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What Happened In History Year 1917

Historical Events for the Year 1917

  • 9th January » World War I: the Battle of Rafa is fought near the Egyptian border with Palestine.
  • 11th January » The Kingsland Explosion called Kingsland munitions factory explosion occurs as a result of sabotage.
  • 17th January » The United States pays Denmark $25 million for the U.S. Virgin Islands known as Virgin Islands.
  • 19th January » Silvertown explosion: 73 are killed and 400 injured in an explosion in a munitions plant in London.
  • 22nd January » World War I: President of the United States named President Woodrow Wilson of the still-neutral United States calls for "peace without victory" in Europe.
  • 28th January » Municipally-owned streetcars take to the streets of San Francisco.
  • 31st January » World War I: Germany announces that its U-boats will U-boat Campaign (World War I) called resume unrestricted submarine warfare after a two-year hiatus.
  • 3rd February » World War I: The United States breaks off diplomatic relations with Germany a day after the latter announced a new policy of unrestricted submarine warfare.
  • 5th February » The 1917 Constitution of Mexico known as current constitution of Mexico is adopted, establishing a federal republic with powers separated into independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
  • 23rd February » First demonstrations in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The beginning of the February Revolution.
  • 24th February » World War I: The U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom is given the Zimmermann Telegram, in which Germany pledges to ensure the return of New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona to Mexico if Mexico declares war on the United States.
  • 26th February » The Original Dixieland Jass Band records the first jazz record, for the Victor Talking Machine Company in New York.
  • 1st March » The Government of the United States known as U.S. government releases the plaintext named unencrypted text of the Zimmermann Telegram to the public.
  • 2nd March » The enactment of the Jones-Shafroth Act grants Puerto Rico e.g Puerto Ricans United States citizenship.
  • 4th March » Jeannette Rankin of Montana becomes the first female member of the United States House of Representatives.
  • 8th March » The United States Senate votes to limit filibusters by adopting the cloture rule.
  • 10th March » Some Provinces of the Philippines named provinces and Cities of the Philippines or cities in the Philippines were incorporated due to the ratification of Act No. 2711 or the Administrative Code of the Philippines.
  • 11th March » World War I:Mesopotamian Campaign — Baghdad Fall of Baghdad (1917) named falls to Anglo-Indian forces commanded by General Frederick Stanley Maude e.g Stanley Maude.
  • 15th March » Tsar Nicholas II of Russia abdicates the Russian throne and his brother the Grand Duke becomes Tsar.
  • 25th March » The Georgian Orthodox Church restores its autocephaly abolished by Imperial Russia in 1811.
  • 26th March » World War I: First Battle of Gaza United Kingdom e.g British troops are halted after 17,000 Turkish people known as Turks block their advance.
  • 31st March » The United States takes possession of the Danish West Indies after paying $25 million to Denmark, and renames the territory the United States Virgin Islands.
  • 2nd April » World War I: United States President Woodrow Wilson asks the Congress of the United States known as U.S. Congress for a declaration of war on German Empire known as Germany.
  • 9th April » World War I: The Battle of Arras (1917) e.g Battle of Arras the battle begins with Canadian Corps executing a massive assault on Vimy Ridge.
  • 12th April » World War I: Canada or Canadian forces successfully complete the taking of Battle of Vimy Ridge or Vimy Ridge from the Germans.
  • 16th April » Vladimir Lenin returns to Saint Petersburg or Petrograd, Russian Provisional Government known as Russia from exile in Switzerland.
  • 13th May » Three children report the first apparition of Our Lady of Fátima in Fátima, Portugal.
  • 18th May » World War I: The Selective Service Act of 1917 is passed, giving the President of the United States the power of conscription.
  • 19th May » the Norwegian football club Rosenborg BK was founded.
  • 21st May » The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is established through royal charter to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations military forces.
  • 21st May » The Great Atlanta fire of 1917 causes $5.5 million in damages, destroying some 300 acres including 2,000 homes, businesses and churches, displacing about 10,000 people but leading to only one fatality (due to heart attack).
  • 26th May » Several powerful tornadoes rip through Illinois, including the city of Mattoon, Illinois called Mattoon, killing 101 people and injuring 689.
