April 17: Holidays, Historical Events, Famous Birthdays & Zodiac Sign
On April 17, 1970, the crippled Apollo 13 spacecraft splashed down safely, turning a near-disaster into NASA's most celebrated rescue.
About April 17
April 17 is anchored by one of history's great cliffhangers. When the damaged Apollo 13 capsule finally splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on this day in 1970, the world exhaled. Three astronauts, whose lunar mission had been derailed by an oxygen tank explosion, returned alive after a harrowing four-day journey home.
The date carries weight in the realm of sovereignty and self-determination as well. In 1946, the final French soldiers departed Syria, cementing the young republic's hard-won independence—a milestone still honored annually as Evacuation Day. Thirty-five years later in 1971, the Provisional Government of Bangladesh took shape, asserting a new nation's right to exist amid the chaos of war.
April 17 has also witnessed turning points in exploration and science. Christopher Columbus sealed his fateful agreement with the Spanish crown in 1492, while NASA's Kepler telescope confirmed the first Earth-sized planet orbiting within a star's habitable zone in 2014. And in a curious footnote to diplomatic history, a supposed state of war between the Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly—lingering since 1651—was quietly declared over in 1986.
Holidays & Observances on April 17
- Evacuation Day (Syria), celebrates the recognition of the independence of Syria from France in 1946.
- FAO Day (Iraq)
- Flag Day (American Samoa)
- Malbec World Day
- Women's Day (Gabon)
- World Hemophilia Day
Fun & National Days on April 17
- International Haiku Poetry Day — Channel your inner Basho and capture a fleeting moment in just five, seven, and five syllables.
- Bat Appreciation Day — Give a nod to nature's only flying mammals and the mosquito-eating heroes of the night sky.
- Ellis Island Family History Day — Dig into old passenger manifests and trace the ancestors who passed through America's most famous gateway.
- International Ford Mustang Day — Rev the engine and celebrate six decades of the original American pony car.
- National Cheeseball Day — Roll up some cream cheese, crushed nuts, and joy for a retro snack worth reviving.
- Nothing Like a Dame Day — Celebrate the legendary leading ladies of stage and screen who've earned the title 'Dame.'
- Blah, Blah, Blah Day
- National Crawfish Day
- National Kickball Day
On This Day in History
- 1492 — Spain's monarchs sign the Capitulations of Santa Fe with Christopher Columbus, funding his expedition to find a western trade route to Asian spices.
- 1521 — Martin Luther faces questioning at the Diet of Worms over his reformist writings, requesting a day's reprieve to gather his thoughts before responding.
- 1861 — Virginia's secession convention votes to leave the United States, paving the way for the state to become the eighth member of the Confederacy.
- 1895 — The Treaty of Shimonoseki ends the First Sino-Japanese War, forcing Qing China to cede Taiwan and recognize Korea's independence.
- 1907 — Ellis Island processes 11,747 immigrants in a single day, the busiest twenty-four hours in the famous gateway's history.
- 1946 — The last French military forces withdraw from Syria, completing the transfer of power and securing full Syrian sovereignty.
- 1961 — CIA-backed Cuban exiles land at the Bay of Pigs, launching a failed operation aimed at overthrowing Fidel Castro's government.
- 1970 — The damaged Apollo 13 spacecraft splashes down safely in the Pacific, concluding a dramatic rescue mission that gripped the world.
- 1971 — The Provisional Government of Bangladesh is established, providing a political structure for the nascent state during its liberation struggle.
- 1982 — Queen Elizabeth II proclaims the Constitution Act in Ottawa, officially patriating Canada's constitution from British control.
- 2014 — NASA's Kepler space telescope confirms the first Earth-sized planet found within the habitable zone of a distant star.
Famous Birthdays on April 17
- 1837 — J. P. Morgan, American financier who built J.P. Morgan & Co. into a banking titan that shaped U.S. industrial capitalism.
- 1885 — Karen Blixen, Danish author best known for her memoir 'Out of Africa,' written under the pen name Isak Dinesen.
- 1897 — Thornton Wilder, American playwright and novelist who won Pulitzer Prizes for 'Our Town' and 'The Bridge of San Luis Rey.'
- 1916 — Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Sri Lankan politician who in 1960 became the world's first woman to serve as a prime minister.
- 1918 — William Holden, Hollywood leading man who starred in 'Stalag 17' and 'Sunset Boulevard,' winning an Oscar for the former.
- 1919 — Chavela Vargas, Costa Rican-Mexican singer whose raw, powerful interpretations of ranchera music made her a Latin American icon.
- 1957 — Nick Hornby, English novelist and essayist whose books 'High Fidelity' and 'Fever Pitch' defined modern British pop culture.
- 1959 — Sean Bean, English actor renowned for roles in 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'Game of Thrones,' often portraying doomed warriors.
- 1972 — Jennifer Garner, American actress who gained fame on the TV spy thriller 'Alias' before starring in major Hollywood films.
- 1974 — Victoria Beckham, English singer turned fashion designer, rising to fame as Posh Spice in the Spice Girls before building a luxury brand.