History Events on October 17

The Caravaggio painting Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence was stolen from the Oratory of Saint Lawrence in Palermo.
#Caravaggio

Kepler's Supernova is observed in the constellation of Ophiuchus.
#Kepler's_Supernova

The 1964-65 New York World's Fair closes after two years and more than 51 million attendees.
#1964_New_York_World's_Fair
The Burma Railway (Burma-Thailand Railway) is completed.
#Burma_Railway

The hijacked Lufthansa Flight 181 lands in Mogadishu. The remaining hostages are later rescued.
#Lufthansa_Flight_181

Al Capone is convicted of income tax evasion.
#Al_Capone

The East German Politburo votes to remove Erich Honecker from his role as General Secretary.
#Erich_Honecker

An Ottoman army defeats a Hungarian army at the Second Battle of Kosovo.
#Battle_of_Kosovo_(1448)

The English capture King David II of Scotland at Neville's Cross and imprison him for eleven years.
#Battle_of_Neville's_Cross

Taipei 101, a 101-floor skyscraper in Taipei, becomes the world's tallest highrise.
#Taipei_101

The Department of Education Organization Act creates the US Department of Education.
#Department_of_Education_Organization_Act

The Hatfield rail crash leads to the collapse of Railtrack.
#Hatfield_rail_crash

Eight people die in the London Beer Flood.
#London_Beer_Flood

Israeli tourism minister Rehavam Ze'evi becomes the first Israeli minister to be assassinated in a terrorist attack.
#Assassination_of_Rehavam_Ze'evi

Poczta Polska, the Polish postal service, is founded.
#Poczta_Polska

American Revolutionary War: British General John Burgoyne surrenders his army at Saratoga, New York.
#Saratoga_campaign

As part of the Holy See-United Kingdom relations a British monarch makes the first state visit to the Vatican
#Holy_See-United_Kingdom_relations

The Nine regicides who signed the death warrant of Charles I of England are hanged, drawn and quartered.
#List_of_regicides_of_Charles_I

Former leader of the Haitian Revolution, Emperor Jacques I, is assassinated after an oppressive rule.
#Jean-Jacques_Dessalines

The University of Greifswald is established as the second oldest university in northern Europe.
#University_of_Greifswald

The recreational use of cannabis is legalized in Canada.
#Cannabis_Act

Bobby Fischer defeats Donald Byrne in the chess Game of the Century.
#The_Game_of_the_Century_(chess)

The first commercial nuclear power station is officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in Sellafield, England.
#Sellafield

Thomas Edison files a patent for the Optical Phonograph (the first movie).
#Thomas_Edison

Bellini's third opera, Il pirata, is premiered at Milan.
#Il_pirata

Aborigines kill Nineteen Europeans in the Cullin-la-ringo massacre.
#Cullin-la-ringo_massacre

Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia declare war on the Ottoman Empire, joining Montenegro in the First Balkan War.
#First_Balkan_War

The tomb of Pharaoh Seti I is discovered.
#KV17

A massive demonstration in Buenos Aires, Argentina, demands Juan Perón's release.
#Loyalty_Day_(Argentina)

Premiere in Milan of the opera Ascanio in Alba, composed by Mozart at age 15.
#Ascanio_in_Alba

Mother Teresa is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
#Mother_Teresa

Albert Einstein flees Nazi Germany and moves to the United States.
#Albert_Einstein

World War II: The USS Kearny becomes the first US Navy vessel to be torpedoed by a U-boat.
#USS_Kearny_(DD-432)

The body of Communist propagandist Willi Münzenberg found in South France, starting a never-resolved mystery.
#Willi_Münzenberg