Geoffrey Chaucer first read from The Canterbury Tales at the court of King Richard II on April 17, 1397. This event was a major turning point for English literature, as it was one of the first times a major work of this stature was presented in English, the common vernacular, rather than the traditional Norman French or Latin used at court.
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On This Day in History: April 17
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on April 17th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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Christopher Columbus receives funding for his expedition from Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain. through the Capitulations of Santa Fe, a formal contract, signed on April 17, 1492 that granted Columbus significant status and a share of future wealth.
The Battle of Martinique takes place on April 17, 1780 during the American War of Independence. It was an inconclusive battle, also known as the Battle of Dominica. More
English poet William Wordsworth first publishes "Poems in Two Volumes." c. April.17, 1807
Yugoslavia surrenders to Nazi Germany on April 17, 1941, after a surprise invasion on April 6.
The Bay of Pigs (Bahía de Cochinos), organized by the CIA, begins on April 17, 1961, on the southwestern coast of Cuba.
The CIA trained forces consisting of about 1,500 Cuban exiles assembled and launched from Guatemala and Nicaragua by boat with the objective to ignite an uprising that would overthrow the government of Fidel Castro. The Cuban military crushed the incursion by the third day. The invasion was a U.S. foreign policy failure. The Cuban government's victory solidified Castro's role as a national hero and pushed Cuba closer to the Soviet Union, setting the stage for the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. More
The Ford Mustang officially debuted at the New York World's Fair on April 17, 1964, becoming an instant attraction. More than 22,000 mustangs were sold on the first day and over 400,000 sold in the first year.
“Houston, we’ve had a problem…” Apollo 13 returns safely to Earth on April 17, 1970, after an oxygen tank ruptured two days into the mission. The spacecraft carried astronauts James A. Lovell, John L. Swigert and Fred W. Haise. Apollo 13 mission was to be the third manned lunar landing.
The original Command Module pilot for this mission was Thomas "Ken" Mattingly Jr., but due to exposure to German measles he was replaced by his backup, Command Module pilot, John L. "Jack" Swigert Jr. More
The Khmer Rouge troops capture Phnom Penh and the government forces surrender on April 17, 1975, five days after the last helicopter taking American citizens and allied Cambodians left the country on April 12, 1975.
The Khmer Rouge led Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 during which The regime tried to purify the nation of suspected corruption and counter-revolutionary tendencies in order to bring about its utopian communist vision for Cambodia. But their extreme ideology and tactics targeted most segments of Cambodian society for destruction. It is estimated that the regime was responsible for the deaths of two million of the country’s seven million people. More
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The Canada Act of 1982, transferring the authority for amending the Constitution of Canada to the federal and provincial governments goes into effect on April 17, 1982, ending Britain's authority and making Canada wholly independent. It had been passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom and received Royal ascent on March 29, 1982.