Historical Events on February 17.

1.  1698, 17th February: Aurangzeb captured the fort of Jinji after an eight-year siege.

2.  1801, 17th February: Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr received the same number of votes in the US presidential election. The House of Representatives elected Jefferson as the President and Barr as Vice President.

3.  1882, 17th February: First Test match played at Sydney Cricket Ground.

4.  1933, 17th February: US embargo ended. The embargo was imposed in 1920.

5.  1966, 17th February: NASA’s Discovery Program began as the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft lifted off on the first mission ever to orbit and landed on an asteroid, 433 Eros.

6.  2007, 17th February: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

Famous Birthdays & Birth Anniversaries on February 17.

1.  1854: Friedrich Krupp, a German steel manufacturer.

2.  1874: Thomas John Watson Sr., an American businessman.

3.  1899: Jibanananda Das, an Indian poet, writer, novelist, and essayist in the Bengali language.

4.  1954: K. Chandrashekhar Rao, an Indian politician and the first Chief Minister of Telangana.

5.  1957: Praful Patel, an Indian politician, and businessman.

6.  1963: Jen-Hsun Huang, a Taiwanese-American billionaire businessman and electrical engineer. He co-founded the graphics-processor company Nvidia.

7.  1991: Ed Sheeran, an English singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and actor. 

Death Anniversaries of famous people on February 17.

1.  1600: Giordano Bruno, an Italian philosopher.

2.  1883: Vasudev Balwant Phadke, an Indian independence activist and revolutionary.

3.  1986: Jiddu Krishnamurti, an Indian speaker, and writer.

4.  1988: Karpoori Thakur, an Indian politician.

17-February-1618

First English Ambassador Sir Thomas Roe returned to England after meeting Emperor Jahangir in his court.

17-February-1670

Shivaji won SinghGarh Fort from Mughals. This victory was on the shoulders of Tanaji who was martyred in this attack. Shivaji proclaimed "Garh Aalaa Pan Singh Gela" which means that Fort was won but the Lion was lost.

17-February-1698

Aurangzeb fell to Jinjee fort, seat of Maratha power, after eight-year siege.

17-February-1883

Vasudeo Balvant Phadke, great revolutionary, freedom fighter and social reformer, passed away in prison at Aden.

17-February-1907

Henry Olcott, co-founder (Theosophical Society-Madras), passed away.

17-February-1917

Fali Mistry, film director and cameraman, was born in Bombay.

17-February-1918

S. V. Kumaraswamy, cricket Test Umpire for 1 test from 1961-62, was born at Tamil Nadu.

17-February-1931

Viceroy of India Lord Irvin accepted Mahatma Gandhi as leader of people and invited him at Vicregal Lodge (now known at Rashtrapati Bhavan). After the event, Winston Churchill, who later became Prime Minister of Britain, referred Gandhiji as "the Half-Naked Fakir of India".

17-February-1948

Gorkha Rifles Battalion Group (INDBATT) unit was re-designated as the 5th Battalion the 8th Gorkha Rifles (the Sirmoor Rifles).

17-February-1968

Dr. Kailas Nath Katju, freedom fighter, politician, leader, Governor of Orissa and West Bengal, passed away.

17-February-1976

New Zealand score their first innings win in Tests vs India.

17-February-1976

Urban Ceilings Act comes into force.

17-February-1980

Indira Gandhi dissolves nine state assemblies led by opposition. She imposed presidential rule in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, U.P., Bihar, Orissa, M.P., Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat.

17-February-1986

Jiddu Krishnamurti, famous Indian philosopher (Kingdom Happiness), passed away at the age of 90 yrs at Ojai, California, USA.

17-February-1991

Krishnabai Mote, famous author and social worker, passed away.

17-February-1992

S. V. Sheshadri, sports journalist, passed away.

17-February-1992

Tripura's Congress (I) ministry falls as TUJS withdraws support.

17-February-1993

Rani Gaidinliu, freedom fighter, social reformer and political leader, died at her native village in Manipur. The British army made a surprise attack on her position and captured her. On 17th October, 1932, Pandit Nehru once wrote "A day will come when India will remember her and cherishe her".

17-February-1994

Bihar leader Ram Lakhan Singh Yadav and Mizoram's Dr. C. Silvera inducted into Union Cabinet.

17-February-1994

Former US Congressman Stephan Solarz named Ambassador of India.

17-February-1994

Chimanbhai Patel, chief minister of Gujrat, passed away at the age of 65 years.

17-February-1994

Gopikrishna, internationaly famed 'Kathtak' exponent, died at the age of 61 years.

17-February-1997

Notorious criminal Charles Sobhraj released from jail after 20 years, and re-arrested soon after release under Foreigners' Regional Registration Act.

17-February-1997

Anand finishes sixth in the City of Linares category 19 chess where Kasparov makes in four-in-a-row.

17-February-1998

Delhi-Tamil Nadu Ranji Trophy super-league match in Chennai was abandoned owing to pitch tampering.

17-February-1998

Re-poll is ordered in 599 polling stations spread over nine states, following reports of largescale booth capturing. The Election Commission is to probe malpractices in Madhepura, Baghpat and Patna.