Discover what happened on July 17 in history as remarkable achievements, historic milestones, technological advances, and unforgettable moments helped shape the world we know today.
What Happened on July 17 in History?
Important events on this day include the first docking of American and Soviet spacecraft in orbit, the end of Joe DiMaggio’s legendary 56-game hitting streak, Walt Disney’s dedication of Disneyland, the first flight of the B-2 Stealth Bomber, and the return of the Concorde to passenger service.
JULY 17 – TODAY IN HISTORY:
1862 – National cemeteries were authorized by the U.S. government.
1866 – Authorization was given to build a tunnel beneath the Chicago River. It was a three-year project that cost $512,709.
1867 – The first dental school in the United States was established. It was the Harvard School of Dental Medicine in Boston, MA.
1941 – The longest hitting streak in baseball history ended. Cleveland Indians pitchers held New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio hitless for the first time in 57 games.
1950 – The television show “The Colgate Comedy Hour” debuted. It featured Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.
1955 – Walt Disney officially dedicated Disneyland during a nationally televised ceremony in Anaheim, CA.
1975 – An Apollo spaceship docked with a Soyuz spacecraft in orbit. It was the first link up between the U.S. and Soviet Union.
1984 – President Ronald Reagan signed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, encouraging states to raise the legal drinking age to 21 by tying compliance to federal highway funding.
1987 – The movie “Robocop” premiered in theaters.
1989 – The first flight of the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber.
1992 – The movie “Honey, I Blew Up the Kid” premiered in theaters.
1995 – The Nasdaq composite stock index rose above 1,000 for the first time.
1996 – TWA Flight 800, a Paris-bound Boeing 747, exploded and crashed off Long Island, NY, killing all 230 people aboard.
1996 – Shaquille O’Neal starred as a 5,000 year old genie when the movie “Kazaam” premiered in theaters.
1997 – After 117 years, the Woolworth Corp. closed the last of its 400 stores.
1998 – An entire village was swept away in Papua, New Guinea by a 23-foot wave that was triggered by an undersea earthquake. Eight days later, reports list 3,183 dead, 2,000 were missing, and thousands were homeless.
2001 – The Concorde was brought back into service nearly a year after a July 2000 crash. It ended operations completely on October 24, 2003.
2007 – Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback Michael Vick and three other men were indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a dog-fighting ring.
2018 – Scott S. Sheppard announced that his team had discovered a dozen irregular moons of Jupiter.
2022 – Lt. Amanda Lee was named the first woman to serve as a demonstration pilot for the Blue Angels.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON JULY 17:
Verne Lundquist – 86 years old (1940) – Sportscaster
Don Kessinger – 84 years old (1942) – Baseball player and manager
LaVyrle Spencer – 83 years old (1943) – Author and educator
Chris Crutcher – 80 years old (1946) – Novelist and short story writer
Charley Steiner – 77 years old (1949) – Journalist and sportscaster
Lucie Arnaz – 75 years old (1951) – Actress and singer
Mark Bowden – 75 years old (1951) – Journalist and author
David Hasselhoff – 74 years old (1952) – Actor, singer, and producer
Robert R. McCammon – 74 years old (1952) – Author
J. Michael Straczynski – 72 years old (1954) – Author, screenwriter, and producer
Paul Stamets – 71 years old (1955) – Mycologist and author
Bryan Trottier – 70 years old (1956) – Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach
Wendy Freedman – 69 years old (1957) – Canadian-American cosmologist and astronomer
Susan Silver – 68 years old (1958) – Music manager
Mark Burnett – 66 years old (1960) – English-American screenwriter and producer
Nancy Giles – 66 years old (1960) – Journalist and actress
Dawn Upshaw – 66 years old (1960) – Soprano
Regina Belle – 63 years old (1963) – Singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
Heather Langenkamp – 62 years old (1964) – Actress and producer
Alex Winter – 61 years old (1965) – British-American actor
Scott Johnson – 57 years old (1969) – Cartoonist
Calbert Cheaney – 55 years old (1971) – Basketball player and coach
Donny Marshall – 54 years old (1972) – Basketball player and sportscaster
Eric Williams – 54 years old (1972) – Basketball player
Eric Moulds – 53 years old (1973) – Football player
Terence Tao – 51 years old (1975) – Australian-American mathematician
Carey Hart – 51 years old (1975) – Freestyle motorcycle racer
Luke Bryan – 50 years old (1976) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Dagmara Domińczyk – 50 years old (1976) – Polish-American actress
Brian K. Vaughan – 50 years old (1976) – Comic book and television writer
Eric Winter – 50 years old (1976) – Actor
Jason Jennings – 48 years old (1978) – Baseball player
Mike Vogel – 47 years old (1979) – Actor
Ryan Miller – 46 years old (1980) – Ice hockey player
Adam Lind – 43 years old (1983) – Baseball player
DeAngelo Smith – 40 years old (1986) – Football player
Jeremih – 39 years old (1987) – Singer, songwriter, and record producer
Billie Lourd – 34 years old (1992) – Actress
Nick Bjugstad – 34 years old (1992) – Ice hockey player
Kali Uchis – 32 years old (1994) – Singer-songwriter
Grace Caroline Currey – 30 years old (1996) – Actress
Jordan Lawlar – 24 years old (2002) – Baseball player
DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR JULY 17:
- World Emoji Day: Try telling a story or sending a text using just emojis, and see how much you can communicate through these expressive little pictographs.
- National Tattoo Day: Have an idea for a tattoo you’ve been wanting to get? Pull the trigger and go make your body a canvas for art and self-expression by getting inked.
- National Lottery Day: Taking a chance on a potential windfall can be thrilling, but always remember to play within your limits to keep it fun.
- National Yellow Pig Day: Have you heard about the Yellow Pig before? Don’t worry; you’re not alone if you haven’t! This is something that began when two math students were analyzing the number 17, and they seemed to go a little bit crazy by the end of it, coming up with the Yellow Pig...
- National Peach Ice Cream Day: It’s not the most common flavor, but peach ice cream is the perfect combination. Fruity, sweet, and refreshing, it’s the perfect summer treat.
- World Day for International Justice: Fighting against war crimes, genocide and other criminal injustice is a difficult battle, but one that certainly needs attention. World Day for International Justice exists to bring awareness to this cause. How to Celebrate World Day for International Justice Try out some of these ideas for observing and celebrating the...
- International Firgun Day: International Firgun Day celebrates those moments when you genuinely feel happy for someone else and let them know. A kind word, a thoughtful message, or even a quick shoutout can lift someone’s mood in seconds. There’s no angle or reward—just honest praise. Maybe your friend landed a new job, or your...
- Day for International Criminal Justice: Think of a day that unites the world in the pursuit of justice. The Day for International Criminal Justice does just that. It commemorates the adoption of the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court (ICC). This court holds individuals accountable for grave crimes like genocide, war crimes, and...
- National Wrong Way Corrigan Day: Imagine setting off on a journey, only to arrive at a completely unexpected destination. National Wrong Way Corrigan Day celebrates such an adventurous spirit. It honors Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan, a pilot who, in 1938, claimed to have accidentally flown from New York to Ireland instead of his intended destination...
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