What Happened on Dec 17

The Mayflower Drops Anchor in Plymouth Harbor, Location of Plymouth Rock, where Colonists are Said to Have First Set Foot on Land

The Mayflower dropped anchor in Plymouth Harbor on December 17 and spent three days surveying for a settlement site. They rejected several sites,... Read more

The Siege of Breisach Ends in a French Victory

Battle of Breisach was fought on August 18 — December 17, 1638 as part of Thirty Years' War. It ended when a garrison of the Holy Roman Empire... Read more

Ludwig van Beethoven Is Born

Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He was a crucial figure in the transitional... Read more

The Treaty Of Fort Adams Is Signed

The Treaty of Fort Adams was signed on December 17, 1801 between the Choctaw (an American Indian tribe) and the United States Government. The... Read more

Battle of Rowlett's Station

Other Names: Woodsonville, Green River Location: Hart County Campaign: Kentucky Confederate Offensive (1861) Date(s): December 17,... Read more

Battle of Goldsboro Bridge - Third Battle in the Goldsboro Expedition

Description: On December 17, Foster’s expedition reached the railroad near Everettsville and began destroying the tracks north toward the... Read more

Battle of Marion

Description: Riding through the Cumberland Gap, Stoneman’s expedition advanced on the important lead mines and salt ponds around Marion and... Read more

Wright Brothers First Flight

On December 17, 1903, two brothers from Dayton, Ohio, named Wilbur and Orville Wright, were successful in flying an airplane they built. Their... Read more

Willard Frank Libby is Born

On December 17, 1908, Willard Frank "Wild Bill" Libby was born on a farm in Grand Valley, Colorado. Libby won the 1960 Nobel Prize in Chemistry... Read more

Malmédy Massacre

The Malmedy massacre refers to a war crime in which about 90 American prisoners of war were murdered by their German captors. The massacre was... Read more

Typhoon Cobra Strikes US Pacific Fleet

Typhoon Cobra, also known as the Typhoon of 1944 or Halsey's Typhoon (named after Admiral William 'Bull' Halsey), was the United States Navy... Read more

Operation Stösser

Originally planned for the early hours of 16 December, Operation Stösser was delayed for a day because of bad weather and fuel shortages. The new... Read more

Operation Greif

Operation Greif was a special false flag operation commanded by the notorious Waffen-SS commando Otto Skorzeny during the Battle of the Bulge. The... Read more

"On The Beach" Is Released

On the Beach is a 1959 post-apocalyptic drama film based on Nevil Shute's novel of the same name featuring Gregory Peck (USS Sawfish captain Dwight... Read more

Gran Circo Norteamericano Fire

Fire roared through a nylon circus tent here Sunday afternoon as 2,500 persons watched a performance. Police estimated 250 were killed. It was... Read more

Diamonds Are Forever (film) released

Diamonds Are Forever (1971) is the seventh spy film in the James Bond series, and the sixth to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James... Read more

David Bowie releases Hunky Dory

Hunky Dory is the fourth album by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released by RCA Records in 1971. It was Bowie's first release through RCA,... Read more

"The Heartbreak Kid" Is Released

The Heartbreak Kid is a 1972 romantic comedy film directed by Elaine May, written by Neil Simon, and starring Charles Grodin, Jeannie Berlin, and... Read more

"Sleeper" Is Released

Sleeper (1973) is a futuristic science fiction comedy film, written by, directed by, and starring Woody Allen. It is loosely based on the H. G.... Read more

Stan Barrett breaks the sound barrier, being the first to do so on land

On the 17th December 1979, Stan Barrett attempted to break the Land Speed Record, and the sound barrier in the Budweiser Rocket rocket powered... Read more

"Kramer vs. Kramer" Is Released

Kramer vs. Kramer is a 1979 film adapted by Robert Benton from the novel by Avery Corman, and directed by Benton. The film tells the story of a... Read more

"Mon Oncle D'Amerique" Is Released

Mon oncle d'Amérique ("My American Uncle") is a 1980 French film directed by Alain Resnais. The didactic film is built around the ideas of... Read more

"Fanny And Alexander" Is Released

Fanny and Alexander (Swedish: Fanny och Alexander) is a 1982 Swedish film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. It was originally conceived as a... Read more

"The Dead" Is Released

The Dead is a 1987 film directed by John Huston, starring his daughter Anjelica Huston. The Dead was the last film that Huston directed, and it was... Read more

FDA Approves Ranbaxy's Ultravate

Treating inflammation and itching caused by certain skin conditions. It may also be used for other conditions as determined by your... Read more