April 17 - Hi, Uncle George!

Hi, Uncle George!

This Day In History

1397

Geoffrey Chaucer tells the Canterbury Tales for the first time at the court of Richard II. Chaucer scholars have also identified this date (in 1387) the start of the book's pilgrimage to Canterbury.

1524

Giovanni da Verrazzano reaches New York harbor.

1897

The Aurora, Texas UFO incident

1907

The Ellis Island immigration center processes 11,747 people, more than on any other day.

1951

The Peak District becomes the United Kingdom's first National Park.

1964

Jerrie Mock becomes the first woman to circumnavigate the world by air.

1970

The ill-fated Apollo 13 spacecraft returns to Earth safely.

1986

The Three Hundred and Thirty Five Years' War between the Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly ends.

Famous Birthdays

1598

Giovanni Riccioli, Italian astronomer (d. 1671)

1766

Collin McKinney, one of five individuals who drafted the Texas Declaration of Independence and its oldest signatory (d. 1861)

1820

Alexander Joy Cartwright, inventor of the modern game of baseball (d. 1892)

1837

J. P. Morgan, American financier (d. 1913)

1885

Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen), Danish author (d. 1962)

1897

Thornton Wilder, American dramatist (d. 1975)

1915

Joe Foss, United States Marine and first commissioner of the American Football League (d. 2003)

1918

William Holden, American actor (d. 1981)

1934

Don Kirshner, American composer (d. 2011)

1957

Nick Hornby, English author

1959

Sean Bean, English actor

1963

Joel Murray, American actor

1972

Gary Bennett, American baseball player
Jennifer Garner, American actress