137 things happened on 17 December, from 497 BC to 2020. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
1778 · 248 years ago
Sir Humphry Davy was a British chemist and inventor. He invented the Davy lamp, a lamp that could be used safely in coal mines. Using electricity, he was the first to separate out several elements, including potassium, sodium and calcium. This work started a …
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UK story
Pope Paul III excommunicated King Henry VIII of England, shutting him out of the Catholic Church. Henry had already broken away from the Pope and made himself Supreme Head of the Church of England. Earlier that year, his government had pulled down the shrine of St Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. The Pope also took away Henry's title 'Defender of the Faith', but English monarchs kept using it.
UK story
The first written account of a blood transfusion was published in the Royal Society's journal, Philosophical Transactions. It was a letter from the physician Richard Lower to the chemist Robert Boyle. A blood transfusion moves blood into someone's body through their veins. Philosophical Transactions began in 1665 and is the world's longest-running science journal.
UK story
War of the Quadruple Alliance: Great Britain declares war on Spain.
The Romans celebrated Saturnalia, a festival in honour of the god Saturn, for the first time. Saturnalia featured a public feast, followed by gift-giving and partying at home. Normal rules were turned upside down, and masters even served meals to their slaves. Over time the festival grew to last seven days, until 23 December.
The Aztec sun stone was dug up in the Zócalo, the main square of Mexico City, during repairs to the city's cathedral. This giant carved stone is 3.6 metres across and weighs about 24.6 tonnes. It had been buried soon after the Spanish conquered the Aztecs. It is now in the National Anthropology Museum and is a symbol of Mexican culture.
Simón Bolívar declared the independence of Gran Colombia at Angostura, now called Ciudad Bolívar, in Venezuela. Gran Colombia was a large country covering much of northern South America. It included what are now Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela. Bolívar led several countries to independence from Spain and is known as 'the Liberator'.
Franz Schubert's Symphony in B minor, known as the 'Unfinished' Symphony, was performed for the first time. Schubert started it in 1822 but finished only two movements, or sections. He lived for six more years without completing it. Schubert was an Austrian composer who wrote more than 1,000 pieces of music in his short life.
Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first controlled, sustained flight in an engine-powered aeroplane. Their aircraft, the Wright Flyer, flew near Kitty Hawk in North Carolina, USA. The brothers had designed and built it themselves. Their success marked the start of the pioneer era of flying.
The Douglas DC-3, a propeller-driven airliner with two engines, made its first flight from Santa Monica in California. It was first planned as a sleeper aircraft with 14 beds. The DC-3 could carry 21 to 32 passengers and cruise at 333 km/h. It had a lasting effect on air travel from the 1930s through the Second World War.
German chemist Otto Hahn discovered nuclear fission, working with Lise Meitner and Fritz Strassmann. Fission happens when the nucleus, or centre, of an atom splits into smaller parts, releasing a huge amount of energy. This discovery is the science behind nuclear reactors. Hahn alone was awarded the 1944 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for it.
SpaceShipOne, an experimental rocket plane flown by test pilot Brian Binnie, made its first powered flight. It was also its first flight faster than the speed of sound. The next year it made the first crewed private spaceflight. It then won the 10 million US dollar Ansari X Prize and was retired.
Romanos I Lekapenos is crowned co-emperor of the underage Constantine VII.
King Kyawswa of Pagan is overthrown by the three Myinsaing brothers, marking the de facto end of the Pagan Kingdom.
Margaret II, Countess of Hainaut and Holy Roman Empress and her son William I, Duke of Bavaria, sign a peace treaty ending the Hook and Cod wars.
Sultan Nasir-u Din Mehmud's armies in Delhi are defeated by Timur.
Cologne War: Forces under Ernest of Bavaria defeated Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg's troops at the siege of Godesberg.
Go-Yōzei becomes Emperor of Japan.
American Revolution: France formally recognizes the United States.
Napoleonic Wars: France issues the Milan Decree, which confirms the Continental System.
War of 1812: U.S. forces attack a Lenape village in the Battle of the Mississinewa.
The second Great Fire of New York destroys 53,000 square metres (13 acres) of New York City's Financial District.
First issue of Vogue is published.
Ugyen Wangchuck is crowned first King of Bhutan.
About 1,000 demonstrators marched (pictured) on Government House in Darwin, Australia, where they burned an effigy of Administrator John Gilruth and demanded his resignation.
A coup d'état by the Lithuanian military replaced the democratically elected President Kazys Grinius with Antanas Smetona.
The first NFL Championship Game is played at Wrigley Field in Chicago between the New York Giants and Chicago Bears. The Bears win 23–21.
World War II: After sustaining moderate damage in the Battle of the River Plate two days earlier, the German cruiser Graf Spee was scuttled by its commander, Hans Langsdorff, to avoid its internment by Uruguay.
All Chinese are again permitted to become citizens of the United States upon the repeal of the Act of 1882 and the introduction of the Magnuson Act.
The modern flag of Kurdistan was raised for the first time in Mahabad, Iran.
The Finnish Security Police was established to remove communist leadership from its predecessor, the State Police.
The F-86 Sabre's first mission over Korea.
The United States successfully launches the first Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Troops loyal to Emperor Haile Selassie in Ethiopia crush the coup that began December 13, returning power to their leader upon his return from Brazil. Haile Selassie absolves his son of any guilt.
Project Blue Book: The United States Air Force closes its study of UFOs.
Polish soldiers fired at workers (memorial pictured) emerging from trains in Gdynia, beginning the government's crackdown on mass anti-communist protests across the country.
The Simpsons premieres on television with the episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire".
Fernando Collor de Mello defeats Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the second round of the Brazilian presidential election, becoming the first democratically elected President in almost 30 years.
Second Congo War: 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.
Jigme Singye Wangchuck abdicates the throne as King of Bhutan.
Arab Spring: Mohamed Bouazizi, a street vendor in Sidi Bouzid, set himself on fire in protest against police harassment, triggering the Tunisian revolution.
The United States and Cuba re-establish diplomatic relations after severing them in 1961.
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
In which year did this happen: “Pope Paul III excommunicates King Henry VIII”?
C: 1538. 1538 — that’s 488 years ago. Find it on the page
In which year did this happen: “The first account of a blood transfusion is published”?
C: 1665. 1665 — that’s 361 years ago. Find it on the page
Which of these happened first?
C: Pope Paul III excommunicates King Henry VIII. 1819: Simón Bolívar declares the independence of Gran Colombia · 1665: The first account of a blood transfusion is published · 1538: Pope Paul III excommunicates King Henry VIII Find it on the page
“Humphry Davy” happened in 1778. How many years ago was that?
A: 248 years. 2026 − 1778 = 248. Find it on the page
Famous people whose birthday is 17 December.
UK story
Sir Humphry Davy was a British chemist and inventor. He invented the Davy lamp, a lamp that could be used safely in coal mines. Using electricity, he was the first to separate out several elements, including potassium, sodium and calcium. This work started a new branch of science called electrochemistry.
UK story
Dame Jacqueline Wilson is an English author of children's books, born in Bath. She has written more than 100 books, and her big breakthrough came in 1991 with The Story of Tracy Beaker. From 2005 to 2007 she was the Children's Laureate. In 2002 she became the most borrowed author in Britain's libraries.
Well-known people who died on 17 December.
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 17 December somewhere in the world.
Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.
Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “December 17” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.