1917

Events in 1917 70

• 1834 – 1917 Edgar Degas Impressionism · France Edgar Degas (July 19, 1834 – September 27, 1917) was a French Impressionist painter celebrated for his depictions of dancers, bathers and café scenes. He was a master of pastel and a pioneer of photography-influenced composition.
• 1840 – 1917 Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) Died 17 November 1917, aged 77 Auguste Rodin was a French sculptor widely regarded as the progenitor of modern sculpture, celebrated for works including "The Thinker" and "The Kiss". His death came shortly after the opening of a museum dedicated to his work in Paris.
• 1846 – 1917 Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917) Died 10 January 1917, aged 70 William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was an American army scout and bison hunter who became world-famous touring with his Wild West show. His death in Denver, Colorado marked the passing of one of the most recognizable figures of the American frontier myth.
• 1868 – 1917 Scott Joplin (1868-1917) Died 1 April 1917, aged 48 Scott Joplin was an African American composer and pianist known as the "King of Ragtime" for works including "Maple Leaf Rag" and "The Entertainer". His music laid groundwork for jazz and later saw a major popular revival decades after his death.
• 1917 Finnish Declaration of Independence December 6th The Finnish Parliament formally declared independence from Russia following the Bolshevik Revolution.
• 1917 Jazz recordings emerge Jazz recordings emerge The Original Dixieland Jass Band recorded Livery Stable Blues in New York in February 1917, the first jazz record put on commercial sale. It sold in the hundreds of thousands and carried the sound of New Orleans across the country. The Black musicians who created the music were not recorded by the major labels until years later.
• 1917 – 1979 Merle Oberon (1917-1979) Died 23 November 1979, aged 62 Merle Oberon, an Academy Award-nominated actress best known for Wuthering Heights, died of a stroke in Malibu, California. Born in Bombay, she concealed her mixed-race heritage for much of her Hollywood career to work in a racially restrictive studio system. She died on 23 November 1979.
• 1917 Russian Revolution Bolsheviks seize power The October Revolution of 1917 brought Lenin's Bolsheviks to power, ending Tsarist rule and establishing the world's first communist state.
• 1917 – 2007 Jane Wyman (1917-2007) American actress who won an Oscar for Johnny Belinda, starred in Falcon Crest and was Ronald Reagan's first wife.
• 1917 Zimmermann Telegram revealed German proposal to Mexico exposed British intelligence intercepted a coded German telegram proposing a military alliance with Mexico against the United States. Its publication on 1 March inflamed American public opinion and helped push the US toward entering the war. It remains one of the most consequential intercepted messages in diplomatic history.
• 1917 – 2014 Louis Zamperini (1917-2014) Died 2 July 2014, aged 97 Louis Zamperini, the Olympic runner and World War II airman whose survival as a Japanese prisoner of war was chronicled in the book and film "Unbroken," died in California. He survived 47 days adrift at sea after his bomber crashed before enduring brutal captivity. His story became a symbol of endurance and forgiveness.
• 1917 3rd Elfstedentocht Winner: Coen de Koning — 9h 53m The third Elfstedentocht was held on 27 January 1917 during World War I, in which the Netherlands remained neutral. Coen de Koning won his second title in 9 hours and 53 minutes at -1.8°C. Janna van der Weg became the first woman to complete the entire tour.
• 1917 Mexican Constitution of 1917 promulgated New charter enshrines land reform and labor rights Following the Mexican Revolution, delegates in Queretaro adopted a constitution granting sweeping powers over land, labor, and the church. It remains, with amendments, the foundational legal document of modern Mexico.
• 1917 – 2016 Zsa Zsa Gabor (1917-2016) Died 18 December 2016, aged 99 Gabor was a Hungarian-American actress and socialite known for her glamorous public persona and nine marriages as much as for her film career. She appeared in films including Moulin Rouge and became a fixture of American celebrity culture for decades. She was one of three famous Gabor sisters.
