January 17
1562 - French Protestants were recognized under the Edict of St. Germain.
1706 - Inventor and American statesman Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston.
1806 - James Madison Randolph, grandson of President Thomas Jefferson, became the first child born in the White House.
1893 - Hawaii's Queen Liliuokalani was forced to abdicate her throne by a group of planters and businessmen.
1893 - Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th president of the United States, died in Fremont, Ohio at age 70.
1899 - Gangster Al Capone was born in Brooklyn, New York.
1945 - Soviet and Polish forces liberated Warsaw during World War II.
1945 - Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg disappeared in Hungary while in Soviet custody.
1946 - The United Nations Security Council held its first meeting.
1953 - A prototype of the Chevrolet Corvette was unveiled during the General Motors Motorama at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.
1955 - The submarine USS Nautilus made its first nuclear-powered test run from its berth in Groton, Connecticut.
1961 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered his farewell address in which he warned against "the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex."
1977 - Gary Gilmore became the first person executed in the U.S. since the death penalty was reinstated, executed by firing squad at the Utah State Prison.
1984 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Sony Corp. of America v. Universal Studios, Inc. that the use of home video cassette recorders to tape television programs for private viewing did not violate federal copyright laws.
1991 - Operation Desert Storm was launched against Iraq.
1994 - A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck southern California, killing at least 61 people and causing more than $20 billion worth of damage.
1995 - A 7.2 magnitude earthquake devastated the city of Kobe, Japan, killing more than 6,000 people.
1997 - A court in Ireland granted the first divorce in the Roman Catholic country's history.
1998 - President Bill Clinton became the first sitting president to testify as a defendant in a criminal or civil suit when he answered questions from lawyers for Paula Jones, who had accused Clinton of sexual harassment.
2001 - Gov. Gray Davis declared a state of emergency concerning California's electricity crisis.
2008 - Chess master Bobby Fischer died at age 64.
2011 - Apple Inc. announced that CEO Steve Jobs was taking a second medical leave of absence. (Jobs died months later.)
2016 - Iran released three Americans, former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati, Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian and pastor Saeed Abedini, as part of a prisoner swap that also netted Tehran some $100 billion in sanctions relief.
2020 - U.S. health officials announced that they would begin screening airline passengers from central China for the new coronavirus; people traveling from Wuhan, China, would have their temperature checked and be asked about symptoms.
Birthdays
24 - Kathrine Herzer (actress)
27 - Lucy Boynton (actress)
29 - Marnie Simpson (reality star)
30 - Willa Fitzgerald (actress)
32 - Kelly Marie Tran (actress)
33 - Jonathan Keltz (actor)
38 - Ryan Gage (actor)
39 - Dwayne Wade (basketball player)
39 - Amanda Wilkinson (country singer)
40 - Ray J (singer)
41 - Zooey Deschanel (actress)
44 - Leigh Whannel (actress)
46 - Freddy Rodriguez (actor)
50 - Kid Rock (rapper)
52 - Naveen Andrews (actor)
55 - Joshua Malina (actor)
57 - Michelle Obama (wife of President Barack Obama)
59 - Denis O'Hare (actor)
59 - Jim Carey (actor/comedian)
64 - Steve Harvey (actor/comedian/TV host)
65 - Paul Young (singer)
66 - Steve Earle (singer)
74 - Jane Elliott (actress)
74 - Joanna David (actress)
76 - William Hart (singer)
79 - Chris Montez (singer)
82 - Maury Povich (talk show host)
90 - James Earl Jones (actor)
99 - Betty White (actress)
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Today in Sports History - January 17
1916 - The Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA) had its beginnings as department store magnate Rodman Wanamaker hosted a luncheon of pro and amateur golfers in New York City. (The PGA of America was formally established on April 10, 1916.)
1963 - Wilt Chamberlain of the San Francisco Warriors scores 67 points in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
1971 - The Baltimore Colts defeat the Dallas Cowboys 16-13 to win Super Bowl V in Miami; despite being on the losing team, Dallas linebacker Cuck Howley was named the game's MVP.
1989 - Al Arbour won his 600th game as a coach in the NHL.
1995 - The Los Angeles Rams announced their move to St. Louis.
1996 - Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings became the 22nd player in NHL history to score 500 career goals.
2012 - LeBron James becomes the youngest player in NBA history to record 20,000 career points during the Miami Heat's 92-75 win over the Golden State Warriors; James achieved the mark in 28 years, 17 days, beating Kobe Bryant who was previously the quickest to 20,000 points at 29 years, 122 days.
2015 - American boxer Deontay Wilder wins the WBC heavyweight championship by unanimous decision over Bermane Stiverne at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas; Wilder becomes the first American to hold a heavyweight championship since Shannon Briggs in 2007.
