Historical Events on October 17.

1. Digital Society Day (India) & International Day for the Eradication of poverty.

2. 1831, 17th October: Michael Faraday demonstrated the properties of electromagnetic induction.

3. 1878, 17th October: John A. McDonald was elected Prime Minister of Canada once again after playing the role of opposition in government for five years.

4. 1888, 17th October: Thomas Edison filed a patent for the Optical Phonograph (the first movie).

5. 1933, 17th October: Albert Einstein fled from Nazi Germany to the United States.

6. 1943, 17th October: The Burma Railway (Burma–Thailand Railway) was completed.

7. 1956, 17th October: The first commercial nuclear power plant was officially opened in England.

8. 1966, 17th October: Botswana and Lesotho joined the United Nations.

9. 1979, 17th October: Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

10. 1998, 17th October: Awarded United Nations Prize to Fatima B. for setting up a model social service project in Andhra Pradesh.

11. 2003, 17th October: China succeeded in sending humans to space as Asia’s first in space and third country after Russia.

Famous Birthdays & Birth Anniversaries on October 17.

1. 1480: Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer in the service of Spain.

2. 1817: Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, an Indian educator, social reformer and philosopher.

3. 1892: R. K. Shanmukham Chetty, Indian businessman, and politician.

4. 1930: Robert Atkins, creator of the Atkins.

5. 1947: Simmi Garewal, Indian film actress, producer, director.

6. 1955: Smita Patil, Indian actress.

7. 1965: Arvind DeSilva, Sri Lankan cricketer.

8. 1970: Anil Kumble, Indian cricketer.

9. 1992: Keerthy Suresh, Indian actress.

Death Anniversaries of famous people on October 17.

1. 1887: Gustav Kirchhoff, German physicist.

2. 1890: Lalon, Bengali philosopher, and mystic.

3. 1906: Swami Ramtirtha, World-renowned Indian philosopher and poet.

4. 1937: Joseph Bruce Ismay, an English businessman.

5. 1967: Puyi, the last Emperor of China.

6. 1981: Kannadasan, Indian writer, poet, and lyricist.

7. 2008: Ben Weider, co-founder of the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness.

17-October-1817

Syed Ahmad Khan, great social reformer, educationist, journalist, leader and one of the most eminent builders of modern India, was born in Delhi.

17-October-1859

Keshavlal Harshrai Dhruv, researcher and translator, was born.

17-October-1903

7th Madras Infantry was re-established as 67th Punjabi Infantary.

17-October-1906

Swami Ramtirtha, great social reformer and poet, died at the age of 33.

17-October-1915

Virendra Kumar Jain, great Hindi writer, was born in Mandsaur.

17-October-1919

The Khilafat Movement was launched under the leadership of Maulana Jauhar Ali, Maulana Shaukat Ali and Abdul Kalam Azad.

17-October-1920

Bhartiya Communist Party was formed at Tashkent with seven members including M.N. Roy, Birendra Chattopadhyay and Abani Mukherji.

17-October-1932

Rani Gaidinliu, freedom fighter, social reformer and political leader, was captured by the British army.

17-October-1940

Mahatma Gandhi called for Individual Satyagrah and Vinoba Bhave started it.

17-October-1949

The Constituent Assembly of India adopted Article 370 of the Constitution making special provisions for J&K.

17-October-1970

Anil Radhakrishna Kumble, cricketer (great Indian leg spinner since 1990), was born in Bangalore.

17-October-1979

Mother Teresa, social worker, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

17-October-1979

Supreme Court stays the execution of all death sentences.

17-October-1990

S. Bangarappa sworn in as CM of Karnataka following revocation of President's rule.

17-October-1994

Kapil Dev's last one-day international vs West Indies.

17-October-1994

Seshan's controversial biography ''DMK'' obtains stay.

17-October-1995

BJP withdraws support to Mayavati Government in Uttar Pradesh. UP Governor Motilal Vohra accepts the resignation of Mayawati and her cabinet but asks her to continue as caretaker government. BJP's top brass takes the final decision to break with the BSP.

17-October-1996

President's rule reimposed in U.P.

17-October-1997

Prime Minister lays foundation stone of the Science City being set up at Jalandhar, Punjab.

17-October-1997

SEBI asks investors to adopt paperless trading through depository.

17-October-1998

Nine women are buried alive as the roof of the 200-year-old Balaji temple in Varanasi's Ramghat area caves in.

17-October-1999

Chiranjeev Milkha Singh won the Lexus International Golf tournament in Bangkok.

17-October-1999

Dingko Singh won the bantam weight gold while Services' Ramanand was adjudged the best boxer in the National Boxing championship which concluded in Shimla.

17-October-1999

Indian men bagged bronze in the Asian team chess championship in Shenyang.