May 17 in History: The New York Stock Exchange Begins, Brown v. Board Is Decided, and Chuck E. Cheese Opens

Discover what happened on May 17 in history, along with notable events that shaped finance, education, and popular culture.

 

What Happened on May 17 in History?

Important events on this day include the founding of the New York Stock Exchange, the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education ruling, and the opening of the first Chuck E. Cheese restaurant.

 

MAY 17 – TODAY IN HISTORY:

1792 – The New York Stock Exchange was founded at 70 Wall Street by 24 brokers.

1846 – The saxophone was patented by Adolphe Sax.

1875 – The first Kentucky Derby took place in Louisville, KY. A horse named Aristides was the winner.

1877 – The first telephone switchboard burglar alarm was installed by Edwin T. Holmes.

1881 – Gold was discovered near Ishpeming, MI, by a Marquette chemist and geologist named Julius Ropes.

1932 – Congress changed the name “Porto Rico” to “Puerto Rico.”

1946 – President Harry Truman seized control of the nation’s railroads, delaying a threatened strike by engineers and trainmen.

1954 – The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled for school integration in Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka. The ruling declared that racially segregated schools were inherently unequal.

1961 – Cuban leader Fidel Castro offered to free Bay of Pigs Invasion prisoners in exchange for 500 bulldozers.

1973 – The Senate Watergate Committee began their televised hearings.

1975 – NBC TV bought the rights to show the movie “Gone With the Wind”. The one time rights cost NBC $5 million

1977 – Nolan Bushnell opened the first Chuck E. Cheese restaurant in San Jose, CA.

1985 – Bobby Ewing died on the season finale of TV’s “Dallas” on CBS. He returned the following season.

1990 – Kelsey Grammer was sentenced to 30 days in jail for DWI.

1996 – President Bill Clinton signed a measure requiring neighborhood notification when sex offenders move in. Megan’s Law was named for 7-year-old Megan Kanka, who was raped and killed in 1994.

1999 – Alex Trebek received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2000 – After 10 seasons, the final episode of TV’s “Beverly Hills, 90210” aired.

2000 – The Eagles filed suit against the “Hotel California” restaurant in Dallas, TX, alleging trademark violations.

2001 – The U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp based on Charles M. Schulz’s “Peanuts” comic strip.

2005 – Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson on TV’s “The Simpsons”, was elected mayor of Northridge, CA.

2006 – The U.S. aircraft carrier Oriskany was sunk about 24 miles off Pensacola Beach. It was the first vessel sunk under a Navy program to dispose of old warships by turning them into diving attractions. It was the largest artificial reef at the time of the sinking.

2011 – The final episode of “The Oprah Winfrey” show was recorded in Chicago, IL.

 

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON MAY 17:

Ronald Wayne – 92 years old (1934) – Computer scientist, co-founded Apple Computer

Hazel R. O'Leary – 89 years old (1937) – Lawyer and politician, 7th United States Secretary of Energy

Alan Kay – 86 years old (1940) – Computer scientist and academic

David Cope – 85 years old (1941) – Composer and author

Ben Nelson – 85 years old (1941) – Lawyer and politician, 37th Governor of Nebraska

Taj Mahal – 84 years old (1942) – Blues singer-songwriter and musician

Keith – 77 years old (1949) – Pop singer

Sugar Ray Leonard – 70 years old (1956) – Boxer

Annise Parker – 70 years old (1956) – Politician

Lou DiBella – 66 years old (1960) – Boxing promoter, actor, and producer

Craig Ferguson – 64 years old (1962) – Scottish-American comedian, actor, and talk show host

Rosalind Picard – 64 years old (1962) – Computer scientist and engineer, co-founded Affectiva

Jon Koncak – 63 years old (1963) – Basketball player

Page McConnell – 63 years old (1963) – Keyboard player and songwriter

Trent Reznor – 61 years old (1965) – Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer

Luann de Lesseps – 61 years old (1965) – Singer and television personality

Danny Manning – 60 years old (1966) – Basketball player and coach

Dave Abbruzzese – 58 years old (1968) – Rock drummer and songwriter

Hubert Davis – 56 years old (1970) – Basketball player and coach

Jordan Knight – 56 years old (1970) – Singer-songwriter and actor

Matt Lindland – 56 years old (1970) – Mixed martial artist, wrestler, and politician

Josh Homme – 53 years old (1973) – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer

Eddie Lewis – 52 years old (1974) – International soccer player

Kandi Burruss – 50 years old (1976) – Singer-songwriter, producer, and actress

José Guillén – 50 years old (1976) – Dominican-American baseball player

Wang Leehom – 50 years old (1976) – American-Taiwanese singer-songwriter, producer, actor, and director

John Foster – 48 years old (1978) – Baseball player and coach

Carlos Peña – 48 years old (1978) – Dominican-American baseball player

Matt Cassel – 44 years old (1982) – Football player

Tony Parker – 44 years old (1982) – French-American basketball player

Channing Frye – 43 years old (1983) – Basketball player

Jeremy Sowers – 43 years old (1983) – Baseball player

Derek Hough – 41 years old (1985) – Actor, singer, and dancer

Todd Redmond – 41 years old (1985) – Baseball player

Matt Ryan – 41 years old (1985) – Football player

Nikki Reed – 38 years old (1988) – Actress, singer, and screenwriter

Will Clyburn – 36 years old (1990) – Basketball player

 

DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR MAY 17:

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For additional information check out websites like: www.on-this-day.com, www.born-today.com, www.famousbirthdays.com, www.daysoftheyear.com, and www.nationaldaycalendar.com.