On This Day: 17 October

17 October in Indian history

• 1991Rudrapur bombings by Sikh separatists, who explode two bombs, during a Ramlila Hindu celebration in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand, killing 41 people.India

17 October in world history

• 2019The 17 October Revolution starts in Lebanon.
• 2017Syrian civil war: The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) capture the last foothold of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Raqqa, marking the end of the Battle of Raqqa.
• 1992Having gone to the wrong house in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for a Halloween party, Japanese exchange student Yoshihiro Hattori was shot and killed by the homeowner.
• 1989The 6.9 Mw Loma Prieta earthquake shakes the San Francisco Bay Area and the Central Coast, killing 63.
• 1977The hijacked Lufthansa Flight 181 lands in Mogadishu. The remaining hostages are later rescued.
• 1973Yom Kippur War: Egyptian forces retreated from the Battle of the Chinese Farm, allowing Israeli forces to build their first bridge across the Suez Canal.
• 1969The Caravaggio painting Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence is stolen from the Oratory of Saint Lawrence in Palermo.
• 1964Prime Minister Robert Menzies inaugurated the artificial Lake Burley Griffin in the centre of the Australian capital Canberra.
• 1961Directed by their chief Maurice Papon, Paris police massacre scores of Algerian protesters.
• 1952Indonesian Army elements surrounded the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, demanding that President Sukarno disband the Provisional People's Representative Council.
• 1941World War II: The USS Kearny becomes the first U.S. Navy vessel to be torpedoed by a U-boat.
• 1860The Open Championship, the oldest of the four major championships in men's golf, was first played at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland.
• 1806Former leader of the Haitian Revolution, Emperor Jacques I, is assassinated after an oppressive rule.
• 1797Treaty of Campo Formio is signed between France and Austria, ending the War of the First Coalition.
• 1777American Revolutionary War: British general John Burgoyne's Saratoga campaign ended with his surrender to the Americans, later convincing France to enter the war in alliance with the United States.
• 1604German astronomer Johannes Kepler began observations of an exceptionally bright object, now known as Kepler's Supernova, that had appeared in the constellation Ophiuchus.
• 1346Hundred Years' War: Under the terms of Scotland's Auld Alliance with France, King David II of Scotland was captured at the Battle of Neville's Cross following his invasion of England.

Born on 17 October

• 1992Keerthy Suresh, Indian actressIndia
• 1973Bhagwant Mann, Indian PoliticianIndia
• 1970Anil Kumble, Indian cricketerIndia
• 1898Shinichi Suzuki, Japanese violinist and educator (died 1998)
• 1880Jesús Reyes Ferreira, Mexican artist and art collector (died 1977)
• 1792John Bowring, English polyglot and governor of Hong Kong (died 1826)

Died on 17 October

• 2012Stanford R. Ovshinsky, American scientist and businessman, co-founded Energy Conversion Devices (born 1922)
• 1981Kannadasan Indian author, poet, and songwriter (born 1927)India
• 1868Laura Secord, Canadian war heroine (born 1775)
• 1806Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Haitian commander and politician, Governor-General of Haiti (born 1758)

Frequently asked questions

What happened on 17 October in history?

2019: The 17 October Revolution starts in Lebanon. 2017: Syrian civil war: The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) capture the last foothold of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Raqqa, marking the end of the Battle of Raqqa. 1992: Having gone to the wrong house in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for a Halloween party, Japanese exchange student Yoshihiro Hattori was shot and killed by the homeowner. 1991: Rudrapur bombings by Sikh separatists, who explode two bombs, during a Ramlila Hindu celebration in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand, killing 41 people.

What happened on 17 October in Indian history?

1991: Rudrapur bombings by Sikh separatists, who explode two bombs, during a Ramlila Hindu celebration in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand, killing 41 people.

Which famous people were born on 17 October?

Keerthy Suresh, Indian actress (1992); Bhagwant Mann, Indian Politician (1973); Anil Kumble, Indian cricketer (1970); Shinichi Suzuki, Japanese violinist and educator (died 1998) (1898).

Which day is observed on 17 October?

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty; Loyalty Day (Argentina); National Police Day (Thailand); National Heroes Day (Somaliland).