May 17th, 1798

Born on May 17th, 1798

Age in days, weeks and months
Wow, over 82,000 days old!

Why not celebrate an alternative birthday? In 474 days, exactly on August 15th, 2025, people who were born on May 17th, 1798 will be 83,000 days old!

... in seconds, minutes and hours

What happened on May 17th?

May 17th, 2004

Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage.

May 17th, 2000

Following the killing of two English football fans by Galatasaray supporters in the previous month, British and Turkish hooligans rioted on the day of the UEFA Cup Final in Copenhagen, Denmark.

May 17th, 1995

Six-year-old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama selected by the 14th Dalai Lama, was kidnapped by the Chinese government, who advocated a proxy.

May 17th, 1987

An Iraqi jet aircraft fired two Exocet missiles at the American frigate USS Stark leaving 37 personnel of the warship dead and 21 others injured.

May 17th, 1974

The Troubles: The Ulster Volunteer Force detonated a series of car bombs in Dublin and Monaghan, Ireland, killing 34 people and injuring almost 300 more.

May 17th, 1954

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education, outlawing racial segregation in public schools because "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal" and therefore unconstitutional.

May 17th, 1947

After renegotiating a contract with the makers of her signature perfume Chanel No. 5, Coco Chanel (pictured) received a share of wartime profits from its sale, making her one of the richest women in the world.

May 17th, 1914

Under the Protocol of Corfu, the Principality of Albania officially recognized Northern Epirus as an autonomous self-governing region.

May 17th, 1902

The Antikythera mechanism, the oldest known surviving geared mechanism, was discovered among artifacts retrieved from a shipwreck off the Greek island of Antikythera.

May 17th, 1900

The first copies of the children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum were printed.

May 17th, 1865

The International Telecommunication Union, which standardizes and regulates international radio and telecommunications, was founded as the International Telegraph Union in Paris.

May 17th, 1863

American Civil War: at the Battle of Big Black River Bridge in Mississippi, Union forces under John McClernand defeated a Confederate rearguard, capturing around 1,700 men.

May 17th, 1590

Anne of Denmark (pictured) was crowned queen consort of Scotland in a ceremony at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh.

May 17th, 1521

English nobleman Edward Stafford, whose father had been beheaded for rebelling against King Richard III, was himself executed for treason against King Henry VIII.

May 17th, 1395

An outnumbered Wallachian army repulsed invading Ottoman forces at the Battle of Rovine.

Birthdays
... of famous people, actors, celebrities and stars on May 17th

Same Day
Who's birthday is on May 17th?

61

Bill Paxton

American actor and filmmaker (1955–2017)

*May 17th, 1955, Fort Worth †February 25th, 2017, Los Angeles

35

Lyna bonasera

Belgian actress

*May 17th, 1988, West Los Angeles

73

Edward Jenner

English physician, scientist and pioneer of vaccination (1749–1823)

*May 17th, 1749, Berkeley †January 26th, 1823, Berkeley

67

Sugar Ray Leonard

American boxer

*May 17th, 1956, Wilmington

61

Thomas Rachel

German politician (CDU)

*May 17th, 1962, Birkesdorf

64

Wilhelm Steinitz

Austrian-American chess player

*May 17th, 1836, Prague †August 12th, 1900, New York City

59

Erik Satie

French composer and pianist (1866-1925)

*May 17th, 1866, Honfleur †July 1st, 1925, Paris

75

Winfried Kretschmann

German politician

*May 17th, 1948, Spaichingen

34

Tessa Virtue

Canadian ice dancer

*May 17th, 1989, London

72

Jean Gabin

French actor, recording artist (1904-1976)

*May 17th, 1904, 9th arrondissement of Paris †November 15th, 1976, Neuilly-sur-Seine

89

Ruhollah Khomeini

Iranian politician and religious leader (1900–1989)

*May 17th, 1900, Khomein †June 3rd, 1989, Tehran

62

Enya

Irish singer

*May 17th, 1961, Gweedore

74

Dennis Hopper

American actor and director (1936–2010)

*May 17th, 1936, Dodge City †May 29th, 2010, Venice

62

Henri Barbusse

French author (1873-1935)

