February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 317 days remain until the end of the year.
We have some interesting facts & historic events all about February 17th, including areas in religion, crime, health and more.
Keep reading for more interesting facts about February 17th in history!
Table of Contents
Global Celebrations
- My Way Day
- World Human Spirit Day
- National Random Act of Kindness Day
Historic Events
What Happened On This Day – February 17
2008: Kosovo declares its independence
The region’s secession from Serbia followed an armed conflict referred to as the Kosovo War.
1992: Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is jailed for life
Dahmer was convicted of murdering and dismembering at least 17 young men and boys.
1913 The “Armory Show” opens in New YorkThe art exhibition featured works by Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Vincent van Gogh and marked the advent of artistic modernism in the United States.
1904: “Madama Butterfly” is premiered
Giacomo Puccini’s opera, one of the world’s most performed works of musical theater, was poorly received in its first performance.
1863: A precursor of the Red Cross and Red Crescent is founded
The “Committee for Relief to the Wounded” was created by a group of citizens in Geneva, Switzerland.
“We firmly and faithfully stick together”. The poster illustrates 3 children from WW1 Allies – Ottoman, German and Austrian.

A starving boy and a missionary in Uganda, 1980

Public Warning [telling British and German airplanes apart] (World War I)

An opium-addled mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II awaits trial for support of the Indian mutiny against the British Raj. India 1858

Famous Birthdays
Births On This Day, February 17
1981: Paris Hilton, American model, actress, singer
1963: Michael Jordan, American basketball player, actor
1949: Fred Frith, English guitarist, composer
1904: Hans Morgenthau, German philosopher
624: Wu Zetian, Chinese empress
Heartbreaking Deaths
Deaths On This Day, February 17
1998: Ernst Jünger, German author
1986: Jiddu Krishnamurti, Indian/American philosopher, author
1982: Thelonious Monk, American pianist, composer
1856: Heinrich Heine, German poet
1673: Molière, French playwright, actor