May 17th What Happened on the day you were born on This day in History
1943 Germany Dam Busters Raid
17th May 1943 : Lancaster bombers use the revolutionary bomb designed to bounce on the water to bypass dam defences ( immortalised in a 1954 war film Dambusters ) . The bombs were invented for the task by aircraft engineer Dr Barnes Wallis with pilots flying the Wellington bombers just 100ft above the water.
The destruction of the dams two on the rivers Möhne and Sorpe, and a third on the River Eder caused flood waters to sweep through the Ruhr valley, damaging factories, houses and power stations.
17th May 1943 : Lancaster bombers use the revolutionary bomb designed to bounce on the water to bypass dam defences ( immortalised in a 1954 war film Dambusters ) . The bombs were invented for the task by aircraft engineer Dr Barnes Wallis with pilots flying the Wellington bombers just 100ft above the water.
The destruction of the dams two on the rivers Möhne and Sorpe, and a third on the River Eder caused flood waters to sweep through the Ruhr valley, damaging factories, houses and power stations.
1925 Germany Mining disaster Dortsfeld
17th May 1925 : A major mine disaster in Dortsfeld in Germany has now claimed the lives of 43 men , rescue attempts are still continuing but are hampered by the deadly gasses in the mines with rescue workers collapsing from the fumes in the narrow passageways.
1936 U.S.A. New Deal
17th May 1936 : A number of proposals are being looked at to finance " The New Deal " programme including a flat tax on all corporate income, and also an increase in the normal income tax rate from 4% to 5%.
17th May 1936 : A number of proposals are being looked at to finance " The New Deal " programme including a flat tax on all corporate income, and also an increase in the normal income tax rate from 4% to 5%.
1946 U.S.A. Railroads Siezed By Truman
17th May 1946 : President Harry S. Truman uses U.S. troops to seize control of US railroads, delaying a threatened strike by engineers and trainmen.
17th May 1946 : President Harry S. Truman uses U.S. troops to seize control of US railroads, delaying a threatened strike by engineers and trainmen.
1948 Israel Statehood
17th May 1948 : Following the formation of the Jewish State of Israel , Russia has now extended recognition of the Hebrew state and 4000 Arab fighters have surrendered in the old walled city of Acre weakened by a major outbreak of Typhoid.
17th May 1948 : Following the formation of the Jewish State of Israel , Russia has now extended recognition of the Hebrew state and 4000 Arab fighters have surrendered in the old walled city of Acre weakened by a major outbreak of Typhoid.
1954 U.S.A. Brown v. Board of Education
17th May 1954 : The United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Brown v. Board of Education , ruling that racial segregation in public educational facilities is unconstitutional.
The case centered on Linda Brown an African American girl who had been denied admission to her local elementary school in Topeka, Kansas, because of the color of her skin.
17th May 1954 : The United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Brown v. Board of Education , ruling that racial segregation in public educational facilities is unconstitutional.
The case centered on Linda Brown an African American girl who had been denied admission to her local elementary school in Topeka, Kansas, because of the color of her skin.
1955 U.S.A. End Segregation
17th May 1955 : The Chief Justice Earl Warren has indicated that a ruling will be made by the Supreme Court before summer recess on how and when to end segregation of white and Negro children in the public school system.
17th May 1955 : The Chief Justice Earl Warren has indicated that a ruling will be made by the Supreme Court before summer recess on how and when to end segregation of white and Negro children in the public school system.
1960 France East - West Summit
17th May 1960 : The East-West summit in Paris has failed before it even started following three days of bitter arguments over the American U2 spy plane shot down two weeks ago over Sverdlovsk in the Soviet Union by a Russian Missile.
17th May 1960 : The East-West summit in Paris has failed before it even started following three days of bitter arguments over the American U2 spy plane shot down two weeks ago over Sverdlovsk in the Soviet Union by a Russian Missile.
1969 U.S.A. Apollo 10
17th May 1969 : The Apollo 10 is all go for the final test before America lands a man on the moon later this year , Apollo 10 is scheduled to go over the landing site where Apollo 11 hopes to land later this year , this flight is a complete dress rehearsal as everything will be done except the final phase of landing man on the moon.
17th May 1969 : The Apollo 10 is all go for the final test before America lands a man on the moon later this year , Apollo 10 is scheduled to go over the landing site where Apollo 11 hopes to land later this year , this flight is a complete dress rehearsal as everything will be done except the final phase of landing man on the moon.
1973 U.S.A. Watergate
17th May 1973 : The investigation of Watergate by the Senate begins televised hearings on the Watergate scandal.
17th May 1973 : The investigation of Watergate by the Senate begins televised hearings on the Watergate scandal.
1974 Ireland Car Bombs In Dublin
17th May 1974 : Three car bombs are exploded in Dublin, killing 23 and injuring 100 more during rush hour. No one has ever been charged with these bombings but a number of conspiracy theories exist.