  • 30th May » Alexander of Greece or Alexander I becomes king of Greece.
  • 4th June » The first Pulitzer Prizes are awarded: Laura E. Richards, Maude H. Elliott, and Florence Hall receive the first Pulitzer for biography (for 'Julia Ward Howe'). Jean Jules Jusserand receives the first Pulitzer for history for his work 'With Americans of Pa
  • 5th June » World War I: Conscription begins in the United States as "Army registration day".
  • 7th June » World War I: Battle of Messines (1917) known as Battle of Messines Allied soldiers detonate ammonal mines underneath Germany called German trenches at Messines Ridge, killing 10,000 German troops.
  • 11th June » King Alexander of Greece Alexander assumes the throne of Greece after his father Constantine I of Greece Constantine I abdicates under pressure by Triple Entente allied armies occupying Athens.
  • 13th June » World War I: The deadliest German air raid on London during World War I is carried out by Gotha G bombers and results in 162 deaths, including 46 children, and 432 injuries.
  • 23rd June » In a game against the Texas Rangers (baseball) called Washington Senators, Boston Red Sox pitcher Ernie Shore retires 26 batters in a row after replacing Babe Ruth, who had been ejected for punching the Umpire (baseball) known as umpire.
  • 26th June » The first U.S. troops arrive in France to fight alongside United Kingdom named Britain and France against Germany in World War I.
  • 30th June » World War I: Kingdom of Greece called Greece declares war on the Central Powers.
  • 2nd July » The East St. Louis Riots end.
  • 6th July » World War I: Arabian troops led by T. E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia") and Auda ibu Tayi capture Battle of Aqaba known as Aqaba from the Ottoman Empire during the Arab Revolt.
  • 12th July » The Bisbee Deportation occurs as vigilantes kidnapping kidnap and deportation deport nearly 1,300 strike action striking miners and others from Bisbee, Arizona.
  • 17th July » King George V issues a Proclamation stating that the male line descendants of the British Royal Family will bear the surname House of Windsor named Windsor.
  • 20th July » World War I: The Corfu Declaration, which leads to the creation of the post-World War I known as war Kingdom of Yugoslavia, is signed by the Yugoslav Committee and Kingdom of Serbia.
  • 25th July » Sir Robert Borden introduces the first Income taxes in Canada or income tax in Canada as a "temporary" measure (lowest bracket is 4% and highest is 25%).
  • 27th July » The Allies of World War I e.g Allies reach the Yser or Yser Canal at the Battle of Passchendaele.
  • 6th August » World War I: Battle of Mărăşeşti between the Romanian and German armies begins.
  • 18th August » A Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917 or Great Fire in Thessaloniki, Greece destroys 32% of the city leaving 70,000 individuals homeless.
  • 28th August » Ten Suffragettes are arrested while picketing the White House.
  • 30th August » Vietnamese prison guards led by Trịnh Văn Cấn Thái Nguyên uprising named mutiny at the Thái Nguyên penitentiary against local French authority.
  • 14th September » Russia is officially proclaimed a republic.
  • 26th September » World War I: The Battle of Polygon Wood begins.
  • 4th October » The Battle of Broodseinde fought between the British and German armies in Flanders.
  • 12th October » World War I: The First Battle of Passchendaele takes place resulting in the largest single day loss of life in New Zealand history.
  • 13th October » The Solar Miracle of Fatima or "Miracle of the Sun" is witnessed by an estimated 70,000 people in the Cova da Iria in Fátima, Portugal.
  • 15th October » World War I: At Vincennes outside of Paris, Netherlands or Dutch dancer Mata Hari is executed by firing squad for espionage known as spying for the German Empire.
  • 17th October » First British bombing of Germany in World War I.
  • 19th October » The Dallas Love Field e.g Love Field in Dallas, Texas is opened.
  • 23rd October » Lenin calls for the October Revolution.
  • 24th October » Battle of Caporetto; Italy suffers a catastrophic defeat by the forces of Austria-Hungary and Germany on the Austria called Austro-Italy or Italian front of World War I (lasts until 19 November - also called Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo).
