December 17

Events

 * - : The of King  conquer  bribing the Byzantine garrison.
 * - is crowned co-emperor of the underage Emperor.
 * - Assassination of.
 * - 's armies in Delhi defeated by.
 * - established a parallel to the  in,.
 * - excommunicates.
 * - set sail from Plymouth, England, on a secret mission to explore the Pacific Coast of the Americas for British Queen Elizabeth I.
 * - becomes.
 * - Marriage of and.
 * - : Japanese peasants led by rise against.
 * - declares war to.
 * - is baptized at.
 * - issues the, which confirms the.
 * - declares the independence of the  in Angostura (now  in ).
 * - The opened in, the first public railway on the island of.
 * - : General issues , expelling  from, , and.
 * - The made their first powered and heavier-than-air flight in the  at.
 * - becomes a signatory to the.
 * - First flight of the.
 * - : - The  is scuttled by Captain  outside.
 * - World War II: Beginning of the.
 * 1941  - World War II:  land in Northern.
 * - World War II: -  -  285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion  are shot by.
 * - : -  seizes  from.
 * -  disappears while swimming near.
 * - The talks begin.
 * 1969  - : The  closes its study of, stating that sightings were generated as a result of "A mild form of mass hysteria, Individuals who fabricate such reports to perpetrate a hoax or seek publicity, psychopathological persons, and misidentification of various conventional objects."
 * - : In, soldiers fire at workers emerging from trains, killing dozens.
 * - 32 are killed in an attempt at the.
 * - The is founded by.
 * - Brigadier General is abducted by the  in.
 * 1981  - Founding of the.
 * - The bomb  Department Store in, killing seven people (see ).
 * - makes his debut on the  in the video game.
 * - : Protests continue in with rioters breaking into the 's District Committee building and attempting to set it on fire.
 * 1989  - First free elections in  in 25 years.
 * 1989  - Premiere of hit animated television series.
 * - The passes resolution 54/134 designating  as the annual.
 * - : The Congolese parties of the Inter Congolese Dialogue sign a peace accord which makes provision for transitional governance and legislative and presidential elections within two years.
 * -, piloted by , makes the first privately-funded manned supersonic flight.
 * - Anti- protesters in ,

