Year 1780
Indian Governor General Warren Hastings duel with Francis to settle personal and official quarrels. Francis was wounded but survived.
AUGUST 17
Daily Historical Chronicle
UPSC CSE • State PSC • SSC CGL Matrix
17 August: What Happened On This Day in History
Curated historical timeline of momentous political pacts, freedom struggle uprisings, constitutional developments, scientific breakthroughs, and prominent birthdays recorded on 17 August.
Year 1862
American Indian Wars: The Dakota War of 1862 begins in Minnesota as Dakota warriors attack white settlements along the Minnesota River.
Year 1936
British parliament accepts registration of birth, marriage and death.
Year 1944
Indian Viceroy Viscount Wavell rejects Gandhi's request to discuss war support in return for Indian independence.
Year 1945
Indonesia gained independence from Netherland.
Year 1947
Radcliffe line, border between India and Pakistan was revealed.
Year 1947
The first British troop leaves for England after Indian independence.
Year 1953
First meeting of Narcotic Anonymous took place in south California.
Year 1970
The first microwave link, which was set up without foreign assistance, was commissioned between Asansol, Dhanbad and Ranchi.
Year 1985
Rajiv Gandhi announces Punjab state elections in India.
Year 1986
In the Jehovah's Witnesses' case, the Supreme Court rules that "singing National Anthem is not obligatory".
Year 1988
President of Pakistan Mohammad Zia ul Haq and U S ambassador Arnold Rafel were killed in a plane crash.
Year 1992
20 members of the Janata Dal led by Ajit Singh break away from the parent body seeking separate seats in the Lok Sabha.
Year 1997
Leander-Mahesh duo wins International ATP doubles in Connecticut.
Year 1997
I K Gujral, Prime Minister, said that Queen Elizabeth should not go to Amritsar, the scene of the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre, during her visit to India in October.
Year 1998
The Government issues a notification banning the use of quinacrine, a controversial female contraceptive and sterilization agent.
Year 1998
National Human Rights Commission recommends compulsory registration of marriages in a bid to check child marriages.
Year 1999
A massive earthquake hit northwestern Turkey, killing more than 14000 people and leaving hundreds of thousands without homes and essential services.
Year 2005
American swimmer Michael Phelps became the first person to win eight gold medals at one Olympic game.
Born 1761
William Carey, the first English missionary to India, was born. He taught at the newly founded Fort William College at Calcutta from 1801 till his death and helped found the Serampore Press, which made the Bible accessible to over 300 million people.
Born 1778
Muhammad Shah, Mughal Emperor of India.
Born 1848
Romesh Chunder Dutt, great political leader, writer and social worker, was born.
Born 1866
Mahbub Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VI. Indian sixth Nizam of Hyderabad.
Born 1882
Sir Ram Nath Chopra, noted professor of Pharmacology, was born.
Born 1911
Y.R. Lokurkar, senior journalist, was born.
Born 1916
Amritlal Naagar was born.
Born 1926
Jiang Zemin, Chinese engineer and politician, former general secretary of the communist party of china, 5th president of china.
Born 1932
V S Naipaul, Trinidadian writer and novelist.
Born 1934
Murasoli Shanmuga Sundram Maran was born in Thirukkuvalai village in Thiruvarur (Tamil Nadu).
Born 1941
Y Venugopal Reddy, Former Governor of Reserve bank of India.
Born 1943
Robert de Niro, American Actor. Star of many films including The Godfather, The Deer hunter, Ragging Bull, and Cape Fear.
Born 1944
Larry Ellison, American businessman, co-founder of Oracle Corporation.
Born 1963
S. Shankar. One of the highest-paid film directors of Indian Cinema.
Died 1304
Emperor Go-Fukasuka of Japan.
Died 1850
Jose de San Martin, An Argentine military commander who ruled all over southern America. Considered a national hero in Peru and Argentina.
Died 1909
Madan Lal Dhingra, Indian Revolutionary. He was hanged at Paintanville Jail for assassinating Wyle and Lal Kaka.
Died 1935
Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Utopian feminist and civil rights leader.
Died 1958
Sir John Hubert Marshal, excavator of Mohan-Jo-Daro and Takshashila, died.
Died 1988
Mohammad Zia ul Haq, former president of Pakistan.
Died 2006
Shamsur Rehman, Bengali Poet.
Died 2020
Pandit Jasraj, an Indian classical vocalist, belonging to the Mewati gharana.