List of February 17th Major News Events

1938 U.S.A. Farming Controls

1938 : On this day, a future date has been set for voting on cotton and tobacco farming controls. The voting for this legislation has been set for March 12, tentatively. Over two million farmers were expected to participate in a referendum regarding farming control. The referendum (yes or no) question that was to be presented to farmers was the following: “Do you favor marketing quotas for cotton (or tobacco) in 1938?” This referendum was intended to stop too much crop from being produced. A two-thirds majority would be needed to pass this law.

1947 Russia Voice Of America

1947 : With the start of the cold war following World War II America introduced the transmission of Voice Of America to the Russian People as part of it's propaganda campaign against Communism and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

17 Feb, 1950 British Spy

1950 : American businessman Robert A. Vogeler Jr’s assistant Edgar Sanders from Britain had pleaded guilty of espionage (spying activities) and sabotage. He was believed to be a spy for the British for about ten years (since 1940).

1956 Canada St. Lawrence Seaway

1956 : With the construction of The St. Lawrence Seaway Continuing at an intense pace the Canadian Authorities are now facing the relocation of 6,500 people who lived in 1 town, 8 villages and 225 farms who live in the area where the Long Sault Dam will flood over 20,000 acres. They are committed to creating complete new villages for all these people as part of the project which when finished will be a truly great feat of construction and engineering expertise.

1965 Gambia Independence

1965 : Gambia becomes the smallest sovereign state in Africa and the last of Britain's West African colonies to gain independence.

1972 Germany Volkswagen Beetle

1972 : The 15,007,034th Volkswagen Beetle rolled out of the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg, Germany, surpassing the Ford Model T's previous production record to become the most heavily produced car in history, By by June 23rd, 1992 there had been over 21 million Beetles produced. The Beetle is the world's best selling car design, but the Toyota Corrola has sold more ( currently over 30 million cars ) since introduced in 1966 but with many major design changes.

1979 China Invades Vietnam

1979 : As of the Vietnam War was not enough, the country of China had invaded Vietnam during this year, on this date. Tensions between these two countries had increased dramatically since the end of the Vietnam War. A major reason for the increased animosity between these two nations was because of the strengthening of the ties between Vietnam and the Soviet Union (China’s enemy at the time). The Invasion of Vietnam by China was in reaction to an invasion of Cambodia initiated by Vietnam. The worst and bloodiest of fighting occurred within the first nine days of this battle. However, these countries remained cold towards one another for ten years after this fierce battle. China invaded Vietnam with 90,000 troops supported by tanks, the invasion was short lived and China withdrew from Vietnam within 1 month.

1986 U.S.A. Ann Tyler

1986 : The National Critics Book Circle Award was given to Ann Tyler. She had written a book The Accidental Tourist, for which the award she received was given. This book was about the death of the son of the main character, and of his divorce. It was later made into a movie.

1987 England Asylum Seekers

1987 : A group of Tamils from Sri Lanka seeking asylum in Britain protest at Heathrow airport by removing their clothes as they are about to be deported, The group were taken to a detention centre. They were eventually deported after a lengthy high court case back to Sri Lanka.

17 Feb, 1993 Haiti Ferry Disaster

1993 : The Neptune, a passenger ferry, had sunk after it had overturned . Approximately 900 people had drowned.

1995 U.S.A. Colin Ferguson

1995 : Colin Ferguson is convicted of six counts of murder for the Long Island Rail Road Commuter Train murders.

2006 Philippine Mud Slide

2006 : A massive mudslide buries the village of Guinsaugonin in the Philippine province of Southern Leyte including burying the local elementary school with nearly 250 children, only one of the children was rescued alive. The number of deaths in total in the village and surrounding area is estimated at 1,100.

2006 Palestinian Authority Asked to Return U.S. Aid

2006 : Washington has asked the Palestinian Authority to return $50 million of American aid. The State Department has said that it is unhappy with the aid going to the Hamas-led government that refuses to recognize Israel. The State Department later said that Mahmoud Abbas' caretaker government have agreed to return the money, which was given for infrastructure projects in the light of Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank.

