What Happened On
B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber
July 17, 1989
After $22 billion and 10 years of development the radar-cloaking aircraft makes its maiden voyage.
They had to "Apollo-gize"
July 17, 1969
The New York Times publishes an apology for a 1920 article ridiculing Dr. Robert Goddard's theory that rockets could function in the vacuum of space. The apology came after the successful launch of Apollo 11 on its way to the Moon the previous day.
The 1920 editorial mocked Goddard, stating that rockets will never fly in space and saying that "…he only seems to lack the knowledge ladled out daily in high schools." Goddard's response was, "Every vision is a joke until the first man accomplishes it; once realized, it becomes commonplace."
Unfortunately, Goddard had died in 1945.
BORAX-III steam turbine and generators
BORAX-III steam turbine and generators
First Atomic Powered City
July 17, 1955
Arco, Idaho becomes the first town powered entirely by atomic energy when a 3,500-kilowatt experimental power plant went on line for an hour providing 2,000 kilowatts to the town. The reactor was the BORAX-III by Argonne National Laboratory.
Photo Credit: Tuxyso
Photo Credit: Tuxyso
Disneyland
July 17, 1955
Walt Disney's theme park opens in Anaheim, California. Future U.S. President Ronald Reagan was one of anchors for the live TV broadcast of the opening ceremonies. The televised ceremonies were produced by Art Linkletter, who was celebrating his 43rd birthday that day.
The previous year, Walt Disney created the TV series Walt Disney's Disneyland to help promote and finance the development of the park. The show's stories took place in Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, and Frontierland, which corresponded to sections of the park.
DiMaggio's 56-Game Hitting Streak
July 17, 1941
Joe DiMaggio's legendary 56-game hitting streak comes to an end. He had 91 hits for a .408 average, 15 home runs, and 55 runs drove in. It still stands as the longest hitting streak in Major League Baseball history.
Romanov Family c. 1913
Romanov Family c. 1913
Russian Revolution - Romanov Family Executed
July 17, 1918
Czar Nicholas II, his wife, and his five children are killed by the Bolsheviks during the aftermath of the revolution. Two of the children's bodies weren't found until 2007, causing speculation up to then they might have survived. Over the years, there were a number of impostors claiming to be the Czar's children, especially impostors of Anastasia and Alexei.
Nicholas II's cousin King George V had denied them asylum the previous year.
Actual Fiji Mermaid (left) as opposed to the images that appeared in the newspapers
Actual Fiji Mermaid (left) as opposed to the images that appeared in the newspapers
P.T. Barnum's Mermaid Hoax
July 17, 1842
Pictures of mermaids appear in New York newspapers. They were part of an elaborate hoax orchestrated by P.T. Barnum in order to draw attention to his museum. He had a friend pose as a British naturalist bringing the "mermaid" to New York. Naturalists of the day held heated debates in the newspapers as to its authenticity. This mermaid was actually an example of a traditional Japanese art form used by fishermen in religious ceremonies. It was composed of a monkey's head attached to a fish body, and was probably created in the early 1800s.
This became known as the Fiji Mermaid and was the first of Barnum's hoaxes and was a huge success, drawing large crowds to his museum.
Earliest Record of a Total Solar Eclipse
July 17, 709 B.C.
The Chinese make records of the celestial event.
Nein Means Nein!
July 17, 2006
German Chancellor Angela Merkel reacts violently when U.S. President George W. Bush attempts to give her a sneak massage from behind, during the G8 summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Baseball - Two Triple Plays in Same Game
July 17, 1990
The Minnesota Twins become the first major league team to score two triple plays in the same game. They still lost 1-0 to the Boston Red Sox.
First Woman to Walk in Space
July 17, 1984
Soviet Soyuz T-12 is launched with cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya. She made her historic walk on July 25th. In 1982, Savitskaya had become the second woman in space.
Hyatt Regency Disaster
July 17, 1981
Two concrete skywalks fall onto a crowd of 1,500 people at the Kansas City hotel killing 114. Two engineers, who designed the skywalks, had their licenses revoked in 1986.