17th May 1974 : Three car bombs are exploded in Dublin, killing 23 and injuring 100 more during rush hour. No one has ever been charged with these bombings but a number of conspiracy theories exist.
1974 U.S.A. Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)
17th May 1974 : In Los Angeles, California, LAPD place a siege on the home in Compton where the leaders of the terrorist group known as the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) are hiding out.
When SLA members shoot at the police surrounding the home the LAPD shot an estimated 1,200 rounds of ammunition and throw teargas containers into the Compton home leaving six SLA members dead, including the leader Donald DeFreeze.
17th May 1974 : In Los Angeles, California, LAPD place a siege on the home in Compton where the leaders of the terrorist group known as the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) are hiding out.
When SLA members shoot at the police surrounding the home the LAPD shot an estimated 1,200 rounds of ammunition and throw teargas containers into the Compton home leaving six SLA members dead, including the leader Donald DeFreeze.
1980 U.S.A. Rioting Liberty City, Miami
17th May 1980 : Following the death of Arthur McDuffie from multiple skull fractures caused by a blunt object during his arrest by 4 Miami police officers on December 17th , 1979 a trial of the officers led to a not guilty verdict on 17th May.
After the verdict approximately 5,000 people attended a protest at the downtown Metro Justice Building, but the protest turned into a riot and three people are killed and at least 23 injured during the first night of violence.
During the next few days a total of 18 people are killed with 100's of others injured and law and order is resumed when a curfew is implimented from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. together with 3,000 National Guardsmen deployed on the streets.
17th May 1980 : Following the death of Arthur McDuffie from multiple skull fractures caused by a blunt object during his arrest by 4 Miami police officers on December 17th , 1979 a trial of the officers led to a not guilty verdict on 17th May.
After the verdict approximately 5,000 people attended a protest at the downtown Metro Justice Building, but the protest turned into a riot and three people are killed and at least 23 injured during the first night of violence.
During the next few days a total of 18 people are killed with 100's of others injured and law and order is resumed when a curfew is implimented from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. together with 3,000 National Guardsmen deployed on the streets.
1984 U.S.A. Chemical Weapons
17th May 1984 : President Reagan has again been denied by the house in his continued requests for the manufacturer of Chemical Weapons , this is the third time his request has been denied by the house.
17th May 1984 : President Reagan has again been denied by the house in his continued requests for the manufacturer of Chemical Weapons , this is the third time his request has been denied by the house.
1987 Persian Golf USS Stark Attacked
17th May 1987 : An Iraqi Mirage F1 fighter carries an attack using two Exocet antiship missiles on the U.S. Navy warship Stark in the Persian Gulf, killing 37 American sailors. Iraq and the United States called the attack a mistake.
17th May 1987 : An Iraqi Mirage F1 fighter carries an attack using two Exocet antiship missiles on the U.S. Navy warship Stark in the Persian Gulf, killing 37 American sailors. Iraq and the United States called the attack a mistake.
1996 U.S.A. Megan's Law
17th May 1996 : President Bill Clinton signed a measure strengthening the ( 42 U.S.C. § 13701 passed in 1995 )law over neighborhood notification when sex offenders move in.
Megan's Law is the informal name for authorities to make information available to the public regarding registered sex offenders Megan's Law was named for 7-year-old Megan Kanka, who was raped and killed in 1994.
17th May 1996 : President Bill Clinton signed a measure strengthening the ( 42 U.S.C. § 13701 passed in 1995 )law over neighborhood notification when sex offenders move in.
Megan's Law is the informal name for authorities to make information available to the public regarding registered sex offenders Megan's Law was named for 7-year-old Megan Kanka, who was raped and killed in 1994.
2000 U.S.A. 1963 Church Bombing Arrests
17th May 2000 : Two former Ku Klux Klansmen ( Thomas E. Blanton Jr. and Bobby Frank Cherry ) were arrested on murder charges for the 1963 church bombing in Birmingham, Ala., that killed four black girls, they were later convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
17th May 2000 : Two former Ku Klux Klansmen ( Thomas E. Blanton Jr. and Bobby Frank Cherry ) were arrested on murder charges for the 1963 church bombing in Birmingham, Ala., that killed four black girls, they were later convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
2004 U.S.A. First Same Sex Marriage Performed
17th May 2004 : First Same Sex Marriage Performed at Cambridge City Hall in Massachusetts, between Marcia Kadish, 56, and Tanya McCloskey, 52, of Malden, Massachusetts, making them the first legally married same-sex partners in the United States.
17th May 2004 : First Same Sex Marriage Performed at Cambridge City Hall in Massachusetts, between Marcia Kadish, 56, and Tanya McCloskey, 52, of Malden, Massachusetts, making them the first legally married same-sex partners in the United States.