• 1917 – 1993 Anthony Burgess (1917-1993) Died 22 November 1993, aged 76 Anthony Burgess was an English author and composer best known for his dystopian novel "A Clockwork Orange," later adapted into a controversial film by Stanley Kubrick. He was a prolific writer of fiction, criticism, and screenplays. He died of cancer in London.
• 1917 – 1977 Robert Lowell (1917-1977) Died 12 September 1977, aged 60 Robert Lowell was an American poet and a leading figure of the confessional poetry movement. He won the Pulitzer Prize twice during a career that shaped mid-20th-century American poetry.
• 1917 – 1986 Desi Arnaz (1917-1986) Died 2 December 1986, aged 69 Cuban-born actor and bandleader who co-starred in and produced the pioneering sitcom I Love Lucy with his wife Lucille Ball. Through their company Desilu, he helped pioneer the multi-camera format and rerun syndication model still used in television today. He died in California of lung cancer.
• 1917 Jones-Shafroth Act grants Puerto Ricans US citizenship US Congress extends citizenship to island residents The act conferred statutory US citizenship on residents of Puerto Rico and reorganized the territory's government structure. It also made Puerto Rican men eligible for the military draft shortly before US entry into the war.
• 1917 Jeannette Rankin takes her seat in Congress First woman elected to the US House of Representatives Rankin, a Montana Republican, was sworn into the House of Representatives, becoming the first woman to hold federal elected office in the United States. She would go on to be one of few members of Congress to vote against US entry into both world wars.
• 1917 The February Revolution Petrograd, Russia Bread queues became strikes, the garrison refused to fire, and within a week the Tsar had abdicated — ending three hundred years of Romanov rule. The provisional government kept Russia in the war, which destroyed it.
• 1917 British capture of Baghdad Ottoman forces driven from Mesopotamia's largest city British Empire forces under General Frederick Maude took Baghdad from the Ottoman Empire, reversing earlier setbacks in the Mesopotamian campaign. The capture was a significant propaganda victory for Britain during a difficult year on the Western Front.
• 1917 – 2020 Vera Lynn (1917-2020) Died 18 June 2020, aged 103 Vera Lynn was an English singer known as "the Forces' Sweetheart" for songs including "We'll Meet Again" that boosted morale among British troops during the Second World War. She died on 18 June 2020 at the age of 103.
• 1917 French Army mutinies Widespread refusals to attack follow failed Nivelle Offensive After catastrophic losses in the Nivelle Offensive, tens of thousands of French soldiers refused to take part in further attacks, though most continued defensive duties. General Philippe Petain restored order through a mix of reforms to conditions and selective courts-martial.
• 1917 The United States declares war Washington, United States Wilson, re-elected months earlier on having kept America out, asked Congress for a declaration. American troops arrived slowly, but the promise of millions of them changed every calculation on both sides.
• 1917 Battle of Vimy Ridge Canadian Corps captures German-held ridge in France All four divisions of the Canadian Corps attacked together for the first time, seizing the heavily fortified ridge from German forces. The battle became a defining moment of Canadian national identity. Over 10,000 Canadian soldiers were killed or wounded.
• 1917 – 1996 Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (25 April 1917 -- 15 June 1996) was an American jazz vocalist widely considered the greatest female jazz singer in history. Known as the First Lady of Song, her voice combined extraordinary technical range (three octaves), perfect intonation, rhythmic precision and an improvisational gift -- particularly in scat singing -- that placed her alongside the greatest instrumental soloists in jazz. Her Songbook series for Verve Records (1956-1964) -- eight albums dedicated to the great American songwriters -- are the definitive recordings of the American popular song tradition. She won 13 Grammy Awards and sold over 40 million records.
• 1917 – 2019 I.M. Pei (1917-2019) Died 16 May 2019, aged 102 I.M. Pei was a Chinese-American architect known for landmark modernist designs including the glass pyramid at the Louvre Museum and the East Building of the National Gallery of Art. He won the Pritzker Prize in 1983. He died in Manhattan at age 102.