First Manned Soviet-American Space Project
July 17, 1975
Apollo 18 and Soviet Soyuz 19 link together in space. They remained linked for 47 hours.
Yellow Submarine
July 17, 1968
The Beatles' Yellow Submarine cartoon premieres in London. The Fab Four accompany Captain Fred in his Yellow Submarine to free Pepperland from the music-hating Blue Meanies.
First MLB Team to Field a Majority of Black Players
July 17, 1954
The Brooklyn Dodgers become the first Major League Baseball team to field a majority of black players, fielding five. The roster included greats Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella. They lost 6-1 to the Milwaukee Braves.
WWII - Port Chicago Mutiny
July 17, 1944
An ammunitions depot in Port Chicago, California explodes killing 320 men, including 202 blacks assigned by the Navy to handle explosives. The unsafe working conditions continued, resulting in 258 out of the 320 African-American sailors in the ordnance battalion refusing to load ammunitions. Fifty black men were later convicted for refusing to return to work.
Wrong-Way Corrigan
July 17, 1938
American aviator Wrong-Way Corrigan takes off from New York making a nonstop transatlantic flight - without a permit - landing in Ireland the next day. He claimed he had intended to fly to Los Angeles, but had followed the wrong end of his compass.
He had repeatedly applied for a permit for a transatlantic flight, but was rejected because his airplane was deemed not airworthy.
Spanish Civil War
July 17, 1936
The Spanish Civil War begins with an Armed Forces rebellion against the recently-elected leftist Popular Front government of Spain.
Dr. Spock in 1976
Dr. Spock in 1976
Dr. Spock Wins Olympic Gold
July 17, 1924
Future baby doctor Benjamin Spock wins an Olympic gold medal for rowing in the 1924 Summer Olympics. Dr. Spock would go on to author The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care (1946), which was one of the best-selling books of the twentieth century, selling 500,000 copies in its first six months and 50 million by the time of Spock's death in 1998.
Company I of the 36th Colored Regiment (circa 1864)
Company I of the 36th Colored Regiment (circa 1864)
Blacks In the U.S. Military
July 17, 1862
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signs the first federal law allowing persons of African descent to serve in the U.S. military. Over 186,000 would eventually serve in Union forces during the Civil War.
However, blacks had served in various wartime capacities including combat, especially the Navy, since the American Revolution.
First Sewing Machine
July 17, 1790
English cabinetmaker Thomas Saint patents a machine with features that are basic to most modern sewing machines. It is not known if he ever built one.
100 Years' War
July 17, 1453
France defeats England at Castillon ending the 100 Years' War (1337-1453). The British lost possession of all land in France except Calais.
Birthdays
3 Sets of 10 Reps
Thomas Delorme
Born July 17, 1917 d. 2003
M.D. (Thomas Lanier DeLorme), American physician, weightlifter. While working with injured soldiers after World War II he tried using the weightlifting training method of progressive overload to enhance rehabilitation. At the time, most medical doctors believed that weightlifting should be avoided because any type of extreme effort was not desirable for the heart. However, Delorme's patients recovered faster and with better results than traditional therapy. Through trial and error, he determined that 3 sets of 10 reps worked the best for his patients.
Art Linkletter (Gordon Arthur Kelly)
Born July 17, 1912 d. 2010
Canadian-born American Emmy-winning TV personality. Linkletter was a major investor in Milton Bradley's Game of Life and his picture is on its $100,000 bill. Linkletter was also a major investor in the Hula Hoop. TV: House Party (1952-69) and People are Funny (1954-60).
Universal Diabetes Symbol
Universal Diabetes Symbol
First Person to Receive Insulin to Treat Diabetes
Leonard Thompson
Born July 17, 1908 d. 1935
Canadian diabetic. He was the first person to receive insulin to treat diabetes (1922 at 14 years old). Slipping in and out of a diabetic coma and about to die, he was given the first injection at Toronto General Hospital. His symptoms immediately improved. However, the insulin was so impure, he suffered a severe allergic reaction and treatment had to be canceled. Doctors quickly improved the purity and resumed treatment. The insulin was from the pancreases of cattle.
