What are the important events that happened on February 17? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
February 17: Facts & Myths About This Day
February 17 is the 48th day of the year 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 317 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Monday.
Under the Julian calendar, this day is February 4, 2025 – a Monday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?
When this day started, 28,995,840 minutes 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 ‘tetracontaoctagon’ day.
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Aquarius is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Amethyst is the modern birthstone for this month. Bloodstone is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.
According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 365 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 4,441 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.
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February 17 Historical Events
- 1814 –War of the Sixth Coalition: The Battle of Mormans.
- 1819 –The United States House of Representatives passes the Missouri Compromise for the first time.
- 1854 –The United Kingdom recognizes the independence of the Orange Free State.
- 1932 –New Year’s Day in Chinese calendar. Start of the year of the Water Monkey in Chinese astrology.
- 1944 –World War II: The Battle of Eniwetok Atoll begins. The battle ends in an American victory on February 22.
- 1964 –Gabonese president Leon M'ba is toppled by a coup and his rival, Jean-Hilaire Aubame, is installed in his place.
- 1972 –Sales of the Volkswagen Beetle exceed those of the Ford Model-T.
- 1974 –Robert K. Preston, a disgruntled U.S. Army private, buzzes the White House in a stolen helicopter.
- 1996 –NASA’s Discovery Program begins as the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft lifts off on the first mission ever to orbit and land on an asteroid, 433 Eros.
- 2006 –A massive mudslide occurs in Southern Leyte, Philippines; the official death toll is set at 1,126.
Who were born on February 17?
- 1864 –Banjo Paterson, Australian poet (d. 1941)
- 1925 –Ron Goodwin, English composer and conductor (d. 2003)
- 1938 –Buck Trent, American banjo player
- 1940 –Gene Pitney, American singer (d. 2006)
- 1944 –Karl Jenkins, Welsh composer
- 1971 –Martyn Bennett, Canadian composer (d. 2005)
- 1972 –Taylor Hawkins, American musician (Foo Fighters)
- 1983 –Gérald Cid, French footballer
- 1984 –Sadha, Indian film actress
- 1985 –Anders Jacobsen, Norwegian ski jumper
Who died on February 17?
- 364 –Jovian, Roman Emperor (b. 331)
- 1339 –Otto, Duke of Austria (b. 1301)
- 1680 –Jan Swammerdam, Dutch biologist (b. 1637)
- 1854 –John Martin, English painter (b. 1789)
- 1890 –Christopher Sholes, American inventor (b. 1819)
- 1909 –Geronimo, Apache leader (b. 1829)
- 1934 –King Albert I of Belgium (b. 1875)
- 1962 –Bruno Walter, German conductor (b. 1876)
- 1970 –Alfred Newman, American film composer (b. 1900)
- 2004 –José López Portillo, President of Mexico (b. 1920)
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