*May 17th, 1873, Asnières-sur-Seine †August 30th, 1935, Moscow

90

John Patrick

American playwright and screenwriter (1905-1995)

*May 17th, 1905, Louisville †November 7th, 1995, Delray Beach

74

Mariane Bargiel

German pianist, soprano and piano teacher (1797-1872)

*May 17th, 1797, Greiz †March 10th, 1872

65

Bob Saget

American actor and comedian (1956–2022)

*May 17th, 1956, Philadelphia †January 9th, 2022, Orlando

59

David Eigenberg

American actor

*May 17th, 1964, New York City

87

Maureen O'Sullivan

Irish-American actress (1911-1998)

*May 17th, 1911, Boyle †June 23rd, 1998, Scottsdale

76

Ernst von Bandel

German sculptor (1800-1876)

*May 17th, 1800, Ansbach †September 25th, 1876, Riedlingen

Same year
Born in 1798

56

Adam Mickiewicz

Polish national poet, dramatist, essayist, publicist, translator, and political activist (1798-1855)

*December 24th, 1798, Zavosse †November 26th, 1855, Istanbul

38

Giacomo Leopardi

Italian poet, philosopher, and writer (1798-1837)

*June 29th, 1798, Recanati †June 14th, 1837, Naples

59

Auguste Comte

French philosopher and pioneer of positivism (1798-1857)

*January 19th, 1798, Montpellier †September 5th, 1857, Paris

65

Eugène Delacroix

French painter (1798–1863)

*April 26th, 1798, Saint-Maurice †August 13th, 1863, Paris

67

Massimo d'Azeglio

Italian statesman, novelist and painter

*October 21st, 1798, Turin †January 15th, 1866, Cannero Riviera

75

Jules Michelet

French historian; popularized the historical concept of the Renaissance

*August 21st, 1798, Paris †February 9th, 1874, Hyères

75

August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben

German scholar and poet

*April 2nd, 1798, Fallersleben †January 19th, 1874, Princely Abbey of Corvey

62

Alexandra Feodorovna

Wife of Nicholas I of Russia (1798-1860)

*July 13th, 1798, Berlin †October 20th, 1860, Tsarskoye Selo

55

Abigail Fillmore

First Lady of the United States from 1850 to 1853

*March 13th, 1798, Saratoga County †March 30th, 1853, Washington, D.C.

35

Pedro I of Brazil

Emperor of Brazil (1822–31) and King of Portugal (1826)

*October 12th, 1798, Palace of Queluz †September 24th, 1834, Palace of Queluz

77

František Palacký

Czech philosopher, historian, publicist and writer (1798-1876)

*June 14th, 1798, Hodslavice †May 26th, 1876, Prague

82

Jules Armand Dufaure

French politician and lawyer (1798-1881)

*December 4th, 1798, Saujon †June 27th, 1881, Rueil-Malmaison

63

Franz Gläser

Czech conductor and composer (1798-1861)

*April 19th, 1798, Horní Jiřetín †August 29th, 1861, Copenhagen

66

Wilhelm Arnoldi

German priest

*January 4th, 1798, Badem †January 7th, 1864, Trier

73

Willibald Alexis

German historical novelist

*June 29th, 1798, Wrocław †December 16th, 1871, Arnstadt

27

Manuel Jordán Valdivieso

Chilean officer of the war of independence

*April 6th, 1798, Santiago †November 27th, 1825, Longaví

64

Heinrich Maria von Hess

German painter (1798-1863)

*April 19th, 1798, Düsseldorf †March 29th, 1863, Munich

75

Wilhelm Amandus Auberlen

German composer (1798-1874)

*October 24th, 1798, Fellbach †September 29th, 1874, Fellbach

23

Prince Clemens of Saxony

Prince of Saxony

*May 1st, 1798, Dresden †January 4th, 1822, Pisa

45

Thomas James Henderson

Scottish lawyer, astronomer and mathematician (1798-1844)

*December 28th, 1798, Dundee †November 23rd, 1844, Edinburgh

Birthdays of famous people

Public holidays on May 17th

Fixed holidays (Christian feast day) which are celebrated on May 17th.

Date as a Roman numeral / digit

Leap year

No: With 365 days 1798 is a normal year and no leap year.

Calendar
May 1798