Births

 * -, Japanese Shogun (d. )
 * - of Japan (d. )
 * -, commander in the (d. )
 * -, English antiqurian (d. )
 * -, English writer (d. )
 * -, French mathematician and physicist (d. )
 * -, Portuguese queen (d. )
 * -, Italian composer (d. )
 * - -, German composer (d. )
 * - Sir, English chemist and physicist (d. )
 * -, Canadian novelist (d. )
 * -, American artist (d. )
 * -, American poet and abolitionist (d. )
 * -, French publisher (d. )
 * -, American scientist; son of (d. )
 * -, French writer and critic (d. )
 * -, French physician (d. )
 * -, French artist (d. )
 * -, English writer (d. )
 * -, 10th (d. )
 * -, French actor (d. )
 * -, Czech painter (d. )
 * 1887  -, Empress of Germany and Duchess of Bohemia (d. )
 * - King (d. )
 * -, American basketball coach (d. )
 * -, German film director (d. )
 * -, American conductor (d. )
 * -, English mathematician (d. )
 * 1900  -, Greek actress (d. )
 * -, American author (d. )
 * 1903  -, English bandleader and actor (d. )
 * -, American artist (d. )
 * -, Finnish sniper (d. )
 * 1905  -, Brazilian writer (d. )
 * -, Portuguese composer and musicologist (d. )
 * -, American chemist, (d. )
 * -, American jazz arranger and bandleader (d. )
 * -, French singer (d. )
 * -, English writer (d. )
 * -, Canadian computer scientist (d. )
 * -, American engineer and urban planner (d. )
 * -, American historian (d. )
 * -, American baseball player (d. )
 * -, American actor (d. )
 * -, English actress (d. )
 * 1929  -, American columnist
 * -, American magazine publisher
 * 1930  -, American decathlete and congressman (d. )
 * 1930  -, German actor
 * -, Canadian-born American actor
 * -, English footballer
 * -, American actor
 * 1935  -, American baseball coach (d. )
 * -, English singer and actor
 * -, Australian businessman (d. )
 * 1937  -, American novelist (d. )
 * 1937  -, US Army general (d. )
 * -, English drummer (d. )
 * 1938  -, New Zealand runner
 * -, American singer (d. )
 * -, Norwegian journalist
 * -, American musician (d. )
 * -, American former "Manson Family" member
 * 1943  -, Scottish musician and composer
 * -, American novelist
 * 1944  -, English actor
 * -, American actor
 * 1945  -, American journalist
 * 1945  -, English author
 * -, Canadian actor
 * -, American actor
 * -, Cypriot footballer
 * 1949  -, English singer
 * -, American educator
 * -, Canadian ice hockey coach
 * 1951  -, Soviet athlete
 * -, film distributor
 * 1953  -, American actor
 * 1953  -, American actor
 * -, American basketball player
 * -, American film director
 * -, American drummer
 * -, American musician
 * -, Italian cyclist
 * -, English singer
 * -, English footballer
 * 1962  -, central figure in the 1996  (d. )
 * 1962  -, American golfer
 * -, English singer and guitarist
 * 1964  -, Czech ice hockey player
 * 1964  -, American sportcaster
 * - American musician
 * 1966  -, Soviet gymnast
 * 1966  -, Estonian politician
 * -, Italian DJ and musician
 * 1967  -, Canadian ice hockey player
 * 1967  -  PDC Darts player
 * -, Russian politician
 * 1968  -, Canadian race car driver
 * -, American martial artist
 * -, American voice actor
 * -, South African radio disc jockey
 * 1971  -, French basketball player
 * -, Indian actor
 * 1972  -, American actress
 * -, English runner
 * 1973  -, Greek javelin thrower
 * -, American chef
 * 1974  -, American actor
 * -, American professional wrestler
 * 1975  -, Ukrainian-born actress
 * 1975  -, American actress
 * 1975  -, American singer/songwriter
 * -, Canadian speed skater
 * 1976  -, Hungarian-born porn actress
 * 1976  -, Swiss footballer
 * 1976  -, American football player
 * -, French tennis player
 * -, Puerto Rican baseball player
 * -, Drummer for rock band "Three Days Grace"
 * 1978  -, Indian actor
 * 1978  -, Filipino boxer
 * 1978  -, American baseball player
 * -, American actress
 * 1979  -, American musician and songwriter
 * 1979  -, American ice hockey player
 * -, American political activist
 * 1980  -, American race car driver
 * -, Venezuelan baseball player
 * 1982  -, Canadian labour activist
 * 1982  -, Gabonese basketball player
 * -, English footballer
 * -, member of Japanese boy band
 * -, American Singer, actor and songwriter

Deaths

 * - (b. )
 * - (b.)
 * - (b. )
 * -, English statesman (b. )
 * -, Venezuelan-born libertator, six nations (b. )
 * -, German foundling (b. )
 * -, second wife of Napoleon (b. )
 * -, French writer (b. )
 * -, Irish-born physicist (b. )
 * - (b. )
 * -, British physician (b. )
 * 1917  -, wrestler (b. )
 * -, 13th (b. )
 * -, Irish mathematician (b. )
 * -, British writer (b. )
 * -, American actor (b. )
 * -, Austrian-born physicist, (b. )
 * -, Australian Prime Minister (b. )
 * 1967  -, American actor (b. )
 * -, American jazz band leader (b. )
 * -, American politician (b. )
 * -, Belgian novelist (b. )
 * 1987  -, pornographic actress (b. )
 * -, American actor (b. )
 * -, American saxophonist (b. )
 * 1999  -, American actor, singer and songwriter (b. )
 * -, British actor (b. )
 * -, Australian actor (b. )
 * 2003  -, American football player (b. )
 * -, American collage artist (b. )
 * -, American journalist (b. )
 * 2005  -, French Canadian humourist  (b. )
 * -, American baseball player (b. )
 * 2005  -, French Canadian humourist  (b. )
 * -, American baseball player (b. )

Holidays and observances

 * –, in honor of , began.
 * -Saint Barbaras day – Feast of the Prophet
 * – (by Presidential Proclamation)
 * – (by Presidential Proclamation)
 * – (by Presidential Proclamation)