• 1917 – 2012 Celeste Holm (1917-2012) American actress, Ado Annie in the original Oklahoma! and Oscar winner for Gentleman's Agreement.
• 1917 – 2017 Danielle Darrieux (1917-2017) French actress with a career of eight decades, from Mayerling to Max Ophüls's films and Persepolis.
• 1917 – 2000 David Tomlinson (1917-2000) Died 24 June 2000, aged 83 David Tomlinson was an English actor remembered for three Disney films: as the reforming father George Banks in Mary Poppins, and in Bedknobs and Broomsticks and The Love Bug. A skilled light comedian, he had a long stage and screen career in Britain before Hollywood. He largely retired after the 1970s.
• 1917 Apparitions of Fátima The Miracle of the Sun Three shepherd children reported visions of the Virgin Mary, making Fátima a global pilgrimage site.
• 1917 – 1993 Raymond Burr (1917-1993) Died 12 September 1993, aged 76 Raymond Burr was a Canadian-American actor best known for the title roles in the television series "Perry Mason" and "Ironside." His portrayal of defense attorney Perry Mason made him one of the most recognizable faces on American television for decades. He died at his home in California after a long illness.
• 1917 East St. Louis race riots Mob violence kills dozens of Black residents White mobs attacked Black residents and neighborhoods in East St. Louis, Illinois, amid tensions over labor competition and wartime migration, killing dozens and burning much of the Black community. It was among the deadliest race riots in American history and spurred national outrage.
• 1917 – 1963 JFK US president, assassinated John F. Kennedy was the 35th US President, navigating the Cuban Missile Crisis before his assassination in Dallas on November 22, 1963.
• 1917 – 1963 John F. Kennedy 35th President — assassinated in Dallas John F. Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – Nov 22, 1963) was the 35th President 1961-1963, the youngest elected at 43 and first Catholic. He navigated the Cuban Missile Crisis and launched the space race, before being assassinated in Dallas.
• 1917 – 2015 Kirk Kerkorian (1917-2015) Died 15 June 2015, aged 98 Kirk Kerkorian was an American businessman and investor who built much of the Las Vegas Strip, developing several of the city's largest hotel-casinos including the MGM Grand. He also acquired and later sold Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios multiple times over his career. Kerkorian was one of the most influential figures in the history of Las Vegas.
• 1917 Battle of Messines British mines devastate German lines in Flanders British and Commonwealth forces detonated a series of massive underground mines beneath German positions near Messines, one of the largest planned explosions in history to that point. The attack captured the ridge with comparatively limited casualties before the wider Passchendaele campaign began.
• 1917 – 1995 Dean Martin (1917-1995) Died 25 December 1995, aged 78 Dean Martin was an American singer and actor, a member of the Rat Pack alongside Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., and a fixture of Las Vegas entertainment. He had a long comedy partnership with Jerry Lewis before pursuing a solo career in film and music. His relaxed crooning style produced enduring hits such as That's Amore.
• 1917 – 2000 Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000) Died 3 December 2000, aged 83 Gwendolyn Brooks was an American poet who chronicled everyday Black life on Chicago's South Side. In 1950 she became the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize, for the collection Annie Allen. She later served as poet laureate of Illinois and as consultant in poetry to the Library of Congress.
• 1917 US Espionage Act enacted Wartime law criminalizes interference with military operations Congress passed the Espionage Act shortly after the US entered the war, criminalizing interference with military recruitment and the disclosure of information deemed harmful to national defense. Amended and invoked repeatedly since, it remains a central tool in American national security prosecutions.
• 1917 Kerensky Offensive Russia's last major offensive of the war collapses The Russian Provisional Government launched an offensive against Austro-German forces in Galicia, hoping to rally war-weary troops. Initial gains quickly reversed into a chaotic retreat, accelerating the collapse of army discipline that helped set the stage for the Bolshevik seizure of power.
