All Events

Historical Events on July 17

  • Charles VII of France

    1429

    Hundred Years' War: Charles VII of France is crowned the King of France in the Reims Cathedral after a successful campaign by Joan of Arc

  • Catherine the Great

    1762

    Catherine II becomes tsar of Russia upon the murder of Peter III of Russia.

  • House of Windsor

    1917

    King George V issues a Proclamation stating that the male line descendants of the British Royal Family will bear the surname Windsor.

  • Shooting of the Romanov family

    1918

    Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his immediate family and retainers are executed by Bolshevik Chekists at the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

  • Spanish coup of July 1936

    1936

    Spanish Civil War: An Armed Forces rebellion against the recently elected leftist Popular Front government of Spain starts the civil war.

  • Potsdam Conference

    1945

    World War II: The main three leaders of the Allied nations, Winston Churchill, Harry S. Truman and Joseph Stalin, meet in the German city of Potsdam to decide the future of a defeated Germany.

  • Provinces of Indonesia

    1976

    East Timor is annexed, and becomes the 27th province of Indonesia.

  • Anastasio Somoza Debayle

    1979

    Nicaraguan dictator General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami, Florida, United States.

  • Malaysia Airlines Flight 17

    2014

    Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, a Boeing 777, crashes near the border of Ukraine and Russia after being shot down. All 298 people on board are killed.