James Cagney (James Francis Cagney Jr.)
Born July 17, 1899 d. 1986
American Oscar-winning actor. Film: Public Enemy (1931), Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), and Mr. Roberts (1955, the captain). He started his career as a female impersonator in a New York revue.
Elbridge Gerry
Born July 17, 1744 d. 1814
American politician. 5th U.S. Vice-President (1813-14), Governor of Massachusetts (1810-12), U.S. House of Representative (1789-93, Massachusetts), signer of the Declaration of Independence. The term "gerrymander" is named after him, which is process of dividing electoral districts with the aim of aiding the party in power. The term is a portmanteau of "Gerry" and "Salamander." It comes from when Gerry was governor of Massachusetts and a newspaper article and cartoon said the shape of one of the Massachusetts senate districts looked like a salamander, calling it a "Gerry-mander." He refused to sign the U.S. Constitution because it didn't include a Bill of Rights (which was added later).
He is the only signer of the Declaration of Independence who is buried in Washington, D.C.
Photo Credit: Rex Gutierrez
Photo Credit: Rex Gutierrez
David Hasselhoff
Born July 17, 1952
American actor. TV: The Young and the Restless (1975-82, Dr. William "Snapper" Foster Jr.), Knight Rider (1982-86, Michael Knight), and Baywatch (1989-2000, Mitch Buchannon).
In 2007, Hasselhoff's daughter filmed a video of him appearing to be severely drunk inside his home with her interrogating him and asking him to stop abusing alcohol.
Phoebe Snow (Phoebe Laub)
Born July 17, 1950 d. 2011
American singer. Music: Phoebe Snow: Poetry Man (1974).
Donald Sutherland
Born July 17, 1935 d. 2024
Canadian Emmy-winning actor. Film: The Dirty Dozen (1967), M*A*S*H (1970, Hawkeye), Kelly's Heroes (1970), Don't Look Now (1973), National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), and Ordinary People (1980).
Carroll as Julia and Marc Copage as her son
Carroll as Julia and Marc Copage as her son
Diahann Carroll (Carol Diahann Johnson)
Born July 17, 1935 d. 2019
American Tony-winning actress, singer. She was the first black woman to star in a TV series in which they didn't play a domestic (Julia, 1968-71) and the first black woman to star in a TV series since Beulah (1950-53).
She was also the first black woman to win a Tony for Best Actress, for the Broadway musical No Strings (1962).
Gordon Gould
Born July 17, 1920 d. 2005
American Physicist. He is credited with inventing the laser (1957). He coined the term "laser" (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation). Although he was the first to document plans on how to build a laser, he was not the first to actually build one (See Theodore Maiman).
Photo Credit: Allan Warren
Photo Credit: Allan Warren
Phyllis Diller (Phyllis Driver)
Born July 17, 1917 d. 2012
American comedienne, actress. She got her start when, as a 40-year-old mother of five, began doing stand-up. She became a regular on TV variety shows and the Dean Martin roasts.
Quote: "Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight."
Gus Arriola
Born July 17, 1917 d. 2008
Mexican-American cartoonist. Creator of Gordo (1941-85).
William Gargan
Born July 17, 1905 d. 1979
American actor. TV: Martin Kane, Private Eye (title role). After losing his voice to cancer in 1960, he became an anti-smoking advocate.
Father Georges-Henri Lemaître
Born July 17, 1894 d. 1966
Belgian astronomer, Roman Catholic Priest. He first proposed what later became known as the Big Bang to explain the origin of the Universe (1931). He called his theory the "hypothesis of the primeval atom" or the "Cosmic Egg." Albert Einstein initially derided his theories, but later stated that not accepting them was the greatest error of his life. He was the very first recipient of the Eddington Medal award of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Erle Stanley Gardner
Born July 17, 1889 d. 1970
American lawyer, author. Creator of Perry Mason (1933).