  • 25th October » Traditionally understood date of the October Revolution, involving the capture of the Winter Palace, Petrograd, Russia. The date refers to the Julian Calendar date, and corresponds with November 7 in the Gregorian calendar.
  • 26th October » World War I: Battle of Caporetto; Italy suffers a catastrophic defeat at the forces of Austria-Hungary and Germany. The young unknown Oberleutnant Erwin Rommel captures Mount Matajur with only 100 Germans against a force of over 7000 Italians.
  • 26th October » World War I: Brazil Brazil during World War I named declares war on the Central Powers.
  • 31st October » World War I: Battle of Beersheba (1917) named Battle of Beersheba the "last successful cavalry charge in history".
  • 2nd November » The Balfour Declaration proclaims British support for the "establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people" with the clear understanding "that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jew
  • 2nd November » The Military Revolutionary Committee of the Petrograd Soviet, in charge of preparation and carrying out the Russian Revolution, holds its first meeting.
  • 5th November » October Revolution: In Tallinn, Estonia, Communist leader Jaan Anvelt leads revolutionaries in overthrowing the Russian Provisional Government, 1917 e.g Provisional Government (As Estonia and Russia are still using the Julian Calendar, subsequent period r
  • 5th November » Tikhon of Moscow named St. Tikhon of Moscow is elected the Patriarch of Moscow and of the Russian Orthodox Church.
  • 6th November » World War I: Third Battle of Ypres ends: After three months of fierce fighting, Canadian forces take Passendale e.g Passchendaele in Belgium.
  • 7th November » The Gregorian calendar date of the October Revolution, which gets its name from the Julian calendar date of 25 October. On this date in 1917, the Bolsheviks storm the Winter Palace.
  • 7th November » World War I: Third Battle of Gaza ends: United Kingdom called British forces capture Gaza City or Gaza from the Ottoman Empire.
  • 9th November » Joseph Stalin enters the provisional government of Bolshevik Russia.
  • 20th November » World War I: Battle of Cambrai (1917) or Battle of Cambrai begins British forces make early progress in an attack on German positions but are later pushed back.
  • 20th November » Ukraine is declared a republic.
  • 24th November » In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 9 members of the Milwaukee Police Department are killed by a bomb, the most deaths in a single event in U.S. police history until the September 11 attacks in 2001.
  • 25th November » World War I: German forces Battle of Ngomano e.g defeat Portuguese army of about 1200 at Negomano on the border of modern-day Mozambique and Tanzania.
  • 26th November » The National Hockey League is formed, with the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators (original) named Ottawa Senators, Quebec Bulldogs, and Toronto Arenas as its first teams.
  • 28th November » The Estonian Provincial Assembly declares itself the sovereign power of Estonia.
  • 2nd December » World War I: Russia and the Central Powers sign an armistice at Brest-Litovsk, and peace talks leading to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk begin.
  • 6th December » Halifax Explosion: A munitions explosion near Halifax (former city) e.g Halifax, Nova Scotia kills more than 1,900 people in the Largest artificial non-nuclear explosions Rank order of largest conventional explosions/detonations by magnitude known as larg
  • 6th December » World War I: USS Jacob Jones DD-61 6 is the first American destroyer to be sunk by enemy action when it is torpedoed by German submarine ship SM U-53.
  • 7th December » World War I: The United States declares war on Austria-Hungary.
  • 9th December » World War I: In Palestine, Field Marshal Edmund Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby named Edmund Allenby Battle of Jerusalem (1917) e.g captures Jerusalem.
  • 11th December » World War I: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland named British General Edmund Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby named Edmund Allenby enters Jerusalem on foot and declares martial law.
  • 12th December » In Nebraska, Father Edward J. Flanagan founds Girls and Boys Town known as Boys Town as a farm village for wayward boys.
  • 15th December » World War I: An armistice is reached between the new Bolshevik government and the Central Powers.
  • 18th December » The resolution containing the language of the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution named Eighteenth Amendment to enact Prohibition in the United States or Prohibition is passed by the United States Congress.
  • 20th December » Cheka, the first Soviet Union or Soviet secret police force, is founded.

Historical events for the year 1917 by month