Robert Miller, American art dealer (d. 2011)
• 1959 –
  Sean Bean, English actor
• 1965 –
  Yoshiki Kuroda, Japanese urban planner
• 1973 –
  Theo Ratliff, American basketball player
• 1979 –
  Eric Brewer, Canadian ice hockey player

Who died on April 17?

• 326 –
  Alexander of Alexandria, Patriarch of Alexandria
• 1539 –
  George, Duke of Saxony (b. 1471)
• 1799 –
  Richard Jupp, English architect (b. 1728)
• 1843 –
  Samuel Morey, American inventor (b. 1762)
• 1933 –
  Konstantine Marjanishvili, Georgian theatre director (b. 1872)
• 1941 –
  Al Bowlly, British dance band vocalist (b. 1899)
• 1960 –
  Eddie Cochran, American musician (b. 1938)
• 1987 –
  Dick Shawn, Actor and Comedian (b. 1923)
• 1996 –
  Piet Hein, Danish scientist and poet (b. 1905)
• 2011 –
  Eric Gross, Austrian-Australian composer (b. 1926)