• 1917 – 2010 Lena Horne (1917-2010) American singer, actress and civil rights activist, star of Stormy Weather.
• 1917 – 1975 Susan Hayward (1917-1975) American actress known for intense dramatic roles and five Oscar nominations, winning for I Want to Live!
• 1917 The capture of Aqaba Aqaba, Ottoman Empire Rather than attack the fortified port from the sea, Lawrence and Auda abu Tayi took a force 600 miles inland through the Nefud desert and came at it from behind, where the guns could not turn. It made his reputation and opened a supply line to the north.
• 1917 – 2009 Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009) Died 16 January 2009, aged 91 Wyeth was one of the best-known American painters of the twentieth century, celebrated for realist works such as Christina's World. He worked primarily in tempera and watercolor, depicting rural scenes near his homes in Pennsylvania and Maine. His work remained widely popular despite critical debate over his realist style.
• 1917 – 2012 Phyllis Diller (1917-2012) Died 20 August 2012, aged 95 American comedienne and actress known for her self-deprecating stand-up style, one of the first successful female stand-up comics in the United States. She died of natural causes at her home in Los Angeles.
• 1917 NAACP Silent Parade Thousands march down Fifth Avenue against lynching Organized by the NAACP in response to the East St. Louis riots and ongoing lynchings, roughly 10,000 African Americans marched silently down New York's Fifth Avenue. It is regarded as one of the first major civil rights demonstrations in the United States.
• 1917 – 2008 J. D. Salinger American novelist Salinger wrote The Catcher in the Rye, capturing teenage alienation and postwar disillusionment.
• 1917 Passchendaele Ypres, Belgium The Third Battle of Ypres was fought through the wettest autumn in decades, on ground whose drainage the shelling had destroyed. Men and horses drowned in the mud. Around half a million casualties for five miles.
• 1917 – 1997 Robert Mitchum (1917-1997) Died 1 July 1997, aged 79 Robert Mitchum was an American actor known for his roles in film noir classics such as Out of the Past and The Night of the Hunter. He appeared in more than 130 films over a five-decade career. He died one day before fellow screen legend James Stewart.
• 1917 – 1980 Oscar Romero (1917-1980) Died 24 March 1980, aged 62 Archbishop of San Salvador who was assassinated while celebrating Mass, after speaking out against poverty, social injustice, and human rights abuses during El Salvador's civil conflict. His killing by a right-wing death squad made him a martyr for liberation theology and human rights. He was canonized a saint by the Catholic Church in 2018.
• 1917 – 2015 Denis Healey (1917-2015) Died 3 October 2015, aged 98 Denis Healey was a British Labour politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer during the economic turmoil of the 1970s, including the 1976 IMF crisis. He later served as deputy leader of the Labour Party. Healey was known for his sharp wit and long parliamentary career spanning four decades.
• 1917 – 1989 Ferdinand Marcos (1917-1989) Died 28 September 1989, aged 72 Ferdinand Marcos was President of the Philippines for over two decades, ruling under martial law from 1972 to 1981. His regime was marked by authoritarian rule and allegations of massive corruption before he was ousted by the 1986 People Power Revolution. He died in exile in Hawaii.
• 1917 – 2006 Red Auerbach (1917-2006) Died 28 October 2006, aged 89 Red Auerbach, the legendary coach and executive who built the Boston Celtics dynasty, died of a heart attack in Washington, D.C. He won nine NBA championships as head coach, including eight in a row. He remained the Celtics' president and a fixture of the franchise until his death.
• 1917 – 2006 June Allyson (1917-2006) American actress and singer, MGM's girl next door of the 1940s and 1950s.
• 1917 – 1982 Thelonious Monk (1917-1982) Died 17 February 1982, aged 64 American jazz pianist and composer, a pioneer of bebop and modern jazz harmony. He died following a stroke after years of declining health and public silence.
