October 17
1777 - British Gen. Burgoyne surrendered in Saratoga, New York during the American Revolution.
1919 - The Radio Corporation of America was created.
1931 - Mobster Al Capone was convicted of income tax evasion for which he was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
1933 - Albert Einstein arrived in the United States as a refugee from Nazi Germany.
1945 - Col. Juan Peron staged a coup, becoming absolute ruler of Argentina.
1973 - Arab oil-producing nations announced they would cut back oil exports to Western nations and Japan; the result was a total embargo that lasted until March 1974.
1978 - President Carter signed a bill restoring U.S. citizenship to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
1979 - Mother Theresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the poor in Calcutta, India.
1987 - First lady Nancy Reagan underwent a modified radical mastectomy.
1989 - A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the San Francisco area, killing 67 and injuring more than 3,000; the quake caused an estimated $7 billion in damages.
2007 - President George W. Bush, raising Beijing's ire, presented the Dalai Lama with the Congressional Gold Medal and urged Chinese leaders to welcome the monk to Beijing.
2011 - Occupy Wall Street, an organized protest in New York's financial district, expands to other cities across the U.S., including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Occupy Wall Street defines itself as a group of activists who stand against corporate greed, social inequality, and the disproportion between the rich and poor.
2014 - The World Health Organization acknowledged it had botched attempts to stop the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, blaming factors including incompetent staff, lack of information and budget cuts.
2016 - A long-awaited offensive to retake the Iraqi city Mosul from the Islamic State group began with a volley of U.S.-led coalition airstrikes and heavy artillery bombardments on a cluster of villages east of the militant-held city.
2018 - Residents of the Florida Panhandle community of Mexico Beach who had fled Hurricane Michael a week earlier returned home to find homes, businesses and campers ripped to shreds; the storm had killed at least 59 people and caused more than $25 billion in damage in Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia.
Birthdays
28 - Witney Carson (dancer)
37 - Chris Lowell (actor)
38 - Felicity Jones (actress)
47 - Matthew Macfadyen (actor)
49 - Sharon Leal (actress)
49 - Eminem (rapper)
50 - Chris Kirkpatrick (singer)
52 - Ernie Els (golfer)
52 - Wyclef Jean (singer)
52 - Wood Harris (actor)
61 - Grant Shaud (actor)
63 - Alan Jackson (country singer)
72 - Bill Hudson (actor/singer)
73 - George Wendt (acotr)
74 - Michael McKean (actor)
79 - Gary Puckett (singer)
104 - Marsha Hunt (actress)
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Today in Sports History - October 17
1860 - Willie Park won the first professional golf tournament to be held in Scotland.
1920 - The Decatur Staleys (now Chicago Bears) play their first NFL game.
1943 - The Detroit Lions set a rushing record when they achieved a negative fifty-three yards against the Chicago Cardinals.
1971 - The Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the Baltimore Orioles in seven games to win the World Series.
1974 - The Oakland Athletics defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games to win their third consecutive World Series.
1978 - The New York Yankees defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games to win the World Series.
1979 - The Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the Baltimore Orioles in seven games to win the World Series.
1989 - A 7.1 magnitude earthquake strikes during Game 3 of the World Series between the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants.
1992 - Jari Kurri of the Los Angeles Kings became the 18th player in NHL history to score 500 career goals.
2000 - Patrick Roy (Colorado Avalanche) achieved his 448th victory as a goalie in the NHL. Roy passed Terry Sawchuck to become the record holder for career victories.
1777 - British Gen. Burgoyne surrendered in Saratoga, New York during the American Revolution.
1919 - The Radio Corporation of America was created.
1931 - Mobster Al Capone was convicted of income tax evasion for which he was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
1933 - Albert Einstein arrived in the United States as a refugee from Nazi Germany.
1945 - Col. Juan Peron staged a coup, becoming absolute ruler of Argentina.
1973 - Arab oil-producing nations announced they would cut back oil exports to Western nations and Japan; the result was a total embargo that lasted until March 1974.
1978 - President Carter signed a bill restoring U.S. citizenship to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
1979 - Mother Theresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the poor in Calcutta, India.
1987 - First lady Nancy Reagan underwent a modified radical mastectomy.
1989 - A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the San Francisco area, killing 67 and injuring more than 3,000; the quake caused an estimated $7 billion in damages.
2007 - President George W. Bush, raising Beijing's ire, presented the Dalai Lama with the Congressional Gold Medal and urged Chinese leaders to welcome the monk to Beijing.
2011 - Occupy Wall Street, an organized protest in New York's financial district, expands to other cities across the U.S., including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Occupy Wall Street defines itself as a group of activists who stand against corporate greed, social inequality, and the disproportion between the rich and poor.
2014 - The World Health Organization acknowledged it had botched attempts to stop the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, blaming factors including incompetent staff, lack of information and budget cuts.
2016 - A long-awaited offensive to retake the Iraqi city Mosul from the Islamic State group began with a volley of U.S.-led coalition airstrikes and heavy artillery bombardments on a cluster of villages east of the militant-held city.
2018 - Residents of the Florida Panhandle community of Mexico Beach who had fled Hurricane Michael a week earlier returned home to find homes, businesses and campers ripped to shreds; the storm had killed at least 59 people and caused more than $25 billion in damage in Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia.
Birthdays
28 - Witney Carson (dancer)
37 - Chris Lowell (actor)
38 - Felicity Jones (actress)
47 - Matthew Macfadyen (actor)
49 - Sharon Leal (actress)
49 - Eminem (rapper)
50 - Chris Kirkpatrick (singer)
52 - Ernie Els (golfer)
52 - Wyclef Jean (singer)
52 - Wood Harris (actor)
61 - Grant Shaud (actor)
63 - Alan Jackson (country singer)
72 - Bill Hudson (actor/singer)
73 - George Wendt (acotr)
74 - Michael McKean (actor)
79 - Gary Puckett (singer)
104 - Marsha Hunt (actress)
===============================
Today in Sports History - October 17
1860 - Willie Park won the first professional golf tournament to be held in Scotland.
1920 - The Decatur Staleys (now Chicago Bears) play their first NFL game.
1943 - The Detroit Lions set a rushing record when they achieved a negative fifty-three yards against the Chicago Cardinals.
1971 - The Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the Baltimore Orioles in seven games to win the World Series.
1974 - The Oakland Athletics defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games to win their third consecutive World Series.
1978 - The New York Yankees defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games to win the World Series.
1979 - The Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the Baltimore Orioles in seven games to win the World Series.
1989 - A 7.1 magnitude earthquake strikes during Game 3 of the World Series between the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants.
1992 - Jari Kurri of the Los Angeles Kings became the 18th player in NHL history to score 500 career goals.
2000 - Patrick Roy (Colorado Avalanche) achieved his 448th victory as a goalie in the NHL. Roy passed Terry Sawchuck to become the record holder for career victories.