Sir Frederick Abel
Born July 17, 1827 d. 1902
English chemist. With Sir James Dewar invented cordite, a smokeless explosive (1891), which was used by the British army in WWI. It enabled the battlefield to remain visible during heavy bombings.
Joy to the World
Isaac Watts
Born July 17, 1674 d. 1748
English clergyman. Founder of modern English hymnody and author of the hymn Joy to the World (1719).
Joy to the World is a Christian interpretation of the Bible's Psalm 98 celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. The carol is usually sung to an 1848 arrangement by the American composer Lowell Mason. Since the 20th century, it has been the most-published Christmas hymn in North America.
"Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let Earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing"
Deaths
Walter Cronkite
Died July 17, 2009 b. 1916
American reporter. Reporter for the CBS Evening News (1962-81). "And that's the way it is…" Cronkite became known as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in a public opinion poll.
Ty Cobb (Tyrus Raymond Cobb)
Died July 17, 1961 b. 1886
American baseball player, "The Georgia Peach." He was the first person elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame (1936). Cobb is credited with setting 90 MLB records during his career, some of which still stand, including his record of a combined total of 4,065 runs scored and runs batted in (after adjusting for home runs).
Billie Holiday (Eleanora Fagan)
Died July 17, 1959 b. 1915
American Grammy-winning blues singer. She performed with Benny Goodman and Count Basie.
Music: What a Little Moonlight Can Do (1935).
Nicholas II
Died July 17, 1918 b. 1868
Czar of Russia, the last monarch of Russia. He abdicated his throne (1917) ending the 300-year-old Romanov dynasty. He and the royal family were killed by the Bolsheviks in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution.
James McNeill Whistler
Died July 17, 1903 b. 1834
American artist. Known for his portrait of his mother (1872).
Elaine Stritch
Died July 17, 2014 b. 1925
American Theater Hall of Fame Emmy-winning actress. TV: My Sister Eileen (Ruth) and 30 Rock. Her one-woman show Elaine Stritch at Liberty, won the 2002 Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event.
Mickey Spillane (Frank Morrison)
Died July 17, 2006 b. 1918
American author. Creator of the hardboiled detective Mike Hammer. He sold over 100 million books and inspired several TV series and movies. He started out as a comic book writer, working on titles such as Captain America, Human Torch, and Submariner. Writings: I, the Jury (1947), Kiss Me, Deadly (1952), and The Deep (1961).
Sir Edward Heath
Died July 17, 2005 b. 1916
British prime minister (1970-74). An avid yachtsman, he captained Britain's winning team for the Admiral's Cup in 1971.
Juan Manuel Fangio
Died July 17, 1995 b. 1911
Argentine Hall of Fame auto racer, 5-time Formula One World Champion (1951, 54-57). He is considered one of the greatest racecar drivers of all time.
Harold Robert Perry
Died July 17, 1991 b. 1916
American clergyman, first black American-born Catholic bishop (1966, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans).
Dizzy Dean (Jay Hanna Dean)
Died July 17, 1974 b. 1910
American baseball Hall of Famer and sports announcer.
John Coltrane
Died July 17, 1967 b. 1926
American tenor saxophonist, the most influential jazz musician of the 60s. Music: My Favorite Things (1960).
Ildebrando Zacchini
Died July 17, 1948 b. 1868
Maltan-born painter, inventor. He invented the cannon used by Ringling Bros. in the human cannonball act. His son Hugo Zacchini was the first performer to use it. It used compressed air to propel the performer.
Dorothea Lynde Dix
Died July 17, 1887 b. 1802
American philanthropist and prison reformer. A crusader for the humane treatment of the mentally ill, she helped establish over 30 hospitals for the mentally ill. She served as a Superintendent of Army Nurses during the Civil War, organizing and outfitting the Union Army hospitals.
Adam Smith
Died July 17, 1790 b. 1723
British moral philosopher, political economist, author. His book, Wealth of Nations (1776), was the first systematic formulation of classical English economics.
Saint Leo IV
Died July 17, 855 b. ????
Italian religious leader, 103rd Pope (847-855).