• 1917 Mata Hari executed for espionage Dutch dancer shot by French firing squad Margaretha Zelle, known by her stage name Mata Hari, was convicted by French military authorities of spying for Germany and executed by firing squad outside Paris. Her trial and death made her one of the most enduring symbols of espionage in popular culture.
• 1917 – 2013 Joan Fontaine (1917-2013) British-American actress, star of Rebecca and the only actor to win an Oscar for a Hitchcock film.
• 1917 Battle of Caporetto Austro-German breakthrough routs the Italian army A combined Austro-Hungarian and German offensive shattered the Italian front near Caporetto, forcing a chaotic retreat of over 100 kilometers and huge losses in prisoners and equipment. The disaster led to a change in Italian military command and the word "Caporetto" becoming synonymous with catastrophic defeat in Italian.
• 1917 Battle of Beersheba Australian and New Zealand cavalry seize Ottoman stronghold A mounted charge by Australian Light Horse units captured the town of Beersheba and its wells from Ottoman defenders, opening the way for the British advance into Palestine. The action is remembered as one of the last successful large-scale cavalry charges in modern warfare.
• 1917 Balfour Declaration Britain endorses a Jewish national home in Palestine British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour issued a public letter stating the government's support for the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine, while noting that the rights of existing non-Jewish communities should not be prejudiced. The declaration became a foundational document in the modern Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
• 1917 The October Revolution Petrograd, Russia The Bolsheviks seized power, promising peace, land and bread. Russia's exit from the war freed fifty German divisions for the Western Front — and set the century's other great course.
• 1917 – 1984 Indira Gandhi (1917-1984) Died 31 October 1984, aged 66 Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, was shot and killed by two of her Sikh bodyguards at her residence in New Delhi, in apparent revenge for Operation Blue Star. Her assassination triggered widespread anti-Sikh violence across India. She was succeeded as prime minister by her son Rajiv Gandhi.
• 1917 Battle of Cambrai First massed use of tanks in warfare British forces launched a surprise offensive near Cambrai using hundreds of tanks en masse for the first time, achieving rapid early gains before a German counterattack recovered most of the lost ground. The battle proved the tactical potential of armored warfare and influenced military doctrine for decades.
• 1917 – 2010 Robert Byrd (1917-2010) Died 28 June 2010, aged 92 Byrd was a United States Senator from West Virginia who served longer than any other senator in American history, spanning more than 50 years in office. He was a leading advocate for Senate procedure and constitutional authority. He died in office of natural causes.
• 1917 National Hockey League founded Canadian teams form a new professional ice hockey league Team owners meeting in Montreal established the NHL after a dispute within its predecessor league. It began play that December with four teams and would go on to become the sport's dominant professional league.
• 1917 Finland declares independence Independence from Russia Finland declared independence from the Russian Empire during the Russian Revolution.
• 1917 Halifax Explosion Ship collision devastates a Canadian port city The French cargo ship Mont-Blanc, loaded with wartime explosives, collided with another vessel in Halifax Harbour and detonated, flattening much of the city's north end. Roughly 2,000 people were killed and thousands more injured, in what was the largest human-made explosion before the atomic bomb.
• 1917 – 2005 Ossie Davis (1917-2005) Died 4 February 2005, aged 87 Ossie Davis, an actor, director and civil rights activist, died on 4 February 2005. He appeared in numerous films and plays over a six-decade career, often alongside his wife Ruby Dee, and was a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Davis delivered the eulogy at Malcolm X's funeral in 1965.
• 1917 – 1985 Heinrich Boll (1917-1985) Died 16 July 1985, aged 67 Boll was a German novelist awarded the 1972 Nobel Prize in Literature for work exploring German guilt and recovery after the Second World War. His novels include The Clown and Group Portrait with Lady. He died near Bonn, West Germany, on 16 July 1985.