May 17th, 1817

Born on May 17th, 1817

Age in days, weeks and months
Wow, over 75,000 days old!

Why not celebrate an alternative birthday? In 411 days, exactly on June 15th, 2025, people who were born on May 17th, 1817 will be 76,000 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

Born on May 17th, 1817

66

Carl Kuntze

German conductor and composer

*May 17th, 1817, Trier †September 7th, 1883, Delitzsch

68

Thomas Davidson

British palaeontologist

*May 17th, 1817, Edinburgh †October 14th, 1885, Brighton

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

67

Sugar Ray Leonard

American boxer

*May 17th, 1956, Wilmington

64

Wilhelm Steinitz

Austrian-American chess player

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

73

Edward Jenner

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

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

59

Erik Satie

French composer and pianist (1866-1925)

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

61

Thomas Rachel

German politician (CDU)

*May 17th, 1962, Birkesdorf

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

80

Ezra Otis Kendall

American astronomer and mathematician

*May 17th, 1818, Wilmington †January 5th, 1899, Philadelphia

90

John Patrick

American playwright and screenwriter (1905-1995)

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

74

Dennis Hopper

American actor and director (1936–2010)

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

62

Enya

Irish singer

*May 17th, 1961, Gweedore

65

Bob Saget

American actor and comedian (1956–2022)

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

87

Maureen O'Sullivan

Irish-American actress (1911-1998)

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

59

David Eigenberg

American actor

*May 17th, 1964, New York City

94

Bill Minor

American journalist

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

Same year
Born in 1817

44

Henry David Thoreau

American essayist, poet, and philosopher (1817–1862)

*July 12th, 1817, Wheeler-Minot Farmhouse †May 6th, 1862, Concord

85

Theodor Mommsen

German classical scholar and historian (1817–1903)

*November 30th, 1817, Garding †November 1st, 1903, Charlottenburg

74

Baháʼu'lláh

Founder of the Bahá'í Faith

*November 12th, 1817, Tehran †May 29th, 1892, Acre

67

Frederick T. Frelinghuysen

American politician (1817-1885)

*August 4th, 1817, Millstone †May 20th, 1885, Newark

33

Miguel Lafuente Alcántara

Spanish historian

*July 10th, 1817, Archidona †August 27th, 1850, Havana

78

Frederick Douglass

African-American social reformer, writer, and abolitionist (c. 1818 – 1895)

*January 31st, 1817, Talbot County †February 20th, 1895, Washington, D.C.

70

Theodor Storm

German writer

*September 14th, 1817, Husum †July 4th, 1888, Hanerau-Hademarschen

94

Joseph Dalton Hooker

British botanist, lichenologist, and surgeon (1817–1911)

*June 30th, 1817, Halesworth †December 10th, 1911, Sunningdale

65

Auguste-Alexandre Ducrot

French general (1817-1882)

*February 24th, 1817, Nevers †August 16th, 1882, Versailles

78

Justo Arosemena Quesada

Colombian politician and writer

*August 9th, 1817, Colombia †February 23rd, 1896, Bogotá

85

Rudolf von Delbrück

Prussian statesman under Bismarck (1817-1903)

*April 16th, 1817, Berlin †February 1st, 1903, Berlin

54

Aimé Maillart

French composer

*March 24th, 1817, Montpellier †May 26th, 1871, Moulins

82

Ivan Aivazovsky

Russian marine painter (1817-1900)

*July 17th, 1817, Feodosiia †April 19th, 1900, Feodosiia

68

Jules d'Aoust

French noble and composer (1817-1886)

*March 16th, 1817, Arras †January 21st, 1886, Paris

92

Genova Thaon di Revel

Italian politician (1817-1910)

*November 20th, 1817, Genoa †September 3rd, 1910, Como

76

Charles Auguste Fraikin

Belgian curator and sculptor

*June 14th, 1817, Herentals †November 22nd, 1893, Schaerbeek

83

Ramón de Campoamor

Spanish author (1817-1901)

*September 24th, 1817, Navia †February 11th, 1901, Madrid

77

Heinrich von Sybel

German historian (1817-1895)

*December 2nd, 1817, Düsseldorf †August 1st, 1895, Marburg

55

Maria Merkert

Superior General of the Congregation of St Elizabeth

*September 21st, 1817, Nysa †November 14th, 1872, Nysa

88

Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

Duke of Nassau (1839–1866), later Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1890–1905)

*July 24th, 1817, Biebrich Palace †November 17th, 1905, Lenggries

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 1817 is a normal year and no leap year.

Calendar
May 1817