May 17th, 1803

Born on May 17th, 1803

Age in days, weeks and months
Wow, over 80,000 days old!

Why not celebrate an alternative birthday? In 300 days, exactly on February 21st, 2025, people who were born on May 17th, 1803 will be 81,000 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

Henri Barbusse

French author (1873-1935)

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

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

90

John Patrick

American playwright and screenwriter (1905-1995)

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

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

94

Bill Minor

American journalist

*May 17th, 1922, Hammond †March 28th, 2017, Ridgeland

61

Ferenc Krausz

Austrian-Hungarian laser physicist

*May 17th, 1962, Mór

Same year
Born in 1803

65

Hector Berlioz

French composer and conductor (1803–1869)

*December 11th, 1803, La Côte-Saint-André †March 8th, 1869, Paris

49

Christian Doppler

Austrian mathematician, physicist (1803–1853)

*November 29th, 1803, Salzburg †March 17th, 1853, Venice

71

Ernst Helwing

German historian

*October 4th, 1803, Lemgo †April 25th, 1875

78

Ralph Waldo Emerson

American philosopher (1803–1882)

*May 25th, 1803, Boston †April 27th, 1882, Concord

51

Léon Faucher

French economist, journalist and politician (1803-1854)

*September 8th, 1803, Limoges †December 14th, 1854, Marseille

69

Edward Bulwer-Lytton

British statesman and author (1803–1873)

*May 25th, 1803, London †January 18th, 1873, Torquay

63

Salomon Munk

German-born Jewish-French Orientalist (1803–1867)

*May 14th, 1803, Głogów †February 5th, 1867, Paris

66

Prosper Mérimée

French writer, historian, and translator (1803-1870)

*September 28th, 1803, Paris †September 23rd, 1870, Cannes

43

Jean Ignace Isidore Gérard Grandville

French caricaturist (1803-1847)

*September 13th, 1803, Nancy †March 17th, 1847, Vanves

75

Albrecht von Roon

Prussian general (1803-1879)

*April 30th, 1803, Pleśna, West Pomeranian Voivodeship †February 23rd, 1879, Berlin

75

Jacob Abbott

American writer of children's books (1803-1879)

*November 14th, 1803, Hallowell †October 31st, 1879, Farmington

69

Justus von Liebig

German chemist (1803-1873)

*May 12th, 1803, Darmstadt †April 18th, 1873, Munich

80

Maria Doolaeghe

Flemish poet and writer (1803-1884)

*October 25th, 1803, Diksmuide †April 7th, 1884, Diksmuide

69

Fyodor Tyutchev

Russian poet (1803-1873)

*November 23rd, 1803, Ovstug †July 15th, 1873, Pushkin

89

Princess Alexandrine of Prussia

Third daughter and sixth child of Frederick William III of Prussia

*February 23rd, 1803, Berlin †April 21st, 1892, Schwerin

82

Alphonse Toussenel

French naturalist, writer and journalist

*March 17th, 1803, Montreuil-Bellay †April 30th, 1885, Paris

78

George Borrow

English author (1803–1881)

*July 5th, 1803, Dereham †July 26th, 1881, Lowestoft

75

William Allen

American politician, 31st Governor of Ohio (1803-1879)

*December 18th, 1803, Edenton †July 11th, 1879, Chillicothe

30

Johann Christian Ziegler

German painter (1803-1833)

*February 7th, 1803, Wunsiedel †June 18th, 1833, Munich

87

Friedrich Arnold

German anatomist and physiologist

*January 8th, 1803, Edenkoben †July 4th, 1890, Heidelberg

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 1803 is a normal year and no leap year.

Calendar
May 1803