1562 - French Protestants were recognized under the Edict of St. Germain.
1706 - Inventor and American statesman Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston.
1806 - James Madison Randolph, grandson of President Thomas Jefferson, became the first child born in the White House.
1893 - Hawaii's Queen Liliuokalani was forced to abdicate her throne by a group of planters and businessmen.
1893 - Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th president of the United States, died in Fremont, Ohio at age 70.
1899 - Gangster Al Capone was born in Brooklyn, New York.
1945 - Soviet and Polish forces liberated Warsaw during World War II.
1945 - Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg disappeared in Hungary while in Soviet custody.
1946 - The United Nations Security Council held its first meeting.
1953 - A prototype of the Chevrolet Corvette was unveiled during the General Motors Motorama at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.
1955 - The submarine USS Nautilus made its first nuclear-powered test run from its berth in Groton, Connecticut.
1961 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered his farewell address in which he warned against "the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex."
1977 - Gary Gilmore became the first person executed in the U.S. since the death penalty was reinstated, executed by firing squad at the Utah State Prison.
1984 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Sony Corp. of America v. Universal Studios, Inc. that the use of home video cassette recorders to tape television programs for private viewing did not violate federal copyright laws.
1991 - Operation Desert Storm was launched against Iraq.
1994 - A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck southern California, killing at least 61 people and causing more than $20 billion worth of damage.
1995 - A 7.2 magnitude earthquake devastated the city of Kobe, Japan, killing more than 6,000 people.
1997 - A court in Ireland granted the first divorce in the Roman Catholic country's history.
1998 - President Bill Clinton became the first sitting president to testify as a defendant in a criminal or civil suit when he answered questions from lawyers for Paula Jones, who had accused Clinton of sexual harassment.
2001 - Gov. Gray Davis declared a state of emergency concerning California's electricity crisis.
2008 - Chess master Bobby Fischer died at age 64.
2011 - Apple Inc. announced that CEO Steve Jobs was taking a second medical leave of absence. (Jobs died months later.)
2016 - Iran released three Americans, former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati, Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian and pastor Saeed Abedini, as part of a prisoner swap that also netted Tehran some $100 billion in sanctions relief.
2020 - U.S. health officials announced that they would begin screening airline passengers from central China for the new coronavirus; people traveling from Wuhan, China, would have their temperature checked and be asked about symptoms.
Birthdays
24 - Kathrine Herzer (actress)
27 - Lucy Boynton (actress)
29 - Marnie Simpson (reality star)
30 - Willa Fitzgerald (actress)
32 - Kelly Marie Tran (actress)
33 - Jonathan Keltz (actor)
38 - Ryan Gage (actor)
39 - Dwayne Wade (basketball player)
39 - Amanda Wilkinson (country singer)
40 - Ray J (singer)
41 - Zooey Deschanel (actress)
44 - Leigh Whannel (actress)
46 - Freddy Rodriguez (actor)
50 - Kid Rock (rapper)
52 - Naveen Andrews (actor)
55 - Joshua Malina (actor)
57 - Michelle Obama (wife of President Barack Obama)
59 - Denis O'Hare (actor)
59 - Jim Carey (actor/comedian)
64 - Steve Harvey (actor/comedian/TV host)
65 - Paul Young (singer)
66 - Steve Earle (singer)
74 - Jane Elliott (actress)
74 - Joanna David (actress)
76 - William Hart (singer)
79 - Chris Montez (singer)
82 - Maury Povich (talk show host)
90 - James Earl Jones (actor)
99 - Betty White (actress)
============================================
Today in Sports History - January 17
1916 - The Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA) had its beginnings as department store magnate Rodman Wanamaker hosted a luncheon of pro and amateur golfers in New York City. (The PGA of America was formally established on April 10, 1916.)
1963 - Wilt Chamberlain of the San Francisco Warriors scores 67 points in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
1971 - The Baltimore Colts defeat the Dallas Cowboys 16-13 to win Super Bowl V in Miami; despite being on the losing team, Dallas linebacker Cuck Howley was named the game's MVP.
1989 - Al Arbour won his 600th game as a coach in the NHL.
1995 - The Los Angeles Rams announced their move to St. Louis.
1996 - Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings became the 22nd player in NHL history to score 500 career goals.
2012 - LeBron James becomes the youngest player in NBA history to record 20,000 career points during the Miami Heat's 92-75 win over the Golden State Warriors; James achieved the mark in 28 years, 17 days, beating Kobe Bryant who was previously the quickest to 20,000 points at 29 years, 122 days.
2015 - American boxer Deontay Wilder wins the WBC heavyweight championship by unanimous decision over Bermane Stiverne at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas; Wilder becomes the first American to hold a heavyweight championship since Shannon Briggs in 2007.