2007 Hillary Clinton Says Will Withdraw Troops from Iraq

2007 : Hillary Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, has called for a ninety-day deadline to start pulling American troops out of Iraq. Senator Clinton has been criticized by some members of her Party for supporting the war in 2002, and not renouncing her vote. 'Now it's time to say the redeployment should start in ninety days or Congress will revoke authorization for the war,' she said in the video that was on her campaign website. This is the second Democratic presidential hopeful to have called for a pull out of troops from Iraq following Barack Obama's call for U.S. troops should withdraw from Iraq earlier in the week.

2007 US Senate Blocks Vote on Iraqi Surge

2007 : The Senate has decided not to debate a resolution criticizing President Bush's troop surge in Iraq. The rare Saturday session followed a non-binding vote on the resolution in the House of Representatives. Seventeen Republicans had joined the majority Democrats to oppose the increase of 21,500 troops. Democrats needed the support of sixty of the one hundred senators to advance the same motion in the Senate, but they only managed to gain fifty-six votes in favor. Mr. Bush will still face a battle with Congress over funding for U.S. troops in Iraq.

2007 Sylvester Stallone Held by Australian Customs

2007 : Customs officers in Sydney have freed actor Sylvester Stallone after holding him for several hours, and confiscating items from his staffs' suitcases. Officials have said that X-rays revealed banned products, but would not give any further details on them. Stallone dismissed his detention as 'a misunderstanding,' and said that the officers were 'doing a great job.' He was in Australia to promote Rocky Balboa.

2008 Kosovo Declares independence

2008 : Kosovo's parliament has endorsed a declaration of independence from Serbia. The Prime Minister, Hashim Thaci, has promised a democracy that respects the rights of all ethnic communities, and the Serbian Prime Minister has denounced the United States for helping create a 'false state.' The Security Council was split on the issue, with Russia saying that there was no basis for changing a 1999 resolution that handed Kosovo to the U.N.

European Union foreign ministers have ended talks on Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia with member states being divided on their recognition of it. France said that it would recognize its independence, but several member states, led by Spain, were unhappy about the legal ramifications it held. President Bush has said that Kosovo's people were 'independent,' but stopped short of a formal recognition of the state. Russia backed Serbia in its refusal to recognize the secession.

2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Becomes Law

2009 : President Obama signs the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) into law in Denver, Colorado. The plan is aimed at saving or creating 3.5 million jobs, boosting consumer spending and rebuilding the economy's infrastructure. Republicans have said that its tax cuts are insufficient, and that the economy will be saddled with debt for years to come.

2010 Recriminations for Fake French Wine Sold to America

2010 : A dozen French winemakers and traders have been found guilty of a scam to sell 18 million bottles of fake Pinot Noir to a leading U.S. buyer. The judge in Carcassonne has said that the producers' and traders' actions had damaged the reputation of the Languedoc region of France. The guilty parties more than doubled their profits by falsely labeling the wine as a Pinot Noir, and selling it to the E & J Gallo winery. E & J Gallo, themselves, were not involved in the case, and some 13.5m litres of fake wine have been shipped to the United States. The French press have laughed at the Americans' inability to tell the difference between bouquets.

2011 Tourist Boat Sinks in Vietnam

2011 : A boat carrying tourists across Halong Bay in Vietnam sank carrying over twenty-five passengers. Fifteen people were rescued while another twelve, including the tour guide, drowned.

2012 Robbers Take Priceless Artifacts from Greek Museum

2012 : Thieves raided a Greek museum that showcased the history of the Olympics in the city of Olympia and stole dozens of priceless artifacts after overpowering the guard. Some officials have stated that recent cuts due to Greece's financial crisis have compromised the security of Museums and other places that showcase the historical treasures of the country.

2013 Greece Attack on Gold Mine

2013 : Masked attackers raided the Hellas gold mine in Greece, dozens of people set fire to machinery and vehicles. The site had been a subject of protesters worried that it would damage the environment.

2014 Saudi Arabia First Woman Newspaper Editor in Chief

2014 : The Saudi Gazette made Somayya Jibarti the newspaper's editor in chief, marking the first time a woman would hold such a position in the country. Her successor wrote about the decision to put her in charge and made sure to state that her position was granted solely on merit. The decision marked a huge moment for women's rights in Saudi Arabia.