On This Day in History: May 17

John I of Castile married Beatrice of Portugal on May 17, 1383, in a union arranged to secure Castile's claim to the Portuguese throne.  Expand +

The Battle of Rovine takes place on May 17, 1395, where Voivod Mircea (Romanian: Mircea cel Bătrân) defeats a large Ottoman army led by Sultan Bayezid I, the Thunderbolt, temporarily halting the Ottoman expansion into Wallachia.

The city of Montreal is founded by French colonists on May 17, 1642, under the direction of Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve, Sieur de Maisonneuve, and Jeanne Mance. It was initially called Ville-Marie and it was a missionary center before it became a key fur-trading post.

The Molasses Act is passed by the British Parliament, on May 17, 1733, imposing duties on molasses, sugar, and rum imported from non-British territories to the North American colonies, largely affecting New England's rum.

The NY Stock Exchange is born on May 17, 1792,  with the signing of the Buttonwood Agreement by 24 stockbrokers defining how stocks could be traded and establishing set commissions.

The Norway Constitution was signed on May 17, 1814, marking Norway's declaration of independence from Denmark and the beginning of its path toward sovereignty. It is known now as Norway's Constitution Day (Syttende Mai) (May 17) and it is celebrated annually. with parades, traditional clothing, and festive food. More

Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell, presented the first durable color photograph on May 17, 1861, at the Royal Institution in London. The image was created by him and photographer  Thomas Sutton. Expand +

The Supreme Court of the United States (Chief Justice Earl Warren) hands down unanimous decision, on May 17, 1954, in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, ruling that racial segregation in public educational facilities is unconstitutional. More

The US Senate Watergate Committee begins, on May 17, 1973, its public hearings to investigate the burglary at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C.  Expand +

“Megan's Law" is signed into law, on May 17, 1996, by U.S. President Bill Clinton requiring that law-enforcement officials notify local schools, day-care centers, and residents of the presence of registered sex offenders in their communities. Expand +